Page 31 of You Chive Me Crazy
She hesitated, her face flushing. “Oh . . .” She handed it to me over the pillow wall, but not before complaining one more time. “This side of the bed totally smells like you now.”
“Well then . . . you’re welcome.”
Chuckling, I plopped back down and read.
When Zoe turned off the light on her side of the bed, I said, “Good night.”
She hesitated, but then finally said, “Good night.”
It made me smile.
I wondered how hard it was for her to say that when I was pretty sure she’d preferred to say, “Go jump in the lake.”
I decided not to read, so she could rest. I turned my phone to vibrate, set the timer for two hours, and clicked off my light.
Two hours later, my phone vibrated.
I clicked on the light, wiped my eyes, peeked over the wall of pillows, and whispered, “Wake up, potatoes au gratin.”
Nothing.
“Sweet potato,” I said, a little louder this time.
Luckily, there was a movement on Zoe’s side of the bed before I worried like I did after her nap.
“What?” she said in a groggy voice.
“Just want to make sure you’re okay,” I said. “What’s your name?”
“Apparently, it’s sweet potato.”
“Your real name?”
She sighed. “Zoe Leilani Bell.”
“Leilani is your middle name?” I asked. “I had no idea.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. Can I go back to sleep?”
“Almost. I’m still thinking about Leilani. It’s a beautiful name. Hawaiian, right?”
“Yes.”
She sounded coherent, which was a good sign.
“Where are you at this very moment, Zoe Leilani Bell?” I asked.
“Still being held prisoner inside the Love Shack at the Serendipity Inn,” she answered. “Do you need the address or GPS coordinates?”
“Nope. We’re good,” I said. “Okay, one more question. What is the very thin unleavened dough used for making baklava and spanakopita?”
Zoe blinked twice. “I refuse to answer that.”
“You don’t know?”
“You know I know.”
I did, but I loved it when she called me by my last name, Filo.
