Love Notes

Take a Break Part 1

The buzz of the alarm shook Alex out of his blissful sleep. He groaned. How could it be 5:45 already? It seemed like he had just closed his eyes.

Of course, there was the fact that he and Norma hadn't gotten to sleep until after two. After their emotional talk, they collapsed exhausted into each other's arms. It was the first night since they'd been together that they didn't have sex. But it was the most intimate they'd ever been with each other.

Alex hit the snooze button on his phone. Norma, still holding tight to his torso, didn't move. He was determined not to wake her. She'd had a difficult night.

The nine minute grace period on his alarm went by too quickly. He had hardly closed his eyes when the alarm went off again, irritating Alex to no end. He really did just want to go back to sleep. Wouldn't it be great, he thought to himself, if he could just stay in the bed with his lady and not have to deal with all the bullshit at the office today? 

Norma groaned at the sound of the alarm and reached out to hit the snooze button.

"Sorry," he muttered into her hair.

She snuggled closer and he pulled her tighter to him, enjoying the feeling of her soft body. Alex, much like Norma, never liked snuggling in bed. In fact, he never much cared for sleeping with another person at all, not even his first wife. After all of his casual encounters, he couldn't wait for the woman to leave so he could be alone.

But not with Norma. At long last, he discovered that his magical sleep elixir was her sleeping next to him, his arms wrapped around her, her head resting against his chest. He loved to caress her skin and smell her hair. He couldn't wait until the day was over so he could climb in bed next to her.

"You know what would be great?" She said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Hm?" He answered, surprised. He thought she was still sleeping.

"If you could just take the day off," she muttered sleepily into his chest.

He grinned. Had she been reading his mind? "Take the day off?" He said. "I never do that."

She snorted. "Why am I not surprised?" He laughed.

Her warm hands snaked around his back as she snuggled closer and pressed her body to his. "You are exhausted. You could use the rest."

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, needing her closeness. "What would we do?"

"I don't know," she said as her fingers intertwined with his. "Sleep some more?"

He chuckled. That sounded nice.

"Then we could make love," she suggested, giving him a dangerous grin.

"Mmm don't tempt me woman," he muttered, bending down to nibble her chin.

She happily lifted her head, allowing him to move down her neck, her favorite place for him to kiss. She giggled when it began to tickle. "Then I'll make you breakfast."

"Mm sounds amazing," he said, still teasing her neck.

"Then...I don't know," she said, unable to concentrate as his lips gently caressed her neck. "We could do whatever you want."

He pulled back slightly, his hands still rubbing her lower back, and looked lovingly into her eyes. He knew by the look she was giving him that she was going to get her way. And she was right. He hadn't taken a day off in at least two years.

Ironically, it was when he was living at the motel. He had a terrible cold but was still pushing on. The idea of taking a break never even occurred to him. That is, until Norma heard him coughing while she was watering the plants outside his room one morning. Nosy as ever, she burst into his room and demanded to know what he was doing to take care of himself.