In the morning, when Nate got out of bed, he stood over me and smiled, his eyes still half closed and his grin boyish and charming. His hair stood on end in every possible direction. I got up on my knees, still naked, and rested my elbows on his shoulders, our bare chests pressed together. I messed his hair up even more.
“Morning.”
“Mmm, you feel good,” I said.
“When your heart’s against my chest, I feel like I’m alive.”
My throat ached with emotion. For some reason, the way he said it made it seem like such a raw admission, almost heavier than I love you.
“Me too.”
“Never leave,” he whispered.
Why would I?
CHAPTER 20
Change of Heart
Nathanial
It’s easy to get used to coming home to lights on and the smell of food cooking and a gorgeous woman standing in your kitchen half naked. Ava’s presence alone gave home a different meaning in my mind.
After coming home one day, I closed the door quietly and peeked around the corner to see her wearing just one of my white V-neck T-shirts. Her flawless skin wanted for nothing, and her hair, pulled up in a messy bun with loose strands sprouting everywhere, was somehow the sexiest thing I had ever seen.
Music played softly, a song I didn’t recognize, and a candle burned. Ava stirred something over the stove. She didn’t notice I was standing there, and I took full advantage, just watching her move. Her graceful strides around the kitchen made it seem like she was floating.
“I know you’re there,” she said without looking over her shoulder. I walked into the light. “How long were you going to stand there and watch me?”
“For as long as I could.” I dropped my keys on the counter as she stood up on her toes to wrap her arms around my neck and welcome me home. I slid my hands up her bare sides. “You really aren’t wearing anything under this, are you?”
“I just got out of the shower. I didn’t have time,” she said, still clutching my shoulders.
“And thank God for that.”
We ate and talked and had sex in two of the five rooms of my house, including the kitchen. I didn’t even know how we ended up in there but I knew that home was becoming the most fantastic place I had ever been. Lying in bed that night, as we stared up at the ceiling, I said, “Did you know that people who have sex more often live longer?”
Sleepily, she came back with, “More often than what?”
“More often than other people, I guess.”
“How would they know how much is ‘more’ if the people who don’t have sex are dead?”
“You’re a silly girl but you make a good point. It must have been one hell of a study.”
“Do you think it’s a matter of healthier people having more sex or sex making you healthier?”
“Both, maybe. I just read it somewhere,” I said.
“Is this your way of giving me a lecture on heart health?”
“Are you making a heart joke, Avelina? It’s heart to tell.”
She started laughing hysterically. “That was bad. Even you have to admit that was awful.”
“I have a great sense of humor. I’ve just spent way too many years around science geeks.”
“If I saw you on the street, I would never peg you for a doctor or a science geek.”
“Well, I’m both. What would you guess about me?”
“I don’t know—that you’re an actor or a model.”
“Stop.”
“I’m serious. You have model good looks. What would you think about me if you saw me on the street?”
“Goddess. That’s pretty much what I think when I look at you now.” I turned to face her. There was just enough light coming from the hallway so I could see her expression and her gorgeous full lips turned up into a smile.
“You are charming. Not very funny, but definitely charming.” She leaned in and kissed me, and then moments later we were asleep.
CHAPTER 21
Immaterial Purpose
Avelina
We went for dinner one Wednesday night at the same Italian restaurant we had gone to before. I liked the idea that we were forming favorite places in our relationship.
Just as we took our first sips of wine but before we’d had a chance to order, we heard commotion coming from the back of the dining room. A robust man had collapsed on the floor, holding his left arm. Nate jumped out of his seat quickly and ran toward the man, who was still conscious.
“Call an ambulance!” Nate yelled to one of the servers before dropping to his knees. I watched as he checked the man’s vital signs as best he could. He ordered him to lie down and then a moment later the man lost consciousness. Nate never looked back at me; he just remained focused and steadfast, immediately starting CPR. Once the ambulance arrived he barked orders at the EMTs. They loaded the man onto a stretcher and into the ambulance.
Nate ran to me and took my hands in his. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go. That man is very sick.”
“I understand.”
“Can you meet us at the hospital in my truck?”
“Yes, of course.”
He leaned in and gave me a swift, chaste kiss on the lips and then hopped into the back of the ambulance. I stood there and watched the red taillights fade off in the distance. A chill ran through me. When the crowd around the restaurant dispersed, I went back inside to pay our bill. I looked at the check and did a double take. The bottle of wine, which was the only thing we had ordered, was eighty-eight dollars. I had exactly ninety-seven dollars in my wallet and to my name.