The Morning After the Night Before

The next morning Annabella wakes up in the stranger’s bed.  She is ashamed and unhappy that she has to get up and deal with him now.  She shouldn’t have gone last night.  She is disgusted with herself and in a hurry to leave. 

She thinks of Graeme and thinking of him makes her feel sick with regret from doing this … thing ….  She has done this once before and she promised herself not again and then a night like this happens –

And …….. she knows it isn’t smart.

Annabella feels guilty. 

She thinks about Graeme and feels guilty. 

Her mind races through possibilities.  She’s not even sure what happened last night, how she got here.  Annabella shudders.  Her face grim. 

What a stupid thing to do – a one-night stand – a brief escape.  Some people will refer to it as conquests.  It means nothing. 

That is probably the most disappointing part. 

She can hear him moving around in the kitchen.  The nauseating smell of food fills the air.  Annabella feels like death warmed up and she has a headache from Hades. 

Scanning the room anxiously she notices her clothes from last night neatly folded up in the corner of the room.  Hardly breathing, not wanting her host to realise she is awake she quickly gets dressed and tip-toes to the door.  Pausing for a moment she listens to the constant movement and sounds of cutlery being arranged in the kitchen, David Gray playing softly in the background.

Her heart pounds in her head, trying to control her breathing amplifies the pounding and she fights hard not to start puking her lungs out.

She opens the door as quietly as she can.  Halfway open the door gossips loudly.  Annabella felt her heart pounding in her chest, her knees wobbling from anxiety.

Breathe she whispers to herself. 

She quickly dashes out the bedroom and makes her way to the front door, turning the knob she breathes a sigh of relief ….. thank God it’s not locked.

She pushes the elevator button several times as if this would summon it to move quicker - she waits anxiously – below the sound of metal on metal grinding into motion, reluctant to obey her command ….

The apartment door opens and a pair of electric blue eyes meet hers.

Ping ….   The elevator door announces its arival sarcastically, briefly breaking the akward silence between them.

“Well, good morning” he says half-accusingly  ……  

“leaving so soon?”

She felt uncomfortable.  Ashamed. 

“I … “ she started, but had no idea what to say … still eyeing the awaiting lift.

Several seconds passed - the lift door closes and her window of opportunity for quick escape along with it.

He held her gaze for a moment until she couldn’t bear to look at him any longer. 

“hmm, not even a kiss goodbye?” he asked with a playful glint in his eyes.  He was enjoying the situation and intended to drag it out as long as he could.

“I' ve prepared breakfast especially for my fragile guest and what does she do?” he tuts loudly.

“I’m not hungry” she answers.  The thought of food turning her stomach.

“There’s coffee ….  and aspirin” he added with a lazy smile forming on his lips.  “Now I know you can’t say no to that?

I’m not going to force you to stay Annabella, but I’d like you to consider it, but  whatever you decide, could you please do it inside my apartment – I have neighbours you know” and with that he turns around and disappears inside.

She hesitates outside for a moment looks around guiltily – like a child who had been caught bunking school.

Sitting down on the couch, fidgeting nervously, trying to remember his name – remember anything from last night.  The only thing she can remember – thanks to her pounding head – is that she had had way too much to drink.

She could hear him in the bathroom. 

Why did I come back? she thought to herself.  I could have been well on my way home already.  Who does he think he is anyway?  I don’t owe him anything.  The defiant little voice in her head continues.  As she gets up from the couch to make her way towards the door again she bumps into him so hard both of them stagger backwards, Annabella almost losing her footing.

“You were running away again, weren’t you?” he asked.

Annabella didn’t answer, just starts fidgeting with a piece of loose thread from her clothing.  She could feel her embarrassment rising from her collar.

“Are you blushing?” he says trying his absolute best not to burst out into laughter.

“Why are you ashamed”? he asked, trying to sound as serious as possible.

Annabella isn’t sure if it is possible to feel any more embarrassed.  How many shades of red do you get before you pass out from embarrassment?  She is sure a person can die from it.

The fact that he is enjoying it so much makes her angry and the angrier she gets the more her head pounds - the sicker she feels.  

