Page 42 of Taking the Pitch
“It’s not really a big…” he trails off. “It’s an anxiety thing, isn’t it?”
I nod and drop my gaze, grateful for the millionth time in the last five minutes the room is dark enough to hide my reddened expression. Judd’s fingers pinch my chin and lift my face to look at him. “What have I told you, Amelia?”
I stare at him blankly, not knowing what he’s talking about.
He sighs and traces his thumb below my bottom lip. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Now that I know being without your car gives you anxiety, I’ll figure out how to get your car back to the apartment after I get you home. Okay?”
I nod again, and he releases my chin and holds out his hand to me. “Let’s go.”
Without hesitation, I take Judd’s hand and he pulls me up. After tucking the towel back into my oversized bag, I grab Bruno’s leash and clip it back on him before we say our goodbyes and head back out of the library. Judd has me wait at the entrance while he pulls his Jeep up to the bottom of the stairs, trying to keep my movement to a minimum. I think he’d carry me if I let him. Which I won’t because that would just be embarrassing.
Tempting, though.
I’m soaking in a hot bath with my Epsom salts and an ice pack behind my neck, trying to remind myself why I’ve been avoiding Judd in the first place. I’m not doing a very good job. When we got back to my apartment, Judd asked if he could come in to help me get settled. The short car ride made me even more nauseousthan I was to begin with, so I just waved him in as I unclipped Bruno’s leash and headed to my bedroom.
Judd found me sitting on the edge of my bed, staring into my bathroom. When he asked what I needed, I told him I usually take a hot bath with an ice pack behind my neck and that I was just trying to psych myself up to get my bath ready. He left the room and came back with one of my blue moldable ice packs. He handed it to me and asked how hot I liked my baths.
When I told him ‘Hot enough to make a man cry’, he just laughed and rolled up the sleeve of his sweater and went into the bathroom. I laid on the bed with my ice pack while I watched him run me a bath, checking the water frequently and adjusting the nobs to make sure it was just right.
Fun fact: it was perfect.
Before I got into the bath. Judd asked if I needed Bruno or if he was okay to take him with him to go get my car. The rain had stopped by the time we reached our building, and according to his weather app, it wasn’t supposed to start up again until later tonight. He said a walk would be good for both of them. It had been a few days since I had been able to take Bruno for a long walk, so I told Judd to take him. With a wink and a promise to be back soon, I watched the man I don’t want to have feelings for takemy dogwith him to go getmy carso I wouldn’t worry about it being left in the library parking lot overnight.
I feel like an absolute bitch for running from him the other day. I think I owe him an apology.
With the bathwater getting cold and my migraine now at a more tolerable pain level, I flip the drain and get out of the bath. Toweling off, I wrap the towel around me and move into my bedroom. I walk to the dresser and grab the softest pair of leggings I own and a camisole and pull them on. Not wanting to wear a bra, I snag the hoodie I borrowed from Judd onHalloween night and pull that on too, so it’s not obvious I’m braless.
Grabbing the ice pack off the side of the tub, I walk into the kitchen to swap it out with a new one. My stomach lets out a growl, reminding me I haven’t eaten anything since convincing myself to choke down a slice of peanut butter toast and a banana this morning. Looking at the time on the stove, and deciding it’s close enough to dinner time, I open the fridge to find a yogurt, two eggs, and a bunch of random condiments.
Take out it is.
Taking my hair down from the claw clip and laying out on the couch, I tuck the ice pack behind my neck and pull up the website to my favorite Chinese food place. I’m ordering hot and sour soup and trying to guess what Judd would like too when I hear the jingle of my keys on the other side of the door. The door pushes open and Bruno jogs in. When he sees me laying on the couch, he wiggles his body and comes over to greet me, snout crinkled in a smile.
“Hey buddy, did you have a nice walk with Judd?” I croon to him. He wiggles his butt faster in response, so I take that as a yes.
Judd comes in next with an arm full of bags. Peaking over the bags, he sees me laying on the couch and gives me a grin. “You look better. How’s the pain level?”
I return the smile and give Bruno one last scratch before sitting up, pulling my feet up and resting my chin on my knees. “Better. Manageable,” I tell him, watching him go into the kitchen to set the bags he’s carrying on the counter. I’m about to ask him what he has in the bags when the smell of Chinese food hits my nose. I inhale a deep breath, and my stomach rumbles in response.
Judd pauses amid unloading the bags and stares at me, eyebrows raised. “Was that your stomach?”
My face heats and I mumble a ‘Yes’ from where my face is hidden behind my knees.
“Well, it’s a good thing I called Charlie and asked her what you normally eat when you have migraines and don’t feel like eating.” I sit in stunned silence as I watch him pull out a large container of what I’m hoping is my hot and sour soup, along with various other containers.
Looking up from the food, Judd tilts his head at me and says, “Tell me where the bowls are and I’ll dish you up so you don’t have to get up.”
Where the hell did this man come from? I’ve never had anyone offer to get me a plate so I can relax on the couch.
Feeling awkward that he even offered and not really understanding why, I rise from the couch and walk into the kitchen, grabbing a plate and a bowl from the cabinet and set them down next to the containers and handing the plate to Judd. “I can do it, but thank you. You are a lifesaver. I was actually just getting ready to order food from here when you came in.” Grabbing the soup container, I lift the lid and pour a generous amount into my bowl. Feeling Judd’s gaze on me I look up and see him staring. “What?”
Caught in the act, Judd shakes his head and laughs. I spy a little red poking out from under his beard, like he's embarrassed. “Nothing,” he says, grabbing a container and dumping some onto his plate.
“No, not ‘nothing’. Why were you staring at me like that?”
Grabbing a smaller container, Judd opens it and reaches in, grabbing what looks like barbecue pork and putting it on his plate. He shakes his head and smirks. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re short?”
“Yeah, well, not everyone can be a jolly green giant,” I grumble, bumping him with my hip, which hits him mid-thigh. Chuckling, he moves, and I dig out spoons and forks, settingthem on the counter. Grabbing a spoon and napkin, I turn to leave when he stops me.
