Thing 35: How do you feel about love these days? [Part 2]

Part 1: http://idlemindunhinged.blogspot.ca/2013/08/thing-35-how-do-you-feel-about-love.html

And let the saga continue! I suppose I should post a disclaimer that I'm simply posting what I dreamed as accurately as I can, though I'm obviously trying to make it a decent read. You're free to make whatever assumptions you'd like, but I'm not changing the story at all, and I didn't have much conscious control over how the story developed.

Note: I've been sitting here for half an hour now working on this passage. I'm having serious trouble finishing the second paragraph. I dare say I lack the skill to adequately express what I dreamed. My ineloquence does not do her beauty justice... Though admittedly emotions play strongly into how you perceive a thing, so what one may see as pristine another may see as painfully ordinary. I need to work on my ability to convey emotion through my writing, and my ability to describe my vision without cheapening it.

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A lump rose in my throat as the reality of the situation in which I found myself hit me like a freight train. I was unable to speak; to breathe; to comprehend. I could only stare unblinking at the girl lying next to me.

She lay facing me, with the covers pulled all the way to her neck. The fluffy white sheets rose and fell with her gentle breathing, revealing the vague outline of her small yet shapely frame hidden beneath. I followed the curves of it with my eyes; down the dip of her waist and up along her shoulders, eventually coming to rest on her pristine face. Short golden hair, nearly white, fell across her pale skin. She seemed radiant in the bright morning light, her soft features absorbing it as if welcoming an old friend.

Simply put, she was beautiful, and I was in awe.

The implications of her presence there, however, caused a growing concern that far outweighed the small twinge of pride beneath it. How did I get there? Why was I in bed with a woman I had never seen before?

I lost track of how long I lay there, staring, but the burning in my lungs reminded me of the need to breathe and helped to shock me back to reality. I closed my eyes as I took a few deep breaths, hoping the darkness would help me to regain my composure. Once I was certain that I had sufficiently collected my thoughts, I took one last look at the girl before sliding out of the bed. I moved with deliberate care, doing everything in my power to avoid disturbing the sleeping beauty.

As my feet touched the plush carpet I spotted my pants neatly folded beside the bed and realised for the first time that I wasn't wearing any. A chill ran down my spine as blood rushed to my face. I wasted no time in donning the jeans and took a seat in the chair on the far side of the room. Having no idea where I was, I decided it would be best to get as much information as possible as to how I got here before deciding my next course of action. Nerves had me wringing my hands as I waited for the girl to awaken.

A feminine groan jarred me from my brooding. The woman in the bed began to stir, stretching the stiffness from her muscles beneath the sheets. Her eyes blinked beneath her furrowed brow as the brightness of the room assaulted them. Once they adjusted, they settled on me, sitting across the room, and a grin found its way onto her face.

"Good morning."

A weak smile was the best response I could muster.

After one final stretch, the girl began to slide into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard of her bed. As she did so, the covers slipped down her chest to fall in a heap in her lap, revealing a her bare breasts.

In a panic I shut my eyes as tightly as I could. It took every ounce of my willpower to keep them that way, and my knuckles were white with the strain of my grip on the arms of the chair.

I swallowed back the lump clawing once again at my throat before addressing the girl. "I'm sorry, but, um, could you, um..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, sure..."

I heard some rustling from the bed as I maintained my death grip on the chair. When the movement ceased, I slowly opened my eyes. She had brought the covers up and had them tucked neatly beneath her arms. Her smile had disappeared, and I could see sadness brewing in her eyes as they stared directly into mine.

It was almost more than I could bear.

The silence was oppressive. My hands wrung nervously in my lap as I searched for words that refused to form. The girl waited patiently, her hands idly gripping the edge of the sheet she had wrapped around herself.

With a deep breath, I mustered my courage. "So, I'm not sure how I got here. Last night I vaguely remember accompanying some friends to a bar, but most of the night is a complete blank for me. This is an entirely new experience for me, as I don't drink, and from the lack of hangover I'm guessing I didn't start yesterday, but the fact remains that I can't remember a thing, and I'm a bit scared. I was hoping I could ask you some questions to fill in the blanks."

He shoulders sank a bit as she averted her gaze. "Go ahead," she said.

Why are you naked, I thought.

"I know this is horrible, but may I ask your name?"

A slight empathic smile appeared as she answered: "Alyshia."

Why are you naked, I thought.

"And, um, do you know who I am? Do you know much about me?"

The smile widened and her face softened. Her eyes, however, remained just as sad. "I know quite a lot about you, actually. You spent most of the night telling me about yourself."

