“What?” Maricela asked.
Valerie and I rolled our eyes.
“Gay,” Valerie said. “I’m pretty sure it’s a requirement for joining our workout program.”
“I’m not.”
“Not gay or not joining our workouts?” Valerie asked.
“I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Valerie pulled her eyebrows together, confused. “You have to have a girlfriend to be gay?”
“That follows the principle of not caring what you eat until someone formally tags you with the word diabetic.” Maricela didn’t meet my gaze. “Forward it is,” I said, leading the group.
Valerie returned her attention to my dating life. “So you haven’t gotten any clothes off your hottie yet?”
I glared at her, not wanting to discuss my dating life in front of Maricela. I thought back to the way Maricela had prodded my sunburn and the interest she’d had in what had kept me out in the sun. But Valerie had openly discussed the likelihood of being pregnant, and the conversation was certainly motivating Maricela to keep up a good pace.
“She came over last night,” I finally answered.
Valerie rubbed her hands together. “Annnnnnd?”
“And said that her brother makes dating very complicated.”
“Sexy,” Valerie said, disappointment weighing the word.
“And then Rosa came over needing help with math.”
Valerie smacked her palm to her forehead. “I’m never having sex again.”
“That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?” I asked.
“Once the cricket is born, my sex life is toast. Rosa doesn’t even live with you, and she is ruining your sex life. There’s no getting away from your own kid.”
“I’m sure you and Emma will find ways. You’ve got time.”
“Doesn’t feel like it.”
“Start with telling her you’re pregnant.”
“You think I pee on the stick with her or without her?”
“How did you do it when it was her?”
“She waited until I was home, and we read it together.”
“Then that’s what you do.”
We walked in silence, the three of us were in such different stages. Single. At the beginning of a relationship. Married and about to start a family. Valerie’s head had to be spinning with the way her life was about to change. What was Maricela thinking about? Was there someone she had her eye on? Butterflies flittered in my stomach as Remi entered my thoughts. As we walked, I allowed myself to think about what was growing between Remi and me. For so long all I envisioned was professional success. Now I pictured Remi’s hand in mine, heard us sharing our days. I wanted to tell Remi about Valerie and Emma. Did Remi think about having her own children? A smile crept to my lips at the new possibilities.
Valerie stopped at her building.
“Call me when you know for sure,” I said.
Valerie’s “Okay” lacked the volume and confidence she usually radiated.
“You can do this.”
“Thanks. Hope I see you again, Maricela. You don’t have to be gay to walk with us. Or pregnant.” She looked like she might be sick again as she said it.
Maricela responded with a wide-eyed nod.
I gave her a hug before heading back with Maricela. Though my own heart rate had barely climbed, sweat darkened the pits and spine of Maricela’s shirt.
With great difficulty, I turned my thoughts from Valerie’s physical state to Maricela’s final. “How do you feel about your exam coming up?”
“Good. I think I’ve got this. My teacher said she’s never seen such a comeback.”
“Your professor,” I corrected. “Earned titles are important.”
“Okay.” Maricela nodded. “My professor. She said all I need is a C on this last test, and I pass. But I been getting Cs and Bs on my quizzes, so I’m thinkin’ I can score at least a B.”
I marveled at the turnaround in attitude. I was even more proud of the fact that Maricela was striving for a higher grade than she needed than the fact she would pass. “Proud of yourself?”
“Yeah. I know I messed up other stuff, but at least I got the class right.” Her voice cracked.
“You did. You really did.”
“So after this week, I don’t have class. Not until the fall semester.”
“If you need help, with anything, let me know. I mean that.”
Maricela smiled shyly. “I was wondering, though, if maybe I could walk with you and your friend again.”
“We walk Tuesdays and Fridays. Same time. You’re always welcome.” I linked arms with Maricela, and we walked up to the lab together.
Chapter Fifteen
“Are you available to drive me to work every day for the rest of my life?” I asked, melting into the tan leather upholstery of Remi’s Ferrari.
“I might start to think you are dating me for my car.”
I sat up, surprised. “Are we dating?”
“I am taking you to meet my brother. I am pretty sure that means we are dating.”
“All right,” I drew out the word as I settled back into luxury. “I’m dating a hottie in a Ferrari!”
“I will accept the compliment about me, but please do not let the insignia of the car fool you.”
“You weren’t happy with your father’s gift.” I remembered the bitterness in her voice when she’d told me how she’d gotten it.
“A used Italian car can hardly be considered a gift. It is unreliable and nearly impossible to maintain, but because of the sentimental gesture, I cannot get rid of it.” She laughed softly. “Much like my father himself.”
I was still trying to think of a response when she changed the subject. “Are you nervous?”
It was Saturday and we were on our way to Neil’s group home. She had described their typical routine, which, until we had met, had mostly included her listening to Lego facts on days he didn’t work and a catalog of what he had stocked at Legoland on days that he did.
That she had never brought anyone along with her worried me. I had no way of knowing how Neil would react to my being there. “There are so many unknowns for me. Google gave me an idea of the whole autism spectrum, but a spectrum is intimidating. Even based on what you’ve told me about him, it’s hard to predict what meeting him will be like.”
