Page 26 of Lust in Translation

I drive by Leo’s house in the morning on my way to work. I know it’s early and I know he’ll probably still be sleeping. He was in rough shape. I ring the doorbell with my elbow with cups of Dunkin’ coffee filling each hand. He opens it quicker this time. His big grin greeting me. His hair is wet and the heat from a recent shower clings around his body like an aura.

I swallow when I smell his soap. The air around him even tastes good. Is that what his skin tastes like? I extend a coffee to him. “How do you feel today?” He’s tucking in a white undershirt into his uniform pants.

“I’m going to try to go to work today. I think your soup was the magic cure. Just what I needed. I, ah,” Leo says, closing the door behind me. The front room is spotlessly clean. “Sorry about yesterday. My body is like a machine. When I take medicine, everything shorts out.”

I sip my latte. “And you turn into a rude barbarian who is so offensive I had to run out of here before you savagely attacked me?” I grin. It’s a joke. Leo isn’t laughing.

“Don’t say that. I’d never hurt you.” He walks into the kitchen. I follow him, peeking into his bedroom as we pass. The bed is neatly made. “I’m sorry for what I said.”

“And did?” I ask.

Leo spins on me. “What did I do?”

I roll my eyes up to think. “Oh, the sexual innuendos were strong and you couldn’t stop staring at my ass, but I forgive you. I have amazing news,” I exclaim setting my coffee down, and grabbing his forearms. “Like the best news ever.”

He eyes my hands, then meets my gaze with a gleaming grin. “Yeah? Lay it on me, Kid.”

“I got a kitten. Adam got me the cutest little baby kitten in the entire world. Oh, and Juliet is coming for a visit next week. I’m so happy I could pop. Isn’t that the best?”

Leo laughs. “It’s nice seeing you this happy. I’m happy for you. What did you name the little guy?”

“How did you know it was a boy?” I ask, eyes narrowed. His smile is so big, I can’t stop smiling in response.

“Just a fifty-fifty guess. I’m right most of the time.” He pulls out of my grasp and drinks some of his coffee. I watch his neck work as he swallows and try to school my expression. Friendship.

“You know? I spent all night trying to come up with a name for him. Something meaningful and awesome, but when I look at him I see a little lump of cute, black coal. I called him Coal this morning and I think he likes it.”

He waves me to the dining table with his coffee in one hand. I sit in the seat he sat in yesterday at the head of the table. “Is that too plain?”

He leans his shoulders back and forth—weighing his decision. It looks ridiculous because of his massive size. “If you like it, I like it. Coal is for naughty people, right? You have tied in Christmas which is your thing. He’s black so that’s fitting.”

“I didn’t think of the Christmas aspect. You know me so well.” I press my lips together and meet his horribly handsome gaze.

Leo traces the edge of the travel coffee cup lid with a finger and coughs a few times. “You must be excited to see Juliet.”

Sighing, I think of my best friend. “I am. It will be good for me to talk to her face to face. Have her here. I’m ready for it.”

My stomach flips when our gazes lock for longer than is socially acceptable. “You look like you really are feeling much better. But the flu is tricky. You can overdo it easily. Are you sure you’re ready for work?”

“Are you going to work me to the bone, Simmons? Or will you go easy on me?”

I cough on a sip of coffee. “Callaway.”

He laughs, white teeth flashing. “What? Simple question. You’re in charge of me.”

The doorbell rings. At seven in the morning. “Expecting company?” I tease.

Leo looks panicked. “Ah. Not that I know of.” He grabs his coffee and scurries to open the door. My curiosity is piqued, and that’s putting it mildly. If this is white lace panties, I want to see her.

I slide off my jacket and walk up behind Leo. It’s a woman. A beautiful one at that—even though I can only see one side of her face. She’s talking to Leo in a low, irritated voice. She has the Boston accent. Without knowing anything else about her, I know that this is the spark woman. I touch Leo’s back, and he startles, jerking the door open. Our eyes meet. Fire and ice. Recognition and betrayal. Her green eyes slide to Leo once again.

“Are you gonna invite me in? It’s cold out here.”

He opens the door wider, even though I can see he doesn’t want to. The ridges of his shoulders are stiff and his muscles are coiled with discomfort. “I’m going into work today,” Leo says, “This is my friend Kendall,” he motions to me as he closes the front door. “Kendall, this is my…other friend, Avery.”

I extend my hand as she pulls hers out of a glove and takes mine. “It’s lovely to meet you, Kendall. I was just checking in on the sick patient here. Looks like you beat me to it, huh?”

“Just stopped by with coffee to get him going. I didn’t expect he’d be up and at ’em and ready for work when I got here. Seems he’s ready to get back there.”

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