The Morning After the Night Before
by Jenny

Storyline: Forget the timeline. This is the other
sunset beach dimension! The good one!

Authors note: I was at the annual Poetry Slam Festival
in Sweden and this story just got to me. Don´t ask me
how! 

Authors note 2: About wrong spellings and stuff. Just
close your eyes and pretend they don´t exist.  


******************************************************************************************
The morning after the night before…

The headache hit her like a flash from a clear sky the
second she opened her eyes. She moaned and covered her
face. How mutch had she actually been drinking last
night?

She had been celebrating her upcoming wedding with her
friends. They most have visited every bar and club in
New York.

She tried to stretch but the sheets where tangled
around her legs. When she turned over to fix it, she
froze. There was an arm wrapped across her stomach.
Did Tim stay the night? She wondered and searched her
memory from last night.

She turned to look at Tim and gave out a scream. She
jumped out of the bed pulling the sheets with her. In
the bed with her was a man but absolutely NOT Tim.

He was tall, dark headed and…naked. He was lying on
his stomach so she could easily see the brood
shoulders, the strong arms and big biceps, his
absolutely gorgeous rear and the well-trained thighs.
He was handsome if not drop dead gorgeous. Suddenly he
took a deep breath and started to stir. She cluttered
the sheet until her knuckles turned white. Slowly he
traced his hand over the place she had been lying. She
lost her ability to speak when he opened his eyes.  He
had the most blues eyes she had ever seen. He smiled
slightly but then frowned. “Why are you standing
there?” he said.

She just stared at him.

He continued to look at her, expecting her to answer
his question. When she still hadn’t said one single
word he rolled his side and got up. She turned
instantly her back at him. Totally ignorant of his
naked glory he walked over to chair nearby putting on
a pair of jeans. He watched her for a moment before he
walked over to her.  He turned her around.

She saw him now close. His eyes where kind. For some
resound she felt safe and she knew he wouldn’t hurt
her.

“Ok… I know from last night that you where not mute.
Are you all right?” he asked.

She felt lost and for the first time she turned her
head to look around. Suddenly she realized that this
wasn’t her apartment.

“ Who are you?” she whispered with a child’s voice. 

He smiled. “ You don´t have any memory from last
night, do you?”

She shook her head. She felt how hot tears slided down
her cheeks.

His face change in an instant. With strong arm he
pulled her into his embrace. He made her rest her head
on his warm chest slowly stroking her back and hair.
Some where in her mind it felt familiar. Like a movie
you have seen but you don´t remember the name.

After a few minutes she pulled away and walked away
from him.

“ How did I end up here? Because I assume it´s your
place?” she asked.

He nodded. 

“ We meet at a local bar” he said. It was vague
information.

“ And I just followed you home??!” she raised her
voice.

He put his hands on his hips looking at her for a long
time. He noticed the way she kept rubbing her
forehead.

“ How about a cup of coffee and aspirin and I´ll tell
you everything?” he asked.

She nodded and she watched his back when he walked
into the kitchen. She started to look for her clouds.
They where shaded all over the place. It started by
the door with his shirt followed by her dress in the
living room. Just inside the bedroom door were his
pants and her bra. On a lamp on one of the nightstand
dangled her panties.

She dressed hurriedly. Her dress was a black short
silk dress in a Chinese style. She found her small
purse in the living room.  She walked back to the
bedroom and started to put her stockings into the
purse. She looked the bed. It was a mess. 

How could you make love to someone and don´t remember
it later? Was she really that drunk last night? Or was
he lying?

She looked at his back. You read  daily about young
women that are drugged in bars. Could he? She thought
about bolting for the door. But something told her
that he wouldn’t hurt her. She gave the bed a last
look before walked into the kitchen. 

He heard her naked feet walking over the floor towards
him. He was cursing himself. How could he have been so
stupid and make love to her? He tried to tell himself
that he had been under the influent of alcohol but
that wasn’t true. Something had happened when they had
been sitting in that bar. 

He heard her pull out a chair and sat down. He turned
and leaned himself at the counter watching her.


“ It´s a nice apartment” she said.

“Thanks”

It turned silent. The only sound came from the coffee
machine.

He turned his back at her again opening a cabinet
collecting the aspirin. He walked over to her with it.
When she reached for the jar their hands touched. She
felt how a feeling of warmth spread all throughout her
body.

He excused himself and disappeared into the bedroom.
He came back wearing a simple white t-shirt. He walked
over to the coffee machine pouring up two cups of the
steaming hot beverage. He placed one of them in front
of her on the table. He didn’t want to make the same
mistake again and touch her.

