Page 27 of Tell Me Something

I busied myself gathering two of the hard-sided suitcases I’d seen in the back and packing them with several coats and a couple more of my mother’s gowns, including her wedding dress. I don’t know why I wanted it with me, but it made me feel better to have it in my possession. I finished up and found him still engrossed in his phone.

“All right, according to the urban dictionary, a hooha is also known as female genitalia, aka vagina, aka punani. Well, that’s a new one. Also considered a happy place. I guess I won’t be clicking on images.”

Shaking my head, I tried not to smile.

He gave me a devilish grin. “Now, then, the walk of shame. Let’s see. It’s known as the walk across campus in the same clothes as yesterday after you slept with someone and spent the night in his or her room.”

He glanced up at me after reading a bit more. “First of all, you are showered and changed. And secondly, I would never put it that way.” He looked mildly offended.

“It was a figure of speech. Even if I am flying back across the country to New York, it feels like I might as well be skulking across campus in last night’s clothes. You never did tell me, by the way, why you’re here. And how did you know where to find me?”

He appeared uncomfortable but answered the question. “I had a layover and called Maria to see what your travel plans were. She told me about you renting the car. So I waited in the Hertz lot and followed you. I was curious.”

“You could’ve called me.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t want to send mixed messages.” The twinkle in his eye showed he got the irony.

I blew out a breath. “Yeah, cuz showing up here didn’t. Look, you wanted time alone. It’s fine. I get it, but next time, please tell me to my face so that I don’t feel like—I don’t know—how I felt this morning when I got the note.”

“How did you feel?” He genuinely seemed to want to know.

Considering I was still raw from the sting of it, I decided to be frank. “The tray showed up, and I thought what a romantic gesture. Then I saw the note, and I thought maybe it was something cute, but it wasn’t. It made me think that somehow I’d done something wrong or—I don’t know.”

He moved closer and cupped my chin. “Tell me.”

“I thought maybe my reaction was weird, or my thighs were too big, or I said something wrong last night during.”

His eyes widened.

“Look, I know that sounds ridiculous to you, but for a woman, these are the stupid things that go through our head when a man just up and leaves after something intimate like that. Obviously, I got over it by the time I took a shower. You said not to take it personally, but, well, after what happened, I thought it particularly unthoughtful to tell me to think of you leaving me as ‘business.’ That’s all.”

“I don’t know what to say.” He seemed contrite, but I noted that the first words out of his mouth weren’t an apology.

“Well, you asked. I’m simply being honest even if it’s more than you want to hear. Anyhow, I’m ready to go.”

He looked down at the two suitcases and took them out to my car to load while I locked up.

WE TOOK our separate cars to the airport and met up at the rental counter after turning over the keys.

“I’m going to get checked in. I think you need to make your way to the international terminal that way.” I pointed and turned toward the domestic terminal.

He frowned. “Let’s call Maria and get you on my flight to Hong Kong.”

Hesitating, I glanced down at my suitcases. “You want time alone, and I get it. I feel better now that you’ve told me that to my face. Meanwhile, I filled two large suitcases that are meant to get back to New York and not by way of Hong Kong. It’s fine. Really.”

But suddenly he didn’t seem to think so. “We can have the suitcases shipped. Come on, I’ll take care of that while you call Maria.”

After Maria worked her magic and we got checked in, I looked over at Josh while we were in the lounge. “Why did you change your mind?”

His stunning green eyes were serious. “I figured if we’re doing this, it might be better to work out the awkwardness overseas, where no one knows what the norm is, rather than back in New York.”

His answer was pretty black and white. I guessed I wasn’t getting a because I thought I’d miss you from him anytime soon.

“So the hotel situation: am I going to have to drink enough each night to get up the nerve to give you my key? Or will you—I don’t know—inform me ahead of time if you plan on coming by?”

If he noticed my sarcasm, he chose to ignore it. “This is new territory for me, and I’m a little paranoid about how to maintain professional boundaries what with the new personal ones.”

I was a little offended. “I would like to think I’ll be professional. You don’t have to worry about me embarrassing you; I promise not to hop on you in a conference room in front of your staff.”