Page 69 of Love in the Lab
After putting the finishing touches on our manuscript, we submit it to the preprint server. The week passes, and it’s suddenly Halloween. As promised, I drive to Jonathan’s apartment to help him pass out candy to trick-or-treaters. I don’t wear a costume, but I have a festive T-shirt. It’s orange with a picture of Charlie Brown covered in a sheet full of round holes, with the phrase “I got a rock” printed at the top. Add to that the jack-o’-lantern earrings I have on, and I hope Jonathan will be satisfied.
He opens the door, and I laugh. He’s dressed as Gilligan from the old TV showGilligan’s Island. He’s wearing light blue jeans with a red long-sleeved, collared shirt, and of course a white bucket hat on his head.
“Ahoy!” I greet him.
He grins. “Right back atcha, Charlie Brown.”
I look down at my shirt and tug on the hem. “Is this okay?”
“You look beautiful. Come on in.” He leans down to give me a peck on the lips.
I hold up the paper sack in my hand. “I brought dinner from The Saucy Wing.” Before I knocked on the door, I set two glass bottles on the floor. I nudge them with my toe. “And root beer.”
He takes the sack, and I bend down to pick up the root beer bottles.
“That’s perfect,” he says, his eyes bright as he opens the bag to investigate the contents. “I was planning on candy for dinner, but wings are probably a better idea. Thank you.”
The simple gratitude warms me from the inside out. As much as he makes sure I’m taken care of, I want to make sure he’s okay, too.
“You know,” I say, following him into the apartment, “I always thought Gilligan and Mary Ann would end up together.”
Jonathan wags his eyebrows. “What a perfect couples’ costume. You can be Mary Ann. We’ll put you in short shorts and a crop top, your hair in pigtails.”
I slap his arm while fighting off a smile. “Stop.”
He shrugs. “Maybe next year.”
I shuffle through the big bowl of candy he has on a table near the front door. “What candy did you get for the kids?”
He pulls my hand away from the bowl. “Stop that. You’ll mess up my system.”
I laugh. “What’s your system?”
“I layer the candy in the bowl based on my preferences. See, at the top I’ve got the Mounds and Crunch bars, then the Snickers and Cookies ‘N’ Creme, and at the bottom, the Milky Way and Twix. That way, I give out the candy I don’t like first, and if there’s any left at the end of the night, it’s all the stuff I like.”
I put a hand on my hip. “And what about the candy I like?”
“Oh, no, my dear. I got something much better than candy for you.” He winks. “I stopped by Cafe Beignet earlier. The bag’s on the kitchen table for you.”
I squeal and duck into the kitchen to find my beignets. “You’re the best!”
“Don’t forget it!” he calls after me.
After two hours of bouncing between the couch and the front door for a steady stream of trick-or-treaters, the doorbell finally stops ringing.
I flop onto the couch cushion next to Jonathan and rest my head against his shoulder.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he warns. “I’m about to stand up. Are you still feeling up to going to the party?”
I groan. “No. I’m sorry. I think I’m just going to head home. You go ahead though.”
“Maybe,” he hedges. “They are expecting me.”
“And you want to go. So, go. You’ll have fun.”
He looks at me warily. “Is this a trick? Or a test of some kind?”
I laugh and pat his leg. “Not at all. You want some people time, so go to the party. I want some alone time, so I’ll go home.”
