Chapter 6 #2
River struggled to her feet and downed the last of her water.
It wasn’t nearly enough. The room cleared out, and she looked at where Marina had been.
She was still there, on one knee, with a hand on the floor.
She swayed a little, and River saw what was coming.
She dodged a few people and caught Marina in her arms just as she toppled over.
“I…” Her eyes were unfocused as she looked at River. “I’m really sweaty.”
“I think you need to worry about more than being sweaty.” River smoothed her soaked hair away from Marina’s cheeks. “After last night, you’re probably way too dehydrated.”
The instructor knelt beside them. “There’s always one,” she said with a little smile directed at River. “A medic is on their way.”
“You have medics on standby?” River asked, continuing to stroke Marina’s hair.
“Of course. We go hard here, so we’re prepared for people who aren’t up to it.” She looked at Marina with sympathy. “Some just don’t know their limits yet.”
River nearly laughed out loud at the way Marina’s weak energy flared like the instructor had lit it with a match. She lightly touched her fingertip to Marina’s lips. “Shh. Save your energy for walking out of the room. You can prove us all wrong later.”
The instructor moved to make way for the medic, who gave Marina a bottle of fluid with electrolytes, and then checked her blood pressure and pulse. When most of the water went sliding over Marina’s chin because of the way her hand trembled, River took it from her and helped her drink.
“Everything looks okay, but I’m guessing she’s severely dehydrated. Can you keep looking after her? If she gets delirious, gets a severe headache, or develops a rapid heartbeat, she should go to the emergency room.”
River nodded, and Marina seemed to be coming around a little. “Sure, no problem.”
“I’m really sorry to sound heartless, but do you think she can stand? We have another class starting in half an hour, and we need to clean and air out the room before the next session.” The instructor looked genuinely apologetic.
“Marina, can you move? We should really get you out of this sweatbox.”
Marina nodded a little and leaned heavily on River’s arm as she pushed to her feet.
“Slowly. Take your time,” River said, aware that Marina’s energy was far from strong enough yet. They took four steps toward the door, which Billy was ready to pull open for them, when Marina made a sound much like a whimpering kitten, and her body sagged. Her eyes rolled back and she fainted.
River caught her and quickly lifted her into her arms. She carried her out of the room and into the lounge, where someone saw what was happening and quickly rolled out a yoga mat.
River laid her down, and the decrease in heat around them was almost shocking.
She shivered a little as her wet clothes began to cool.
“Coconut water,” someone said, handing River a bottle.
“Thanks.” River lightly tapped Marina’s collarbone. “Hey. Come on back.”
Marina’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked confused for second before she moaned and closed her eyes again. “Please tell me this is a nightmare and isn’t actually happening.”
“I’d be happy to tell you that, as long as you don’t mind me lying to you.” River’s shoulders dropped a little of the tension that was right back where it had begun. “If I help you sit up, can you drink some of this?”
Marina nodded and opened her eyes. She sat up mostly on her own this time, but River kept her arm behind her for support, just in case. She sipped at the coconut water until it was gone. The little crowd around them had dispersed, thankfully. Billy sat on a chair beside them.
“Please tell me I didn’t literally faint in your arms.”
“You keep asking me to lie to you. Is it a kink I should know about? And if so, can I hear about the others too?” She grinned when Marina rolled her eyes and a hint of a smile appeared.
The medic came back over and knelt beside her. “How you doing?”
Marina grimaced. “Mortified. How are you?”
The medic laughed and stood. “Then you’ll be fine. Your girlfriend has promised to watch over you and knows what to look for. But feel free to call with any questions if you want to.”
He walked away and Billy shook his head. “I think I’d probably call a…oh, I don’t know…actual medical person instead of a gym medic who just knows to hand you water.” He looked at River. “Girlfriend? You’ve been holding out on me.”
“A girlfriend would at least get some benefits.” Marina motioned that she wanted to get up, and Billy got on the other side of her. Together, he and River helped Marina to a seat at a table. Within seconds, a staff member had swept in to take away the yoga mat.
“That’s true. I’ll take whatever benefits you want to throw my way.” River looked at the smoothie bar. “I’m going to guess you don’t want anything from there.”
Marina rested her head on her forearms. “No. I really don’t.”
“Okay. Well, you need some carbs and some protein, and you need to stay hydrated. In all seriousness, do you have a friend who can come over and hang out with you for a while?” River wasn’t about to offer to be that person.