He told her that she had come in at Billy’s with her
girlfriends. A guy had started to sexually assault her
and Ben had stepped in. They had remained talking
while her friends walked to a new place. After a few
drinks she had purred her whole life story to him.
Unfortunately she had started to cry and Ben had put
his arms around her to comfort her. It had lead to a
make out session. He could still hear her voice when
she whispered “ Your place or my place?”. He had tried
to stop it, but she reassured him that it was ok.

Meg looked down in the now empty cup. The more he told
her, the more she remembered. She remembered how she
had straddled his lap in the taxi, how she had ripped
the shirt of him so that the buttons where flying all
over the hallway. She remembered the lovemaking. His
lips. She could feel his hands how they worked their
magic.

She tried to tell her self that she had been under the
influent of alcohol, but the fact that they had made
love six times during the night didn’t actually make
it a mistake!

She looked at the man in front of her. During one
night he had given her more love and passion then Tim
had during their four years together. Inside she was
wondering how she could go back? She was going to get
married in a week.

“Are you all right, Meg?” he asked. Without thinking
he took her hand. They both froze staring at their
locked hands. Meg pulled hers away quickly.

“I’m fine” she answered as she tried to hide how mutch
his touch had affected her.

“I’m sorry” he said after a long time of silence.

She meted his gaze.

“For what?” she asked.

Ben rose from his seat.

“ For everything. For the night, for the trouble I’ve
caused you” he said. “This should never had happen!”
he continued.

“I don´t regret a thing” she didn’t know she had said
it out loud before she heard her own voice.

When she looked up she meet his eyes. He looked
shocked.

“ I beg you pardon?”

She stood up and walked over to him .

“ I don´t regret our night together Ben. I never will”
she explained.

At that moment she knew. It was her heart that spoke.
Their night together had opened her eyes, even if she
hadn’t been able to see in the beginning. She had
never loved Tim. She acted before miss resound started
to make her present known. She brought his head down
to her capturing his lips with hers. She nibbled on
his lower lip sucking gently on it. She explored his
mouth with her tongue. His arms went around her body
pressing her closer to him. It felt wonderful. The
kiss deepened pulling them both towards something
mutch more divine then either of them had ever
experience. His hair was tick and soft under her
fingers. She felt how he traced her spine with strong
hands, that motion made her skin tingle and it was
almost as if you could see the sparks flying between
them. How could someone you just meet affect you that
way? She asked herself. But every thought was swept
away as Ben left her mouth and started to kiss his way
down her neck. She moaned pressing herself closer, if
that was even possible! She couldn’t even form a
thought when she felt his strong arm slide down her
legs, picking her up under her knees. In one smooth
motion she was in his arms and he made his way out of
the kitchen...

******
  
“ Girl, where are you!? This has to be the tenth time
I’m chatting with your answering machine! Are you
aware that you like skipped the most holly grail
today- girlfriend brunch?? When you get this you
better call me! Ok? bye!”

Meg looked down at the answering machine and her
friend Sheri´s massage. She decided to take a shower
and get some work done before dealing with her.

She got dressed and pulled out a white silk robe
laying it on the bed. Adjusting the water temperature
and stepped inside. The water was still a bit hot but
she actually welcomed it. She closed her eyes and let
her thoughts drift back to the night and morning in
his apartment. Slowly a secret smile spread across her
face…   

******

“ Here is the De´Luca order. You need to sign it”

Peter Harring emerged in the door, carrying a pile of
papers that he placed in front of Ben on his desk. Ben
grabbed a pen and signing them one after one.  Like a
robot. 


“ You ok?” Peter looked concerned. Ben awoke from his
thoughts.

“Huh?”

“ You are really out of it! Something happened?” Pete
asked his business partner.

“ Nothing that a few hours of hard work can’t fix!”
Ben said standing up walking up to a high table where
he had his computer. Peter watched him for a second.

“Ok, will you take the presentation later today?” he
asked as he walked towards the door.

“Sure thing” Ben answered focusing his attention on
the software program in front of his on the computer
screen. “ Just have the design ready”

“ I’m already on it!” Peter stated and disappeared out
of the door.

Ben kept staring at the screen, but the figures and
numbers was just an unreadable mess. The only thing he
saw was her beautiful face, her hair draped over his
pillow, her smooth skin against his. But when he had
woken up she was gone, the only trace of her was a
small note on the pillow next to him. She'd let him
go…let him go without a word. There was no good-bye,
no last kiss, nothing. Just a note.


Thank you…

******

“ Have you any idea how worried I’ve be about you!!!”

