I want to ask him if I’m allowed to have spicy foods, but I don’t want to bog him down with questions. I pull out my phone and do a quick search. I’ve asked all the search engines so many questions over the last two days.
“Tyler?” Brandt’s voice catches my attention and I realize I’m still standing by the door while he’s next to the couch. I slip out of my shoes and lay my phone on the table, with my jacket. “Everything good?”
“Yeah.” I join him on the couch. It’s comfortable and spacious enough that we have a cushion between us. “I was just checking something.”
He studies me. I want to look away, but I don’t. Can’t. He looks good in glasses and laid back clothes like this. I’ve only ever seen him in his varying colors of scrubs.
“How have you been feeling?” he asks, changing the subject. I nod.
“Good. I still have a bit of a slow start in the mornings, but once I eat breakfast and take my medicine I’m good for the day. It seems to be helping.”
“I’m glad you’re feeling better. You had all of us worried when they brought you in. Thankfully you had your coworkers there and were just around the corner.”
I was told that Orion had been the one to call an ambulance while Austin laid a jacket under my head. Daniella kept the doors closed to customers. They gave the paramedics what information they could before I was rushed off.
“Yeah, really lucky that I have some rare disease with no cure.” I say it sarcastically, if a little bitter.
“It’s not a death sentence,” Brandt says. He moves closer to me, our knees brushing together with how we’re sitting. I’m sureI smell like food and coffee right now, a thought that pops into my mind with how close we are. He lays a hand on my arm on the back of the couch. His touch is warm and I want to relax into it. “Not if you take treatment seriously and listen to your own body. You’ll learn what you can and can’t do. It’ll be okay.”
“Can I ask a dumb question that’s kind of been in the back of my mind? It’s a bit personal.”
“Sure,” Brandt says with an easy smile. “And believe me, I don’t think you can get too personal. I’ve seen and heard it all since becoming a nurse.”
“I’m sure you have stories,” I say, looking up into his eyes. He blinks slowly, waiting for me to ask my question. It’s stupid, I know it is, but I want to know if what I have is why it happened. “So I should probably preface this by saying that I’m into guys.” His eyes widen slightly but he nods. I try to think of my words. “When I was recently with someone, physically, I got really sick afterward. Like vomiting and felt like I was dehydrated. Is that… because of this?” I wave a hand in the air, signaling to my body in general.
“I’m not well versed in Addison’s and don’t take all of this at face value, but it can be. Physical activity like that, if done right–” He wiggles his eyebrows and it makes me smile. “Will have you sweating and that will cause a drop in your electrolytes. You need to make sure if you’re engaging in those activities you have supplies readily available during and after to avoid a crash.”
“I don’t know what some of those words are, or what the supplies are, but at least I know that’s not an every time thing.”
“Was that your first time having sex?” Brandt asks. He doesn’t ask judgingly, more out of curiosity. I nod my head, feeling embarrassed all over again.
“And, uh, you helping me with the whole bathroom situation was kind of only the second time someone else has ever… touched me.”
His face drains of color. “I’m sorry, Tyler. I didn’t know. I was just trying to help you.”
“No, I get it.” I cut him off quickly. “And I appreciate it because I probably would have made a mess doing that myself. I didn’t think that was a normal reaction but wasn’t sure if that was just me or not.”
“You’ll need to make sure whoever you’re with understands, to a point, that you need some extra care during and after. You can still have sex, just be careful to not overdo it.”
I look down at my lap and scrunch my eyebrows together. Even though I asked, I did not plan for this to be the topic of conversation when I came over. He doesn’t seem fazed by it though.
A timer starts going off and Brandt stands up and heads to the kitchen. I take the chance to look around at the small details. The apartment is spacious for one. There’s an entertainment center with a TV sitting on the mantle. I can see a gaming console in the window of one door, but I don’t play enough to know the specifics. There are pictures hanging up, both hand drawn and photographs. It looks like a small child doing some finger painting art and I wonder if he has a kid. He never mentioned it in the time we’ve known each other.
He has one of those wax melts in the shape of a cat. It’s cute and the smell is something tropical.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Brandt says as he walks back into the room. He’s carrying a plate in one hand and two bottled waters in the other. I take one of the waters from him. The plate has the quesadilla triangles already cut up, surrounded by a small bowl of what looks like chipotle sauce and another with sour cream. “Ialso have a fruit salad in the fridge. I looked it up to make sure it’s fruit that is good for you, so don’t worry.”
“You didn’t have to do all of that,” I say. “I appreciate it, though.”
“I’m not going to invite you over and not adjust to your needs, Tyler. It’s not a big deal.”
It is a big deal because I don’t know a lot of people that would do that. My mom was overbearing for the one and a half days, but she’s already gone back to fussing over my brother by Wednesday.
We eat in relative silence. Brandt asks if I want to watch a movie and I nod. It’s better than me blurting out more sex questions or telling him I’m practically inexperienced and him holding my dick was something I’ll remember. I mean, I won’t remember it. It was just a nurse doing his job. I’m not about to make it any more weird tonight.
“Tyler?” Brandt’s hand on my knee and soft voice brings me out of my thoughts. I didn’t realize I had closed my eyes. “You okay? I wasn’t sure if you were falling asleep or not.”
“No, sorry. I was just thinking.” I shift how I’m sitting. I tuck my feet up underneath me and smile at him.
