Quite Quitting

Pillow Fights and Pancake Fails

I woke up because of a loud banging. Like someone was trying to beat the dust out of an old rug. I turned, and under the low yellow of my nightlight, I saw Alex, laying on top of my blankets, only in his boxers, turning my pillow, resting his head for a few seconds, then turning it back, punching it up with all his might. I wiggled underneath the blankets feeling the coziness directly on my naked skin.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" He asked.

"Is everything okay?" I countered with another question.

"Yeah, um...do you mind if I head out? I am not getting any sleep here." He hesitantly said.

I guess my half an hour was up. After the boat finally docked, I told Alex that Sugar was not home for the night. He walked me off to my door and kissed my cheeks like a gentleman, and walked away from my very obvious offer for a nightcap. However, his departure didn't last long. A few minutes after I had shut the door on him, I heard a knock, and when I opened the door, he practically lunged at me. Kissing my lips, my cheeks, my neck...

"Let the record show I did walk away!" He joked as we kissed our way to my bed.

Everything felt right there. Alex took me into his arms like he's been doing this with me for years. He knew where you touch, where to kiss, and what to say as we got on with it. His body was on top, his breath in sync with mine. There was no awkwardness. There was just a pent-up release, and we were working on getting to that release. Once it came, we both laid down and, I thought, fell asleep, but Alex seemed to have some regrets, keeping him up all night. Wow, what a shocker that was...not...

"No, you can go. I know the bed is kind of small." I responded back. He leaped out of bed and jumped into his pants. I wanted to say you've had sleepless nights, so why not add tonight to the list? But my tongue went dry, and it seemed something had glued my mouth shut. "I am going to be busy the next few days," He said as he looked around the floor for his shirt. As soon as he located it, he buttoned it with the speed of light.

"Alex, just go. You don't need to give me an explanation. Last night was great, but it shouldn't happen again, right? I get it." I curtly said, my voice cracking at the last it.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead slowly. Then he started to unbutton his shirt. "I'll stay."

"Don't do me any favors. You can go." I rudely offered.

"No, I am staying. I am not muddy the waters if it means you'll get upset, and then this will get interrupted." He said, pointing at both of us. He undressed just as quickly and jumped back into bed. "Well, now that we are both up...should I leave my boxers on or off?" He asked, scooping me into a back hug.

"I am so confused," I said, accepting the kisses he was showering me with on my back and neck.

"I really just couldn't sleep," he turned me around and kissed my lips. "I have to fly to Florida today at 9 in the morning to scout an office for a marketing team there. So I'll be there all weekend. Which means I won't be able to see you this weekend," He moved my hands and placed them on his lower back, sliding them slightly under his boxer's elastic band. "You do the honors." I giggled and then complied.

****

"I won't believe you till you actually show me proof." I hollered from the kitchen counter, swirling around on the bar chairs we placed around the counter in lieu of a table. Unfortunately, my thighs, only half covered in Alex's shirt, got stuck to the cheap leather in which the chair's cushion was covered.

"Let it cook a little first," Alex said. He was hovering over some pancake batter splattered on a pan, not in a perfect circle or any shape known to mankind, as he danced around my kitchen half-naked, still in his boxers.