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He straightened and cleared his throat. “I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
I used the linen napkin to blot at the corners of my eyes. “No, it’s fine. Really. It was a long time ago.”And a long time for buried secrets to come to light.
Timothy leaned back in his seat and blew out a breath. “I am really blowing this.” He looked around. “Do you just want to get out of here?”
I looked at him with a watery smile. “Yeah.”
With a nod, he signaled to our server, dropped money on the table, and held out a hand for me. I stood, walking through the restaurant as Timothy followed behind me. Once outside, I sucked in a deep breath of warm May air.
Beside me, Timothy’s hand brushed the small of my back. A loud sneeze erupted from him, and I jumped with a small yelp.
“I apologize.” He wiped under his nose with a tissue. “I’m not sure what’s happening here.”
I placed my hand on his elbow. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Timothy sneezed again and took a step back. “I think ... I’m sorry, but I think it’s you.”
My back went straight. “Me?”
He took a tentative step forward and, sure enough, as soon as he got within breathing distance, he let out another loud, wet sneeze.
I recoiled.Are you freaking kidding me?My hands hung limply at my sides. “Maybe let’s just call this one, huh?”
His sad, watery eyes raked over me. “I do think it’s for the best.”
“Thank you, Timothy, for the almost-date.” I extended my hand and immediately snatched it back after he sneezed again and small, wet droplets dappled my face. “Yep. Good night.”
I turned on my heels and reached into my purse to slather myself in antibacterial gel. As I sullenly walked toward my car, I opened my phone to text Lee.
Oh for one... turns out it’s not just cats that can be allergic to humans.
Three bubbles immediately popped up, and my tummy did a little flip.
Lee
I’ve got Chinese takeout and Benadryl. Come on over.
* * *
“So you are,in fact,notbetter at this than I am.” Sitting cross-legged on Lee’s apartment floor, I dipped my chopsticks into the open container of lo mein noodles. Before heading to his apartment, I stopped by my own to change out of my adorable date-night dress and heels and into ratty gray sweatpants. They were my comfort pants when I wanted to wallow and eat shitty takeout.
Lee had seen me in worse, anyway.
He absent-mindedly pushed a shrimp to my side while I nudged the slimy bell peppers his way. “Actually allergic?”
“He sneezedin my face.”
Lee stifled a laugh. “I’m sorry, really. Tim’s a nice guy.”
I nodded. “He was. Until my mere physical being nearly sent him into anaphylaxis.”
Lee shook his head in disbelief, then sighed. “It’s probably for the best anyway. Tim’sreallyinto the whole French thing. On the weekends he’s a mime.”
I coughed. “Excuse me?”
“A mime. You know ...” Lee lifted his hands to silently perform a hilariously poor imitation of a mime in a box. “A mime.”
“I know what a mime is. Why in the world would you think I’d want to date amime?”
