Lizzy: It’s common cold. Headaches & blocked nose. No high fevers which might b dangerous. All normal.
Ben: Mayb we should get 2nd opinion.
Lizzy: Don’t worry. Anne will b w me. I’ll be fine in a few days. C u in Memphis.
Ben: Keep me up to date. Need anything?
Lizzy: Will do. Just sleep. Later.
Ben: How u feeling today?
Lizzy: Nose running less green.
Ben: Good. Been worried about you.
Lizzy: I’m getting there. Sleeping and catching up on lots on day time tv.
Ben: Great. Take it easy.
Lizzy: With Anne in Nurse Ratched mode I have no other choice.
Ben: Haha. Family.
Lizzy: Exactly.
Ben: Can I get u anything?
Lizzy: I’m ok.
Ben: Sorry I missed ur call. What’s happening?
Lizzy: Just wanted to wish u luck w the concert. How is Memphis? Any sightings of the King?
Ben: Not yet. But he’s here somewhere. How u doing?
Lizzy: Much better. Bored. Want out of bed. Dr said a day or 2. Blood pressure was a little low, made me light headed. But no big deal.
Ben: You fainted? What happened?
Lizzy: No, just felt off. It’s fine. Taking extra iron.
Ben: Christ, u sure?
Lizzy: Yes. Please don’t worry. It’s all getting worked out.
Ben: Shit. Ok. Be good to see you.
Lizzy: You too. So sick of being sick. Meet me in St Louis?
Ben: Deal.
Lizzy: Anne said u rang her. Brave.
Ben: Wanted to make sure u were ok.
Lizzy: I know. But I am telling u everything.
Ben: Yeah. Just worried.
Lizzy: Dr’s good. If anything changes I’ll let u know straight away. See u soon.
Lizzy: I am now the proud of owner of a wide selection of super comfy pjs and the worlds most extensive collection of zombie films.
Ben: :)
Lizzy: You rock in all the ways.
Ben: Pjs were Lena’s idea. Zombies were mine.
Lizzy: They both made my day. Thank you.
Ben: What movie u watching?
Lizzy: Dawn of the Dead.
Ben: Original or remake?
Lizzy: Remake. Love the actors in it.
Ben: Cool. Never seen it.
Lizzy: It’s not Romero, but its fun.
Ben: Show it to me sometime.
Lizzy: You got it.
Lizzy: Arrived. Going to sleep.
Ben: Ok?
Lizzy: Yes. Just tired. Have a good concert.
Ben: Thanks. C u in the morning.
* * *
Yes, the sad fact was, Ben and I were probably better at texting one another than we’d ever been communicating face-to-face. Apart from that one night in Vegas. Oh, and the time in his truck. And in his hotel suite tub after his argument with Jimmy, though he’d been somewhat under the influence that night.
Anyway, the flight wore me out. I went straight to bed when Anne and I hit Saint Louis. But I didn’t exactly get much sleep.
“Fuck off, dude!” was my wake-up call. “You don’t come in here.”
“Out of my way,” said someone in a distinctly deep and pissed off tone.
“Easy.” Another male voice. A different one this time.
“Ben, be reasonable. She’s still sleeping.” That was Anne, her voice placating.
“It’s one o’clock in the afternoon. She said she was better, why the fuck is she still sleeping?”
I sure as hell wasn’t anymore.
“Anne, he’s got a point. Has anyone checked on her lately?” I think that was Lena, but what she was doing here, I had no idea.
“Something’s wrong. I want a doctor here now,” said Ben.
“Just a minute. We’re all worried about her.” Ev, perhaps?
Hell, it sounded like everyone was visiting.
“Told you, man,” said Mal. “You don’t come into my rooms. I may have to work with you. But I don’t want a fucking thing to do with you outside of that.”
“For Christ’s sake…”
“You fucked with my trust.”
“I know,” sighed Ben. “And I’m sorry. Right now, though, I need to know she’s okay.”
“I’m fine,” I said, stepping out of my room. “Hey, you’re really all here.”
And I do mean everyone. David and Ev, Lena and Jimmy, and of course my sister and Mal, what with me still sharing their suite. Thank goodness I was wearing a pair of the spanking new blue lounge pants and matching striped tank top, tiny bare baby bulge poking out in between.
“Liz.” Ben rushed me, engulfing me in his big strong arms.
“Hi.” I mumbled into his T-shirt-covered pec. Yeah, I’d kind of frozen. Generally, we didn’t do this, but also it felt far too good. My poor, tired body got shivery in the best way. The man was just asking for me to hump his leg or something. Desperate really wasn’t pretty.
“Are you okay?” he asked, studying my face.
“I’m fine. I just overslept. Sorry to worry everyone.”
He frowned, big hands cupping my face, gently turning it this way and that for his inspection. “You don’t look okay. You look tired.”
“I couldn’t get to sleep last night. I’m bouncing back from the cold just fine, though. No more Queen of the Phlegm or any of that.”
“You sure?” He gave me a dubious look.
“Screw you, bud. I’m glowing.”
The big jerk gave me a sheepish look. “Sorry. Just been worried about you.”
“Apparently my iron levels were a little low. I’m taking supplements now, eating more. I’ll be back to normal in no time. And really, I feel fine. I feel great! Being up and around is awesome.”
“Why couldn’t you sleep?”
My mouth worked fine, but really my brain was too sleep-addled just yet to invent a plausible lie on demand. Worse, my face began to fire up. Crap. Out of all the questions in all the world, I particularly did not want to answer that one. Not even a little.
“Why?”
“I don’t know, I just couldn’t.”
“Liz.”
“Ben.”
“Tell me why,” he barked.
“Because the walls here are thin, okay? It was too noisy. Now enough with the questions. I’m hungry.”
“Ha,” shouted Mal triumphantly, hands on hips. “Your nightly fun-time party boy bullshit kept her awake.”
“I’m on the other side of the fucking building,” said Ben. “How the hell could I be keeping her awake?”
“But then, if it wasn’t you…” Anne’s brows slowly rose and she covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh dear. Sorry, Liz.”