TJ chuckled, and Shay said, “You’re funny when you’re drunk.”
“I’m definitely no longer drunk. Unfortunately.” When she was drunk, she hadn’t cared so much that Alex and Katherine were making out. Or that she’d caught them in the same damn hallway where Katherine had kissed her. Now that she was sober, she couldn’t stop thinking about all of it.
“I think I have an ear infection, but there is no way I’m getting out of this bed. Everything spins as soon as I try to move.”
“We should call Alex,” TJ said. “She’ll know what to do.”
Shay agreed. Emily heard Lara suggest instead that they take her to urgent care. She didn’t like either option.
“Why would you call Alex?”
TJ already had her phone out. “Her brother’s a doctor. She calls him all the time about medical stuff whenever anyone comes down with something.”
“Can you please not call her?”
TJ’s thumb hovered over the screen. “She won’t mind.”
“What happened with you and Alex anyway?” Shay asked.
“Nothing.”
Lara said something about Alex being a waste of oxygen, but TJ muttered something that made her drop it. Under other circumstances, Emily would have asked why Alex and Lara didn’t get along, but now she only wanted everyone to stop talking.
TJ drummed her fingers on the edge of the phone. “Emily, the thing is, Alex knows a lot about medical stuff herself. She might not even need to call her brother.”
“Aren’t both of her parents doctors?” Shay asked.
“Only one’s a doctor,” Emily answered. She knew the question was directed at TJ, but she didn’t care. “The other’s a judge. Shit.” She squeezed her eyes shut as the nausea swelled again. “Can you please not do that tapping thing, TJ?”
TJ stopped drumming on the phone. “I think we should call Alex. There aren’t a lot of options if we can’t move you.”
Emily breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth several times, desperately hoping she wouldn’t vomit. With three of the most attractive people she’d met in ages staring at her, that was the last thing she needed.
“Are you embarrassed about her seeing you like this?” TJ asked. “You don’t have to worry about that. She’s seen all of us in embarrassing situations. Literally all of us.”
Shay nodded their agreement. “All of us.”
“They’re right. And she’s helped all of us.” Lara sighed. “We probably should call her.”
Emily closed her eyes again. She knew they were all still staring at her, waiting for her to agree to ask Alex for help. But the image of Alex lip-locked with Katherine wouldn’t leave her mind. She didn’t want to see her after everything that had happened. “Can you come back and check on me in two hours? If I’m not better, then we can call Alex.”
After a moment of the three of them all deliberating, Lara said, “I’ll grab her some Advil and we’ll let her sleep. But only two hours.”
Emily heard the shuffle of feet and the door opening and closing. She drifted back to sleep only to be awakened a moment later by Lara’s hand on her shoulder. She’d returned with two pills, which Emily swallowed and then closed her eyes again.
The door closed behind Lara and the room was blissfully quiet. She didn’t know if she’d fall asleep again, but she didn’t want to do anything else.
“Hey, sleepyhead.”
Emily opened her eyes at the sound of Alex’s voice. It took a moment to focus, and in the dim light she couldn’t make out details, but it was definitely Alex sitting at the edge of her bed. She covered her face with her hand. “Ugh.”
“I get that you don’t want me to be here right now, but everyone was worried. Lara never calls me, and I’ve had four phone calls from her today. The last one she sounded a little panicked.” Alex paused. “Want a sip of water? Your glass was empty, so I got you a refill.”
Emily nodded. Her throat was parched and she could hardly swallow her own spit. She knew she must look awful, but at the mention of water, that was all she could think about. At least the drapes were closed so Alex couldn’t see her that well. Before she thought better of it, she sat up and took the water glass. This time, fortunately, the room didn’t spin. Unfortunately, the ache in her ear turned to a pounding. She took a small sip of the water, worrying that the nausea would return if she pushed it, then handed the glass back to Alex. “Thank you.”
She dropped back on the pillows and closed her eyes. “I don’t think I’m going to vomit. But I think I need a doctor. There’s something wrong with my ear.”
