Fever

by Melissa Pearl

  There was an abrupt pause. I grinned. I must have scared her. Licking my lips, I sang the next line and stopped. It was her turn. Would she join me? I hoped so. I wanted to hear that voice again. It was so sweet and pure. It did something to me. My insides stirred with longing as I pictured what she might look like. I bet she was petite. She sounded small. Small and sweet.

  I felt like I was trying to coax a timid sparrow into my hand and was about to open my mouth to sing the next line when she sang it for me.

  “But it doesn't thrill me half as much as dancing cheek to cheek.” She put a slight spin on the melody that I loved. I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt. She kept going with the song and I joined her again. Her volume increased as she got into it. She even harmonized with me on the last chorus. I had to say, for someone who never sings in public, I felt like I sounded pretty damn good alongside her.

  She had to be a music major or something. Surely. With a voice that sweet.

  The song came to a finish, and I almost felt bereft. I didn't want it to end, so before thought could stop me, I started singing my favorite song from that era: “They Can't Take That Away From Me.” I liked the Frank Sinatra version best, although Robbie Williams had done a pretty good job of it, too.

  I heard her giggling as I finished the first line, and her voice immediately followed, sweetly floating over the notes with perfect pitch. I spun as I sang, rinsing off my hair and throwing my voice to the sky. It was easy to forget the world existed for a moment. This girl and me were the only people on the planet, just singing away to each other…a perfect moment.

  We held the last note, both chuckling as we caught our breath. I was about to launch into another number when I heard the bathroom door squeak. I flicked off the spray and listened to shuffling feet down the end of the line. Moments later the shower was flicked on, ending my heavenly morning and bringing me back to reality.

  Touching the tiles on the wall, I called out. “Hey, are you still there?”

  “Yes.” Her reply was soft, tentative.

  “You...you sound like an angel. I swear, a voice straight from heaven.” I heard a muffled titter and could picture her blushing up a storm. I needed to see her. I wanted to know the color of her eyes, see what type of mouth that melody flowed from. “I'll meet you outside.”

  She didn't say anything, so I took it as a yes. Grabbing my towel, I dried off in record time and threw on my clothes, using my fingers as a comb. It didn't make that much of a difference; my curls were pretty hard to control, which was why I liked to keep my hair on the shorter side. I wondered if she liked curly hair.

  I rolled my eyes and laughed at myself. Since when had I ever cared what a girl thought of me? This was insane!

  My insides were giddy with excitement as I raced into the hall and whipped around the corner to the girl's bathroom door. I didn't see anyone lingering outside and figured she was still getting dressed. Man, I couldn't wait to see what she looked like. Images built themselves inside my mind, being tossed aside for newer versions as I leaned against the wall and waited. I didn't want to look like a stalker or anything, so I tried for casual, crossing my legs at the ankles and leaning my head back against the wall.

  It felt like it took forever, but finally the bathroom door crept open and a spindly girl with long, blonde hair stepped out of the room. Her pale-brown eyes caught me gazing at her and she smiled.

  “Hey.” I stepped forward, probably looking like a dope. I didn’t know what my face was doing, but I felt like my smile was really goofy.

  She blushed, looking shy as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hi.” Her brow flickered, but then her lips spread with a smile.

  “I'm Cole.” I held out my hand, wanting to feel her, experience even the smallest touch of my shower bird.

  She took my hand, her long fingers gently squeezing mine. She still looked slightly confused by my forthright introduction, but surely she knew I wanted to talk to her. That moment we'd just shared wasn't only magical for me, was it?

  I cleared my throat. “Can I walk you to your room?”

  She glanced down the hall and then back to me, her shoulders finally lifting in a shrug. “Sure, I guess so.”

  She turned and I followed her, unable to keep looking across at her. She was pretty tall. Nothing like my six-one, but she wouldn't have to tiptoe to kiss me. I guess I was wrong about the petite thing, but she was pretty. I liked her lopsided grin and the way she kept glancing at me and then blushing.