“Relax, nothing happened.  I slept on the couch last night.  Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He said gruffly.

“Vote of confidence! I don’t even know your name! And I was half-naked when I woke up this morning” she retorted.

“Oh don’t play coy with me Annabella.  You were all over me last night!  You were the one strewing your clothes all over the bedroom floor – you knew exactly what you wanted and had no qualms in showing me exactly what that is” the humour in his eyes now replaced by anger”.

When she didn’t answer he continued with a controlled voice.

“We just kissed.  Nothing happened.  I don’t have to get my women liquored up to have sex with them Annabella.  Things got a little hot and heavy and I almost lost control myself, but I realised you had too much to drink ……  and I didn’t want to take advantage of the situation.”

When he realised the fight in her was gone his own anger subsided and he continued patiently.

“That and  …..   you kept calling me Graeme” he said with a disappointed grin.

“So, I figured if you were going to call out anyone’s name in ecstasy I at least want it to be my own. 

….. I’m Christopher Bailey by the way. 

My friends and ….. erm half-naked women who wake up in my bed call me Chris” he says winking.

Annabella blushed and the sudden rush made her head pound again and it made her feel dizzy.  Her hand involuntarily touching her forehead and she closes her eyes.

She feels his cool hands touching her face, turning her head so that her eyes can look directly into his.

“As for your clothes, I folded them up neatly when I left the room - I figured you’d have to wear them again today and you probably don’t want to look as if you just stepped out of a laundry basket.”

They looked into each other’s eyes in silence for a moment and then he finally says

“You have nothing to be ashamed of – and you don’t have to sneak out alone.  I will take you home myself this afternoon before my shift starts.”

And then he spins her around and ushers her towards the kitchen.

“Let’s get you some coffee …..  and lots of aspirin”

“and it is probably a good idea to have something to eat too ….  a couple of bites at least.”

“Black, no sugar?” he asks, handing her a mug.

She takes the coffee briefly meeting his gaze. “How would you know how I take my coffee?” she asks.

“I don’t” he says and pauses for a moment as if considering her question.

“But it would have been cool if I did” he says flashing one of those smiles. 

“Actually, you don’t have a choice” he continues half-seriously “I don’t have sugar or fresh milk in the apartment – but it’s on my shopping list ….”   and the smile again.

Annabella stares at the contents of her mug.  She sees her reflection in it and quickly looks away.  She can’t bear to look at herself at the moment.

Christopher smils when Annabella joins him at the breakfast table after all.  She starts to pick at her food and he could tell she was forcing every bite down with extreme difficulty. 

“You said your shift starts this afternoon” she says “what do you do?”

“I’m with the BNB” he says

She looks at him for a moment and then a smile crosses her face

“Oh, that’s really funny” she says and starts laughing.

Confused for a moment he realises her mistake ..

“No … no …. “ he says laughing “not B AND B ….    as in ‘bed and breakfast’ ….   B N B as in ‘Bridgeport Narcotics Bureau’ “ and they both laughed out loud their angry exchange of earlier a thing of the past.

“My job is to hang around these dive bars and keep an eye out for drug trafficking and underage drinking.  So I guess when you called me the bar police last night you were not too far off the mark” he says with a smile.

After breakfast Annabella got up and started to clear the table.

“You don’t have to do that” he says blocking her way to the dishwasher.

“It’s the least I can do to thank you"

“Thank me for what?  I didn’t do anything” he says …. “yet” and a playful smile forms on his lips.

“To thank you for not doing anything then” she answers “and you don’t have to take me home … I’ll grab a taxi.  I’ve been enough trouble as it is.”

“Nonsense ….” he starts to protest but Annabella holds up a hand to silence him. 

“Please.” She says “It’s almost time for you to go to work and … I have a few errands to run on my way home” she lied

He glances at his watch briefly and is shocked to see what time it is.  He would have to get a move on if he didn’t want to be late for work.

“I’d like to see you again Annabella” he says genuinely. 

“How will I know where to find you?”

“I will find you” she says “I know where you live” and she winks cheekily.

He pulls her in for a kiss and for that moment for both of them time ceased to tick, it had no meaning.