Naked

What the hell? I woke up and it was still dark, I panicked believing I had slept through another day. Scrambling off the bed I felt around blindly for my borrowed cell phone, the only time piece I had.

Well Goddamn, I had only been asleep for a couple of hours. With adrenaline still coursing through my body, I flopped back on the bed and fell asleep just as the sun was rising.

At 11:00 I woke up feeling more refreshed than I had in weeks, and realized I needed to find something to do with my time. After about 30 minutes and no bright ideas, I got dressed and headed to the grocery store where I purchased a giant bag of peanuts, a loaf of bread and a Coke.

The 33 Geary took me to the park where I sat for nearly two hours feeding the pidgins, squirrels and any other small birds that dared to venture close enough. I watched a pair of doves cooing and flitting amongst the chaos, together. Most unexpectedly Don was in my head with his eyes closed and his breath on my lips.

I jumped up shaking off the feeling and scattering the birds, the most industrious of which followed behind me for a few feet before giving up.

It was nap time, or so I hoped. When I opened the door to the apartment the air wasn’t right—it was stale and there was too much movement. Fuck, the sound people talking filled my ears—several people talking.

I walked into the kitchen to find more than a dozen people crowded in with drinks in their hands. That wouldn’t have been so bad but smack in the middle of the group was James, he nodded at me I smiled it couldn’t get any worse.

When you’re wrong, you’re just plain wrong. Don was standing off in a corner eyeballing James and halfway scowling. He looked different, I hadn’t ever really seen him in daylight, silhouetted in front of the window, he was almost angelic. Jesus, I started to turn heel and head to my room when a familiar hand touched my arm.

James stood in front of me looking me up and down.

“Hi”

“Hi, how are you sugar?”

Ok, so maybe the sarcasm was dripping a bit from tongue. I didn’t fancy running into my one night stands no matter how much fun they were. Don walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer, he made eye contact with me when he opened it and swigged it back. Walking around me, he headed into the living room with rest of the small group.

James was still talking, but I didn’t hear him. So I smiled and excused myself, and said I would find him a few. I beelined for my room and didn’t emerge for two hours when it was time for me to leave for work. Pulling on my coat I walked as casually as possible to the front door, quickly spotting the asshole who had opened my door while I was dressing. The bastard had a lopsided grin on his face.

Next to him, a familiar bald head, with his chin dropped to his chest and a beer nearly tipping out of his hand. Ignoring the jackass I walked over to Don and nudged him with my knee.

He looked up with a goofy grin on his face.

“Walk me to work?”

He closed his eyes, still facing in my direction.

“I’m off.”

With that his head flopped back down to his chest.

“Ok?”

I made my exit quickly only to run into James standing on the stoop, smoking.

“Where have you been?”

I smiled shrugging my shoulders. “Sorry, I was so tired from work last night I fell asleep.”

“Ok, ok. Can I give you a ride to work?”

“Why not.”

The fucker tried to kiss me when I got of the car, I didn’t realize how much he had to drink. He barely missed clipping a taxi on the way here and stalled out on hill, laughing for what seemed like a lifetime before he stepped on the break to stop the car from rolling.

I snatched his keys out of the ignition when he tried to kiss me against my better judgement and called him a cab.

“You can get these here tomorrow.”

He didn’t even get mad.

“I knew you weren’t done with me.”

“Huh” I went into the Pink Pussy and found a small crowd already gathering and a band setting him. Trina, the waitress who saw me as competition was standing with a clipboard near the bar.

“You’re late.”

“Oh my.” I looked at my nonexistent watch.

“Don left me in charge.”

“I can see that.”

I gave her my rear and sauntered over to the bar where Shack was wiping down glasses with some other asshole I didn’t recognize.

“Hi gorgeous, I hear you have been doing pretty good filling in while I was gone.”

I laughed then forced myself to wink at him.

“This is my brother-in-law Mason, he is going to be helping out until I get back on my feet.”

“Ok” I shrugged it off but Shack kept talking.

“He’s worked at TGI Fridays and a couple of hotel bars but nothing like this, so be nice.”

“Ok”

I stashed my stuff under the bar and started wiping down the counter to warm up my arms.

At the end of the night Shack was long gone and Trina was still lording over the other waitresses and Mason.

She walked over to try her stuff with me.

“Get the broom from the back closet and sweep up.” She jerked her head toward the basement.

Fuck that I don't do brooms anymore. I finished wiping down the bar, and pulled my purse and jacket out from where I stashed them.

“Give it up honey.”

I walked out catching the last bus before 5:00 am.

The house was empty, the party was over apparently. Later I would find out that the participants in the mid week soirée had an annual shindig where everyone played hooky from work or suddenly got sick around noon to attend the party.

I stripped off my clothes as I walked, my bra was killing me for some reason. By the time I hit my door I only had my underwear on. Closing the door, I flopped down and shrieked when I found it was already occupied. My attempt to spring back up was thwarted when a hand covered my bare breast along with a jean clad leg the pulled me closer.

I turned my head to look at the intruder, who mumbled something and snuggled deeper into my flesh.

“Don!” Fuck, I hadn’t meant to say that so loud.

I jumped from the bed hitting the floor hard. I saw Don pop up suddenly wide awake.

I laid perfectly still on the floor hoping he would just pass back out. He didn’t, instead he turned on the light and looked over the side of the bed where I was laying in my underwear. I didn’t even bother to try to and cover up, what’s one more person who has seen me naked?

He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened his eyes again, they grew slightly larger.

I did the only thing I could… I waved.