If you haven’t read them, catch up with the beginning of Eyes Wide Open, Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3!

 I open first one eye then the other and peer at the clock on my nightstand.  Yuck, a Sunday morning when I could sleep in, but my mouth is so dry it feels like it’s stuffed with cotton and my head is pounding.  It’s only 8 a.m. but I know I won’t be able to fall back to sleep.  I realize I’m wearing just lace panties and an old tee shirt. There’s a bottle of water and some ibuprofen on my nightstand and I’m pretty sure I hadn’t put it there.

I was also pretty sure I hadn’t taken off my wine-stained blouse, the black pencil skirt or my hooker heels, yet there they were placed neatly on the chair in the corner.   I downed two pills with a small sip of water and it tasted so good I drank some more.  I needed to figure out what happened last night.  The whole encounter at the bar with Mr. Gorgeous was mortifyingly clear in my mind but after that things started to get a little fuzzy.

Sipping more water, I try to think.  I remember waiting for Mike to finish up so we could leave together and then getting in his car.  I must have fallen asleep cause I think I woke up when the car jerked to a stop.  Getting out of the car, the cold night air sobered me up enough to get up the stairs.  Mike said he’d carry me but I insisted I was fine as long as he held onto me.

By the time we got to my door, I was feeling better.  I know Mike followed me in and I think I asked him if he wanted a drink, but he just kind of rolled his eyes so I guessed he meant no.  I remember reaching down to slip off one of my shoes and losing my balance just a little.  It seemed so funny that I started to giggle and then I kicked off my other shoe and it felt a little like a strip tease and before I knew it, I’d stepped out of my skirt as it fell to the floor.  Mike just watched silently as I did my boozy bump and grind while trying to unbutton my blouse.  Then he stepped closer and his big hands gently brushed away my fingers and he undid the buttons himself, keeping his eyes on mine the whole time.  I fell backwards on the bed, giggling, trying to unhook my bra but I couldn’t.  Oh, gosh, I swear I will never drink again if I just didn’t flash any girly bits at Mike.  But I have my bra under the tee shirt and my panties are still on…

Walking gingerly into the kitchen in search of caffeine, I find a note propped against my Keurig.  “Finally awake, Sunshine?  Come on over and I’ll make you breakfast since you didn’t eat anything before falling into bed.  Mike”  The word falling is underlined twice.  Shit, I at least owe him an apology for last night.  So, a quick shower, hair pulled back in an elastic and dressed in jeans and a tee, I head over to Mike’s apartment.  He’s just a couple units down from mine.

I feel my face heating up as he opens the door to his place, all calm and big and comfortable looking, dark grey tee shirt pulled tight across his chest and biceps.  “Mike,” I begin, “I don’t know what to say about last night..”

“Well, how about, ‘Mikey, I just lo-o-ve you,'” he says in a silly, high-pitched voice, smiling at me just a little.  His hazel eyes are warm and teasing and he pulls me into a big hug.  I mumble something into his shoulder and he pulls away.  “I didn’t catch that,” he says, looking down at me.  “Fine.  I said I’m totally humiliated, ” I say, staring at his chin.  He squeezes me gently then takes my hand.

“Come on in,” he smiles.  “I made you some eggs and oatmeal.  Here, sit down and eat while it’s still warm.  You want juice?” he asks, gesturing to a glass of green liquid he’s drinking.  I can’t help it, I almost gag.  I shake my head.  “I don’t suppose you’d have any coffee?” I ask hopefully.

“Is this okay?”  He hands me a cup from Starbucks, looking a little anxious.  “It a no-whip mocha.  I remember you said you liked it.”  I take a sip of pure delectable heaven and eat my eggs.  “Oh, that is yummy,” I sigh.  “Can I ask you something?   Did I, uhm, flash you or anything?”

He doesn’t look up right away and I wish I knew what he was thinking.  “So, you don’t remember any of it?” he asks, looking crestfallen.  “It was that memorable, huh?”

“No, it — what?”  My mouth is open now in shock.   He’s grinning just a little.  “Seriously, you don’t remember anything about what happened?   How good we were together?” At my look of utter horror, he shakes his head.  “Jeez, Princess, sorry, I was just kidding.  I would never take advantage of a girl who’s that wasted, no matter how much she begged.”

“I did not beg you for anything,” I said, my face redder than ever. “Well, just not to leave you alone in your big bed,” he says.  Oh, God, it’s worse than I thought.  No drinking on an empty stomach ever again!

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~ Diane D