Meg´s head shoot up from her desk and meet Sheri´s
furious eyes.

“ Hi Sheri!” Meg said and smiled.

“ Oh, no! I don´t buy that. Where have you been??” she
walked into Meg´s office with her hands on her hips.

“ Out..” Meg said and looked down, starting to type on
her laptop.

A slim hand with first class manicure pushed the
laptop down with a determent motion. Meg looked up and
meet Sheri´s chocolate brown eyes.

“ Girl, I always know when you are lying and right now
is one of these moments! The truth, thank you!” Sheri
said and crossed her arms on her chest.

Meg thought for a moment before getting up. She walked
over to the door closing it and leaned her back at it.
She looked at her best friend.

“ You better sit down, Sheri” Meg said…

  ******

“ YOU WHAT!!???”

Sheri stared in chock at her friend. She had known Meg
for several years and she had never seen her do
something drastic like this.

“ I could say it was because I was drunk, but…”

“ But?”

Meg smiled secretly “ I was definitely not under any
alcoholic influent this very morning!”

Sheri mouth just hanged open, and she thought she most
have done an impressive image of a gold fish.

“  Oh, my god Meg!” it was the only full sentence she
could form in her head for the moment.

“ Call me crazy, slut, foolish even stupid! But I have
never been so alive as I was last night and this
morning, Sheri! He lighted a fire in me like no man
have ever done”

Meg got up and walked over to her office window.

“ What about Tim?” Sheri finally got out.

“ I don´t love him” Meg smiled when she felt how easy
it was to say. She turned around and hugged herself. “
I know that now. It was just a fantasy”

“ Meg, you are fully aware of that you are getting
married on Sunday, right?” Sheri got up and walked
over to her friend.

“ Yes, I’m. And I have already called Tim and set up a
lunch meeting today. I’m gonna tell him” she said.

“ Ok, who are you and what have you done to the real
Meg??” Sheri said placing her hands on Meg´s
shoulders.

“ I have never been more sure about anything in my
whole life. I felt something with him that I have
never experience before. It was not about sex, it was
something deeper” Meg tried to explain.

Sheri looked at her friend for a long time before her
face lighted up in a smile. She pulled her best friend
in her arms, hugging her tightly.

“ So, tell me about him!” Sheri asked and was mighty
supriced when Meg started to shake in her arms. Her
first thought was that she was crying, but it soon
became clear that Meg was laughing.

Sheri looked confused and released Meg. Who was now
laughing even harder.

“ I can’t!” Meg said.

“ Why not? You can tell me anything!” Sheri promised.
“ Oh, don´t tell me he’s kinky!?”     
 
Meg shook her head and dried her tears.

“ It´s nothing like that”

“Then what?” Sheri asked.

“ I can’t tell you anything because I don´t know
anything about him!” Meg simply stated.

Sheri just stared at her.

“ I mean I know he’s name is Ben, but that’s kind like
the only thing i know!” 

“ You’re not serious! Nothing?” Sheri was shocked. Meg
had to be the last person on this earth Sheri would
ever guess to have a one-night stand.  Let alone, less
then a week from her upcoming wedding!

“ Yes, I am Sheri. Dead serious! “ Meg smiled at sat
down in her chair.

“  Dear lord! I know that when we girls left you two
talking at Billy’s you seamed to have hit it off! But
I never in my wildest dreams thought you would…”

“ …follow him home?” Meg finished. 

“ In one simple answer: Yeah!” Sheri laught.

“ I remember in the taxi to his apartment, I was
possessed!! It was like I couldn’t get enough of him!
Sheri, you are looking at a woman that ripped his
shirt of him so that the buttons where flying!” Meg
said.

“ Well it doesn’t sound very Megish too me!” Sheri sat
down in the chair across from Meg´s desk.

“ I know”

“ But you know what? It doesn’t matter. Because if you
like him, you should take the chance with him. This
kind of attraction is rare” Sheri stated.

“ I can’t stop thinking about him, about his hands,
his lips and Ohhhh…his..” Meg exclaimed in a deep
monad. Closing her eyes.

“ Ok, girl! I think I get the picture!” Sheri said and
held up her hands.

“ I’m a nuthead aren’t I? What do I really know about
him?” Meg said and hid her face in her hands.

“ Yeah, he could be an ax murder, kinky, he could even
be a kinky ax murder! Or he could be gay!

Meg looked at Sheri though her fingers.

“ Or maybe not!” Sheri said remembering where Meg and
he had spent most of their time. 

“ I don´t even know what he does for a living! Sure,
he has a fancy flat and expensive suits! But I don´t
know how he makes his money!

