Page 60 of Finding Jack
He dropped his head. “Can’t imagine how you got that idea,” he mumbled into his folded arms.
“Now we’re going to figure out what our patronus is.”
He lifted his head. “Mine’s a sparkle unicorn.”
I shook a magazine at him. “This quiz will decide that. All right, first question. What is your natural element?”
“Hermit cabin,” he said before I could give him his choices.
“Earth, air, fire, or water?”
“Mud.”
“Runny mud or thick mud?”
“Thick.”
“So earth. Next: your significant other reveals she cheated on you, but she apologizes and promises never to do it again. Do you—”
“Wait, why are you cheating on me?”
I knew he was kidding, but the implication that I was his significant other made my cheeks heat. I ignored the interruption. “So do you dump her, try to work it out, follow your gut, or cheat in revenge?”
“Definitely dump her.”
“What kind of dancing do you like to do? Slow and smooth, like a waltz? Fast and crazy? Free flowing? Never mind the answer. Let me figure out where ‘hip-hop in a Speedo’ fits.”
He laughed, and I asked him a few more questions and then pretended to tally the results again before I read the answer I’d already written. “How interesting. You’re a Caribbean flamingo. Apparently they’re super nurturing, and they produce this natural concoction full of fat and protein to keep their flamingo kids healthy. That’s fascinating.”
“I’m riveted.”
“Oops, I couldn’t hear you. Wi-Fi connection must be going bad again. I better try reconnecting.” I hung up, pulled on a surgical mask, and hung a toy stethoscope around my neck. Then I pressed “Call” and listened to the heightened sound of my heartbeat in my own ears. I didn’t even need a stethoscope for that.
This was it. Hehadto crack now.
“Hi.” I grinned at the sound of my muffled voice coming through the mask when he answered.
He blinked at me.
“Next quiz. What’s your Hogwarts—”
He held up his hand in a “stop” gesture. “I’m sure whatever the result is, it will turn out to be the house that’s produced the most wizard doctors.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I get it. You know I’m a doctor. Did Ranée tell you?”
“No. And I feel betrayed that she didn’t.” I removed the mask, using the excuse of setting it down to gather my thoughts. He didn’t seem at all amused by my efforts to win that confession. “I found out the old-fashioned way. Relentless googling.”
“Did you consider there might be a reason for that?” He didn’t sound angry, exactly. His voice sounded the way my eyelids used to feel after studying all night in college.
“Yes. But I hoped if you knew I knew, then we wouldn’t have to talk around it anymore. That nothing in our conversations has to be off limits. We can discuss philosophy or small talk.”
“It’s not small talk. This is hugest-thing-in-my-life talk.”
“I get that.”
“I think you don’t.” His face slipped from pained to stony, a sudden shutdown of his emotions that left his expression blank.
He could have stabbed me with my hypodermic needle and it would have stung less. My whole point had been to get him to open up so Icouldunderstand him. Now my instinct was to close the laptop, crawl into bed, go to sleep, and wake up to a morning where I discovered I’d never started this conversation. But all the evidence that I’d opened a door I couldn’t close now was scattered in its Fischer Price garishness before me.
“I’m sorry.” His expression didn’t change, but I soldiered on. “I shouldn’t have pried. But we’ve had big and small talk for weeks. Now that I know about you being a doctor, can’t it all just be real talk?”
