"You okay with it, if we have to stay here?" Theo said. She waited for him to waggle an eyebrow or try to turn it into a joke but his face was completely serious.
"If we don't have a choice—" She shrugged as if were no big deal.
While Theo went inside, she checked the traffic using her phone. Like he said, the only thing she could find was that the road was closed ahead and with the storm coming people were being advised to stay home. She wasn't surprised when Theo came out with a room key.
Tension flared in her belly. This could be a moment although she already knew it wouldn't be. Launching into a physical fling wasn't in her nature. What would Rayanne say about this? She wouldn't tell her. She liked having secrets like that.
When he got in the car, she said, "Let me guess, only one room left."
"You got it," Theo said with a smile. "And only one bed."
Ester cleared her throat. "I can pay for half."
"Since I made zero money today, I'll let you, but give it to me later, I don't want the desk clerk to get any ideas."
Ester laughed.
Theo parked the car and they took their backpacks to the room. He opened the door and flicked on the light to reveal a typical roadside motel room. One bed covered with a dingy bedspread dotted with blue flowers and... That was all Ester noticed. The bed took up most of the room. Of course, that's what people did at motels. They slept. In a bed. There was no other reason to be there.
"Your fine accommodation awaits," he said, letting Ester go in first.
She dropped her backpack on the bed. The room was chilly. "It's not that bad," Ester said, rubbing her arms.
The first thing Theo did was open the controls of the heating unit.
"Fifty-five degrees," he muttered. He hit the buttons until the machine buzzed to life. The room had one chair that he moved in front of the heater. "For you."
"I'm not an invalid. I can handle a little cold," Ester said.
"Good," Theo said with humor. "You'll need to."
There was a framed picture above the bed and he went closer to study it. It was a stylized painting of a bright sandy beach lined with neon-colored buildings. A pair of pink-tinted rabbits were perched at the foamy edge of a bright blue ocean.
"How does something like this even exist, much less end up here?" he asked.
"Probably a giant motel stocking warehouse. Their slogan is, If it isn't weird, we won't carry it."
Theo opened his backpack and got out his laptop. He sat on the bed. "There's nothing else to do. Do you mind if I work on my homework?"
There was something else to do, but Ester wasn't going to suggest it. "Why would I mind?"
"Last I checked I only needed nine more articles for Professor Stone to be caught up."
"That sounds like a lot," Ester said.
"It is." Theo flicked on the TV and flipped through the channels until he found the news. He handed the control to Ester and then went into the bathroom. She'd never seen him so fidgety, like he couldn't stop moving. She tried not to listen but in that tiny room all she could think about was Theo taking care of his personal business on the other side of one slim wall.
The toilet flushed. The water went on and off. Theo came out. "What's the news?"
Ester muted the TV. "Road still closed. Storm still coming. We made the best choice."
"At least the company's good," Theo said. He sat on the bed and picked up his laptop. "I'm writing the adoption one and then the Arnie one. He seems like a decent guy."
"He is. What did he say about leadership?"
"He says you need a plan. He's very ambitious. But I guess if you're a politician, you have to have a strategy." He winked at her before he bent over his computer and got to work. Ester liked how serious his face was when he typed.
She got her laptop and wrote notes from what she learned from Professor Stone. She outlined ideas she had about organizing the center's documentary and footage she thought she had versus what they needed. Professor Stone's syllabus had interview tips, so she brainstormed interview questions. After a couple of hours, the room warmed up and she could take off her coat.
Theo slapped his laptop closed. "Two articles written and several chapters read. That's enough. I'm going to grab something from the car."
While Theo was gone, Ester hurried to use to the bathroom. She was in for a long night if she was too embarrassed to use the bathroom with him in the room.
When she came out, Theo was spreading an extra blanket on the bed. "It's getting icy out there. I almost fell in the parking lot. I forgot Fran gave me some cookies for the trip. At least we won't starve." He set a plastic bag in the middle of the bed. "How about a movie?"
He sat down on the bed and flicked through the channels. Ester wasn't sure if she was supposed to sit next to him or not. She decided not. Instead, she pulled the chair around so she could see the TV better.
"The selection is awful," Theo said.
"Back Country Sleepy Inn doesn't have the latest and greatest movie channels. One star."
Theo laughed. "Die Hard?"
"I like that one," Ester said, as if she could pay attention to a movie while in the same room with Theo and a giant bed and a whole night ahead of them. The only thing she was aware of was Theo's warm body and the blood rushing in her ears. She couldn't wait for the movie to end so she would find out what would happen next.
At last the bad guys were defeated and John McClane and his wife went off together.
"You want to watch another one?" Theo asked.
Ester shrugged. "I'm kind of tired."
Theo turned off the TV and went into the bathroom again. She pulled off her shoes and sat on the other side of the bed and waited to see what he would do.
Theo came out of the bathroom and said, "I'm not sleeping on the floor."
Ester looked down at the floor, not clear what they were talking about.
"You're not sleeping on the floor either. Don't worry, I'm not putting the moves on you," he continued. The way he said it with such certainty, she was tempted to be insulted.
