Cabin Fever

by Shani Greene-Dowdell et al.

  Elissa

  Saying goodbye to Luca was much harder than I anticipated. He looked damn good for someone boarding a minimum eleven-hour flight. I'd opted to park and walk him inside. He'd checked his bags and since he had a little extra time to kill, he'd talked to me a little longer than most who are getting dropped off.

  The way he looked at me, giving me all his attention made me feel as if we were a normal couple in love saying goodbye for a long trip. But, as I trudged back to my car while avoiding the harried travelers trying to get inside, the reality of what this is punches me in the stomach. I'm dropping off my booty call, so he can go home. At this point, it seems like things will be business as usual—he'll go home, and we'll talk when we can.

  That should be expected, right?

  I mean, two days of phenomenal sex doesn't equal a long-distance relationship. The realist in me tries to keep me strong while the romantic weeps for the fantasy. Luca is just that. A fantasy.

  I secure myself inside my car and stare at the dash while people either greet a loved one or wish them safe travels. I take a cleansing breath and call Etié.

  "What it do?" she answers.

  "It do what it does," I respond with minimal enthusiasm.

  "Girl, what the hell is wrong with you? You NEVER respond to my ‘What it do.’ Do we need a gallon of cookies and cream ice cream? Or shall I say gelato?"

  She tries her best to mimic an Italian accent, and I have no idea why this makes me low-key emotional.

  "No, I'm fine," I lie as I remember the way he'd caressed my face before delivering the sweetest goodbye kiss I'd ever received. "I just wanted to let you know I'm still alive, and he's on the way back to Verona."

  "Fine. I'll go stock up anyway. Be careful on your drive back."

  "You cannot buy a shit ton of ice cream hoping my possible hurt feelings will give you a reason to eat it."

  Etié pauses as if she's considering my point, but I know better.

  "Can and will. Let me know when you make it home."

  I roll my eyes as she disconnects. My messenger chimes, and it's a picture of Luca on the plane and the caption reads: ‘Miss you already.’

  I almost throw my fucking phone.

  I turn the radio on blast and pull out of my spot. I need to hold it together like a G.

  I hit my first set of bad traffic as the radio host announces a new single by Lizzo. I'm relieved because Lizzo is an entertaining artist. A new fun song will be good right now. Cuz I Love You attacks me from the first sentence. My face is long by the time she gets to the second verse. I feel attacked.

  "Shut it, Lizzo," I mumble as I switch to my playlist.

  Celine Dion soothes my soul for a second since I love Titanic, but I quickly find the flaw in having a playlist that switches between Celine and Adele. I'm deep in my feelings by the end of All by Myself. My throat hurts because I sang every word and tried to match her pitch although I can't sing for shit, but l felt the song on a level I've never understood before.

  I tried to sing along with Adele, but the first few sentences of All I Ask stole my voice and when I hit the second wave of traffic, an uninvited memory of my last time with Luca unfolds in my brain.

  We'd showered and gone to bed in the guestroom since my bed is broken. I'd awakened in the middle of the night to Luca holding me close and whispering in Italian.

  "What are you saying?" My half-sleep voice is just above a whisper.

  "Nothing beyond how much I want you."

  The smile on my lips is just as faint as the last traces of sleep because I can see his hand kneading my boob in the moonlight.

  "You're insatiable," I tease as I press my ass against his erection.

  "Only for you."

  Rolling me onto my back, he climbed on top and entered me while making as much eye contact as he could in the low light. Lacing his fingers with my right hand, he used his left to pin it above my head as his right thumb traced my lips until he replaced it with his tongue.

  "You're the sweetest thing I've ever tasted," he confessed as he rocked deeper inside of me.

  "Don't break this bed," I digressed to dial back his intensity.

  A smile ghosted his lips before he kissed me again. "I won't. I want to savor you this time."

  A horn blares from behind, making me realize I'm bawling like a big ass baby in the middle of the street. Wiping my tears, I move forward doing my damndest not to fall down the memory hole again. I wipe angrily at the remaining tears. I'm not supposed to be this attached to him so soon, yet I feel like part of me left with him on that plane.

