I call him, listening to the buzzing dial tone through the tinny speakers of my phone until it rings out, and then I try again and again.
He doesn’t answer. Eventually it goes straight to voicemail, and I curse and drop the phone onto the bed. This isn’t OK. This is not just some bullshit manchild behavior, I believe him when he says he’s changed. I mean, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
There has to be something wrong.
I think with a shiver of the weird phone call I had with Annie’s friend the researcher doing his thesis on zombies. What if someone like that has their hands on Adam?
The hours until seven in the morning tick over like they’re trudging through a muddy bog. Each minute seems to last a hundred. I can’t even talk to Meredith about my worries. One, because she’s still asleep, and two, because I don’t want her thinking badly of Adam so soon into the renewal of our relationship.
But when she finally gets up and I hear the toilet flush, I hurry into the living room at the speed of light, and she narrows her eyes at me. “Hi. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’ve just been up for a while, and I need a coffee.”
She rubs her eyes and sits on the stool opposite the counter while I make one, wondering who I can call to verify that Adam is still alive—well, undead?
It comes to me as I’m setting down the kettle, and I slap my leg. “Vinnie!”
“Hmm?” Meredith looks up from her phone.
“Oh nothing. I just have to make a call.”
Hurrying into my bedroom, I snatch my phone and check the time. The gym should be open now. Doesn’t Adam’s power hourclass start now? I dial the number and wait with shaking hands while it rings. It rings out and clicks over to a message, but I hang up and try again.
A gruff male voice answers a moment later. “Lord of the Reps, can I get you to hold for a minute?”
“Vinnie?” I shout before I remember that Meredith is in the other room. “Don’t put me on hold. I just need to know if Adam came to work this morning.”
Vinnie lets out a heavy sigh. “Listen, I’m really sorry, but the class is cancelled, OK? Unavoidable circumstances. Geez, you ladies will be the death of me.”
Oh, he thinks I’m one of Adam’s clients. “No, Vinnie, it’s Jen Marsters. I’m worried about Adam. I just thought I’d call and ask if you’d seen him.”
I hear quiet footsteps behind me and turn to find Meredith watching me. Nothing for it now. I push on, knowing I’ll have to go into damage control in a minute. “Did he call?”
“No. He never called. I thought you guys broke up?”
“Long story. So you haven’t heard from him?”
“No. And I’ve got fourteen angry women breathing down my neck. If you see him, tell him I’d kill him myself if he wasn’t dead already.”
“Look, I know you’re probably annoyed, but I think something’s wrong. Do you know his address?”
There’s a pause. “Jen, is this some weird revenge shit? I’m mad at him, but if you’re about to dump all his stuff on the street and torch his rental place, I’d be a terrible friend if I’m the one who makes that possible.”
“No. It’s nothing like that. Please, Vinnie?”
He sighs. “OK, but only because you’re dead right about this being off.”
He gives me the address, and I scribble it down on a piece of paper Meredith hands me.
I hang up the phone, and we look at each other for a moment. “I know what you’re gonna say.”
Unexpectedly, she smiles. “Let’s go get your man?”
My mouth drops open. “Really? You’re not about to tell me he’s a loser or he’s ghosted me?”
“Jen, I trust your instincts. If you think there’s something the matter, then let’s check it out, OK?”
I stand, tears pricking my eyes, and Meredith takes my hand and gives it a squeeze.
