The city smells like summer.

Burning asphalt and sticky dust, the tang of sunscreen lingering on a dying breeze. Hot plumes of car exhaust waver in the heat as passing vehicles smear an oily scent across the road. Beneath the shade of trees lie stubborn pockets of freshness, rapidly shrinking under the rising sun. Everything smells so weary, and it’s just the morning.

I walk to work most days—it’s a twenty-minute walk and my doctor says I should exercise more—but today I’m seriously considering the drive over. The air I breathe in tastes almost starchy. Amy said that she’d need the car in the afternoon, though, and I’d rather not use my break hour driving her around. I wipe the beading sweat on my forehead, huddle closer to the buildings for that tiny sliver of shade. I hope to God that the AC is fixed today.

I’m puffing by the time I reach the office, and the moment the automatic doors open a torrid blast glazes over me. I can’t help but groan. Phil at the front desk manages a grin, his own collar already blotched with sweat. “They say it’s even worse on the third floor.”

“Lucky me.” I glance at the stairs briefly before heading towards the elevator. “Tell me the repairman’s in, at least.”

Phil shrugs. “He’s scheduled for one thirty, but you know how that goes.” The elevator doors ding open, and he calls after me. “Heard the boss is bringing in ice cream, though!”

The office space smells like cotton and peeling drywall, and there’s no ice cream in sight. There’s no boss in sight, either; the desk behind her glass door is unoccupied, an iced coffee and sheaf of papers left half-finished. I make my way to my own desk and slump into the swivel chair. Hot air swims around me like a thick slurry. There’s no way I’m getting any work done.

There’s a tap on my shoulder. I straighten up and turn, half expecting to see the disapproving stare of the boss, but it’s just Sarah. She gives a nod in greeting and hands me a cup of water.

“Looking a bit pale there,” she says. “You staying hydrated?”

I take a grateful sip. Tepid water never tasted so refreshing. “I’m alright, thanks. The walk here just took a bit out of me.”

“In this weather? I thought you had a car.”

“Amy needed it.” Sarah knows my sister well; they were good friends in college. She clicks her tongue. “You know she doesn’t need it for anything important, right?”

I blink. “She said she had to run some errands.”

“And you believed that.”

“Well…” The knowing look on her face irks me a little. It wasn’t like I interacted much with Amy. Living together just saved us a good amount of rent money. “She’s not going to tell me anything if I pry. I mind my own business, she minds hers—”

“Fine, I get it.” She holds her hands up. “You live different lives. Not my place to intrude. Still, it might be worth putting a little effort into caring about her.” She leans in, voice dropping to a loud whisper. “The dude she met at last week’s party gives me bad vibes, is all.”

She’s gone before I finish processing her words. I open my mouth to say something, but the words wither up in the heat of the room. Maybe I should try to get some work done.