FIFTEEN: THE MORNING AFTERAwaking to the sun in my eyes is not my natural habit, but that's what happened. I slammed the irritating buzz of the alarm and stretched out only to realise a few moments later that her arm was draped on my waist. Her usually neat brown hair was strewn messily on the pillow. She was stripped naked except for the white sheet draped over her bottom half and the silver cross she always wore on a chain. I am a red blooded male, so I can't tell you I wasn't turned on by this- after weeks of trying to get her in bed, here she was, sound asleep. She stirred slightly, and I noticed she mumbled something incoherent. She finally prised her green eyes open slowly, squinting as the sun shot at them harshly. Opening them completely, her face crumpled as she clutched onto her head. "My head-" "Hang over?" I asked as I tried to massage her temples. She grunted as she pushed them away "Don't" she mumbled. I hopped out of bed and began to head out to the kitchen. "Geezus AJ, don't make me look at that" she groaned as she held her hand over her face turning away from me. "I have enough of a headache as it is" she whined. Her usually neat brown hair was messy and her top was showing. I grinned as I kept my eyes on her "particular area" "How can I when your whole form is there for my viewing pleasure?" I teased as she glared at me. "Put that on" I chuckled as I threw my blue silk shirt over to her. She pulled it on hastily, still glaring at me. "I knew alcohol was evil" she grumbled wrapping the bed sheet around her waist, as she looked for her panties. "Over here" I said as I threw them over reluctantly. I really wanted to tease her, but I thought it was too cruel. I watched her pull them on " Do you mind?" she glared as she indicated for me to turn around. "Okay, I'm decent" she announced finally. Man, when she was in my shirt, did she look hot. She left the collar unbuttoned as it hung just a little largely on her thigh. "Stop salivating!" she cried indignantly as she searched for her pants. She found them under the bed as I pulled my boxers on. "I may be salivating, but my friend here isn't aroused" I replied cuttingly as I walked over to the coffee pot and poured two cups. "That's because I sucked him dry last night" Now it was her turn to grin as I almost dropped the mugs on the tiled floor. I must have looked pretty shocked, 'cos she rolled her eyes. "I was joking AJ... JOKING" she emphasised as my face fell melodramatically. "Right at'cha...I knew I made you come a couple of times" She glared at me with those green eyes, only emphasised more by my blue silk shirt. We held that gaze for what seemed like years, as the reality of our drunken stupor finally sunk in. Her eyes finally darted uneasily from my gaze. "So do you have any Tylenol or something to ease the pain?" she asked, raking her fingers through her knotted hair. "Coffee, coffee's meant to help" I said as I handed one of the two mugs to her. I watched her sip it, then splutter, coughing. I patted her on the back after setting my coffee on the counter. Her coughing fit subsided as she glanced up at me. "Thanks" she croaked, picking up the coffee mug. She kept her gaze steady on me as she downed the rest of it. "What" "What?" "Nothing" "Fine" Uneasiness hung around like flies to garbage. "So, sweetness, what are you planning to do today?" I asked as I sidled up to her, grinning. She squirmed as I tried to grab her hand. "Don't" she mumbled in her coffee, before she peered up again. I think it was at that point that I realised there was no forgetting those green eyes, forever burned into my memory like fire to wood, because the next words turned this lukewarm and undefinable relationship ninety degrees backwards. Her voice was barely above a mouse whisper, but it was clear enough. "Can we just pretend this didn't happen? Just for the record, huh?" Her eyes campaigned on their own, unmasked and raw with emotion for me to promise so. "So off the record it did happen?" I tried my best to lighten the situation, wriggling my arms around her. But she only squirmed and broke out of my embrace. "Off the record I don't want it mentioned again, okay?" she stated flatly, avoiding my eyes. "On the record, no, it didn't" "Why not?" Tensions were rising inside my mind and to me it was mind-blowing why she'd be doing this. All this time I'd known her, I'd never thought she'd be the type to shrug of affection. That was my forte. "Because" she stated simply, purposely dodging the question. As we stood there facing the other, I knew there was one thing I could do. "Okay. I promise" I cowered. My day had suddenly turned grotesquely abstract with reality. "I'm a big boy, I'll deal" I watched her pull on her pants and throw on her shirt. "Okay, big boy, I'm off" she said as she turned the knob on the door, poised to open. "I'll be back later" "Yeah, yeah" I said as I waved her out of the room. The hot water was soothing as I allowed it to scorch my skin. I felt along my back as dead skin peeled off. Holding my head up, I allowed the water to fall on my face as I felt around feebly for my soap. My head hadn’t stopped throbbing from the hangover and I was apt to believe this was my punishment for what I did last night. For every action, there's a consequence- and for this action, I wasn't ready to accept it. I'd rather believe that this was a one-night stand than anything meaningful. Anything more would scar me for life. I wasn't equipped to understand or grapple the concept of personal relationships. It just wasn't something I was good at. The incessant shrill of the phone finally jolted me back from meditation and I grabbed my robe, water dripping as I lunged for the phone. "Nice moves, Prescott, getting your fifteen seconds on TODAY" Danner commended, evilly. "I was in the middle of something" I growled, irritated. Danner has a knack for interrupting personal moments. "I don't care of you were humping a camel" I winced as I heard his poor choice of sexual oriented idioms "I need that report by next Wednesday" "Next Wednesday?" I croaked. I had barely started on the report and now with this thing that’s happened, I had to hand in the report on Wednesday? "That's not enough time, Mike. I need at least another two weeks" "Prescott" he barked sharply. "I don't care what you need, but I'm telling you we need it on Wednesday and that’s it" he chuckled with venom as I heard him rustle with a few pages. "Judging by your performance on TODAY, it should be a piece of cake" A piece of cake? A load of bull more like it! But just as I was about to speak my mind, he added one chilling line, still haunting me now. "Words won't get you out of this one, so don't even try" With that, the busy signal sounded. |
|
©
sayamaru and 'Bittersweet Rhapsodies' 2001-02 No
part of this website may be reproduced in part or in whole without permission of
the author/webmistress. All ideas, graphics and layouts and backgrounds and stories are copyright of sayamaru and Bittersweet Rhapsodies. I am in no way affiliated with the Backstreet Boys, their management wives/girlfriends or the girls used in these stories. |