The water goes warm, then lukewarm, and I finally turn it off. Towel mostly dry, use my magic wand to brush and dry my hair at the same time: my Dyson hairdryer. God, that thing is amazing. My crazy thick hair would normally still be wet hours and hours after the shower, but that thing makes it so I can brush it and get it dry enough to go to bed without my hair being soaking wet.

I don’t bother with clothes. Just fall naked into bed, climb under the covers. Bedside table alarm clock: 1:36 a.m. My shift starts at seven.

One more thing I have to do before I can sleep.

I call Adrian. It rings exactly twice, and then he answers. “Hi, baby.” His voice is muzzy, thick and slow with sleep. “Doing okay?”

“Long. Hard. We lost someone.”

“Shit.” A sad sigh. “Work again in the morning, yeah?” He somehow convinced Lacey in scheduling to email him my schedule every week. He probably gave her a signed book or three.

“Yeah. Seven.”

“You could’ve called me on the way in.”

“I have to call you at night. I need to hear your voice so I can sleep.”

“I know.”

“What’d you do today?” I ask.

“Toured the site of the Battle of Yorktown.” He’s working on a Revolutionary War piece about a Redcoat who falls in love with the widow of a rebel…a man he killed. It’s in the developmental stages, he says.

“Get some good material?”

“Eh. I think Yorktown is later than I’m planning on setting the bulk of the story. I might hit Lexington and Concord next.”

“When will you be home?”

“Thursday, maybe Friday.”

“I miss you.”

He sighs, heavily. “I love you, Nadia. So much.”

“I know,” I say, smiling to myself.

“Don’t you ‘I know’ me, woman.” A snort. “I need some sugar.”

I reach out, twist on the bedside lamp. Pull the phone away from my ear, switch to FaceTime. The screen resolves into a grainy image of Adrian, covered to his chest with a hotel comforter, lying down, smiling up the phone. I flick the blankets off; pan the camera down to show him my naked body. “How’s that for some sugar?” I murmur.

He groans a laugh. “Aww hell, Nadia.” A sigh. “So beautiful. Miss you so much.”

“Get home and you won’t have to miss me, because you’ll have me.” I turn the phone so it’s on my face. “In fact, come home early, and I’ll even take the day off work and keep you in bed with me.”

“Make it two days, and I’ll be home by noon Thursday.”

I laugh. “Are you bartering with me, Adrian Bell?”

“Sure am.”

I laugh. “Fine. I’ll get all day Thursday and Friday off, if you’re home Thursday by noon.”