“Do you feel any better?”

He turned over, opened his eyes and pushed me down, covering half my body with his. He bent lower and kissed me, and then, with a groan, he rolled to his back.

“I don’t feel any worse.” He reached over and pulled me close until I was snuggled against him. “Did you really see Quayle in a dunce cap?”

“Let’s just say I came close, but it makes a good story. I did learn how to wake myself up before he got to me. That was huge.”

“This was... What you just did... It was huge for me. Even if the pain’s still hanging around. Thank you for touching me.”

I took a moment to swallow tears. “Maybe you just need a little more time to let everything wash over you, Teo. Your brain’s probably sorting out all the bum signals.”

He closed his eyes.

I got to my feet so I could cry in the hallway. “I’m going to the front desk to see about takeout. Think about something wonderful and try to relax those toes, okay?”

I slipped on my shoes and found my handbag. In the public restroom I gave in and cried until no tears remained. Then after I washed my face, I searched the main part of the hotel for food to bring back to the room. It wasn’t simple, but I managed to get sandwiches and bags of plantain chips with bottled drinks.

As it turned out, I had plenty to eat. Thirty minutes later when I got back to the room, Teo was sleeping like the dead.

I spent the night on the sofa bed in the other room, afraid to wake him.

We were on the boat heading to the resort before we talked about the night behind us. Teo looked rested, and said whatever pain remained was under control. Before we left our room, I gave him privacy to get Peg back in place, a process more complicated than removing her. Peg plays hard to get.

The long bus ride to catch the boat had been bouncy but scenic. Teo told me he’d been to Costa Rica once before, and I told him I’d like to come again under better circumstances. Other than that, we slumped against each other and tried to get more sleep.

The boat was comfortable, and we’d been allowed to tag along with a tour group, so the pace was just slow enough to give us a chance to enjoy the wildlife. A guide narrated from the front, but we sat by ourselves in the back.

“Thanks for last night,” Teo said.

“You may not remember, but nothing happened. At least nothing more exciting than a kiss.”

“Plenty happened. Thanks for being there for me.”

“You missed a great chicken sandwich.”

“That’s not all I missed.”

I tucked my arm under his and took his hand. “If you play your cards right, tonight could be better. If I happen to be in the mood.”