I went to my purse, grabbed my cell and saw the battery was low. I also saw I had a number of texts, all from friends, not one from Niles.
I climbed the spiral staircase, went to my overnight bag beside my suitcase, dug out the charger and the converter, attached them and plugged them into the wall. Then I pulled the cord and phone with me and sat on the bed. Then I went to my contacts and hit Niles’s number.
He answered on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Niles?”
“Nina?”
I tried to figure out how I felt about his voice coming at me over the phone and I couldn’t figure it out. It wasn’t relief or welcome familiarity it was just… well, familiarity.
Then I tried to figure out how I felt about his voice coming over the phone not sounding relieved that I was calling from half a world away. Just sounding like Niles and I was at the store asking him what he wanted for dinner. I couldn’t figure that out either.
“Hi, I’m here,” I told him.
“That’s good.”
“I’ve been here for –”
“Listen,” he cut me off, “I’m about to go into a meeting.”
“What?”
“I’ve got a meeting.”
I shook my head. “Niles, I just wanted to tell you, I’ve been sick.”
“Yes, you said you thought you were getting a sinus infection.”
“Well, it was worse than that.”
“You sound fine.”
I did. Miraculously, outside of being tired, I felt pretty good. My throat didn’t hurt, I wasn’t coughing though my nose was still kind of stuffy.
“I’m better now.”
“That’s good.” He sounded distracted. “They’re waiting for me.”
“Okay,” I said. “Do you want me to call later?”
“Later?” Now he sounded perplexed, as if he didn’t understand the concept of later.
“Later, tonight, when you’re home.”
“I’m working late.”
“Yes, but your late is my afternoon.”
I heard his sigh then he said, “If you want.”
If I want?
I felt anger again, surprisingly anger at Niles. I never got angry at Niles. He never did anything to get angry at mostly because he never did anything.
“Niles, I’m half a world away.”
“Pardon?”