Page 35 of Romance and Peppermint Lattes
She knocked politely, anticipating all kinds of disasters when there was no response.
“Nolan?” She pounded on his door and yelled his name, battling down a rising sense of panic. She envisioned him lying on his bed, suffering—or worse. “Nolan, please answer the door,” she pleaded, wondering if there was someone in the building with a passkey.
She’d waited hours, it seemed, before he yanked open the door.
“Are you all right?” she demanded, so relieved to see him she could hardly keep from hurling herself into his arms. Relieved, that was, until she got a good look at him.
“I was feeling just great,” he told her gruffly, “until I had to get out of bed to answer the stupid door. Which, incidentally, woke me up.”
Maryanne pressed her fingers over her mouth to hide her hysterical laughter. If Nolan felt anywhere near as bad as he looked, then she should seriously consider phoning for an ambulance. He wore grey sweatpants and a faded plaid robe, one she would guess had been moth fodder for years. His choice of clothes was the least of her concerns, however. He resembled someone who’d just surfaced from a four-day drunk. His eyes were red and his face ashen. He scowled at her and it was clear the moment he spoke that his disposition was as cheery as his appearance.
“I take it there’s a reason for this uninvited visit?” he growled, then sneezed fiercely.
“Yes...” Maryanne hedged, not knowing exactly what to do now. “I just wanted to make sure you’re all right.”
“Okay, you’ve seen me. I’m going to live, so you can leave in good conscience.” He would have closed the door, butMaryanne stepped forward and boldly forced her way into his apartment.
In the weeks they’d lived next door to each other, she’d never seen his home. The muted earth colors, the rich leather furniture and polished wood floors appealed to her immediately. Despite her worry about his condition, she smiled; this room reminded her of Nolan, with papers and books littering every available space. His apartment seemed at least twice the size of hers. He’d once mentioned that it was larger, but after becoming accustomed to her own small rooms, she found the spaciousness of his a pleasant shock.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m in no mood for company,” he informed her in a surly voice.
“Have you been to a doctor?”
“No.”
“Do you need anything?”
“Peace and quiet,” he muttered.
“You could have bronchitis or pneumonia or something.”
“I’m perfectly fine. At least, I was until you arrived.” He walked across the carpet—a dark green-and-gold Persian, Maryanne noted automatically—and slumped onto an overstuffed sofa piled with blankets and pillows. The television was on, its volume turned very low.
“Then why haven’t you been at work?”
“I’m on vacation.”
“Personally, I would’ve chosen a tropical island over a sofa in my own apartment.” She advanced purposefully into his kitchen and stopped short when she caught sight of the dirty dishes stacked a foot high in the stainless-steel sink. She was amazed he could cram so much into such a tight space.
“This place is a mess!” she declared, hands on her hips.
“Go ahead and call the health department if you’re so concerned.”
“I probably should.” Instead, she walked straight to the sink, rolled up her sleeves and started stacking the dishes on the counter.
“What are you doing now?” Nolan shouted from the living room.
“Cleaning up.”
He muttered something she couldn’t hear, which was probably for the best.
“Go lie down, Nolan,” she instructed. “When I’m done here, I’ll heat you some soup. You’ve got to get your strength back in order to suffer properly.”
At first he let that comment pass. Then, as if she was taxing him to the limit of his endurance, he called out, “The way you care is truly touching.”
“I was hoping you’d notice.” For someone who’d been outraged at the sight of her dishpan hands a week earlier, he seemed oddly unconcerned that she was washing his dirty dishes. Not that Maryanne minded. It made her feel good to be doing something for him.
She soon found herself humming as she rinsed the dishes and set them in his dishwasher.
