Are these swollen lymph nodes?

When my neck is in an up-right position there are no visible bumps at all, but when I tilt my head to the side and feel around my neck I notice a very slight bulging lump that feels hard and stationary. It’s barely visible, but I’m still concerned that it could be a lymph node that’s swollen. It’s only on one side of my neck, and it feels like a hard muscle. The bulge is located midway between my jaw and collar bone. What to swollen lymph nodes generally look and feel like? The reason I’m concerned is because I just had a manicure done a week ago, and although I didn’t bleed during or after, I had a minor cut very close to the cuticle on one of my fingers prior to that. I’m also finding that I get hot at night, and I’ve had a sore throat that comes and goes for two weeks now. Could I have HIV? I know I need to wait three months to get tested, but I’m still worried.