“Want me to give you a ride to urgent care, or do you want me to call my brother?”
“Can you decide for me? I don’t feel as awful as I did earlier, but it hurts when I try and think. What time is it?”
“Two.”
“In the afternoon?” Emily couldn’t believe it was that late. “What day is it?”
“Monday…I’m calling my brother. It’s a holiday anyway. He’ll be home.”
“Okay.” Emily didn’t open her eyes as Alex chatted with her brother. She answered all the questions Alex asked, wishing that Alex didn’t sound as sexy as she looked. When Alex lightly pressed her palm against Emily’s forehead to check for a fever, her gentle touch triggered a whole cascade of emotions. Emily clenched her teeth to keep the tears back. God, she was a mess. As soon as Alex lifted her hand, saying to her brother that she didn’t think there was any fever, Emily wanted to beg Alex to put her hand back on her head. Alex’s touch had made everything stop hurting.
“You up for a drive?”
Emily opened her eyes. The concern on Alex’s face made her emotions all the more unbearable. “Does he think I need to go to urgent care?”
“He said we can swing by his house first and he can take a quick look at you. It’ll be way less painful than us sitting around for hours in a waiting room.”
“Do we have time for me to brush my teeth?” Emily could handle looking like a mess considering how she felt, but bad breath was over the line.
“Definitely. He doesn’t live far, and my car’s right out front. You can even shower if you want.”
“As long as the room stays put.”
“I can’t promise that. Here, take my hand.” Alex held out her arm. “I’ll help you up. My brother said it’s probably vertigo from an ear infection. Or a sinus issue. Either way, he didn’t seem to think you were gonna die. Maybe tomorrow, but not today.”
Despite everything, Emily couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks for that.” She took Alex’s hand, telling her mind to be quiet as it immediately noted how nice the strong, steady grip felt.
Once she’d sat up, Alex waited for her to slowly stand, then slipped an arm around her waist. “This okay?”
“Yeah.” Better than okay, actually. As nice as being wrapped up in a warm blanket fresh out of the dryer. All Emily wanted to do was melt into Alex’s arms. Except for the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about her possible bad breath.
She took a tentative step, then another. “So far, so good.”
“Yeah, at this rate you’re gonna break out dancing by the time we reach the shower.”
Emily grunted but Alex only chuckled. They reached the bathroom and Alex paused in the doorway. “Want me to keep the lights off?”
“Yes, please.”
“You probably want privacy, too, but can I turn on the water for you?”
Emily nodded. She braced herself, one hand on the sink and the other on the wall, when Alex let go of her to start the shower. She thought of the few times she’d been sick and Cass’s response. Or lack thereof. Cass didn’t want anything to do with sick people. Partly it was because she was paranoid about catching anything, but the other half of it was that Cass couldn’t handle weakness of any kind. In herself or in anyone else.
“Okay, it’s warm now. Want help with your clothes?”
“Not even a little bit.” The idea of Alex undressing her f
or this reason was too much.
Alex held up her hands. “Totally understand. I’m gonna wait for you on the other side of this door. If you need me, call out and I’m coming in. Even if you’re naked.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to,” Alex said. “And, honestly, I think I should. You’re standing there swaying and I think a feather would take you out. Besides, I’ve got nothing else to do.”
Emily waited until Alex had stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door before flipping on the lights. She grimaced when she caught sight of her reflection and quickly looked away from the mirror.
After the shower, she almost felt normal. Almost. Except for the earache and the vertigo. She wrapped herself in a towel and brushed her teeth, wondering if Alex was playing on her phone while she waited. Was she the type to be on social media? Emily wanted to look her up online, but she didn’t even know her last name. She considered all the ways she could find that out, then finally cracked the bathroom door and squinted down at Alex. “What’s your last name?”
“Murphy.”