“ Oh, my god!” Sheri exclaimed and slapped her hand
over her month.

“ If you say pimp I´ll beat you to death!!” Meg
threatened

“ No, of course not, I was going to say lawyer!” Sheri
answered. “ And we all know how good you go with
lawyers”

“ Eric Richer was a mistake!” Meg said and moved out
of her chair.

“ With a capital M!” Sheri laught.

“  Look Meg, if you feel that this Ben person is
someone you would like to know better, then go for
it!” Sheri said after a few moments of silence.

“ You think so?” Meg said and looked at her friend.

“ Absolutely! And if he’s a lawyer we’ll deal with it
later…” Sheri smiled.

“ Ok, so how do you find someone you only know the
first name of?” Meg smiled back.

“ Oh, I know the perfect place…”  

******   

Billy’s was almost empty except from an older man that
was sitting in one of the booths. The bartender was
drying whiskey glasses with a towel.  Meg sat down on
one of the barstools, placing her purse on the disk.
The bartender stopped drying and walked over to her.

“ What can I get you, miss?” he asked.

“ A cup of coffee and a spoon of information, please”
Meg said and pulled up her wallet…  

******

Her heels made a clapping noise when she walked over
the cold marmot floor in the direction to the
reception.   A young blond woman looked up from her
computer and smiled. “ Welcome to Zit´s software
development and consulting. How may I help you?”

“ I wish to speak too Mr Evans” Meg said.

“ Take the right elevator to the top floor. Report
your arrival at his secretary’s desk"  the woman said
and pointed to the elevators feather down the
corridor…

******

Lisa, Ben´s secretary opened his office door letting
Meg step inside. 

“ He will be with you in a minute, Miss Cummings.
Please have a seat” Lisa told her motion for her to
sit in one of the visiting  chairs.

Meg smiled and Lisa walked out closing the door.

The second the door hit the frame, Meg got nervous. Or
nervous was putting it mightily- she was terrified!
She was fiddling with her rings, a strong sign that
she was insecure.  

What was she doing here? What if the night they spent
together didn’t mean that mutch to him as it did for
her? Or what if he was engaged? Or separated? Or
divorced with children? What if he would be upset
seeing her? Cheating husbands or fiancees wouldn’t be
to pleased with a visit from the “one night stand”,
right? Maybe she should just sneak out while she had
her chance.

Meg nodded to her self and marched towards the door.
Just as she was about to grab the doorknob, the door
swung open reviling a very stressed Ben Evans… 

******

It was a great Kodak moment!

You could feel the shock in the air. Meg for being
busted and Ben for the chock of finding Meg bihind
door number 3.

“Meg?”

Meg pressed out a smile, waving her hand slightly. She
felt like a child being caught with her hand in the
cookie jar. 

“Hi Ben. How are you?”

She tried very hard to sound casual but failed big
time.

“I’m…I’m…good. You?”

“When did you start stammer, you idiot!” Ben told
himself and tried to return her wobbly smile. 

“Good!”

He nodded.

“That’s…uhhh….good!”

“ Brilliant, Ben! Just brilliant! Where’s a frying pan
when you need one?“ Ben thought.  

It became silent. Ben looked down and closed the door.
He walked pass her,  and in the process getting a
quick smell of her perfume. His pillow’s had the same
sent after her night there.

He reached his desk and put down some papers he had
been carrying. He took a deep breath and shoved his
hands in his pants pockets . He knew why she was
there. It was time too cut the band once and for all…

“I know why you are here, Meg!”

Meg looked surpriced but did´t replay.

“You don´t have to worry. I´ll never tell him
anything! Your secrets safe with me”

“Tell whom? And what?”

“Tim. About us! “ Ben said and shifted nervously from
one foot to the other.

“ I mean I know you said that you don´t regret
anything, but if you wish I´ll tell Tim that it was a
mistake! If that is what you want?” Ben continued.

“ A mistake?” Meg pressed out. Did he realy think
that?

“ Yeah, he won’t find out from me! I promises” Ben
said.

Meg was silent for a moment before she took a step
closer to him. Their eyes locked.

“Ben, are you married?” her question was just a
whisper.

“ No”

“Are you engage to be married?”

Ben shook his head. With each question she took one
step closer.

“ Are you divorced?”

“ Yes, since five years ago” Ben said.

Meg took the last step that separated them and placed
her hands loosely on his hips.

“ Do you still love her?” she whispered close to his
face.

“ No” he mouthed.

She did´t comment that. Instead she just smiled and
pushed him down in his chair. Slowly she straddled his
lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ben held her
tightly and placed his forehead against hers.

