were slightly open and with each breath the sheet billowed out like a sail. I scooched back from him so quickly I fell off the side of the bed. I made a soft thud onto the charcoal carpeting. I looked around in a panic. It wasn’t my bed, or my bedroom. I could still vaguely hear Jonathon talking on the phone. His voice sounded far away. My eyes skipped around the room. The only thing that appeared to be mine was the pile of my clothing lying folded on a chair. I was wearing a T-shirt and panties, nothing else.
Oh. My. God.
I felt a rush of hot electric spit in my mouth and faced the very real chance that I would vomit right here, right now. It would be a real bitch to get that out of this carpet. It felt like a long, thick nap. I swallowed hard, pushing the bile back down.
“Hey,” Colin said softly. His head peeked over the edge of the bed, looking down at me. His eyes were half open as if his eyelashes were so heavy they weighed his lids down.
I yanked the white duvet off the bed as if I were doing the tablecloth out from under the china trick. I pulled it around me, tucking it in here and there, covering even the tips of my toes on the off chance he had a foot fetish.
“Who is that?” Jonathon asked over the phone.
“Huh? Nobody. It’s nobody. Just the TV.”
“Are you okay? You sound strange.”
“I just woke up. A bunch of us went out drinking last night. I’m still a bit fuzzy headed.”
Colin opened his mouth like he was going to say something. I reached over and shoved a pillow in his face to shut him up. I had this sudden image that I was going to end up as a central figure in a crime documentary on A&E trying to explain that I didn’t mean to smother Colin to death, it had been an accident as I tried to hide his existence from my married boyfriend.
“Did you want to get together today? My wife took our daughter out for the afternoon. We could celebrate how things are going with the new show. I saw the ratings last night.”
“Uh. I’m not sure it’s a good time. I’m not feeling that great. Maybe we could do something later.” Not to mention at the moment I couldn’t think of a single reason to celebrate.
“I don’t know if I can get away later,” Jonathon said.
“How exactly is that my fault?” I snapped.
“I knew you were angry. It wasn’t fair for me to suggest we have dinner and then not call. If I could have gone out last night I would have. I haven’t dated in years, but I know it isn’t fair to leave a woman waiting by the phone.”
“Waiting?”
“I don’t mean to imply that you should just be sitting around. Ah, I keep making this worse and that isn’t what I am trying to do.” I could hear him give a tired sigh through the phone.
“I know. I’m sorry. I don’t feel well and that makes me cranky.” I glanced over to Colin. He had pulled the pillow from his face and was lying there looking up at the ceiling. I looked away again. “I would love to see you. Can you give me an hour or two?”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay, that would be great. I’ll be at your place in an hour and a half.”
“Super. See you soon.” The phone clicked off. It was so quiet in the bedroom I could hear the tinny buzz of the digital alarm clock on the side of the bed. I buried my face in my hands. “Oh. My. God.” I consider myself to be a decent person. At this rate I am going to have to install one of those take a number dispensers on my desk at work, or maybe save the trouble and mount it on my bedside. The fact I hadn’t slept with Jonathon since I knew he was married didn’t matter. I still considered us to be serious. Granted he was still with his wife, but the point was that we were trying to reduce the number of people in our relationship, not increase it.
“Easy,” Colin said, holding up one hand.
“I am not!”
“I didn’t mean you were
Oh. My. God.
I felt a rush of hot electric spit in my mouth and faced the very real chance that I would vomit right here, right now. It would be a real bitch to get that out of this carpet. It felt like a long, thick nap. I swallowed hard, pushing the bile back down.
“Hey,” Colin said softly. His head peeked over the edge of the bed, looking down at me. His eyes were half open as if his eyelashes were so heavy they weighed his lids down.
I yanked the white duvet off the bed as if I were doing the tablecloth out from under the china trick. I pulled it around me, tucking it in here and there, covering even the tips of my toes on the off chance he had a foot fetish.
“Who is that?” Jonathon asked over the phone.
“Huh? Nobody. It’s nobody. Just the TV.”
“Are you okay? You sound strange.”
“I just woke up. A bunch of us went out drinking last night. I’m still a bit fuzzy headed.”
Colin opened his mouth like he was going to say something. I reached over and shoved a pillow in his face to shut him up. I had this sudden image that I was going to end up as a central figure in a crime documentary on A&E trying to explain that I didn’t mean to smother Colin to death, it had been an accident as I tried to hide his existence from my married boyfriend.
“Did you want to get together today? My wife took our daughter out for the afternoon. We could celebrate how things are going with the new show. I saw the ratings last night.”
“Uh. I’m not sure it’s a good time. I’m not feeling that great. Maybe we could do something later.” Not to mention at the moment I couldn’t think of a single reason to celebrate.
“I don’t know if I can get away later,” Jonathon said.
“How exactly is that my fault?” I snapped.
“I knew you were angry. It wasn’t fair for me to suggest we have dinner and then not call. If I could have gone out last night I would have. I haven’t dated in years, but I know it isn’t fair to leave a woman waiting by the phone.”
“Waiting?”
“I don’t mean to imply that you should just be sitting around. Ah, I keep making this worse and that isn’t what I am trying to do.” I could hear him give a tired sigh through the phone.
“I know. I’m sorry. I don’t feel well and that makes me cranky.” I glanced over to Colin. He had pulled the pillow from his face and was lying there looking up at the ceiling. I looked away again. “I would love to see you. Can you give me an hour or two?”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay, that would be great. I’ll be at your place in an hour and a half.”
“Super. See you soon.” The phone clicked off. It was so quiet in the bedroom I could hear the tinny buzz of the digital alarm clock on the side of the bed. I buried my face in my hands. “Oh. My. God.” I consider myself to be a decent person. At this rate I am going to have to install one of those take a number dispensers on my desk at work, or maybe save the trouble and mount it on my bedside. The fact I hadn’t slept with Jonathon since I knew he was married didn’t matter. I still considered us to be serious. Granted he was still with his wife, but the point was that we were trying to reduce the number of people in our relationship, not increase it.
“Easy,” Colin said, holding up one hand.
“I am not!”
“I didn’t mean you were
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