  “So what's your name then, or are you gonna make me guess?”

  She giggled, turning left down the corridor. “Caroline.”

  I played the name in my head, liking the sound of it. “Caroline. It's nice to meet you.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  ELLA

  I stood in the shower, clutching the towel to my chest. I'd turned the spray off the second he asked to meet me outside and then I'd frozen. Meet him? I couldn't do that.

  It didn't matter that his voice was the sexiest thing I'd ever heard. Actually it totally mattered! That's exactly why I couldn't meet him outside. I had a boyfriend!

  My body was still zinging from the sound of his voice floating over the shower wall. It was luscious and I wanted to know where that sound came from...probably a broad chest. His voice was rich and deep. I imagined the way his lips moved as they sang the lyrics and couldn't help wondering what they felt like...tasted like. Heat shot through my core, settling between my legs.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I lightly tapped my head against the tiles. This was ridiculous.

  I. Had. A. Boyfriend.

  I took my time and slowly dried off. As I lifted my foot to dry down my leg, I noticed there was another shower running. Oh crap, I hadn't even heard her come in. Had she heard me singing? How embarrassing.

  I wanted to die.

  “You sound like an angel... a voice straight from heaven.”

  My insides turned to mush as I relived the words. Shower man thought I sounded like an angel. Someone had heard me sing jazz of all things and hadn't ridiculed me or laughed in my face. Instead, he'd given me the best compliment I could ever get. A memory from long ago, buried beneath the rubble of hurt and anguish began to claw its way to the surface.

  I bit my lip, my breaths coming out shaky. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my insides to settle. They managed to get down to a tremor as I held the towel in place with my chin and scurried to get dressed. Fiddling with the clasp of my bra, I clipped it into place before slipping my panties on. I tried not to let my wet feet touch the sides, but they inevitably did and I had to wiggle to get the damp fabric to sit right. Wrestling to get my sweats on without them touching the steamy tiles at my feet, I heard the shower flick off. I held my breath, hoping she wouldn't hear me.

  Hanging my towel on the hook, I reached for my shirt. I was just slipping my flip-flops on when I heard the other girl fling the curtain back. Man she was fast.

  If I waited a few more seconds, Miss Speedy would probably end up leaving before me, or if we both walked out together, maybe my shower man wouldn't feel confident approaching us. It was the safer option, and so I slowly extracted my brush and began running it through my hair, listening for the girl's departure. It didn't take long.

  I peeked my head out of the stall and watched the tall, blonde girl leaving. It almost looked like Morgan, but her hair was too straight and long to be my friend's. She was also way skinnier than Morgan. Straight as an arrow.

  I cleared my throat, once again hating my timidity. Why was I always such a chicken?

  Taking my time, I left the shower and inched my way to the door. It flew open before I could reach for it. Two girls stepped into the room, chatting like magpies. I moved out of their way and waited until they were in their stalls before creeping out the door.

  I looked up as I stepped into the corridor and actually felt disappointed to see that no guy was lingering in the hallway. Mystery man must have given up, which was a good thing.

&nbs
p; So why did I feel so disappointed? Wouldn't it have been better to meet him and just explain I was already in a committed relationship?

  For all I knew, he only wanted to see me out of curiosity anyway.

  I couldn't help glancing down the corridor both ways. The hallways were much busier now, people rising to get ready for their classes. My chances of picking him out were now zero, but I couldn't help trying anyway.

  “You're not lost already are you, baby?”

  David's hand slid down my back, making me jump. I spun to face him, forcing a laugh that sounded breathy and stupid.

  “No, I'm not lost.” I pointed behind him. “That way, right?”

  He looked over his shoulder. “You got it.”

  I grinned at him, loving that dimple and feeling secure now that he stood before me. Yeah, it was better that shower guy and I never met. It would just complicate everything. I didn't need complications. I was already worried enough about today.

