Prank Date [✔]

Part 17

"I'm not planning on walking that far." I wanted to be back at Lisa's side as quickly as possible.

When Lisa didn't answer, I realized that she had fallen asleep sitting up. I lifted the tray off her lap and wrapped an arm around Lisa's shoulders to urge her to slide down.

"Come on, Lisa. You need to lie down. You can't sleep sitting up."

Without opening her eyes, she let her body be guided down.

I stood looking at her for a few moments, taking in the dark shadows beneath her eyes. It was disconcerting to see the strong, vibrant Lisa so weak and helpless. I tugged the covers higher around her and tiptoed out of the bedroom.

Downstairs, I called my neighbor to tell her I wouldn't be home tonight, so she should feed Kuma. Satisfied that my fur ball would be taken care of, I took Lego for a quick walk near the lake.

* * *

The lights in the large barn next to the main house switched off just as me and Lego completed our walk around the lake. Two men stepped out of the barn and crossed the yard.

I froze. Who are they? It was nearly ten by now, so they weren't visitors who had just finished a wine tasting.

They probably work here.

The older man tipped the bill of his baseball cap. "Evening, ma'am. Martin Cho. I work for Lisa."

Lisa, I mentally repeated. Not Ms. Manoban. Obviously, Lisa was on friendly terms with her employees. I nodded at the two men. "Jennie Kim. I'm a friend of Lisa's."

I had never been one to make friends easily, but calling Lisa my friend felt right.

"How is she?" Martin asked.

"She's sick as a ... um ... dog." I said.

"That's what I thought. She didn't look good this morning." Martin took off his baseball cap and raked stained fingers through his gray hair. "Take good care of her, please."

"I will," I said and watched the men walk away. They hadn't questioned my presence or the fact that I was out walking with Lego. Do they think I'm Lisa's girlfriend? Maybe she brings women home all the time.

The thought made me frown, and I got rid of it with a shake of my head.

You're just pretending to be her girlfriend, so stop acting like a jealous lover!

When I returned to the house and peeked into Lisa's bedroom, the bed was empty. I opened the door more fully.

Lisa shuffled through the room as if rocks weighted down her feet.

I rushed over and gripped her elbow to steady her. "What are you doing up? If you need anything, just let me know and I'll take care of it."

"Then can you please empty my bladder for me?"

"Oh." I let go of her elbow so she could continue on her way to the bathroom. "Sorry," I said with a rueful smile, "you're on your own with that."

A few minutes later, Lisa returned from the bathroom. When she walked around me to crawl back into bed, I realized that Lisa had her T- shirt on backward. I hadn't noticed it before.

"What?" Lisa asked. "Why are you staring at me?" She rubbed her red nose as if afraid that pieces of tissue might be clinging to it.

I smiled. "You have your T-shirt on backward."

Lisa glanced down at herself and ran her hand over her chest. "Oh." She slipped her arms out of the sleeves so she could turn the T-shirt without taking it off.

Seeing her struggle, I reached over and tugged on the fabric to help.

Finally, the T-shirt's front was facing forward, displaying in rainbow colors: "the other team."

Was it little things like this that made me constantly aware that Lisa was gay? Or was it all in my head? I wasn't sure. I watched Lisa settle into bed, her eyelids already drooping.

"Do you have a T-shirt I could wear? I didn't plan on a sleepover." I asked.

"You don't need to stay," she said again.

I folded my arms and looked down at her. "I'm staying, so don't waste your energy protesting."

"Okay, okay. There should be a T-shirt that will fit you in the top drawer." Lisa lifted one hand from beneath the covers and pointed.

I pulled out the drawer and took the T-shirt on top. My eyebrows rose as I read the words on the front. "Sorry I missed church. I was busy practicing witchcraft and becoming a lesbian."

I glanced at Lisa, who watched me with a tired smile. "Do you have a whole dresser full of T- shirts like these?"

"I have a few, but I just wear them around the house. Nikki gives me one or two for every birthday."

Nikki. I wondered how long Lisa had known her. How long had they been together? And was their relationship completely over? I couldn't bring myself to ask.

"Do you want another T-shirt?" Lisa asked when I said nothing.

"This one is fine. Maybe I should wear it on Thanksgiving."

Lisa laughed, then coughed. "I have two guest rooms. One is right next door, and the bigger one is next to the stairs. Take your pick."

"I'll be next door." This way, I would be nearby in case Lisa woke up and called out during the night. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up, okay?"

Lisa nodded. Her eyes fell shut.

"Good night, Lisa."

Deep breathing was her only answer.

I tiptoed across the room and switched off the lights. At the door, I stopped and glanced back at Lisa. I couldn't make out her face in the almost darkness, but she slept without moving, completely defenseless. The intimacy of the situation struck me like a punch to the chest, robbing me of breath. After one more glance at Lisa, I stepped out of the bedroom, leaving the door ajar.

* * *