  The rest of my drive home was excruciating. Adele and Celine tag-teamed me, but I didn't have the energy to switch playlists. All I want to do is climb in my guest bed and stare at the ceiling until this foreign feeling passes.

  ***

  I haven’t written in two days and Etié noticed. She made her observation known when she arrived with Chinese take out and a vat of ice cream. I should’ve left her outside, but I wanted what she had. She knew that. It’s a setup. Besides, I can’t withhold the download I’d promised forever. Luca called when he made it home. He sounded exhausted now to be five hours ahead again. I’m sure he passed out, although it was early afternoon for him. I haven’t spoken to him much, but it’s only been two days, and I need to adjust my expectations back to what they used to be.

  “I’m here for all the tea! I got the man and boy tickets to some boring guy shit I wanted no part of, so I could sneak off for my update.”

  “Imma tell him you did that.”

  Etié passes me like she pays rent and begins taking the food out and putting it on the table.

  “And, Imma tell Luca you miss him.” She slides items over to me. “Pork fried rice and wings.” I make a face at her back when she turns to wash her hands. “Y’all didn’t fuck on the table did you?”

  I realize we hadn’t and am a little disappointed. “Surprisingly, no. But the counter you’re leaning on…”

  She moves away, but her expression and smirk tell me she’s impressed.

  “Oh, this is going to be good.”

  Digging into my food, I give her the download. Later, we find ourselves standing at my bedroom door looking at the broken frame and mattress on the floor.

  “Let me get this straight,” she says around bites of ice cream. “Luca came in here, fucked you until he broke your bed and left you with a mattress on the floor?”

  “He said ‘don’t worry about it.’”

  “Interesting. Now, I understand the Gio door sex which was fire by the way. Luca broke down your walls. Literally.” She laughs at her own joke. What did he say about the dent in your wall y’all made with the sofa I’m never sitting on again?”

  It feels good and sucks to rehash everything that happened. They are some good memories but are also a reminder that texts and phone calls aren’t enough anymore.

  “I forgot to tell him. He messaged me a little before you came and asked if I was at home.”

  Etié’s eyes grow in diameter. “Do you think he’s coming back?”

  “No.” I’m disappointed with how much I’d hoped that was the case. “He just posted a picture of his view from home. It’s such a pretty view.”

  There’s a longing in my voice that I cannot hide. While I’d love to see that view with Luca, I know I’d go see it without him. I’ve been itching to go to new places lately. I’m happy when she does me a favor and moves on.

  “Well, we need to work out the details for the authors’ retreat. I can’t wait to spend some time in a cabin. I might allow the Mr. to make another child.” Etié tilts her head to the side and considers what it’d be like to raise another child. “Maybe.”

  “Please tell me, I have a separate cabin,” I beg with a nauseated face.

  “Duh, how else were you gonna babysit if I needed you to?”

  She knows by my expression that I want to punch her.

  “I’d give him all the candy I could find or maybe an
espresso.”

  “Ha. No you wouldn’t, You’d be mad he got you addicted to a kiddie show.”

  “Luckily, Francisco will be having a grandma weekend where he will live off candy in real life. My mom is so extra. I’m glad the ladies thought of it. I think the readers will really like having uninterrupted time with us in a relaxed setting.”

  “I think so, too. Did you order all of your items?”

  We are in business mode for about thirty minutes when my doorbell chimes. My frown displays my confusion when I glance at Etié.

  “I didn’t invite anyone over,” she explains.

  Peeking through the peephole, I see a delivery guy.

  “Yes?”

  “I have a furniture delivery for Elissa Donovan.”

  “Um...I didn’t order anything.”

  The guy scratches his graying hair as he reviews the invoice. “Ah..Mr. Luca Girelli ordered it to be delivered here?”

  “Um...Okay.”

  I step back to allow entry. “Show me the bedroom, ma’am.”

  Flashing Etié a bewildered expression, I guide the man to the room.

