27. The Morning After
Ali
H ow could you come down from such a huge high? Ali wasn’t sure that was even possible. Spending the evening at the club was exciting, revealing her feelings to Jo even more so. By the time they got back to Jo’s apartment, they were both feeling on a huge rush and the only way to relieve it was a night filled with sex.
Ali grinned as those images scattered through her mind. She reached out and touched her hand against Jo’s naked body. Jo murmured something so softly and that left Ali reeling with some more tingling sensations. She opened her eyes and rolled onto her side, moving in to splay a few kisses along Jo’s shoulder.
Jo sighed, sending another rush of adrenaline crashing through Ali, just like waves. Jo shifted onto her side and opened her eyes. She moved in and kissed Ali, her tongue slipping in to satisfy Ali’s moan. Ali grabbed onto Jo’s waist and pulled her to her, before hungrily indulging in another kiss .
“That’s right,” Jo breathlessly responded, brushing her tongue along Ali’s lower lip. “Did I mention I love you?” she replied, winking before she crashed her lips back to Ali’s.
Ali straddled Jo’s legs and pressed her down to the bed before engulfing her with another passionate kiss. As they kissed one another, a phone started going off. Ali groaned, but it was Jo that briefly parted.
“Yours or mine?” she breathlessly asked.
“Who cares?” Ali mumbled, moving back in for another kiss.
Jo laughed. “Well, you have to be to the hospital later, while I’m on call today. So, if it’s me, the hospital will care.”
Ali groaned and rolled off of her. She reached for her phone and shook her head, as Jo grabbed hers. She sighed and answered it.
“This is Johanna?”
Ali waited. She didn’t want Jo to have to rush off, not when they were in the midst of another heated rendezvous. She turned to the floor, where Maverick was lying. She got up from the bed and went over to him.
“Maverick,” she whispered.
“I’ll be right there. Give me thirty minutes.”
“Maverick?” Nothing. Ali’s chest tightened.
“Yep, it was the hospital, and I have to go in. They had a call in and the floor is already hectic.”
Ali reached out and touched Maverick, but he was lying so still. “I don’t think you can go in,” Ali replied.
“What? What’s wrong?”
Ali looked up, and the blood rushed from Jo’s face. “Maverick?” Jo called. She rushed out of bed and knelt at his side. “Get up boy!” He barely moved his head, and she tried to lift him to his feet, but he merely slumped back to the floor. Ali stared at Jo as she feared the tears would start to fall .
“I’ll call the hospital and let them know that you can’t come in.” Ali jumped up and reached for her phone.
“You can’t,” Jo hollered. “They’ll wonder how you know.” Jo stood to her feet, but her legs appeared shaky, and Ali rushed to her side to help her stay steady. “I’ll call them.” She shook her head, and this time, two tears started to fall.
“It’s going to be okay,” Ali argued, touching Jo’s shoulder. “Do you hear me? Maverick will be fine. You call the hospital. May is off today; tell them you have an emergency. See if they’ll call her to come in.”
Jo nodded and wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. Ali wanted to take the pain from her, but there wasn’t anything she could do. Not physically, anyway.
Ali continued, “I’ll call the vet and see if we can bring him in. Everything is going to be fine. You got that?”
Jo nodded. “Thank you!” She still appeared shaky but called up the number as Ali searched for the closest emergency vet. She focused on Maverick, reaching out to him to caress his fur.
“Hang in there, buddy,” she whispered. “We’re going to get you through this.” In the background she heard Jo’s shaking voice, but she couldn’t even make out the words. She had her own mission, and she was going to make sure nothing happened to Maverick.