Three Strikes

Knock. Knock. Knock. I groaned and rolled over, tangled in my comforter and many covers. Knock. Knock Knock-Knock. I lifted my head from the comfort of my pillow and groaned, staring through knotted strands of hair. I did not want to get up. With bleary eyes I surveyed the glaring green lights of my alarm clock. The flashing lights read 3:28am.

Who the hell would be knocking on my door at this hour?

With an exasperated sigh I let my head fall back to the pillows only to hear the annoying sound of a fist meeting my apartment door. Knock-knock. Knock. “You have got to be kidding me,” I mumbled. “I need my beauty sleep.”

I ripped the covers from my pyjama-clad body and slowly shifted from my memory foam mattress. Knock. Knock. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” I said to myself, pulling my robe from the hook on my bedroom door. “This best be some emergency.” I said, slipping on my starry booties so my feet didn’t freeze against the tile floor. “A death or something, no wait, Rose shut up,” I scolded myself, “don’t jinx yourself. Too early for that.” With a large, whining yawn I yanked the door open to greet a familiar face.

“Joe?”

“The one and only,” smiled Joe, hair sopping. In his hands he held a broken umbrella that he then leant against the doorframe. His suit, a designer whose name slipped my mind for the moment, was ruined from the rain. I hadn’t heard it beating down on the roof of the building til now; I was a very heavy sleeper.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” I asked through a yawn, cocking my head to the side. Joe smiled at the action and gave a silent chuckle.

“Nice hair.” He said, nodding to the bed of tangles that I called a ’style’.

“Back atcha,” I said, pointedly looking at his drenched curls.

Joe smiled and dropped his dripping overnight bag in the door. “Can I come in?”

I nodded, flashing him the engagement ring; I must’ve forgotten to take it off before I fell asleep. “What’s mine is yours, remember?” I held the door open a little wider. Joe shuffled through, leaving the ruined umbrella outside. “What are you doing here? You should be in Boise.”

“Change of plan.” Joe said. His sodden shoes leaked with rain water. I motioned for him to take them off. He slipped out of his suit and left it in a pile on the floor, a small puddle forming quickly. He stood in the middle of the open plan kitchen, skin glistening with droplets of water. “Can I change?”

I waved a hand dismissively and boiled the kettle, still half asleep. “I’m going to make you some cocoa or something.” I murmured, wrenching open the cupboard doors. “You look like you need some.”

“Rose,” Joe said, smiling gently at me. “Thank you. For everything.”

“You made a mistake.” I said plainly, grabbing two mugs: a Winnie the Pooh one for myself and a Chicago Bears one for Joe. “Not an honest one,” I added freely. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t help you set it right?”

Joe fell quiet as he snatched a pair of flannel pyjama pants from his bag. He shoved them on and came to stand at my side. He placed one arm either side of my body, trapping me against the counter. My back was crushed against his cool, moist chest and I nipped at the inside of my mouth to keep myself from blurting out some stupid statement like: “I know we’re best friends Joe - but I think I’m falling madly in love with you.”

Slowly, Joe lifted one of his hands and stroked the bare flesh of my arm. Goose pimples formed from his touch and he rested his chin against my shoulder. “Looks nice,” murmured Joe, his breath tickling my ear. Joe buried his nose in the crook of my neck and, to my surprise, kissed the skin there tenderly. “Thank you,” he said again, effortlessly moving his hand to rest on my stomach, draping his arms around me. “It’s going to be hard to let you go after this.” He kissed the spot again.

A smile crept over my face. I lifted my head and turned to face him at an angle. “I think I’m just beginning to realise…” I trailed off, locking eyes with him. Joe smiled and lowered his head, bringing his skilled lips down on mine and the rest of the world disappeared.

XXXX

At 7:58am my alarm tolled, signalling for me to get up. I buried my head in the pillow, much like I had done hours earlier and resigned myself to the fact that I had to go to the store today to pick up some things. I rolled over only to find myself chest to chest with someone else. My eyes snapped open to see Joe’s sleeping form laying next to me in my bed. My brow puckered with confusion and I shot up in bed, the cover falling to reveal my naked chest, much like Joe’s. I scrutinized the room to find my pyjama tank top at the bottom of the bed. My PJ bottoms were in the same state.

With trembling hands I peeked under the covers to see my underwear, thankfully, still in tact. My heart raced as I thought back to last night and I felt dread wash over me. From the corner of my eye I saw my purity ring sat on the bedside table, sparkling from the sunlight that bled through the drapes.

What had I done?!