“Hence the bag.”
I had tossed a large backpack on the backseat.
“Still not telling me what’s inside?”
“What I hope is some Lego magic.”
“The most important thing for you to know is how much I love him.” She glanced at me and smiled warmly. “And I know you know that. But you go further than that. Spending time researching autism? You’re amazing.”
“Research is what I do. I want to understand.”
“Knowing that’s who you are is what makes me think this is going to be fine. You’ve already shown more interest than my ex ever did.”
I remembered that “the ex,” as Remi always referred to her, had simply acted like Neil did not exist. She interpreted Remi’s decision to move closer to Neil as putting him first instead of their relationship. I sympathized with both. I couldn’t imagine living far away from my siblings, but I could also understand how the ex had felt like she wasn’t a priority in Remi’s life.
Remi parked in a lot behind a large stone home set far back from the street. An immaculate green hedge lined the perimeter, and the lawn was perfectly tended.
“This place looks super nice.”
“I think the same thing every time I come to visit. I should admit now that it’s much nicer than my place.”
“Oh, will I be seeing this subpar housing?”
“It’s entirely possible that’s in your future.” Remi leaned across the console to give me a kiss that previewed her plans after visiting her brother.
“It might not have been the best idea to do that right before I meet Neil.”
“Rosa would notice,” Remi said, “but
Neil will not.”
I followed Remi inside. Remi greeted and introduced me to Adam. He was short and balding early, but everything else about him was large, eyeglasses, nose, and smile. He acknowledged me and then told Remi that Neil was in his room.
Remi led me down the hall, knocked lightly and opened the door. I stood at the doorway as Remi entered. Neil was seated on the floor, one leg folded underneath him and the other leg in front, his chin resting on his knee. He had to have a slight frame to be able to fold himself into such a position. In front of him was an elaborate Lego building. He looked up when Remi ruffled his close-cropped dark hair. “Hey, Neil! Anything exciting happen today?”
“I saved the city again.” His coloring matched his sister’s, but his expression was unquestionably open. He lacked Remi’s guardedness, the reserve that came with maturity. Though his size made him look like an adult admiring a child’s toy, his devoted attention to it made him seem younger.
Remi gave me a thumbs-up. She had explained that Neil often communicated in movie dialogue, and if he responded to her prompt, it was good sign for my visit. “I brought my friend Karla to see you. Do you remember me telling you about her?”
He raised his eyes so briefly that I would have missed it had I blinked. “Did you tell her about me?”
“She did,” I said, entering and sitting some distance away from him. I pulled from my backpack a large book and a baggie of Lego. “She said you might be able to help me put this back together.”
He glanced at Remi, but she was staring at me, her eyes twinkling. I could tell I’d done well and loved her eyes on me, but Neil was still waiting. I inclined my head in his direction to redirect her attention.
Blinking rapidly, she said, “I told her you were kind of a Lego expert.”
He put his hand out for the baggie. “You don’t have the box,” he scolded.
“But I found some instructions on the Internet. It’s Batman’s Dragster.”
He read from the pages I had printed. “Two-thousand and six. Catwoman Pursuit. Catwoman and her motorcycle should be in here, too.” He stood and took the baggie to his desk, which was clear of clutter, and gently poured out the contents. He quickly sorted them into piles and held up two figures. “Batman and Catwoman!” He turned to Remi. “Both figures!”
“How about the rest of the pieces?” When he turned back to the pile, she whispered, “Where did you get this?”
“eBay! I found it when I was researching,” I said. Hearing the wonder in her voice made me bubble with pride. I pulled the large book toward me and thumbed through it.
“Yours is this two-thousand sixteen Batcave, right?” I asked, pointing to the picture I found.
“Classic TV series,” Neil added. “I put it together myself. I am very good with Lego. I am better at Lego than cooking, but my sister says I should learn to cook.”
“Did you help with lunch today?” Remi asked.
Neil’s focus stayed on the Lego in front of him when he answered. “Gerald made lunch. I live here because I can’t live in a house without help. My sister can cook for herself, but she is not very good at making Lego.”
“I can usually get the first five pages.”
“You are missing seven bricks.” Along his desk, he had arranged the bricks to match the inventory I had printed out. Beside his desk was a plastic set of drawers. When he pulled out a drawer, I saw that it had only one color, and the different shapes were housed in storage containers with the information written on the top. Red 1x2. Red 2x2 corner and so on. He frowned. “I do not have a dark red 2x2 with a groove.” He began to tap his left elbow with his fisted right hand.
“They would have it at Legoland, wouldn’t they?” Remi said in a soothing voice.
“I go to work on Monday. That is two days away.” He started to gather the pieces on the desk.
“Do you think it could stay here? If I take it home, I’m afraid my cat will knock it off the bookcase again.”
His brows knitted together, and he seemed to be searching inside his head for an answer. “I am not good with animals. I do not know how to train a cat not to break toys. Temple Grandin is good with animals. She might know. She is good that way. I am good with Lego.”
“So maybe it could live here in your room,” I suggested.