"You can get under the sheet, I'll stay on top of the sheet. We'll put a pillow between us. Two people can sleep in the same bed without meeting in the middle. You've shared a bed with someone you weren't doing it with, haven't you?"
"Lots of times," Ester said, even though technically she hadn't shared a bed with someone she had done it with. The few times that had happened it had been in the back of a car, or on a sofa in a basement, or once, in a tent.
She wondered how many girls he'd shared a bed with.
"You comfortable with this?"
"Yes," Ester said, the tone in her voice intended to convey, I don't even know why you're making a big deal about it.
Ester crawled in between the cold sheets, careful to stay on her side. Theo stayed on top of the sheet, like he said. She pulled the comforter and extra blanket up around her ears.
"Good night, Ester," Theo said. He shut off the light.
"Good night, Theo." She could hardly breathe as if it would bother him if she moved too much. At the same time, she was aware of every move he made, shifting to get comfortable on the bed.
"Do your feet go off the edge?" she asked.
Theo gave a low chuckle. "Not if I bend my knees."
She didn't think she could sleep but the events of the day and the accumulated tension from being around Theo for so long caught up to her.
She awoke with a start. The room was completely dark and cold. An anxious twinge shot through her until she remembered where she was. She put a hand to her face and touched her cold nose. The sound of dripping water came from the bathroom and someone moved across the room and then returned to the bed.
She inhaled sharply.
"Lost power," Theo said, his voice immediately soothing. "Ice must have taken down a power line. They may have a generator, we'll find out soon."
Ester didn't say anything. She was tired of being cold. Pushing aside any doubts, she scooted acr
oss the bed and curled up alongside him, the sheet still between them. "Is this okay?"
"Hang on a sec," Theo said. He got up, and the mattress lurched up and then he was back on the bed, bundling her up in the sheet. Then he pulled the blankets and comforter over them and pulled her against his chest.
"Too much?"
"No," Ester said, hesitant about how much to lean into him. With all the wrappings, there was less body heat than she needed, but she wasn't about to complain.
Theo adjusted the blankets again. "You think you can fall back to sleep?"
All Ester could think about was every place where her body touched Theo's. Not only was she no longer cold, she was no longer sure what was happening. It wasn't a feeling of lust as much as a feeling of being pulled into something terrifying and exhilarating and a little bit over her head. He was being a perfect gentleman but she thought about his hands wandering over her while he took his time unwrapping her from the sheets. The feelings of longing were overwhelming.
She swallowed. "My mind is full of thoughts."
"I know the feeling," Theo said. "Before, did you say you lived in your car?"
"You heard that?" Her secret had slipped out and she hoped he'd forgotten it.
"I did," he said.
She'd never told anyone about this. "While I was in college my dad got hurt on the job and he, uh, got addicted to pain pills. That was during the time when my scholarship changed and I didn't want to trouble them. Money became a problem and I had to live in my car."
"That's terrible, Ester," Theo said. The sincerity in his voice made her want to cry.
"It wasn't that bad," she lied. She'd been cold, scared for her safety, and humiliated. The amount of energy it took to keep anyone from finding out made it a miracle she passed her classes.
Theo gave her a comforting squeeze that involved his entire body.
"The bummer is it made me paranoid about things not working out. I don't like to do things unless I'm certain, but then I overthink so I can't make a decision."
"What else?" Theo’s warm breath brushed her ear and she shifted into whatever was the opposite of almost in tears.
"My housing. It's been weird for a while. Dennis and I have been friends forever. I thought about talking to him but he could tell me to move if I don't like it. So I tell myself it's not that bad, at least I can pay down my loans. But then I'm stressed because I can't relax at home, but then, it's more relaxing than sleeping in a car. I think about looking for a place but I don't have a car so I have fewer options. But then it's a big city, you never know what's out there if you don't look. But what if I end up with a roommate who's even worse? And so on like that."
Theo made an agreeing sound in his chest.
"Earlier you said you had a lot of shortcomings," Ester said.
"Did I say a lot?"
"You don't have to answer. You can pretend you're asleep."
Theo didn't say anything for a long time so she was surprised when he answered.
"How about one: I'm the opposite. I make decisions without thinking them through. Like coming to school without considering how I would pay the bills and be a successful student at the same time. Is that short enough for you?"
"I think it's a different version of the same problem," Ester said.
His body relaxed around hers.
"You falling asleep?" she whispered.
"Yeah, you're a comfortable place to be."
Ester wasn't sure how to answer. "Me too," she finally said.
Theo pulled her closer. "Thanks for keeping me warm, Shoshone."
14
When Ester woke up, the power was back on and the heating unit wheezed from across the room. Theo was in the shower. So, basically completely naked on the other side of a wall she could kick her foot through. She had to pee. It might be fun to duck in and take care of it while he was in there.
No way would she do that. She hoped he wouldn't be long. It was always weird to sleep in your clothes. She put her sweater back on and considered herself dressed. She rubbed her growling stomach while she checked her phone. There was a text from Rayanne asking if they'd gotten back from Warm Springs okay. Ester ignored it and checked the road report. Still icy in spots but the road was clear and traffic was getting through again.
