Page 36 of The Sweet Life

She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with that or how she was supposed to feel about it. She imagined Jake felt like she did about her reaction to his mostly naked body. Except she wasn’t letting herself think too closely about her feelings for a mostly naked Jake. It was a strategy she decided to stick with. She also considered having a cold shower but went with hot instead. She had no idea how long she’d been lying in the bed’s stagnant water. She stayed in the shower longer than was necessary and walked out of the bathroom to a loud, high-pitched whine.

She followed the sound to her bedroom. Jake glanced over as he sucked up water from the hardwood floor with a shop vac. He’d changed into sleep pants and a sweatshirt too. It looked like they’d be cranking up the air conditioner for however long they lived together.

He turned off the shop vac. “Exactly how long were you lying in the water before you called me?”

“Seconds, why?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. It’s not something I’d lie about.”

“You must sleep the sleep of the dead. It’s most likely been leaking all night.”

She looked at the blue liner lying flat in the wooden frame. “So that’s it. The bed is done?”

“Afraid so.” He looked up from wrapping the cord around the shop vac. “Why do you look like you just lost your best friend?”

She lowered herself onto the chair in the corner. “I can’t kick Max off the couch, and I can’t kick you out of the other bed, so my family wins. I’ll have to move into my aunt’s apartment.” She could move back into her condo, but the idea of doing so and not going in to work every day made her sick to her stomach. Granted, she pretty much felt sick to her stomach whenever she thought about her suspension.

“You don’t have to move into your aunt’s apartment. There’s another bed at Alice’s place. I’ve gotta pack up the last of her stuff today and move it in here anyway.”

“Right. I forgot the closing on the house is tomorrow. But FYI, you’re not doing it by yourself. I’m helping you pack up the rest of the house.”

“FYI, you’re under doctor’s orders to rest. Carmen’s orders too. So that’s what you’re going to do, because your grandmother scares me.” He carried the shop vac across the room and shut off the light. “What are you doing?”

“Sleeping on the chair.”

“You can’t sleep on the chair, Sage.”

“Trust me, I can. I sleep at my desk at least three times a week.”

“And you wonder why you’re burned out.” He walked back and took her by the hand. “Come on. You’re sleeping in my bed.”

“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea, Jake.” She dug in her heels to slow his forward motion.

He tightened his grip on her hand, left the shop vac in the office, and then walked with her to his bedroom. “I didn’t say you’re sleeping with me in my bed. I said you’re sleeping in my bed. I’m sleeping on the couch. Max doesn’t mind bunking with me.”

He walked into the room and held back the covers for her. The mattress was still warm from his body. It smelled like him too. “This isn’t the same bed you slept in as a teenager at Alice’s, is it?”

“No. She ordered it for me last month.”

“Why would she order you a new bed?”

“Go to sleep, Sage.”

She sat up. “No. You’re keeping something from me, and I want to know what it is.”

“You need your sleep. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“I can’t go to sleep now.”

He snorted. “You’re not going to blackmail me into telling you.”

“No. I mean I actually won’t be able to get to sleep now. I already got my allotted”—she glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand—“four hours.”

“Are you telling me you only sleep four hours a night?”

“Not when you’re looking at me like that, I’m not.” She patted the pillow beside her. “Lie down. It’ll be like you’re telling me a bedtime story. Who knows, I might fall asleep.”

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