My room. This is too weird. I just want to sleep though. My stomach is starting to ache and I’m a bit queasy. If I don’t lay my head down soon, I may be sick.
“I can’t.” I offer one more opposition before accepting. It’s the right thing to do.
“You can, and you will. You’ll have your own bathroom and be much more comfortable. Besides, I dropped your bag in there so that’s where you’ll be. I’m an early bird anyway. This way I won’t disturb you.”
“Early bird? I have to be up at six.”
“Well, I’ll more than likely be up before five.”
“Beforefive? What’s wrong with you?”
He laughs and it’s the most sincere laugh I’ve heard come from that cocky mouth of his. For the first time I’m noticing a smoothness to his face and a kindness in his eyes.
“Fine. I’ll sleep in the bedroom. Thank you again for this. I appreciate it.”
He nods as I make my way back to his bedroom. I shut the door behind me and then sit on the bed, practically sinking into the mattress. It’s like I’m sitting on marshmallows, except it's not sticky.
I feel like I’ve walked into a hotel room and I don’t belong. Jimmy is the reason I’m here. If it weren’t for that damn tree of his and his irresponsibility, I’d be asleep in my own bed right now, not having to worry about fixing my house.
For some reason my mind wanders and I find myself wondering how many women have been in this bed. I’ve never seen a woman over here, but I don’t have the time to spy on him either, not with all the work I bring home from Poppy Haus. I wonder if he has somebody in his life, or if he did previously and for some reason does not anymore. Whoever she was, or is, I am absolutely positive he drove, or drives, that person nuts.
I get off the bed and grab my bag and head to the bathroom. I need to take off my makeup and brush my teeth before I crawl into bed. After I’ve completed my nighttime ritual, I clean everything up right away and shove it back into my bag. I don’t want to leave a trace of myself anywhere.
I pull the covers back onto the bed and slide in. The sheets are smooth and a little cold, but they aren’t silk. Thank God. That’d be too 1985. Rayon maybe. I lay my head on the pillow and something jumps at my feet. I lift my head up and Kale has made himself at home next to my feet.
“How did you get in here?“ I shut the door behind me. He must’ve snuck in before I shut it. And how did he get up on the bed? He’s so tiny. I sit up and make my way toward the end of the bed, and when I look down I see a small set of stairs. Jimmy has stairs so his dog can get into bed. Oh, brother.
I put my hand on Kale’s side and briefly shake him. “Down, boy. Go to Jimmy.”
Kale lifts his head, turns it to the side and makes eye contact with me and then lays back down. And starts snoring immediately.
Great.
I turn out the light knowing there is nothing else I can do than try to fall asleep amid the train-worthy snores of a pug.
6
Rough.Slobbery. What is happening? I swat my hand at it, stopping it for a moment, but it starts again.What the?I open my eyes to a bug-eyed dog staring at me with a wide smile and a tongue hanging out of its mouth.
Kale.
I must have been more tired than I thought because despite the dog’s obnoxious snoring I managed to fall asleep fairly quickly. And stay asleep. I have to admit that Jimmy’s bed is pretty comfortable. No wonder Kale slept there.
I reach for my phone that’s probably almost dead because I didn’t bring the charger with me. The backlight illuminates the room. It can’t be after six o’clock. My alarm never went off. The room is pitch black. I turn on the lamp next to me and slowly position myself to a seated position. I yawn as I stretch my arms over my head and allow my feet to hit the floor. I make my way over to the window and tear open the curtains.
I shut my eyes as the sun almost blinds me. Room darkening shades. Which means that my phone is correct. I’m going to be late for work. I don’t have any time to shower, not that I want to shower at Jimmy’s house anyway, so I rip off my sweat pants and tank top, change my underwear, put on some deodorant, race a toothbrush through my mouth and a brush through my hair, and ignore the makeup.
I’ll have to run through a drive-through for some breakfast.
“Jimmy!” I swing open the bedroom door and race down the hallway to the living room. There is a blanket folded perfectly on the far left cushion with a pillow resting on top. Jimmy is nowhere to be seen. I go through the whole house, which really isn’t that big to begin with, trying to find him. “Jimmy! Where are you?”
Kale follows me around the house and eventually starts barking. “Stop it.” He races for the back door and hops up scratching the wood. He needs to go pee. Great. Like I have time for this. This isn’t even my dog. I open the door and he rushes outside, smells and circles a few times, lifts a leg, and lets himself go. I turn away. I don’t want to look, and it’s probably for the best. I don’t know the proper etiquette when it comes to a dog urinating. I do know that I can hear it and I’m grossed out. “Kale, come.” I motion for him to come to me.
Kale actually listens to me. I call for Jimmy again. That’s when I hear the front door open and he comes racing inside.
“What’s the matter, Reese?”
“What’s the matter? First of all, you were supposed to wake me up at six o’clock. Secondly, I woke up late and you’re nowhere to be found and I had let your dog out, which is making me even more late to work than I already am. Where the hellwereyou?”
