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“Left side in or left side looking from the footboard?”
I huff a laugh. “Left side in.”
He waves me on, as if to say have at it.
“I’m just gonna piss,” I say, heading for the bathroom. I do pee. And then I brush my teeth. And then I wash my face. And then I contemplate at what point Teddy will think I’m in here taking a shit. Before I reach that point, I head back into the bedroom.
The lights are set low, the overheads off with only a soft glow emanating from beneath the top of the headboard. It’s nice. I’ve never seen a headboard like that. I get undressed without a word, opting to wear only my briefs like I normally do to bed. I’m not sure what Teddy’s wearing under the sheet.
It feels odd, slipping in beside him. Despite knowing Teddy for well over a year, closer to two, I don’t know him, not really. These past twenty-four hours have been like a small crash course into Teddy 101. But we’re still only acquaintances at best. Maybe, given a little time, we could be friends. And then eventually, we’ll get divorced. So, a pretty natural progression, all things considered.
Somewhere in the recesses of my mind is a manic laugh.
“You’re overthinking again,” Teddy says, eyes dark yet warm in the limited light.
“Yeah,” I admit.
Teddy reaches forward, fingers sifting through the hair at the side of my head. My eyes slip shut as he scratches there, like a tiny head massage.
“It’ll be okay, Kipp,” he says softly. “Whatever you think is best, we’ll do. If you want to get an annulment, we can go file the paperwork on Monday.”
“No,” I say, not yet opening my eyes. “I’d rather wait. I just…”
“It’s a lot,” he says. His thumb presses near my temple, the pressure strangely relaxing.
“Yeah,” I breathe out.
“Sleep,” he says. “We don’t have to take care of anything tonight.”
I nod, and Teddy’s hand slips away. I open my eyes in time to see him turning off the light, and then it’s dark once more. It’s not quick, but eventually, I do drift to sleep.
Hopefully, everything will make more sense in the morning.
Nothing makes sense.
I blink my blurry eyes, wondering if, maybe, I’m still dreaming. But the vision before me doesn’t clear.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
“Do you, uh…” I swallow down my spit, holding on to the wall for support. “Do you do this often?”
Teddy lifts his head, looking down the length of his body at me. His arms are stretched above him, hands holding loosely to the barbell that’s now resting in its cradle at the top of the weight bench. He’s wearing gym shorts that are gaping around his substantial thighs, and his furry chest is on full display.
“Yeah,” Teddy answers. “I do some reps most mornings. Why?”
I won’t survive this.
“No reason,” I lie. Can one die via blue balls? “I think I might go for a run.”
“Want some company?” he asks, sitting upright.
“You run?” I ask, the surprise of that overriding my current brain melt situation.
He shrugs. “Sometimes.”
“Um, okay, sure. Maybe you could show me around the area?”
Teddy gives me a beaming smile that makes me feel like I did something right. “I’d be happy to.”