  He smirks like he knows exactly what happened.

  “Okay, we’ll get this moved out and the new one in.”

  I don’t know how to feel, but it appears Luca bought me a new bed. We try to work as they set up the bed, but Etié’s focus is on trying to figure out what the men are doing.

  “Ma’am the armoire is not going to fit in your room. Where would you like for us to put it?”

  “Armoire?

  “Yes. It’s a whole bedroom set.”

  “What?” I pass the guy on the way to my room. The teal bed is girly and the intricate carving is beautiful and far fancier than the bed he’d broken. He’d gotten me the matching dresser and nightstand. That man is crazy. “Where’s the mattress?”

  “We only sell furniture. The notes were explicit about taking the old mattress with the broken furniture. Probably because that’s a king and your previous mattress is a queen…”

  I’m speechless. Did he up the size on purpose I didn’t realize I had a queen. Having to replace a mattress can be less expensive than furniture. Besides, the set is too beautiful for me to have an attitude.

  “You can put the armoire in the guestroom. It doesn’t have much furniture.”

  I take a picture of my new room because it’s surreal. Etié looks around at the furniture.

  “Luca is okay with me. That bed is beautiful.”

  The guy and his crew are on their way with bottles of water from me after I sign the invoice.

  "Imma go jump the Colombian and see if he'll buy me some new furniture."

  My laugh comes out as a snort. I wouldn't suggest that. I'm surprised Luca did this."

  "Now, you just gotta go mattress shopping.”

  The doorbell grabs our attention. This time, several boxes are lined up on my porch. We move them inside, some are heavier than others, but we’re able to take them to my room. An inventory reveals two copper-lined cool sleeping king-size sheet sets—one taupe and one white, matching pillowcases, and a super plush gray weighted blanket.

  I’ve always wanted a weighted blanket and find myself fantasizing about going to bed once I get a mattress.

  Etié is wrapped up in my new blanket on my bedroom floor sighing contentedly as she squeezes her eyes shut.

  “Momma needs a new blanket. Tell Luca you’ll sleep better if you have two.”

  “Girl, get up. We have stuff to do, and I need to call Luca.”

  “Fine, maybe I can get one out of the hubs for my birthday.”

  She produces her phone and starts searching for it online. With a small gasp, she unrolls herself from the blanket, stuffs it back in the package, and leaves the room.

  I follow her into the kitchen to find out what happened.

  “Is everything okay? You went ghost.”

  “Yeah because I don’t want you accusing me of messing up a three-hundred dollar blanket.”

  I clutch my chest. I’m stuck. After staring at her and blinking a few times, I’m able to speak again. “A what?”

  Etié blinks her eyes at me like I’m slow. “Three-hundred fucking dollars worth of comfortable goodness is on your bedroom floor.” My mouth falls open at the confirmation of what I thought she’d said earlier. “And, look around, it’s not the only damn thing he bought.”

  Okay, having a steak dinner the other night and the last-minute plane tickets were a clue that Luca isn’t broke, but with Etié pointing out the price of the blanket, I’m scared to know the price of everything else.”

  Etié, however, has no such issue. Her thumbs fly over her phone’s keyboard as she internet snoops while reading the invoices.

  “Sit down, Elissa.”

  “What?” I practically screech, and I slide into a chair.

  “Your sheet sets are about two-eighty a pop.”

  “No, way.”

  “Yes, way,” she nods emphatically. “And, you have...oh, about seventy-five hundred to eight thousand dollars worth of furniture in your room.”

  I can’t breathe. I need a strong drink. My head drops to the table as I try not to hyperventilate.

  What in the hell was Luca smoking?

  Tears threaten my eyes when the doorbell rings. “That better not be another delivery man.”

  Etié does the honors and waves whoever is at the door inside. The new man hands her a paper and brings in a bed foundation. Then, they return with a mattress shortly after. New pillows were then thrown on top. She waves goodbye to the men because I’m still frozen in place. The moment they’re out of earshot, she waves the invoice at me.

