Pandemic love, p.27
Pandemic Love, page 27
I smirk at his words. ‘Oh, I see. So, he is here?’
‘Yes. He moved in with us about a month or so ago, temporarily, of course, whilst he finds a new place to live. Rental properties are in short supply these days.’
‘Uh. Yes, I can imagine.’
Steve looks towards his wife, who is standing there, just watching our exchange.
‘So sorry to send you away, Dana, but we are just about to head out to an anniversary dinner. We have been dying to try this new Italian place in town and they’ve only just re-opened after the latest lockdown. We are very eager to have a night out.’
I can see what they are hinting. ‘Yes! Okay, so sorry to bother you, but, um… would it be okay if I went up to see him?’
They exchange a puzzled look.
‘Well, technically, no, Dana. We would strongly advise against it—’
‘Oh, no, it’s okay. I ran his result today myself. He’s negative.’
They both let out a sigh in unison and Steve simply nods his head towards me. ‘If you’re bringing him good news, then I’m sure he would love to hear it!’
‘Okay, perfect! Thank you! Enjoy your dinner out!’
‘Oh, we will,’ the woman says as she eyes her husband up and down seductively. I think they’ll be enjoying themselves to no end tonight.
I ask for directions up to Mike’s room and then disappear inside the house.
As I make it to the top of the landing, I slowly approach the closed bedroom door. My heart is beating wildly through my chest as I reach out to knock. Tap. Tap.
‘Steve? What do you want? You know I can’t open the door right now.’
I chuckle softly, clearing my throat again before I reply. ‘What if I told you that your PCR was negative? Would you open the door for me then?’
I hear the creak of bed springs and the fast but heavy footsteps of Mike approaching the door. I can tell he pauses for just a moment before throwing the door open wide, a look of surprise evident on his face.
‘Dana? But… how?’ he asks, his voice gravelly.
‘Oh. I have wits and wiles that you know nothing about.’ I wink playfully at him.
‘Hah. Is that right?’ He smiles wickedly in return.
I can feel a rising blush on my face; he’s as handsome as I remember and I can’t quite pull my eyes away from his.
‘I hear you’re looking for a place to stay.’
‘Well, yes, actually. Why, are you offering?’
‘As long as you can live with cat hair on the lounge, sparkly pillows on the bed and vials of insulin in the fridge?’
He wholeheartedly chuckles. ‘Oh, believe me, I can.’
He reaches towards me almost immediately, engulfing me in his warmth. His hands travel up either side of my face and we look closely into each other’s eyes for a few moments.
It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve felt happy and safe. I notice Mike’s eyes drop to my mouth and without saying a word, we mesh our lips together in urgency.
After a few minutes, and when the passion has somewhat calmed down, we pull apart, gasping for air as we do. Mike continues to hold me closely to him, like he is refusing to let me go, our chests heaving together.
‘What if I was positive?’ he says breathlessly into my ear.
I laugh. ‘Then I would’ve insisted on catching it from you, so that we could quarantine together… again.’
He smirks. ‘Oh, really? And what exactly would we be doing for those fourteen days of quarantine?’ he suggests cheekily, winking at me.
I sigh warmly, content. ‘I’m sure we would be able to think of something.’
The End.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I want to thank my husband and children for gifting me time to write this book, and for allowing me the occasional sleep-in. Through maternity leave, renovations, job changes and business upkeep, plenty of late-night chats and early coffee mornings were had. Thank you to my sister, whose real-life impact from COVID-19 became inspiration for this book. Never stop being courageous. Thank you to my parents, with whom have provided support and help throughout the last few years, with many babysitting days, and coffee dates. To my mother, who was entrusted as the first reader; your teacher’s wisdom and keen eye contributed so very much. To my father, who has been on his own health journey recently, we are always here as your support system, keep being the strong man that you are. Thank you to my Soul Sistas, for supporting me during this time, in more ways than one, as my soul tribe and fellow nurse trustees. Thank you to both work environments, at the hospital, and within the vaccination clinic. It has been a very busy last few years, with lots of changes, new learnings and adaptations, due to COVID-19. The ‘vax girls’ have been most supportive, and it’s been lovely getting to know you all. Thank you finally, to Shawline Publishing group, who have helped curate and support my efforts in publishing this book. No doubt there have been many hours contributed to both myself and to this book. Thank you for your dedication.
Warmest, D x
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Dani Matthewson, Pandemic Love