“Okay. Alex Murphy, can you grab clothes for me? I’m doing pretty amazing here—not dizzy unless I move—but I don’t think I should lean over and dig through my suitcase.”
“I got your back, rock star.” Alex hopped up from the spot on the floor adjacent to the bathroom door where she’d taken up residence. “Why’d you want to know my last name?”
Emily hesitated answering. She could come up with a lie, but she didn’t see the point in trying to save face, and she was stuck on the fact that Alex was genuinely sweet on top of everything else. Knowing what to say at exactly the right time was probably only a skill she’d learned to get women, but sitting on the floor as close to the bathroom as possible in case Emily needed help? That was different. That felt real. What also had been real, Emily reminded herself, was the fact that Alex had made out with Katherine last night even though she’d said she was over her. “There’s probably a dozen Alex Murphys on Instagram. And Facebook.”
“Probably.” Alex held up the light gray sweater Emily had packed and a pair of black leggings. “This okay?”
“That’s perfect. Underwear and a bra, too, please.”
“Got it.” Alex leaned over the suitcase, searching for the other items. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but it makes me happy to know you’d want to look me up. After last night I wasn’t so sure.”
“I’m so not ready to talk about last night.”
“Fair enough.” Alex crossed the room and held out the bundle of clothes. “Honestly, I’m not ready to talk about it either. You do have my number, you know. You can text me anytime. I could also give you my address in Tokyo. Then you wouldn’t have to hire a private investigator to find me.” She winked. “I’d give you my email, but I’m not online much unless I have to be for work.”
“Course you’re not.” Emily realized that she should have guessed that Alex would be too cool for social media and saved herself from asking. She sighed. Today she couldn’t even pretend to be in the same league. “Give me a minute to get these on, and I’ll be ready to leave.”
Chapter Thirty-one
Alex and her brother looked nothing alike. Where Alex had a lean swimmer’s build, her brother looked more like a studious teddy bear. He had a mop of brown hair, a full beard, a pudgy belly, and little round glasses that matched his round face. When he greeted Alex with a hug and a hearty laugh, he only seemed to confirm the teddy bear image.
“I’d hug you as well, but if you’re still feeling dizzy, you’d probably rather I don’t.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Rob. The handsome, smart one in the family.”
Alex elbowed her brother and then admitted he was right. They both laughed. If at first the siblings didn’t look alike, their full smile was identical. Emily thought of the first time Alex had flashed that same smile at her and how her heart had danced. Stupid heart.
Emily shook Rob’s hand, but before she could thank him for offering to see her at his home, a loud pattering of feet and a woman’s voice interrupted. “I said, don’t run with a popsicle in your mouth!”
“You’re about to meet the whole family,” Rob said. “Brace yourself.”
A little girl with a red popsicle sticking halfway out of her mouth and a tangle of blond curls came racing toward them. On her heels was a toddler dragging a blanket, also with a popsicle. A few feet behind him, an attractive woman in a tank top and sweatpants brought up the rear.
“Lavender.” Rob pointed to the older of the two kids first, then to the toddler. “And Joey.”
“And I’m Chelsea. Welcome to chaos. We gave them popsicles hoping you wouldn’t be greeted with ear-piercing screams.” She smiled at Emily. “I got an ear infection last spring. Loud noises only made it worse. Especially at the octaves these two can reach.”
“I appreciate that.” Emily smiled at the two kids with red popsicle juice already dripping down their chins. “You two have extra-nice parents. Popsicles are the best. What flavor?”
“Strawberry,” Lavender said, plucking the popsicle out of her mouth and grinning.
“Not strawberry.” Joey bunched his brow. “Cherry.”
“Strawberry,” Lavender argued.
Joey’s scowl deepened. “Cherry!”
“I know where this is going,” Alex said. She scooped up Joey, blanket, popsicle, and all. “You promised to show me your dinosaurs yesterday. Where are they?”
The scowl disappeared instantly. He pointed at the stairs. “Up. You carry.”
