All That Jazz: A Quarantine Love Story by Katherine L. Evans

Author:Katherine L. Evans [Evans, Katherine L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: KLE Publishing
Published: 2021-07-25T16:00:00+00:00

Ava

After the impromptu livestream, the next couple of hours are a disconnected haze in which I maniacally refresh the registration page. The weather has been mild, but sunny and pleasant the past few days, causing an intermittent pang of homesickness and reminding me that this is the best time of year back in Austin. It’s the one month of the year when the weather’s not too cold and not too warm, and it’s when I normally do a lot of hiking in and around the city.

There is no hiking right now. There’s only the balcony connected to my room in Lucky’s Jazz Manor. So there I sit, on the same chaise lounge where I put on my little passive aggressive show for him, only a couple of feet from where I kissed him more than I should have.

This entire situation has me in a constant state of general unease. I just want to go home.

With my attention fixed on the screen of my laptop, I don’t notice the footsteps approaching until they stop right next to me.

“Ava.”

I glance up to see Patrick standing in front of the other chaise lounge. He’s wearing jeans and a light gray t-shirt that isn’t tight, but just fitted enough to accentuate his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His appearance is striking, not just because he’s basically a perfect male specimen, but also, for once he’s not dressed in a vintage three-piece suit like every single man in this house wears every day.

There’s a reason Patrick is so dressed down, and I have a feeling it’s not only significant, but also the reason why he’s in my room right now.

I slide the laptop farther down the lounge chair and turn to face him. “Hey. Is everything okay?”

He glances at the chaise lounge just behind him. “Mind if I sit?”

I smile. “Of course not. Have a seat.” I close the lid of the laptop. “I’m just obsessively refreshing the ticket sales.”

He offers me a quick, mirrored smile in return, and then gazes at me for an extended moment.

“What’s going on?” I ask after several beats of silence.

“I have a car. I know a guy in Metairie who said I could borrow his for a while since he’s obviously not going anywhere.” Patrick nods sideways at the inside of my room, and I notice two duffle bags, stuffed to their limits. “I’m leaving today. And I’m here to ask you if you want to come with me.”

Hope springs to life in my chest, and I sit up straight. “You have a car?”

He nods. “Yeah.”

“And you’re…” I look at the bags again. Obviously he’s serious, so I don’t need to ask. “You would drive me all the way to Austin?”

“No,” he says soberly. “I’m going to Brooklyn.” He briefly drops his gaze to his feet and rubs his palms together. “A friend of ours who’s been in the ICU with this virus passed away the other day. His ma said I could stay at his apartment for a while, and I’m planning to sort through his stuff so she doesn’t have to.

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