Page 78 of Atmosphere

Joan rushed them toward the car. They did not make it back to the hotel. They pulled over on the side of a dark road and, urgently, recklessly, Joan let Vanessa cure what ached her.

—

At three in the morning,they were still awake. Joan’s head was on Vanessa’s chest as they lay in bed. It was hot, the blankets were off, the sheets barely pulled up to their waists. Joan was shocked at herself, how quickly she had learned to shed decades of inhibitions.

“…and then when I saw those drawings you did,” Vanessa said, laughing.

“The sketches were not of you!” Joan said. “They were of the stripper. What was her name? Raven!”

“Oh, I know. I could see that. They were of Raven…”

“Thank you.”

“…the one stripper in that joint who looked like me.”

Joan was embarrassed in a way that reminded her of being tickled as a child. “Unbelievable,” she said. “How would you even know what Raven looked like? You left early.”

“I left early because I could not stand to watch you stare at those women.”

Joan looked at her. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Well, now you do.”

“You were…jealous.”

“I was jealous.”

Joan could feel her muscles starting to shake within her skin. She took Vanessa’s hand. “I don’t think anyone’s ever been jealous over me before.”

“They have,” Vanessa said. “You just can’t see half the things going on around you.”

She pulled Joan’s arm closer. “Wait, are you okay?” she asked as she put her hand on Joan’s forearm. Joan was not sure what she meant, but when she looked closer, she could see there were hives all over her arms. Joan then looked down at her chest. It was also bright red.

Vanessa leaned over her and checked her back.

“You’re breaking out,” she said. She sat up and then sat Joan up. “Do you think it’s something in the sheets? Do you want me to call the front desk and get new ones?”

“It’s fine, I feel fine.”

“You’re covered in hives.”

“I know, I can see that. But they don’t hurt. I don’t even feel them.”

“Should we at least get you in the shower? Maybe cold water would help?”

Joan lay back down and gestured for Vanessa to as well. “I’m fine, Vanessa. Truly.”

“Okay…” she said. “Does this happen a lot?”

Joan exhaled. “No, actually. It’s only happened one other time that I can think of.”

“When?”

Joan laughed. “I don’t want to tell you.”

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