I move to get up, but she grips me with the strength of a thousand vices.
“Stop being dramatic. Why would he be in the hospital? You said he went to get his parents from St. Barts.”
“How do you know? He could have slipped on a wet floor and knocked himself out, and maybe he has a concussion and lost his memory. He’ll never remember what we had this Christmas.” My voice hitches and my lower lip wobbles.
Juju closes her eyes and takes a deep breath like she’s giving up. “Okay, why don’t you have a shower and get dressed in anything but yoga pants. We’ll eat pizza and then go to his place. If he’s not there, we’ll ask his neighbors if they’ve seen him.”
“Okay…I suppose that sounds like a reasonable plan.”
We stand, and I take the opportunity of a messy bed to put the sheets in the wash. I quickly put fresh sheets on the bed and then jump in the shower.
When I come out, I smell the delicious scent of tomato, cheese, and garlic. If Juju also got us some buffalo wings, I might just have to smother her with kisses.
I’m getting dressed when my phone rings on the nightstand. I see Riley’s name pop up and almost trip over myself to get the phone.
“Hello?”
“Curtis, baby.”
The way he says my name like a prayer—god, it does things to me.
“Riley, god, I was so worried. Okay, I may have been a little dramatic about it too.” He chuckles on the other side of the line. “But I’m really happy you’re back, and I’m sorry your dad got hurt on vacation. Your mom must have been so scared.”
“It wasn’t easy for her. Dealing with all the insurance, the doctors. But we’re all home now, and that’s what matters. I need to help them arrange some support for my dad at home in Denver before they can fly out.” He pauses. “Fuck, I miss you. I miss feeling your warm body against mine, your strawberry scent, your smile, your forest-green eyes.”
I fall on the bed like an infatuated teenager. “I missed you too. And by the way, your phone voice is sexy as hell. Do you have five minutes to read the phone book while I get myself off?”
He laughs, and the sound reaches all the parts of my body that have been neglected in the last few days, especially my heart.
“I promise to make it up to you.”
“You better.”
“Listen, I gotta go. Call you later, okay?”
“Okay.” I resist the urge to saylove youat the end because it’s ridiculous. We’ve been together a week, and we’re not even officially boyfriends.
I jump off the bed with renewed energy.
“Wow, is there some kind of illegal substance in that new soap you bought?” Juju says when I come out of my room.
“Nope. Better. Let’s eat because I’m starving, and then I need to bake a pie.”
“Okaay.”
Over lunch, I tell Juju about Riley’s call, and she hits me on the head with herI told you soexpression.
Riley’s mom and dad liked the pie I made for Thanksgiving, so I check my cabinets, and I still have all the ingredients I need.
Juju turns the TV on, picking one of her reality TV shows to play in the background. I’m not letting her anywhere near my pie, so we chat about anything and everything.
When the pie is ready, I take it out of the oven and put it to one side to cool down. Then I go to the bedroom, pick my favorite outfit, and get ready.
“What do you think?” I ask Juju, doing a full twirl in front of her.
“I think that if I was your coach, I’d be eating that pie off your body.”
I look at my pink cropped shirt with the oversized collar. “Should I tone it down?”
