Warmth; a one-shot
He drummed his fingers on his kneecaps. Over his lifetime, he has played more instruments than you could probably name. He took the kazoo, recorder, triangle and tuba just as seriously as he did the tambourine, guitar and piano. The adrenaline that surged through his body is equivalent to the opening riffs of Poison Ivy. His voice was a melody in itself and his unruly curls resembled the tangled mess on the floor of his sold out shows. Believe it or not, Joe Jonas is music. Well, he was. Maybe he still is. Now he spends his time divided.
Whether he is playing a show, trying to see new girlfriend or trying to sleep for more than six hours, he is mentally taxed. He can only spread himself so thinly. He probably is not getting the correct nourishment or amount of fluids to keep him hydrated. The energy and time he has to spend is usually forced by adrenaline spurts and stopping to slow down and eat is not his ideal choice. He feels there are multiple things he could do than sit and chew on some food that will probably make him nauseous later.
Shelby bounded through the Target doors. Being Joe’s girlfriend was glamorous. Her life on the other hand, was not. She just finished a 60 hour week lumped with some lame community college courses. Joe had driven her to work that morning and now ten hours later she was hoping that he remembered to pick her up. The 15 mile walk was not ideal in November. As she rounded the parking lot, she pulled her pea coat closer to her body and scoped out the scene.
There sat her Chevy Malibu, dark with the outline of a person inside. As she got closer she could practically feel the music pulsing through her body. She tapped on the window then climbed into the passenger seat.
“Flamenco?”
“I was just thinking of trying an international hits album.”
“Have you tried polka? I hear it is a hit with the Germans and Polish.”
“I will have to think about it, we tend to sing more than dance.”
“Uh, you make no sense.”
“Yeah, maybe I will learn the words to La Macarena or something for my next Brazilian show.”
“I hear they miss you.”
“Is that so? I hear chills in your voice. Hot chocolate?”
“Sleep.”
“We could do both.”
“Lead the way, monsieur.”
“Are Cambridge winters always this cold?”
“It will get worse, trust me. Try coming for a visit in late December or early January. Then we can have a serious weather conversation. Until then, put up or shut up.”
He kicked the heat into an even higher gear and drove to the closest Trader Joe’s. They maneuvered through the aisles and settled on Swiss Miss with extra marshmallows. At the check out counter she grabbed some peanut M&Ms while he splurged and bought Reese’s Cups, a Whatchamacalit and Ferrero Rocher.
“Are they necessary?”
“Probably not, but they are delicious.”
“Yet I can’t buy Nutella.”
“I will not come near you if you consume that shit.”
“Watch out, the Mouse is everywhere Joseph.”
Forty minutes later, a space heater sat propped on her nightstand while the other held all the aforementioned candy and two mugs of piping hot hot chocolate. Joe was perched on the end of the bed, hunched over.
“Something on your mind?”
“This is nice. Just being with you, tucked away on the east coast.”
“I hear there is a blizzard moving in. It would not surprise me.”
“When I ran back out to the car, the snow was coming down pretty hard. Movie?”
“Nah. Can we just sit and enjoy the other’s company?”
“Can I still drink and eat? I have finally found the time and energy to be hungry.”
“Go for it; do not let me stop you.”
He tore open the wrapper to the Reese’s Cup, devoured the two morsels and took a swig out of his cup.
“Salt, anything with salt. Please tell me you have something.”
“Is it your time of the month or something? Jesus Christ. Pantry, top right shelf.”
“Want anything?”
“Pretzels if I have any.”
He came back into the room with pretzels, chips and trail mix.
“We have quite the feast here. Radio?”
She nodded while sipping the frothy beverage. Very seldom did she get to intertwine her three favorite things: snow, music and Joe.
Joe clicked onto the softest station he could find and made his way to the bed. He cupped her hand in his and pulled her up.
Love Me Tender crooned through the speakers and they slowly twirled around the room. Joe took deep inhales of her perfume while her head found a crevice underneath his collarbone to rest. Love Me Tender spun into My Way and was still on-going an hour later with I’ll Make Love to You.
They pulled apart, he going to put their dishes in the sink and she to turn off the radio then into the bed. He collapsed onto the next to her a minute or so later. Not only were their fingers intertwined, but their legs too. People joked, saying they were what Inseparable a pre-cursor was to. Maybe it was, they were only truly glowing when they were together as a whole.
She inhaled deeply, stifling a yawn. Her head found the same crevice she previously occupied. She listened to his breathing and steadied hers in sync.
“Keep me warm Joe?”
A slight movement of his head and a tightened grip on her fingers ensured they would be very comfortable with whatever weather condition came about. Their heartbeats and breathing were the only audible music in her small apartment. His head rested on top of her wavy hair and his eyes flickered. Slowly but surely the room began to spin; her perfume, heartbeat and touch was intoxicating.
He placed a kiss on the top of her head, turned the light off and replaced his arm around her.
“Keep me grounded Shelby?”
She let out a low chuckle and pushed harder into his body, relaxing for the first time in months.
“Always; good to have you back in town. Love you.”
“Love you times infinity.”