ships passing in the night

Chapter 5: A Prolonged Date

"I like flaws. I think they making things interesting."

– Sarah Dessen

//

Jinny woke up with a start, which slowly culminated into a splitting headache. Bright rays of sunlight blinded her heavily-lidded eyes, causing her to reflexively rub them. She groaned, shifting uncomfortably in her position, feeling the cool polyester on her skin– Her eyelids flew open. Where the hell am I?

Her vision cleared to reveal a familiar room of white, grey, and brown hues. It took her a moment to register: she had spent the night at Kellan's. Again. From behind her, she heard the muffled patter of running water, realizing Kellan was most probably in the shower. As memories from the previous night's anticlimactic ending trickled in, Jinny buried her head in her hands.

Oh my lord. I stopped him just as we were about to– The thought alone was enough to make her cringe. Not there was anything wrong with that, but Jinny knew he had been probably about to burst. How the hell was she going to face him now? As if the situation –their entire relationship– wasn't already awkward as fuck, now there were more awkward happenings being added to the growing laundry list. Jinny glanced ruefully at the door – she couldn't even make a quick getaway, because she had done that the last time and doing it again would truly make her the shittiest human being.

Her legs felt like jelly as she set them on the floor and wobbled to the kitchen. She looked around cluelessly, as though her answer would magically appear among the pots and pans. Should I make breakfast? She grimaced at the thought of him eating burnt pancakes. What can I do then? Should I–

"Plotting an escape again?" A soft chuckle broke her train of rambling thoughts.

Jinny swiveled around, chest bare and towel draped around his waist, beads of water trickling down his body. Their first night had been a fuzzy memory – she could only remember the puffing and panting of desperate sex, so the sight of his large, chiseled form, muscles carved in all the right places, bathed in the golden morning light, incited the blush to rise to her cheeks.

"N-no," she replied lamely, biting her lips. "I was going to try to make you breakfast but I..." she trailed off, meeting his amused, smiling eyes. "I- I'm sorry for last night."

He chuckled again, kindlier this time, as he rubbed his wet hair with a smaller towel. "Ah, Jinny – free drink machine, one-night-stand, friend, boyfriend, cook, and now hotel. You're treating me like your personal giving tree, eh?"

Jinny stared at him sheepishly, wanting to dig a hole somewhere and just crawl in it. She had her fair share of awkward disasters, but her entire experience had to seriously top the list. Her prim and proper, straight-as-an-arrow self could barely tolerate the damsel-in-distress she seemed to be in that moment.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled again apologetically. "I probably should've stopped drinking after we finished the second bottle. I'm usually better with alcohol – I took a flight yesterday before the engagement part, so it was just a really long day–"

"Are you alright, Jinny?"

There it was again – his kind, concerned and irresistibly sweet expression. Every time he set it on her, she could feel her knees falter and her heart lurch. Pathetic, she scolded herself. Don't act like a man's never shown you concern before.