She shook her head aggressively. “No, no. Of course not. God, no. I just needed... quiet. Have you ever needed quiet so badly that you wanted to throw your phone off an overpass?”
“I’m not exactly that popular, but I get what you’re saying.” I held the phone out to her. “You have to let Max know you’re okay, though. He’s probably crawling the wallsExorcism-style. I bet the man has the coast guard on the line.”
She sighed and reluctantly pressed the power button on the side of her phone. Alerts sounded almost immediately. Nonstop. A symphony of chimes and beeps.
Tess cringed and I took the phone from her, immediately silencing all notifications. “Do you want me to message him or would you rather?” I asked.
“I will.” She huffed. “This probably warrants a phone call.”
She slithered out of bed and into the living room, holding her phone like it was a live grenade.
There wasn’t much I’d been thankful for in the last few months, but running away... starting over... It had beenhard. It was hard in the same way that it is hard to take a deep breath when you’re sick. Painful, but necessary. Tess didn’t have the luxury of running away, though. The job, the house, the kids... Max. It was all so firm and immovable. For as aimless as I felt, she was just as hemmed in.
I heard her muffled voice from the other room as the light in the bathroom flicked on and Eli started the shower. I lay there in the dark, enjoying the sounds of the water hitting the tile and waiting for Tess to return.
And there, after a moment, was the faint smell of cucumber melon.
Chapter Forty-Eight
I called in late to work the next morning and grabbed breakfast with Tess while we waited for Max to make the drive out to pick her up after doing morning drop-off with the kids.
She was jumpy and nervous all morning, which was so unlike her. The woman set the tone of every room she walked into. In college, professors were intimidated byher.
I prodded a bit and she swore she was fine. But I could see her trying to calculate how badly she’d fucked up and what her liability was.
On our way back to Starlight Palms, we picked up Marlon. Max arrived less than thirty minutes later, and he and Tess shared a long, intense embrace in my living room while Marlon circled their feet.
I scooped him up and stepped into my room to give them a little privacy. Through the wall, I heard hushed whispers, quiet soothing, and fierce promises.
Tess called for me and I said goodbye, holding her for a long moment while Max scooped up her purse and gave Marlon a pat on the head.
When I opened the door for them both, Max, who looked like he hadn’t slept in thirty-six hours, gripped my forearm before pulling me in for a solid hug. “Thanks, V,” he said softly.
I watched as he opened her door for her and they fell back into their respective complementary roles with ease.
Once they’d left, I headed into the main building, where I found a full inbox and a small potted cactus with a thank-you card from Leonard.
This cactus will likely outlive me, but only one of us had a truly fabulous funeral and lived to tell the tale. Thanks for the push. —L
I spent the rest of the morning in my office hashing out the calendar for the rest of the year, including speed dating, the weekly movie nights, and early voting shuttles. Above all, I tried my very best not to be distracted by the man one floor above me.
Before lunch, I heard Ruby’s voice in the hallway, and I sat there for far too long, waiting for her to walk past my office and at least acknowledge me in some sort of way. But her voice faded, and I was left waiting.
* * *
That afternoon I prepped the theater for the weekly documentary club. I rolled the popcorn machine in and laid out snacks and beverages for a free all-you-can-eat concessions stand.
As I lined up the boxes of Dots in a row, the door at the back of the theater swung open and shut, followed by the click of a lock.
“I’m pretty sure most of that food is not denture-friendly,” Eli said.
A little burst of excitement sparked in me at the sound of his voice. “Anything is denture safe if you just believe in yourself,” I called over my shoulder.
He let out a short laugh and the heat of his body closed in at my back. I turned to face him, and he was near enough for our chests to brush on each exhale.
We hadn’t seen each other yet this morning, so now was my first chance to appreciate his dark green chinos, white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a pair of camel oxfords. His hair was pushed back except for a rebel strand that curled over his forehead.
“I missed you,” he said.
