Page 72 of Love Sick

“I did…” His gaze travels to the windows behind me. “I did some of them.”

Sighing, I turn on my computer, finally in my element. “Let’s start at the beginning.”

* * *

That night, I lift my lowball of iced silvery green liquid to eye level. “What’s this drink called again?”

Julian’s no-smile is in fine form this evening. He toasts me as he plops onto Kai’s couch. “Unicorn Blood.”

By the contents littering Kai’s tiny kitchen countertop, the drink is part tequila, part St. Germain, part lime juice. A frilly curl of orange rind floating on top of mine has me curious about secret ingredients, though.

Standing beside me in the kitchen, Alesha stares at hers in wonder. “This slaps!”

Julian sips his own. “Told you.”

Kai lives in a small apartment above a wealthy family’s detached garage. His furniture is tasteful and comfortable, with cozy blankets thrown over the sofa backs and fancy lamps with multicolor LED smart bulbs glowing warm white. Alesha fought with him over the color, requesting turquoise for ambiance.

She received a sassy look as a response.

Raven sits beside Julian, lime La Croix in hand, and Kai perches on a bar stool at the open picture window connecting the kitchen to the attached space—part living room, part dining room.

Alesha leans over the counter to give Kai another pleading look. “Turquoise?” she asks for the third time.

Kai ignores her by skimming through his phone. I wander out of the kitchen, eyes still trained on my drink. I stop in the middle of the room.

“I didn’t poison it, if that’s what you’re thinking,” says an amused voice.

My gaze flicks to meet Julian’s. “There’s no way this is better than a Mambo Taxi.”

Sparks light his eyes, and his lips curve into a slow smile. “How can you know you don’t like it if you never taste it?”

Taste it.

Mind blank, frozen tundra miles away, I stare at his mouth. My heart simultaneously climbs into my throat and thunders against my ribs, and everyone else falls away from my consciousness.

My fantasies of him have multiplied throughout the day and I’m equally annoyed and intrigued by them.

It’s a passing fancy. A curiosity. He’s safe because nothing will ever come of it. There’s none of the usual anxiety because it will never happen.

He couldn’t possibly be interested in me, right?

So what would he do if I stepped closer? If I slid my legs on either side of him? I want to trap him against my body, all the softest parts of me pressed against the hardest parts of him.

What would his lips taste like?

Ice queen.

“Oh my god.” Kai snaps.

I startle, upsetting the contents of my glass.

Kai rises to his feet, glaring at his phone. “Listen to this bullshit. ‘Last Friday you received an email correspondence regarding an employee gift. I regret to inform you that residents are not included in this employee gift distribution. I apologize for any hurt feelings this may cause. That was never my intent. Best regards, Steven Langston.’”

Raven gasps and her eyes go puppy-dog large. “We don’t get the gift? I wanted that Yeti.”

Kai hurls his phone onto the counter. “Not only do I work four hundred hours a week. Not only do I have to park a mile away and shuttle because they don’t have enough parking for employees. Not only am I yelled at when I get chicken strips in the cafeteria instead of choking down that free poison they call food. But now I don’t even get the free tumbler I was promised as an employee of the hospital? IF I’M NOT AN EMPLOYEE, THEN I’M PARKING IN PATIENT PARKING.”

My mouth drops open.