"I'm sorry." I looked down in shame. "That seems rather rude."

"No, it's alright," she interrupted, holding up a hand to stop me. "I really enjoyed our discussion. I was flattered that you opened up to me, and I could tell you were being really genuine."

I returned her smile. "Thanks."

Why are you naked, I thought.

"Can you tell me what happened last night?"

"Well, I went out with a few friends of mine. I'm not very social and they were trying to get me to break out of my shell. Eventually we all started dancing, and that's where I met you. You were really enthusiastic, and at some point you found your way over to me, and we started dancing together.

"After awhile you leaned in and asked if we could go somewhere more quiet to talk. You said you wanted to get to know me. By now my friends had all but abandoned me, and you seemed friendly enough, so I agreed and we went out to the patio where you offered a proper introduction. 'Dominic Isaac James Aquilina, at your service, madam.'" She giggled and gave an exaggerated flourish as she imitated me, causing another blush to erupt on my face.

"Sorry," I said. "I can go a little overboard sometimes."

"No, it's alright. I thought it was sweet .You were open and genuine right from the start." She seemed to get lost in thought at this. Her hands wrung idly in her lap as she stared into nothing. "Truth be told it was really refreshing. Everything else seems to be drenched in pretense these days. You wore your heart on your sleeve."

"So what happened?"

"Well, we talked for a long time. You told me all about yourself: about your degree, your childhood, your depression, and your passion for writing and games. You didn't hold anything back."

"Geeze..." I ran my hand through my hair as I shook my head. "I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, I'm not a private person by any stretch of the imagination, but... Anyway, I'm sorry to have subjected you to all that."

"I was more than happy to listen. You gave me a rare insight into your life, your emotions, and it was fascinating. Significantly more so than the club, in any case. I'll take a good conversation over a crowd any day. And you were more than happy to answer all of my questions. It was nice.

"Anyway, we talked for so long that the bar closed and they kicked us out. As far as I could tell all of our friends were long gone, so it was just the two of us. You gave me your phone number and we said our goodbyes, but as I was leaving I noticed you looked really confused. When I came back and asked what was wrong you said that you couldn't figure out where you lived; that there were a bunch of houses popping into your mind but you didn't know which one was yours. I could tell you were getting frustrated, and that something was clearly wrong.

"Eventually I offered to let you stay at my place for the night. I thought you were just tired, and that we could figure the rest out tomorrow. It took some convincing to wear down your pride, but you relented and came back here with me. And, well, here we are." She gestured to the room arund us before letting her hand fall back into her lap.

An awkward silence hung thick in the air as I pondered her story. "Well then."

Why are you naked, I thought.

I sighed deeply, and looked her straight in the eye. "Why are you naked?"

She blushed at the bluntness of it and looked away. It took her a moment to respond. "That's just how I go to bed. I can't really fall asleep otherwise. And I felt so safe around you..."

"So, um, we didn't..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence.

Her blush deepened. "No."

My relief was clear, and I let out an audible sigh as I brought my hand to my face. "Well, that's good."

It took a minute to realise what I'd said. In a panic I jumped to my feet. "Not that I wouldn't, I mean, um..." My jaw worked soundlessly as the words caught in my throat. The hopelessness of explaining quickly became clear, however, and I sat back down. "I'm sorry, that was really insensitive. I just meant--"

She held up a hand to stop me. "It's fine, really." Her eyes slowly rose to meet mine. "I offered, to be honest, but I knew what you'd say. You gave me your life's story, after all. You were a perfect gentleman."

I gave a mental nod of respect to my past self. Even when deprived of my faculties I was able to stay true to my values.

I looked back at Alyshia and suddenly realised that she was still naked beneath the sheets. I jumped to my feet once again. "Oh god, I'm so sorry. I should let you get dressed. I'll go and wait outside, and once you're ready please allow me to treat you to breakfast. You were kind enough to take care of me when I couldn't take care of myself, and you listened to me rudely blather on about myself for hours. It's really the least I could do."

She let out a single, silent chuckle at my sudden excitement, and a smile crept onto her face. "I've got plenty of food here. I'll cook us up some eggs and bacon once I'm dressed."

"No, please, allow me. You've already done far too much." I started walking toward the bedroom door. "Take your time. I'll have breakfast waiting."

And with a final smile, I left the room. I stood in the hallway for a moment after I closed the door.

I probably should have asked where the kitchen is, I thought.

Part 3: http://idlemindunhinged.blogspot.ca/2013/08/thing-35-how-do-you-feel-about-love_13.html