  “So, should I meet you in the cafeteria for breakfast?” I ran my hand down the towel flung over his shoulder.

  “Yeah.” He kissed my lips quickly. “I can only manage a quick bite though. Some of my study group from last year wants to get together this morning to go over our class schedules.”

  “Oh, so you can't walk me to Comparative Lit anymore?”

  He winced. “No, sorry, but you'll be all right, won't you?”

  I swallowed. “Yeah, of course. Uh-huh.” I nodded.

  David's head tipped to the side, his dimple appearing. “Baby, you're gonna be fine.” He kissed my nose. “I'll meet you for lunch; I've got an hour to spare between classes.”

  “Okay. Where?”

  “You know the big oval library just outside the humanities building?”

  My nose crinkled.

  “I took you there yesterday. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it. Just use the map I gave you. I'll be waiting for you there.”

  “Okay.”

  “One o'clock.”

  “Got it.”

  He smiled down at me, his eyes lighting with glee. “It’s so good to have you here, Ella.”

  “Yeah, it's good to be here.” I didn't mean a word of it, but I smiled, my tongue just sticking past my front teeth. “Have a nice shower.”

  He gave me one more quick kiss before scurrying into the bathroom. I could picture David's lean body hopping beneath the spray. I'd explored every inch of that guy, run my fingers over his contours and kissed his lips a thousand times.

  So why then, did a guy I'd never even seen make my insides burn?

  I swallowed, blocking him from my mind and trying to focus back on my day.

  Breakfast.

  First class.

  Man, I hoped I made it to both. I thought about the neatly-folded map in my purse and cringed. David didn't know me at all if he thought I was capable of reading the damn thing.

  I turned left and then suddenly remembered I was supposed to have gone right. Spinning on my heel, I lifted my eyes to the sky and wished I was back in the safety of a shower stall, listening to the most luscious voice I'd ever heard.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  COLE

  Her voice felt wrong for some reason. I knew it was a stupid thing to think. Singing voices and speaking voices were very different, but the further I walked with Caroline, the more unsettled I felt. But it had to be her. We would have been the only people in the shower at that time.

  I now knew the girl was a junior and majoring in business studies, like me. We chatted about that for a few minutes, but I wanted to get to the point. I had to confirm she was my shower girl before asking her out on a date.

  Her steps slowed as she reached her door, and I put my free hand in my pocket, suddenly feeling awkward. “Well, I guess I just wanted to tell you that you have a beautiful voice.”

  “Thanks.” Her brow wrinkled again, her brown eyes narrowing with confusion.

  I grinned. “I bet you never sing in public, do you? Save it all up for the shower?”

  “The shower? What?” Her pointy nose scrunched up and I knew.

  This wasn't my shower bird.

  Taking a step back, I ran a hand through my hair and looked to the ground. My chuckle was breathy and embarrassed. It took me a second to look back up at her. “Sorry, I just, um, saw you coming out of the bathroom and was wondering if you were the type to sing in the shower.”

  “Not really.” Her blonde hair rustled over her back. “In and out as fast as I can, usually. Got too many other things to do.”

  “Yeah. Yeah.” I swallowed. She wasn’t the one. Damn it! “Well, I better let you get on with them.”

  “Okay.” She nodded. “But listen, if you ever want to get together or have a coffee...”

  “Yeah, thanks.” I nodded, forcing a grin. “I'll keep that in mind. Have a good first day, Caroline.”

  “You too.” She still looked confused as she opened her door and glided inside.

  My disappointment was sharp. Damn. Damn! How could I have approached the wrong girl? What a freaking idiot.

  The sudden thought that the actual girl might still have been looking for me outside the bathrooms rushed through my head and I picked up my pace, racing down the corridor and nearly taking out two short freshman guys.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled as I brushed past them and came to a stop outside the bathrooms. The human traffic had increased and there were already four potential girls walking around me. It could have been any one of them, and I wasn't about to chase down the two departing figures. I eyed up the other two girls. One of them gave me a sharp frown and glared at me, while the other put on a smoldering smile.

