“Is it okay for Nyomi to do intense workouts right now?”
“Umm, what do you mean by intense?”
“Sprinting up and down a football field, for starters.”
“Well, is that something she’s been doing for a while, or did she just start this today?”
“Hey, Nurse Jordan. This is Nyomi, and I’ve been doing sprints at least once a week for damn near my whole life.”
“Oh, okay then, carry on. It’s perfectly safe if it’s something you do often, but I would suggest not starting or trying any new exercises until after you give birth.”
“I told you.”
I turned around and took off down the field, slightly annoyed but also touched by his concern. When I sprinted back to him, he stood with his arms folded across his chest. I stopped in front of him and playfully shoved his shoulder. He picked me up, tossedme over his shoulder, then pretended to slam me on the turf, landing on top of me.
“You play too much,” I said through heavy breaths and giggles.
“I’m not playing with you, and I can’t help it if I don’t know shit about pregnancy. I’m a first-time parent.”
“Did you think I was lying?”
“No, but I didn’t think you were telling the truth.”
I smacked my lips and tried to push him off me.
“You need to get up because I’m sure this is inappropriate behavior for two university employees to do.”
“Gimme a kiss first.”
He didn’t have to ask me twice. I puckered up and waited for his lips to touch mine. It was a quick kiss, and thankfully, he didn’t get carried away. He got on his feet, helped me up, then pulled me into a hug.
“I’m glad you’re feeling good enough for this kind of workout this morning,” he said.
“Me too, and I can add bananas to the list of things I can eat. You want to finish my workout with me?”
“How many more sprints you got?”
“Four more. I can’t do the rest of my workout because this crazy man interrupted.”
“Crazy about you. Let’s do it.”
Ten minutes later, he was bent over, breathing hard, and asking for some of my water.
“I thought you were in better shape,” I teased.
He took a swig of my water before responding.
“Shit, I thought I was too.”
“Let’s stretch, or you won’t be able to walk in the morning.”
I sat in the end zone, and he sat across from me, as he did the first time he saw me on the track, and we quietly went througha series of stretches. When we finished, he helped me up again, then picked up my bag.
“Oh my God,” I mumbled.
He looked at me, then followed my gaze. Ambrose was headed in our direction, and unfortunately, avoiding him was impossible.
“How do you want to handle this?”
