Page 15 of She's Got that Heat

She responds in seconds.

Allie: I’d love that.

Awesome. I’ll text you details tomorrow. Good night.

I have a date with an incredible girl for a Friday night. A date with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

Even if I manage to keep her from being overcome by this wild weather, I have a date with the hottest girl on the mountain.

10

ALLIE

How can a day be both fantastic and crappy at the same time?

The heat wave kicks in full blast by eleven in the morning, then I get slammed with orders that require both the grill and the oven, overheating me to the point where I actually consider for a solid ten minutes stopping this new thyroid medication.

Thanks to Damon’s cooling scarf, though, I manage to get through it. Plus I occasionally splash cold water on my wrists and have a five-minute lull right after the rush.

I get a text from Damon, asking whether for our date I’d rather hit up a restaurant in West Stoneburg, stay in town for Jim’s Pizza, or go to his place for dinner. Of course I’d rather go to his place! It’s quieter, and I already know there will be air-conditioning. Plus I really want to be with him as much as possible. It feels like we’re truly bonding.

If he can pick me up at three, it sounds like he’s switching his work hours to be closer to mine. That’s sweet – and I’ll admit, it’ll be nice to get a ride instead of having to walk.

I scrub out a couple of massive pots, then run cold water over my wrists again.

Just another week,I keep chanting in the back of my head. By all accounts online, this wild heat blast of summer only lasts around two weeks. Considering all the incredible features of this town – even besides Damon – it’s a small price to pay. Plus, I might have been able to stop my medication by this time next year and the heat won’t affect me at all.

I’ve been through worse, and I’m sure I’ll go through worse again. It’s fine. Laughing to myself, I pull out some vegetables and get prepping for the noon lunch rush. Keeping busy and working hard is always the best plan.

Except this time, no matter how high my spirits, I can feel something rumbling on the horizon of my oversensitive nervous system.

Damon picks me up from work, and we hit the grocery store. We’ve both made Chicken Pad Thai before and decide that it’s the best plan.

We’ve barely made it in the door of his house when I stumble slightly. Damon catches my elbow. “Are you okay?”

Crap. I’m definitely feeling off. Yet there’s no way I can cancel a date this early on in our relationship. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He sets the groceries down on the kitchen counter, then guides me to the stool at the island. Tipping my chin up with his finger, he examines my eyes. “Is it that sparkle pressure thing?” He points to the side of my head.

“No. It’s just… It’s hard to describe.” The more I think about it, the darker my head feels. “I’m probably just tired, plus I overheated a couple of times today.”

“Baby, if it’s another headache, that’s okay. Please, just tell me.”

I never, ever want to lie to Damon. But I also don’t want him to think I’m a sickly girl who isn’t fun to be around. If I can justhold on a few more weeks until he really gets to know me better, he’ll realize I’m really not a whiny complainer.

I smile at him as brightly as I can manage. “I swear, I’m not usually this obnoxious! It’s just been a rough week.”

“I don’t think you’re obnoxious at all. What can I do?”

His sweet concern nearly makes me tear up. “I’m just going to hydrate and stretch out my shoulders and neck. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Damon sets a glass of ice water and a plate of crackers in front of me, then starts putting away the groceries.

“Hey,” he says with a giant grin. “Instead of the Pad Thai, maybe we could?—”

His phone goes off with the tone for the VFFT.

“Shit,” he mutters. “Baby, if you need me to stay here, I’m?—”

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