Holding Marina that way, taking care of her…
It had pushed some emotional buttons she wasn’t ready to deal with.
“I’m fine on my own. I don’t need a babysitter.” Marina raised her head and glared at her.
“You do, actually. If you’ve suffered from heatstroke, which is possible, you could pass out again.
And if you hit your head, you might damage that fine brain of yours that you use to argue with everyone.
Imagine if you couldn’t win arguments anymore?
” River blew out a breath. “That would be devastating.”
Marina laughed softly. “My gym bag is in a locker. Number forty-five.” She unhooked the safety pin holding the key to her shorts and handed it over. “If you don’t mind.”
River gave Billy a quick look and he nodded, understanding that she was telling him to watch Marina closely.
The last thing she wanted was to walk away and have Marina fall off her chair.
She found the locker and thought of the number Marina had chosen.
The number four represented a logical, sometimes rigid, law-abiding person.
Five was the symbol for someone freedom-loving who wasn’t always great at mundane tasks.
In some ways, they suggested opposite aspects, but maybe in Marina’s case, it showed her public versus private personas.
Marina, of course, would scoff and say she’d chosen a locker that was empty, and there was nothing more to it.
But River knew the power numbers could have on a subconscious level.
She took the maroon bag back to the table and found Marina and Billy in conversation.
“Did you know Marina was raised in Pilsen? A decade earlier and we would have been neighbors.” He ran his hand through his sweaty, damp hair. “I can’t wait to shower.”
Marina pulled her phone out of her bag. River moved aside so as not to eavesdrop, but she wondered who Marina would call. A girlfriend? An ex? Both?
“Thanks for staying,” River said to Billy.
“You think they’ll let you on the L looking like you do?” He leaned forward and sniffed. “You’d clear the train.”
“Okay. My friend Rob is going to meet me at my place, and he’s bringing food according to the psychic’s orders, which I wouldn’t normally put any stock in, but her body suggests she knows what she’s talking about.
” Marina stood, less unsteady but still pale.
“Thanks for not letting me face-plant and for staying with me. I’ve got it from here. ”
Billy raised his eyebrows and looked at River.
“While I know for certain that you’re tough and can handle everything, it would make me feel better if you let us give you a ride back to your place. I mean, what if there isn’t some other sweaty, stinky butch to catch you if you go down again?”
Marina hesitated. “Well, if it will make you feel better.”
She held onto River’s arm as they made their way back to the car, and although her energy had cleared up some, River knew for certain she wasn’t out of the woods. She dropped into the passenger seat of Billy’s car with a relieved sigh.
River got in behind Billy so she could watch Marina’s profile.
Not once in her life had River ignored her special brand of irritating intuition, and right now it was clanging like broken church bells, telling her there was more to her meeting Marina than met the eye.
What it was she wasn’t certain yet, but their paths had been meant to cross.
Not that she’d say it out loud, obviously.
Marina punched her address into Billy’s GPS as they set off toward Lake View, an upscale neighborhood River had only been to in order to do readings for a socialite’s birthday party.
The moment she’d suggested someone in the room was having an affair, she was politely told they no longer needed her services and gently booted out the door.
Billy stopped at a boutique condo building, put on the blinkers and jumped out.
River helped Marina out of the car, and although she still looked shaky, that intense sickly energy had dissipated somewhat. Billy came out with the doorman.
“Ms. Fuentes, are you okay? Do you need me to call a doctor?” he asked.
“No, Marcus. But if you could take the elevator up with me, I’d appreciate it. Rob and Jeff will be here shortly.” Marina took River’s hand. “Thank you for this. It’s above and beyond for a total stranger.”
“Hey, any femme who wants to swoon into my arms isn’t a stranger.” River winked, aware that Marina wouldn’t want to be seen as needing help. “Take care of yourself.”
Marina nodded, and the doorman followed her closely as they entered the high rise.
There was a moment, a fleeting one, when River considered heading in and escorting Marina to her apartment. But as quickly as it came, she shoved it away. They weren’t dating. They weren’t even friends.
As she and Billy headed back toward South Shore, she thought about how soft and vulnerable Marina had looked when she was passed out in her arms. That close, and with Marina’s shields down, River had felt the chaos of emotion she kept under control like a ruthless dictator.
No emotion was allowed to do anything Marina didn’t want it to.
When she was awake anyway. What were Marina’s dreams like?
And was she ever in them?