Love Under Quarantine

He covers his mouth with a fist. “That’s right. When we woke up, we turned to one another and started laughing our asses off at one another’s black eyes and busted lips and then went out to breakfast.”

“Good times,” I say.

“The best.” He tips his head. “I’m going to be okay, Ev. I promise.”

“You come home in a box and I’ll never forgive you.” I issue the threat serious as a heart attack. This man is important to me. I cannot lose him. Especially when I’m about to lose everything else.

“That’s a promise I’ll endeavor to achieve.”

“You better!” I growl. “Now I’ve gotta tell you something and I need some advice.”

“Shoot,” he offers instantly.

“I’ve been seeing Sadie.”

“What the hell! You can’t risk your safety like that.” He instantly goes into doctor mode.

I jolt my head back and stare him down.

He groans knowingly seeing as he’s presently risking his own health and safety every damn day.

“We haven’t touched one another physically. Not for two more long days.” I sigh.

“Two more days?”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, she’s making us wait until it’s been the full two-week quarantine timeframe.”

He nods. “I see. I mean, I’m not surprised you hit on her. She’s gorgeous, as I mentioned. Though she’s kind of bookish. I think she’s a writer or editor.”

“Novelist,” I say with pride in my tone. What he doesn’t know is that I’ve downloaded one of her books to my phone. The one about a soldier who has PTSD and falls for the counselor in his group meetings. “She’s talented too.” I’m already sucked in and it’s not the shit I normally go for. Books being things I don’t normally do. But she’s got a way with words and I’m looking forward to when the hero and heroine finally hook up. It’s painstaking how long it’s taking. Something I should ask her about.

“Oh, sounds like you’ve gotten to know Miss Sadie rather well.”

I grin. “I have. Very well. We not only talk on the phone but meet for chats and yoga on the balcony. I make her food and leave it at her door. She makes me these god-awful snacks she believes are healthy. The girl really needs a total overhaul of her diet. Though her curves are not something I want to lose.”

“Her curves, eh? Should I take that to mean intimacy has been had in other ways?”

I bite down on my lip and can feel my cheeks heat. Fuck, I’m blushing talking about my girl. “Uh yeah, a few times already. Phone and video.”

His eyes widen and light up. “Video? Whole hog?”

“Whole hog. And every inch of her is absolute perfection.” I smile so wide my cheeks hurt.

“Lucky bastard! And here I am, sexless in Africa, about to get more sexless in Europe.” He sighs.

“Sounds like your work is your woman right now.”

He nods. “Too true. So, what’s the advice?”

I enter the kitchen and go about pulling out the ingredients for my smoothie. “Well since the virus hit and everything is shut down, she claims all her signing events have been cancelled and people aren’t spending as much on fun stuff like books. She sounded worried about her future income last night so I offered to help her out.”

“Jesus, Ev. You can’t do shit like that. You barely know this woman.”

I frown. “Right now, I know her better than any woman I’ve ever known in my life, save my mother. We talk about everything. And last night she drunkenly shared some of her fears and it gutted me. I have plenty of money and can totally cover her. Better yet, I want to. It’s the least I can do for the person that is making my life bearable through all this crap.”

“I get that. Really, I do. Though as long as I’ve known Sadie, and that hasn’t been well, but well enough to know she seems like she’s the type to take care of herself. She may have just been venting and wanting you to listen. Not fix her problems—just listen to them.”

His comment has me flinching. “Why wouldn’t I fix it if I can?”

He sighs. “Man, you have a lot to learn about women.”

“Says sexless in Africa.”

He chuckles. “True, but I’ve been in a few relationships, and you have not. The most important thing to remember about a woman is to listen. Don’t react. Listen to what she’s sharing. Ask her how she feels about it. Ask her if there’s anything you can do to help. If she seems like she wants the help, she’ll make that message clear.”

“This is stupid. She might need money. I have it. It’s easy for me to fix her problem and make her happy. Why is that wrong?”

“Would you let her pay your bills if all of a sudden your money was frozen?”

“Fuck, no!”

“Exactly. It’s no different for her.”