  “I don’t have to look it up. That, my friend, was just another fifteen-hundred dollars.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “That’s all.”

  I can’t help it. I gotta do it. Getting up, I walk into the bedroom with Etié on my heels and climb onto the bed. She joins me on the other side. Everything is quiet while we stare at the ceiling in stunned silence.

  “Are we living reality right now?”

  That was her—not me. My brain cannot reach that far right now.

  “Maybe.”

  Finally, I call the number I’m glad I have.

  “Ciao,” Luca’s sexy voice would make me wet if I weren’t numb.

  “What in the hell were you thinking!”

  Luca chuckles as I hear people in the background. He’s probably out to dinner.

  “That sounds nothing like, ‘thank you.’”

  “I cannot accept all of this. It’s too much.”

  “No, it’s not. I broke your bed, so I replaced it.”

  “With a bed nearly three times as much.”

  “Which is why the first one broke,” he chides.

  I cut my eyes at Etié when she began to giggle.

  “He has a good point,” she mouths.

  “And, the rest of the furniture, the size upgrade, the two sheet sets, and an expensive blanket? This is not a simple replacement.”

  “Well, I figured if I were buying a new bed I should get one I like, and it should be a size I can stretch out in during visits.”

  “That’s a really good point,” Etié adds.

  “Then,” Luca continues. “If I’m upgrading the size, you’ll need a new mattress and bedding. I went ahead and got those as well. Do you like it?”

  “I love it, but—”

  “Then that’s all that matters.”

  “But, Luca—”

  “One day, I’ll test the strength of that bed as well.”

  My heart skips a beat. I frown. It’s not supposed to fucking do that.

  “I do, Luca,” Etié sighs next to me.

  “Do what?” Luca and I say in unison.

  “Accept all of the gifts on Elissa’s behalf. Also, I’m not above taking bribes to side with you against my bestie. Keep that in mind, Sir.”

  His competitive ass chuckles because he’ll do just that.

  “I
like her.”

  Chapter 15

  Luca

  I cannot contain my smile as I return to my table. Alicia leans back in her chair, looking flawless from head to toe, as usual. Her chocolate hair is loosely pinned at the nape of her neck with wavy tendrils escaping to flirt with her shoulders. She watches me approach with her cat-like eyes and smiles seductively over the rim of her wine glass as I return to my seat.

  I know that look; it’s the look she’d have on her face right before she begs me to fuck her. Alicia leans forward, and I watch as the spaghetti strap of her plum dress slides off her shoulder for what feels like the hundredth time.

  “You never take calls while we have dinner,” she purrs.

  Shrugging, I throw out a generic apology before continuing to eat.

  “I’d noticed before you’d left for your business trip that you smile a lot when you’re looking at your phone.” Jealousy flashes in her eyes before they go neutral again. “Care to share what has you so...jovial?”

  “Social media is quite entertaining,” I lie. “Those memes are so damn creative.”

  “Did a meme call you, because you’re smiling the same way.”

  “Why do you care, Alicia?”

  “We need to talk.” She ignores my question and grabs my hand.

  Our server stops by to check on us and chat for a bit. I’m grateful since I have an idea where this is heading. I laugh at something interesting but could have sworn I saw her do something with her phone. Discreetly, I move my hand while continuing to socialize. That part of our life is over, but I also do not want to publicly embarrass her by being harsh.

  I divert my attention back to her to find her giving me that look again. The one begging me to rip off her clothes. It doesn’t work anymore.

  “Alicia, let’s talk about the marketing for this project. Remember, this is a work dinner.”

  Alicia is sharp and does her job brilliantly. She is, however, a cautionary tale of not mixing business with pleasure. Now that the pleasure part of our relationship has sailed, I still need her for the business. Yes, I could get someone else, but she’s the best.

  Times like this make it so damn hard. I don’t want her back but having history with someone can make it hard to stick to business. She never misses a chance to let me know she still wants me. I don’t know if she wants me or if she’s just mad that I’m the one who ended it.