It was the middle of July, and our bodies were soaked from the heat and humidity.

My boyfriend and I had just come home from a party and discovered that the air conditioner was broken. The stores were closed, so we were forced to dig out a small, noisy fan from the back of our junk closet. It wasn’t great, but a hot breeze was better than nothing at all. With that being our only relief for the night, we shed our clothing.

I went to the refrigerator for a cool drink, only to find an empty container of juice. It was too hot to argue about which one of us finished it. I returned to the bedroom with a tall glass filled with more ice than water. I sat beside my boyfriend and sipped slowly, savoring the cold liquid, then handed him the glass. He drained it, leaving nothing but the ice.

We threw... Read More