“I am very careful with toys. I am like a grownup and a child. I like toys, and I take good care of toys. I have a job because it is important to be responsible, but I mostly like to play with Lego.”
“My sister has an eleven-year-old daughter. She likes Lego. She stays with me sometimes, and we like to go to the beach. Do you ever go to the beach?”
It was Remi he looked at, not me. Remi said, “Neil doesn’t like the water or sand. We go once in a while to listen to the waves.”
“The sound is nice. From the sidewalk,” Neil said.
“I like the sound too,” I said. “Way more than toys that make sound. Neil, do Lego toys ever make noise?”
He looked at the carpet. “There are some lasers that make noise and light up. I don’t have any of those.”
“What cool things does the Batcave do?”
He revealed a hint of his sister in the way his eyebrows lifted. “The study is the best part. It has the Batphone, and you can move the bookcase to get to the secret entrance to the Batcave. I could show you.”
“I’d like to see,” I said. Remi and I joined Neil on the floor and listened intently as Neil pointed out his favorite features of the Batcave. When he asked if I wanted one of the figurines to play, I picked The Penguin. I couldn’t help smiling when Remi picked the sexy Catwoman.
The afternoon with Remi’s brother sped by, and I was genuinely surprised when she pointed to her watch and then to the door. I thanked Neil for his help with Batman’s Dragster. He nodded without looking at me.
“Fist bump?” Remi asked.
He held out his fist and let his fingers burst out after they’d touched knuckles.
“I love you.”
“Love you,” he responded, still absorbed with his Lego.
Remi led me from the room. At the end of the hall, she let out a long breath. “You were perfect with him. Was that hard?”
“Not hard at all. Honestly, I had fun. Is that weird?”
“No, not weird. When he said that he’s a grownup and a child, that’s him exactly. That’s the part my parents have a hard time with. They do better with adults. Our childhood wasn’t fun for them. They put up with it as a necessity to having adult children. Neither one of them could adjust to the idea of Neil never being able to be fully independent.”
I didn’t know what to say about the family conflict that was part of Remi’s life. We walked to the car in silence, and before I got in, I wrapped my arms around Remi. “Thank you for introducing me.”
“I can’t believe you brought Lego.” She kissed me warmly, if chastely. “That’s not true. It was the conclusion of the research you were telling me about, wasn’t it?”
I was glad Remi wasn’t teasing me about my need to find answers and the time I took to look things up. “The stuff I read on the Internet said to communicate in the language they’re comfortable with. You already told me that was Lego, so it was a pretty logical conclusion.”
“Not one that many would bother thinking about. I love that you had a plan for how to get to know him. It means the world to me.” She wrapped her arms around me, and I felt the depth of her appreciation. I held on tightly, tightly enough to convey how much I liked Remi and all she came with. I didn’t move until I felt Remi’s arms soften.
When we stepped apart, I melted once again into the passenger seat of the Ferrari and said, “What happens after you see your brother? You meet up with your girlfriend for a nice dinner?”
“A nice dinner could be arranged. And perhaps even some dessert.”
I reached across the console to rest my hand on Remi’s thigh. “Dessert sounds good.”
“There is also the issue of the articles of
clothing I owe you,” she said with her eyes fixed behind the car as she backed up. When she turned back, her chocolate eyes locked with mine. I swallowed, nervousness mixing with desire. “We didn’t get around to that last time, did we?”
“Indeed, we did not.”
“And now it’s Saturday.” Three items Wednesday. Going by the penalty I imposed on Monday, she owed me six articles of clothing. I openly appraised her outfit: the elegant cut of Remi’s charcoal coat which hid nothing of her figure, silky black shirt with veins of gold running through it. What kind of bra would she wear? Lacy? Silky? Either way, I was certain she would match her bra to the panties under her flowing black pants. The thought of her in nothing but panties and bra left me speechless, aching to run my hands along her perfect skin.
Remi’s voice, low and sexy, interrupted my thoughts. “You are undressing me now, aren’t you?”
I blushed, surprised my body was able to do so with how much blood was pumping through my groin. If there was any hope on making it through dinner, I was going to have to backtrack. I needed something safer. Something less erogenous that would help her cool down. “Are shoes one item or two?”
“That is not what I was expecting!” Remi’s laughter filled the car. “What are your thoughts, Dr. Hernandez?”
“I think that even if they count as two items, you are going to be wearing far less than I will.”
“With six choices, I thought some of your own might be in play.”
I rubbed my chin as I considered her suggestion. “I don’t know. That doesn’t get me enough of your skin.”
Remi laughed again mirthfully, making me smile. “Maybe I could win some of your articles of clothing by guessing about your body adornments.”
“That could get you a few articles of clothing.”
“How many is a few? Two? Three?”
“You’re trying to cheat.”
“If you have more than two, wouldn’t you have said ‘several items’?”
“You’ll have to find out later.”
“After dinner.”
“Yes, you promised dinner.” I rested my elbow where the door met the window and my head on my hand, studying Remi as she drove, thinking about how fun it was to banter. It was hard to keep my mind on the present instead of anticipating the removal of this woman’s clothes.
Cure for Insomnia Page 13
