And now, a sudden worry gnawed at him–had he just noticed some weird
symptom? Was he infected with HPV?
Emma quietly made up her mind: tomorrow, she’d go get checked at a clinic, just to set her mind at ease.
Ivy was still preoccupied with the thought of Emma’s possible HPV infection even after they finished shopping and got back to the car.
If Emma really had caught the virus, it meant she hadn’t used protection while hooking up with those guys. HPV was troublesome, sure, but most cases cleared up on their own. If, God forbid, she’d ended up with something like syphilis or–worse–HIV, it would be a death sentence.
Not long ago, she’d even joked about this with Katrina, saying that ever since Emma started working as Sheridan’s escort, there was a real risk she’d pick up some nasty disease. Was she about to watch her own words come true?
Jamison drove in silence, but after glancing over and seeing Ivy lost in thought for the umpteenth time, he finally spoke up. “What’s wrong? Still thinking about
Emma?”
Ivy blinked, snapped out of her reverie, and shared the conversation she’d had with her best friend.
“You know, you told just from talking to me that I didn’t have HIV. Now that you’ve seen–Emma, can you tell if she’s got any symptoms?” Ivy asked, genuinely curious.
Jamison chuckled. “I’m not some miracle doctor, you know.”
“So you can’t tell?”
“Well, just by looking, no. When I said you didn’t have HIV, it wasn’t just guesswork. I checked your neck and underarms, no swollen lymph nodes. I asked if you’d had a fever–you said no. You also told me the police made you get tested. I put it all together and was pretty confident you weren’t infected.”
Truth be told, Ivy had always wondered about this but never had the chance to ask. Now, hearing his explanation, the pieces finally fit. She nodded, almost sheepish. “I see. I thought you just needed a quick look and a poke.”
“If someone’s already showing symptoms, it’s obvious. But if it’s still in the
incubation period, the only way to know for sure is to get tested.”
“Yeah…” Ivy murmured, nodding along. “Thank God I wasn’t. If I had been, my life would’ve been over.”
And there’s no way she and Jamison would’ve ended up together.
She kept that thought to herself. Saying it out loud would only make things awkward–what could he possibly say back? No matter how much you love someone, if you’re healthy, you just can’t be with someone who has HIV. Even the most starry–eyed romantic would snap out of it at that point.
“Enough of that,” Jamison said gently, steering the conversation away from the downward spiral. “Text your girls, see how their dinner went.’
“Oh! I totally forgot.” Ivy perked up, fishing out her phone. “Let me check in.”
She quickly sent a message, asking if they’d finished eating.
Moments later, Katrina called her directly.
Ivy answered right away, her voice bubbly with anticipation. “Katrina, you guys done eating? How’d it go with Mr. Wilson?”
Katrina put on a mock pout. “Oh, so now you remember me? You totally bailed–you owe me!”
Ivy laughed. “Hey, I learned from the best.”
“Please. Back then, Dr. Ludwig already had a thing for you–he wanted you all to himself. My situation is nothing like that!”
“Okay, okay, my bad.” Ivy admitted, laughing off the truth in her friend’s words. “So how was dinner? Even if nothing romantic happens, you could still be friends, right?”
“Honestly? Mr. Wilson’s great. We clicked on so many topics. I can’t believe a guy like him is almost thirty and still single.”