The bathroom door opened and Theo came out, completely dressed, along with a puff of steam.
"Isn't it weird to take a shower and put on your dirty clothes from yesterday?" Ester asked. His hair was wet, a look that she approved of.
He offered a sheepish smile. "Sometimes you need a shower. You taking one?"
She thought about her being the one completely naked with Theo in the next room. "I'll wait until I get home, but I need to get in there," she said, and pushed into the bathroom. She took care of her business and splashed water on her face. Her hair was a frizzy mess, so she wet her fingers and ran them through the curls until she looked respectable. She wished, desperately, for a toothbrush.
When she came out, Theo was gone. She checked out the window, worried for a half-second that he'd left without her.
Her phone beeped with a text. Probably Rayanne again. Instead it was Theo. How do you take your coffee?
Milk. Not the powder.
He returned with two cups of coffee, two tiny Red Delicious apples and two smashed pastries wrapped in cellophane wrappers.
"Oh, you shouldn't have," Ester said. She took a big sip of coffee and unwrapped the pastry.
"Free breakfast bar," Theo said. He handed her a flimsy napkin.
"Good thing we let them feed us before we left," Ester said. She took a bite of the pastry, which was so sweet it made her teeth hurt. "I was about to say I might feel human again but I don't think I'll feel human until I brush my teeth."
Theo took a sip of his coffee and nodded. "The guy in the office said the road is still icy. He thought we should wait an hour or two if we could."
"What about you and work?" Ester asked.
Theo shrugged. "It's so messed up at this point, I don't know what difference a couple more hours makes. You mind?"
"I have nowhere to be." Inside, she was thrilled to spend more time with Theo.
"Show me your film," Theo said.
"It's just for fun," she said, embarrassed to show him the collection of clips.
"I want to see."
Theo reclined on the bed with his computer in his lap, looking ridiculously sexy. If she sat on the bed next to him, she would melt into a puddle. She grabbed her computer and moved her chair to the bed and set up the movie so he could watch.
"It needs voice-over," she said.
Theo put his finger to his lips and turned the screen so he could see it better. He didn't say a word until it was finished.
"I thought you said you were messing around. That's incredible. Why don't you show it to your boss?"
She shook her head. "Your turn."
"I'm serious. Those images tell a great story. You should do something with that. Professor Stone has been encouraging us to apply to a workshop that her mentor runs. I'll get you the information."
Ester shrugged, pleased with the compliment. "I can't do a workshop. Now yours."
Theo explained the ideas he had to expand Fran's interview into a final project. She'd had a terrible home life and left when she was a teenager. This was a common element of her yarnbombing crew. Ester gave him some suggestions and he roughed out an outline.
By eleven a pale sun broke through the clouds and it was warm enough to get back on the road. There were a few spots of slow-going and there was more than one car stuck in a ditch. They made good progress and soon saw signs that they were close to the city. Then Theo would drive off and she'd be stuck at the house by herself with no firm plans to see him again.
Ester's stomach growled. The tiny pastry hadn’t been enough to make a dent in her hunger. Theo pulled up to her house. Dennis's car was gone. No Dennis meant no MacKenzie.
Ester blurted out, "Do you want to come in
for something to eat? I can't cook, but I can heat things up. We could have soup and toast." Ester couldn't read the look on his face and it wasn't a big deal but somehow she was pinning a lot on hearing him say yes.
"Dennis's car is gone," she added.
Theo laughed. "In that case, I can't refuse."
He followed her into the house. She went to her bedroom and threw her backpack on the bed. Theo stood behind her and pushed the door open a little wider. "This is where the magic happens?"
"That's one way of looking at it," Ester said. She imagined what he would think of her stacks of storage boxes filling every corner of the room. "I don't like my stuff scattered around the house so I keep everything in these boxes."
Theo didn't go in but he took a careful look around. "How long have you lived here?"
"Three years. Since I graduated," Ester said. She realized she was nervous, so she kept talking. "Dennis was a friend from school and this was a friend of his aunt's house. He could get a killer deal but he couldn't afford the mortgage on his own. It works out okay. He never told me to keep my belongings piled up in my room but as he's settled into the house, it made more sense. When the center had a bigger office, I kept things there, and when I had a car, I threw clothes and shoes in the trunk. Now I pile it in here. I don't mind. At least I know where everything is and it keeps me from buying too much. You know, voluntary simplicity." She walked over to her bathroom caddy. "I have to brush my teeth or I will die."
She backed out of her room and pointed to the living room. Theo went to look at the bookshelf while she went to the bathroom. "Those are Dennis's books," she said before she left the room.
"You don't have any books?" Theo asked when she came back.
"I limit myself to one box," Ester said. "Do you have a lot of books?"
"Similar situation," he said.
She took him to the kitchen. "It sounds weird but I have this great soup I eat a lot because it's cheap. Sorry I'm bragging about cheap soup for the food I've offered, but it's not terrible as far as cheap foods go. It's called Aunt Barbara's. Doesn't that sound friendly? Like something homemade. I add frozen vegetables to it. Am I talking a lot?"
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