  Forget it. Songbird would never look at me like that; her voice was way too pure and sweet.

  I bit back a curse and put my hands on my hips, ready to give in and head back to my room.

  “Hey, man.”

  Glancing up, I found David walking out of the bathroom, still towel-drying his hair.

  “Hey.” I grinned, feeling myself relax. I needed to put shower girl out of my brain and get focused for the day. I slapped David on the back and stepped in time with him.

  “How was work last night?” David glanced up at me.

  “Yeah, good. Same old, same old. Nina wants you to come visit. She hasn't seen you all summer and wants to know everything you've been doing.”

  David grinned. “I love that woman.”

  “Heart of gold, right?”

  “For sure.” We turned toward 309.

  “So, you got a full day ahead?”

  “Yeah, a meeting and then two classes before lunch. Oh hey,” David looked back at me as he swung our door open. “Can you meet me for lunch?”

  “I don't see why not.” I shrugged. “I have a break between twelve and three.”

  “Perfect. You can come and meet Ella.”

  “Oh, that's right.” I threw my towel over the back of my desk chair. “Your girlfriend arrived yesterday.”

  I gave him a sly smile and he blushed.

  “Yes she did, and I really want you to meet her.”

  She was the last person I wanted to meet. What I really wanted to do was spend my spare three hours scouring the campus for a girl with the voice of an angel, but how the hell was I supposed to do that? And what the hell was wrong with me that I even wanted to?

  In an attempt to hide my lunacy, I crossed my arms and grinned at my friend. “I can do that for you, man. Where should I meet ya?”

  “I'm meeting her by the library outside the humanities building.”

  “Oh, well, we should go to Shiffon's then. They serve great coffee there.”

  “Yeah, they do. Good idea.”

  “Well, I'll just meet you outside the library and we can walk there together.”

  “Sounds cool,” David threw over his shoulder as he closed his door.

  I did the same, trying to get my head into the right frame of mind. Pulling on my jeans and a white cotton shirt, I pushed the slee
ves up to my elbows and reached under the bed for my book bag; I hadn't used the thing in weeks. Banging out the dust, I checked there was no rotting fruit hiding in the bottom and started sorting through my stuff.

  Another day. Another year. Same old. Same old.

  I paused.

  Except it wasn't. UChicago would never be the same for me again, because now I knew that somewhere on this campus walked a perfect songbird.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ELLA

  I drew a circle on my notepad as I listened to the professor talk through his introduction of philosophy. I had been handed so many sheets of paper this morning, I could barely keep track of them all. Assignment deadlines, course outlines, test dates — it was all shoved in my face, and I was somehow supposed to absorb it. So far, my morning had been overwhelming. Yes, I had experienced it before, but UChicago had an intensity to it that I wasn't used to.

  I kept telling myself this would all be okay and not to get stressed out by the workload, but I’d have to work my ass off to keep up with all this stuff, and unlike my boyfriend, that idea didn’t exactly thrill me. David loved studying; he loved the challenge and the mental stimulation. I, on the other hand, endured study for one reason only...I swore I'd get a degree. It was what my parents wanted me to do. We’d always talked about it and even though they weren’t around anymore, I felt like it was something I had to follow through on. But at the end of the day, it was just going to be a piece of paper with my name on it. I had no intention of doing post-grad courses. All I wanted to do was pass, and pass well. I'd flown through my community college courses, but I had a feeling this would be much tougher.

  My circle grew bigger and I started adding starbursts around the edges. I always doodled when I got bored. It wasn't that philosophy was mind-numbingly dull; I knew I'd learn a lot of cool stuff, but this was my third lecture of the day and my brain was done.

  I wondered if I was taking something else whether I’d be feeling this way. How cool would it be to do something a little more entertaining...like singing, but there's no way in Hades I'd attempt that. Jody and Morgan were the only people to have ever heard me sing...and I guess shower guy.