Page 44 of Tall, Dark, & Ginger

The next time I open my eyes, I’m surprised to see the sun trying to break through the drapes and a sleeping Wren wrapped around me. Reaching over to the nightstand, I tap my phone to check the time. Almost ten. A few solid hours of sleep is pretty damn good for me.

I need to pee, but I don’t want to wake Wren, so I very carefully pull my arm out from under him. He doesn’t budge, only releasing a snuffling breath as he hugs my pillow. The sight brings a smile to my face as I manage to tear myself away from the bed to head to the bathroom.

When I come back out, he’s still sound asleep, so I go to my sitting room to brew some coffee. It’s Sunday, so he can afford to sleep in, and it’s kind of nice that he’s so comfortable in my room that he can.

I scroll on my phone while I wait for the coffee to brew, checking out the various social posts Moby’s is tagged in, smiling at the photos of everything from smiling faces at the bar to Wren’s food. A year ago we thought we’d be a comfortable local hangout, nearly dead in the summer months when the university was off, but busy enough the rest of the time to keep us afloat. That’s not at all what’s happening. Apparently, we hit the right beat at the right time.

The coffee finishes, and I pour myself a mug then settle on the couch again and flick on the TV to watch whatever is on. Two cups of coffee and one nature show later, Wren appears inthe entry, naked as the day he was born, his hair mussed and his eyes still filled with sleep. He looks disoriented for a few seconds until he focuses on me.

“What time is it?” he asks, his voice rough with sleep.

I glance at my phone on the coffee table. “Almost noon.”

His jaw drops. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Want some coffee? It’s still hot.”

He nods, shuffling across the room to my kitchenette. I watch for a second as he tries to find mugs, then decide to get up and help him. I press myself against his nude body, pushing him into the counter slightly as I reach above him to the cabinet where I keep the mugs.

“I’ll get it. Cream or sugar?”

He twists around, his cheeks pink. “Black is fine.”

Wren watches me pour the steaming liquid into the mug then takes it, holding it in both hands as he inhales before taking a sip.

“Good. Is there cinnamon?”

“Yeah, I put a little in with the grounds.”

“Mmm.” He takes another sip. “I can’t believe I slept so long. How long have you been up?”

“Less than two hours, but I slept well too.”

He nods, studying my face before saying, “Thanks for letting me stay. I didn’t mean to.”

“It wasn’t a hardship.” I bump his hip with mine. “Truth be told, I even liked it.”

Wren chews on his bottom lip for a second, and I have to wonder if he’s about to tap the brakes. Maybe actually sleeping with someone is too intimate for fuck buddies.

“I did too,” he says, softly. “I guess I never saw us…” He shrugs.

“We’re figuring it out as we go, right? Whatever feels good works for me.”

“Yeah.” He smiles. “I can work with that.”

“Besides, it’s Sunday. There’s no rush.” I greedily run my gaze up and down his naked form. “In fact, I could think of a few activities to burn a few more hours.”

His cheeks bloom pink, and he glances at my door like he’s expecting people to barge through it any minute.

“What about everyone else?”

“What about them? Brunch is probably over by now. They’re all doing their thing. Kit and Stewart will go to a museum or a bookstore. Lowen and Oakley will go visit all their projects around town, Jerryn and Bane will hole up playing video games, and Salem and Indy will fuck like rabbits all day in their suite. They aren’t looking for us.”

“No, I guess they aren’t.”

“If you want your own space, it’s cool, but if you want to stay, I want you to.”

He seems to consider it, then his shoulders relax. “I’d like to stay for a while.”

---