Miranda nodded. “It’s no trouble.” “Thank you.”
As soon as Paul stepped inside, the cool air hit him, a stark contrast to the heat in his own home. Since it wasn’t his first time in her apartment, Paul casually changed into a pair of house slippers while Miranda went to get him a glass of water in the kitchen.
It was already 4:00 pm. Miranda assumed he had eaten lunch, but she asked out of courtesy anyway, “Dr. Jefferson, have you had lunch?” “Yes, I have.” “Well… how about some fruit? I just cut some.” She disappeared into the kitchen again and returned with a fruit platter. “Thank you.”
Miranda sat on the couch and picked up a piece of melon with a fork. Munching it, she asked, “Did the workers mention when your air conditioner might be fixed?”
“It’s not too difficult to repair, but a part needs to be replaced. They don’t have it with them, so they’ll have to get it from a nearby shop. It could take another two to three hours to be restored.” “That’s pretty quick. Don’t worry and just stay here for now. Go back after your air conditioner is fixed. It’s too uncomfortable without AC in this weather.” “Thank you. You can do what you need to do. Don’t worry about me,” Paul replied. “Alright.” Miranda nodded. As she was about to head to her bedroom, she turned to Paul and pointed in the direction of the bathroom. “Dr. Jefferson, the bathroom is over there if you want to take a shower.” Paul’s white shirt was soaked with sweat and clung to his body, outlining the muscles on his shoulders and back. Now that he was in the air-conditioned room, the wet fabric would be chilly. The rapid change from hot to cold wasn’t just a matter of being comfortable; it could easily make him sick.
Paul almost choked when he heard Miranda’s words. The half-eaten piece of melon was still in his mouth, and he struggled to swallow it, unable to spit it out. Finally, he recovered and said, “No, no, it’s fine. I’ll go home and shower first, then I’ll come over.” Miranda nodded. “Alright, that’s okay too. If you feel any early symptoms of a cold, like sneezing, congestion, or a runny nose, just let me know. I have some medicine to prevent a cold.” “Okay.”
Paul returned home while Miranda retreated to her bedroom. She still had one paper left to read. It was better to complete her tasks for today rather than leave them for tomorrow.
After half an hour, Miranda closed her laptop. She held her arms high and leaned back, satisfied after stretching her sore back.
It was the weekend, and she had a guest over. She had also bought plenty of fresh ingredients the day before. At the very least, she should cook a hearty dinner for her guest. Miranda opened the fridge and scanned the contents, mentally planning out some dishes she wanted to make for dinner.
Since there was no one in the living room, Paul likely hadn’t returned. She took off the cardigan she was wearing and hung it on the coat rack in the corner of the living room. Earlier, Miranda had felt a little cold in the bedroom as the air conditioning was blowing directly on her, so she put on a cardigan over her T-shirt. The room quickly felt too warm, so she decided to take off her T-shirt, leaving just her tank top underneath. The cardigan over her tank top felt just perfect, not too hot and not too cold.
However, she was about to head into the kitchen now. It was going to be hot, and she couldn’t be wearing her cardigan. Miranda thought about switching back to the short-sleeved shirt. Coincidentally, there was a loose T-shirt hanging on the coat rack, which she could hang her cardigan on after taking it off. Instead of going back to her bedroom to change, Miranda decided to just change in the living room. After all, Paul hadn’t returned yet…
Just as she stripped down to her tank top and was reaching for the T-shirt, the bathroom door in her home suddenly opened.