Love Under Quarantine

She hums and it’s almost as sexy sounding as the moan from earlier. “Sometimes. Ideas come and go rather quickly. It’s the ones that really stick with you that you have to pay attention to. I can have an idea going to the mailbox to get my mail, but if it’s not meaty enough, or speaking loudly to my muse, then it’s nothing more than a passing thought. Does that make sense?”

“Not really.” I laugh. “What’s the new story about?”

Her face pinches and her eyes fill with something akin to fear. “A man and a woman.”

“I figured that since it’s romance. Not that it couldn’t be two dudes or two chicks. Love is love, as they say.” I hold my hands out in a placating gesture to ensure she understands I’m cool with people being people. Doing their own thing. Loving who they want to love. No skin off my nose one way or another.

She covers her mouth while laughing at my backpedaling.

“What’s the plot?”

“It’s still formulating,” she says quickly. “What team do you play for?” She is changing the subject. Maybe she’s one of those writers who works on masterpieces and won’t share until it’s just right? That’s the way it looks in the movies.

Deciding to give her a get out of jail free card, I move on to her question. “Oakland Marauders.”

“Cool,” she says, as if it’s all the same to her, poking at the small amount of scraps still left on her plate.

“So, what do you plan to have for dinner tonight?” I ask.

She leans back and covers her belly. “I can’t even think about dinner with this much food in me. It will definitely be light if I eat anything at all.”

I cover my ears and sing, “La, la, la, la la,” until I can see her laughing but not hear her. “Don’t say it. My heart can’t take it. How about tomorrow we venture out together to get some groceries? I’m getting really low as I wasn’t planning to stay quarantined here.”

“We’re not supposed to leave for much and we’re definitely not supposed to go together.”

I smile and tilt my head. “Do you always do what you’re told?”

Her brow furrows. “Yeah, if it’s going to save my life and the lives of others. You bet your ass I do.”

I stand up and clear my plate. “Okay, Crazy, settle down. I was merely suggesting we go together. Doesn’t mean we have to hold hands while doing it.” Not that I wouldn’t like holding her hand. I’ll bet she’s chilly-cold and needs a warm-blooded man like me to keep her from freezing. Probably has cold feet too. Boy, would I love to find out.

I lick my lips and think of all the other things I’d like to do with her. The visions flash across my sex-riddled mind in a series of delectable images.

Kissing her lips and finding out if they’re as soft as they look.

Tunneling my hands into her long golden hair, holding her to me.

Gripping her hips, digging my fingers into her curves.

Plunging inside her wet heat until we both lose our goddamned minds and forget all about being quarantined.

“Hello, Earth to Evan?” her sing-song voice takes me out of my sex-starved stupor. “I said, tomorrow we can meet downstairs at ten a.m. on the sidewalk. As long as we walk six feet apart, we can go to the store together.”

“Deal,” I agree immediately. That’s a couple feet closer to the woman I’ve been lusting after for four full days.

I can hardly wait.CHAPTER 5

QUARANTINE: DAY 5

EVANSHE’S LATE. I CHECK MY cell phone for the umpteenth time.

10:15.

I sigh and pace the sidewalk in front of the building wondering if she’s going to stand me up like she did the other day. Then again, she didn’t actually stand me up. I had hoped she’d come out and chat with me. It was my own damn fault that my expectations were so high.

10:20.

Christ, where is she? My heart hammers away in my chest and annoyance fills my veins. I turn around and watch the streetlights change rhythmically from red, to green, to yellow and back through its rotation. It’s weird to look out on the streets of a normally bustling city to see it devoid of people. This area is usually packed with city slickers from all walks of life. Though it’s good that people are taking this virus seriously.

10:25.

I grit my teeth and run a hand through my hair. Just as I think she’s not coming, she flies out the door and stutters to a stop a few feet away from me.

“I’m here!” She pushes her shoulder-length golden hair out of her face. “I’m so sorry. I got carried away working and uh, yeah. I’m here.”

Boy, is she ever.

I scan her body from her tight skinny jeans that mold to every curve spectacularly up to a long-sleeve cardigan with a lace-trimmed camisole under it that leaves all kinds of cleavage for me to stare at. Her creamy skin is luminescent in this light making me want to touch and taste. On her feet are a pair of brown suede boots that go up to her knee, no heel. Smart. Perfect for walking.