“Watch your step in Joey’s room,” Rob said. “And if you think it looks like a tornado touched down, you should have seen it before we cleaned.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
Rob nodded. “It’ll only take a minute for me to peek at Emily’s ears, but you’ll be stuck up there with dinosaurs until dinnertime.”
“I want to show Aunt Alex my toys too,” Lavender said.
“That’s only fair, right?” Alex shifted Joey to one hip and held out her free hand to Lavender. “First dinosaurs, then you get to show me your favorite toy.”
“Horses! I have so-oh many. You have to meet all of them.”
Alex chuckled. “Somebody better rescue me.”
As Alex headed up the stairs, Rob turned to Emily. “So. Dizzy, headache, nausea, and your left ear aches? Anything else?”
“The headache and the nausea are mostly gone…I took something,” Emily paused, trying to remember what Lara had given her. “I think it was Advil, but I was a little groggy at the time. Anyway, I think most of those signs were from too many tequila shots.”
“Been there.” Rob chuckled. “But your ear still hurts?”
Emily nodded. “And I’m still dizzy if I move too fast.”
“I so remember that feeling,” Chelsea said. “Sorry, hon. Betcha a dollar you got an ear infection. The good news is that I made Rob get a whole bag of extra doctor stuff to keep at home after the kids were born. If I have to deal with a doctor, I want some benefits.”
“Hey, I’m not that bad.”
“Mmm, depends on the day.” Chelsea laughed and poked Rob’s side. “Actually, you’re amazing, and we both know it.”
“Most days.” Rob grinned. “Let me get my otoscope.”
“We’ll be in the family room,” Chelsea called. Rob had already disappeared down the hall, but Chelsea pointed the opposite direction. “Can I get you some tea or anything?”
“I don’t think my tummy’s ready for that, but thank you.”
“Right. Nausea…Sorry about that.” Chelsea led the way over to the sofa. “So, other than getting sick, how was your weekend? Alex mentioned this was your first time. She keeps saying she’s done with Katherine’s parties and then signing up for another one. Can’t really blame her—they sound amazing. Sometimes I even wish I were into women just so I could go. How do you get invited to something like that anyway?”
Emily couldn’t think of what
to say. Chelsea was sitting across from her on the sofa, smiling and relaxed, openly asking her for a recap on a sex weekend. What threw her even more was that Alex had mentioned her.
“Katherine is one of my clients. I’m a personal chef. Anyway, that’s how I got the invite.”
“And you’ve been enjoying it?”
Emily hesitated. “I’d say it’s been good for me.”
Chelsea tilted her head. “Hmm. Not a resounding yes.”
“Parts of it have been good.” Emily immediately recalled the moment Alex had kissed her. She could still feel the sensation of Alex’s lips pressing against hers. God, that kiss had undone her. A warmth swept through her as she thought of everything Alex had done to her after that kiss.
“And Alex?”
Emily opened and closed her mouth. She let out a deep breath. “Yeah. Those were the good parts. I like her a lot, but it’s complicated.”
“She had that same look in her eyes when she talked about you yesterday.”
“I kind of want to ask what she said, but…”
“She said a lot.” Chelsea smiled. “Couldn’t stop talking about you. You’re the first person she’s told us about from one of these parties. Except Katherine, of course. I know you work for her, but I’m not a big fan of hers.”
Rob appeared before Chelsea had time to say more. Emily wished they could talk for a few more minutes, but Rob jumped right in with the exam.
After he’d taken her temperature, he listened to her chest and looked down her throat. Then he checked both ears and confirmed she had an ear infection.
“Can you be my doctor from now on?” Emily said. “That was more of an exam than I’ve ever had.”
“Sure. But Alex said you lived in San Francisco, right? That’s a long drive for a physical.”
“You’re worth it, sweetie,” Chelsea said. “Besides, Alex will thank you for giving Emily a reason to come back to Aspen.”
“She would.” Rob chuckled. “Speaking of, when do you fly home?”
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