“Thank god.”
“What’s the matter?” I step closer, and that’s when I see them. He’s covered in red blotches. The closer I get I can tell they’re more like bumps. I gasp and reach out but quickly pull my hand back. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. I just started itching like crazy. I was working in the garden, but there’s nothin’ in there, no poison oak or ivy, nothing. I came back up to the deck, ate something, had a beer, and this happened.” He points to his body.
“It looks like hives.”
“Hives? What the fuck are hives?”
I’m not sure how to explain it to him, so I point at his chest. A very nice, firm, sculpted sort of chest. His abs aren’t bad either. Anyway, I point at his pectorals and say, “Those. Welts. Those are hives.”
“Is it fatal?”
I giggle at his question, but the look on his face makes me stop immediately. “You’re not going to die.” At least I don’t think so. I suppose if his throat started to close up.… “Um. Tell me what you ate? Did you eat something you don’t ordinarily?”
“Why?”
“This could be an allergic reaction to food. I’ve heard bug bites can do it too.” Maybe not to this extent. His entire body is covered in the welts.
He reaches down to itch his chest, but I place my hand on his. “Try not to itch, if you can.” He doesn’t. “Did you eat something unusual? Something you’ve never had before?”
“Sushi.”
“Oh.”
“What?” he sounds panicked as he tries to itch his skin again. “Zoe brought me back some from Iowa City.” He growls. “Do you think she tried to poison me?”
“I thought you had a good relationship with your kids.”
“I thought so too.” He sounds so sad.
“Some seafood can give you hives. My cousin got them from crab meat.”
“One of ‘em was crab. There was also swordfish or some shit like that.”
“My guess is you had a reaction to something in the sushi.”
“Never again.” He tries to scratch his leg, but I shake my finger at him. It does draw my attention to his boxer briefs though. I was doing my utter best not to look since they’re gray and quite snug. But, now that my eyes are below the belt, as they say, I’ve got a clear view of him. Even flaccid, he’s impressive.
“Eyes up here.” He grumps.
“Sorry.”Focus, Prudence.“Is it on your back also?”
He rolls over, and I can say with 100% accuracy, that yes, his back is covered. And my, what a back it is. His muscles ripple. My eyes scan down to his bottom. My goodness. It looks so firm…
“Well?”
“Yes. You’re covered. So, you have two options. One is to go to urgent care. They’ll give you an allergy IV.” Or I suspect they will. “Or you can take something over the counter.”
“What do you think I should do?”
“The IV will work faster. I’d probably go that route.”
“Will you drive me?”
It makes me wonder… “Um. Where are your kids?” They should probably be the ones to accompany him to the ER.
“Zoe’s out with friends. Nathan is out of town. I ain’t asking Brett. I’ll never hear the end of it. And Jackie won’t help me.”