When he meet her eyes, he saw that they where blurry
with unshed tears.

“ I think I’m in love with you” her voice where thick
with emotions.

Ben couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had been
so sure that he would never see her again. Let alone
hear her say those words to him.

He smiled and tightened his hold of her.

“ I think I love you too” he whispered.
         
The kiss was soft. They took their sweet time.
Exploring, savoring, feeling. Meg felt more complete
then she ever had, and with every touch of his lips
against hers it growd. She felt like she was on drugs!
Her fingers where tracing his soft neck hair, enjoying
the feel of it between them. He was softly tracing her
thigh with one hand and the other was laced in her
thick hair. She could feel how he was wriggling the
locks around his fingers. Slowly they brook the kiss,
breathing a bit heavier. Meg smiled and traced her
thumb over his swollen lips, wiping away her lipstick.
He smiled back and caught her finger and kissed it.

“So…” Meg started and switched her position in his lap
to sideways. She unbuttoned the top button in his
shirt and slipt in two fingers just enjoying feeling
the warmth of his skin and the beating of his heart.

“So?” Ben smiled and brushed away a few strands from
her forehead.     
     
“ We are crazy aren’t we?” Meg said and looked into
his clear blue eyes.

“ Maybe, but it feels right” Ben answered meeting her
crystal blue.

They where still staring into each other’s eyes when
the door opened. Lisa opened her mouth to tell her
boss that his clients where waiting but the sight
shocked her big, big time.  She cleared her throat to
catch their attention.

“ God, Lisa don´t you know how to knock?” Ben said.

Lisa blushed. “ I did, sir”

“Oh…” Ben could feel how he shifted into a nice shade
of red.       

“ I hate to disturb you, sir, but you clients and Mr
Harring are waiting in the conferees room” Lisa
excused. She felt realy bad about breaking their
little own “conferees”  

“ Oh, tell them I´ll be right with them” he said.

Lisa nodded and walked out.

“ I guess that fun is over” Meg said and rose from his
lap, striating her clouds. Ben rose to and buttoned
his shirt.

“ I hope you let me call you tonight and we’ll have
dinner or something?” Ben asked almost shyly. He took
her hands in his.

“ I´ll be very upset if don´t” Meg said and wrapped
her arms around him. They kissed again. Ben groaned
and pulled away.

“ I’m sorry I have to go!” He collected his papers and
took her hand leading them to the door. He bent down
and kissed her quickly before hurrying down the
corridor. 

She watched after him and smiled before turning to
leave.

******

Ben was about to open the door to the conferee room,
but stopped dead in his tracks with his hand resting
on the doorknob. What was he doing? He had gotten Meg
back and he was on his way to a boring meeting. A
meeting that wasn’t even that important!

A smiled crept over his face and he made a U-turn and
walked back. On his way to the elevators he dropped
all his papers on Lisa’s desk and continued walking.

“ Sir, the meeting!” she exclaimed.

“ I’m out of here!” he called over his shoulder.

“ What should I tell them?”

The elevators door opened and Ben stepped in and
pushed the button for the lobby.

“ Tell them I’m emigrating to Kansas, or tell them I’m
taking the rest of the day off- your call! See you on
Monday” he shouted as the doors closed.

Lisa just stood there watching the doors, hands on her
hips. Suddenly she laught out loud and shook her head.
“ Well, that was about time!!”

She kept smiling as she made her way towards the
conferee room…

******

“ Meg!!! Wait!!!”

Meg stopped and turned at the sound of her name.
Through the crowed she could see Ben running towards
her. She smiled and was about to open her mouth to
speak when he fasted his over it.

People stopped and looked at the couple in the middle
of the street.

After a couple of minutes they broke apart catching
their breaths.

“Not that I’m complaining but I thought you had a
meeting?” Meg said.

“ I’m playing hooky” Ben grinned and stole another
kiss from her.

“ You’re a bad boy” Meg purred close to his ear.

“ So, have eaten?” Ben asked and Meg shook her head
liking her arm with his.

“ No. Do you know any good places?” she asked and
leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked.

“ Well, Billy’s make a mean pie” he suggested and
laught remembering their first meeting.

“ Billy’s it is! “ Meg said.

They crossed the rode and walked in the direction of
the pub. Just as they where about to enter Billy’s Meg
stopped in their tracks. She looked at him.

“ Ben, your not a lawyer are you?” she asked.

“ No, I’m software developer. Why?” he looked
confused.

Meg´s whole face lighted up and she kissed his cheek.

“ No reasoned, darling! No reasoned at all!” she said
lead him into the pub…

The End

 

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