Rap-rap-rap!
I jumped, pulled abruptly from a dream in which I was chasing all of the elves out of town. I’d been running after them but they were fast, always escaping my reach. Head pounding, I sat up in bed, trying to figure what time of day it was.
Rap-rap-rap!
“Faith, open the door!” came a familiar male voice.
Wait, was that . . . Adam? What was he doing at my place? I’d called Harmony to bring me supplies in my weakened state thanks to the elves giving me the flu. Adam could not see me like this. No-no-no. Besides, I should be at work. Today was a big day with the potential buyers coming back for a second look at Silver Bells Luxury Tours.
That thought made my sickness feel even worse.
“Now I’m getting worried, Faith. Please open the door!” Adam called.
“Just a minute,” I said, feeling like my stomach was going to come up my throat. I struggled out of bed and made it to the door by holding onto the furniture along the way. I opened the door a quarter of an inch and peered through. “S’up?”
Adam’s eyes widened. “S’up? What, are you from Brooklyn? Let me in, Faith. Harmony called and told me you were sick. I’ve brought lemon and honey.”
Right, first job when I get back to the office is to fire Harmony. I looked at the bag he was holding up and smiled weakly. “Thanks, Adam. Just leave it there and I’ll grab it in a sec.”
“Let me in, so I can make you some hot lemon and honey.” He leaned one hand against the doorjamb. As I began to protest again, he said, “I know you don’t have anyone here taking care of you. So, if you won’t let me in then you’ll force me to get your mother’s phone number from the employee files back at the office and give her a call. I’m sure she’d be delighted to fly out and—”
I opened the door wide. “Okay, come in. Just don’t look at me. I feel like my head might explode and that can’t be an impressive look for anyone.”
“Thank you,” he said, steering me to the living room of my apartment. “Now, lay down and get some rest and I’ll make you some hot lemon. Then you can sleep.”
I rested on the couch as Adam sang softly to himself in the kitchen, smiling despite feeling so ill. I thought about how nice it would be if this were our home, which promptly made tears come because I knew he was going back to New York soon.
“Faith, your phone is flashing with a message.” He brought my cell phone to me and I pressed play:
Hello, I was looking for a woman named Faith. She used to be my daughter, but I’m assuming from her silence that she has moved away, joined a convent, or found a new mommy. CALL ME!
Oh, no. I still hadn’t returned my mom’s call. So not going to happen today, though. I dropped my cell phone on the coffee table and put the back of my hand to my forehead.
“Here you go.” Adam sat on the couch and handed me the concoction to drink. I took a sip and the sweet honey soothed my sandpaper throat. He gently took the cup from my hand and placed it on the coffee table, examining a Christmas ornament, which was lying there.
“I painted that last night with my friend, Emma,” I said, sitting up suddenly. “Oh, no. I hope I didn’t get Emma sick!”
“Who’s Emma?”
I told him about my evening spent painting Christmas ornaments with Emma, to get ready for The Christmas Extravaganza. “Emma’s one of my oldest friends, who was also in Ms. King’s choir.” I held up my wrist to show him my friendship bracelet. “We all wear one of these. I’ve never taken mine off. Morgan has one, too,” I said, and swung my legs around and stood up.
“Whoa, where do you think you’re going?”
“As much as I’m sure you love my bird’s nest mess of hair, my Rudolph nose, and the too-big pajama look, I don’t. So, I’m going to shower and . . .” My voice trailed off as the room began to spin. I felt myself falling until strong arms caught me and guided me back to the couch.
The cough medicine he’d brought was also making me feel woozy. “You caught me.” I sighed happily. “You know who we could be? Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara.” I jabbed my finger lightly in his chest. “You are my leading man.”
He laughed. “Well, right now this leading man is asking you to rest.” He tucked the blanket my grandma made up under my chin before picking up my mug and going back into the kitchen.
“I bet Scarlett O’Hara never did as she was told,” I mumbled under my breath. “How are things at Silver Bells?” I asked, standing up, going to my room, and searching for my jeans. I slipped them on and narrowly avoided disaster as one foot got caught in the leg. Hopping around was not doing my poor head any good. Those elves had a lot to answer for.
“Don’t think about work, Faith. We need to get you better.”
“Mmhmm,” I said, and shrugged my arm into the sleeve of my shirt. I started to brush my hair, which was a painful, root-pulling task. I decided on a messy bun instead. Not intentionally messy, but it was more respectable than the dragged-through-a-hedge-backwards look I currently had.
Adam walked out of the kitchen and found me dressed in the living room. “I thought I told you to rest. Look, I’ve heated up some soup for you.”
I shook my head, and then immediately regretted it as my head started pounding. “I need to get to work,” I said, noting the word had come out berk.”
Adam’s face softened as he took in my appearance. Walking towards me, he set the bowl of steaming soup down on the coffee table and stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders.
“Faith, your shirt is on inside out.”
I looked down and saw the label on the outside of the shirt. “Oops.”
“And you have two different shoes on your feet.”
I looked down again, vertigo making me feel sick. “In my defense, I have several pairs of boots, which look similar.”
“Yes, but you’re wearing one black and one tan.” He brushed my cheek with the back of his hand, making my belly warm in a good way this time. Then he took my hand and helped me settle on the couch before lifting the bowl of soup.
Holding a spoon up to my mouth, he held my gaze. “You’re so sweet, Faith. I’ve never met anyone like you before. You’re always doing so much for everyone else, from looking out for my dad’s business, to a missing reindeer, to charity work. Just once, let someone look after you, let me look after you,” he said, in a whisper.
“Adam Kline, I’m a grown woman, and I don’t need looking after. I’m all about girl power.” My little speech lost its credibility, though, because: a) my nose was totally blocked and it actually sounded like I said something about gorillas, and b) as I had said girl power, I’d raised my hand in a superhero gesture, knocking the bowl out of Adam’s hand and slopping some soup onto the floor. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”
I settled back on the couch, my head resting on his shoulder as he stroked my hair gently. As I relaxed and gave up my determination to work, I felt Adam pull the blanket over me.
My eyes flickered open. “Will you read to me?”
“I don’t have a book, sweetheart,” he said, stroking my cheek before pulling out his phone and searching for something. After a moment or two, he began, “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring . . .”
A peaceful feeling overcame me, making me feel safe and loved as I drifted off to sleep.