Coffee and Love

“Wake up,” someone whispered in my ear. “Time to wake up.” I groaned and tried to turn but arms held me in place. “We have work to do, Caleb.”

“We’re on vacation,” I whined but opened my eyes anyway.

Mirela smiled. “Yes but you told the crazy pregnant lady’s husband that you’d have his pictures today.”

I groaned. “Ah shit. I did, didn’t I? And knowing her, she’d hunt me down and rip my throat out.”

Mirela laughed. “That’d be quite the sight to see.”

I opened my mouth to retort when someone knocked on the door. Mirela slipped out of bed and I saw she had changed into a pair of sweats and a large t-shirt. I was impressed she found one big enough. While she answered the door, I dug around in my suitcase to get out of my suit. I frowned and stood up straight. I turned around as she brought in a tray with breakfast on it.

“You stole one of my pajama shirts,” I pouted.

“But I brought you breakfast,” she said.

I chuckled and went to the bathroom to change. I smiled as I dressed, thinking about last night. I was so relieved I finally got to tell her. I was even more relieved and happy to hear her say it back.

“What’s for breakfast?” I asked.

She was setting up our laptops beside each other on bed and walked back to the living area table.

“Eggs, bacon, and toast,” she answered. “Nothing special; just room service.” She cleared her throat. “I was thinking we could just stay in today when we’re done with editing the Christmas pictures.”

I smiled and kissed her. “I like that idea very much.”

She smiled back and I turned the TV on while we ate our breakfast. She leaned into me and I grinned. After a breakfast with a rather strange movie, I picked up my camera and we got back in bed.

“Luther emailed me the pictures with the two older kids,” Mirela said, snuggling under the covers and opening her laptop. “I’ll mess around for a little bit while you work on the Yen family.”

“Sounds gravy,” I said with a comfortable yawn.

“Oh my,” Mirela laughed. “You were right! These kids look miserable!”

“Just wait until you see baby Tui,” I snorted and she looked over.

“Aw! Look at those big tears on those chubby cheeks,” she cooed. “She looks… happy.”

I nudged her and pulled up my editing software. Last week I had put the same software on Mirela’s computer when we got slammed one day and had to work on two computers. I whistled through my teeth as I clicked on the ones they wanted to keep.

“Shit,” Mirela groaned. “This family wants almost every single picture; even the ones where the daughter is screaming at her dad.”

“The dad seemed like a good sport,” I laughed. “I don’t think we should keep them but we have to do what the client wants.”

Mirela’s playful demeanor was gone and she was focused. I liked it when she was like that; it showed she took things seriously. There wasn’t any messing around or seducing like with Jenny. I frowned at the memory as I put a Christmas border around one of Tui’s solo shot. Would that happen again? I hoped not. The idea made my stomach turn.

Mirela kissed my shoulder, taking me by surprise. I stared at her and I blinked at the strange look on her face.

“Stop thinking about it,” she whispered. “It’s over.”

“Can you read my mind or something?” I grumbled, turning back to my computer.

“Or something,” she said, doing the same. “Point is you need to let it go.”

“I know you’re still pissed, too,” I said.

“That’s different,” she said. “I’m pissed because she tried to seduce my boyfriend then slapped him. I’m allowed to be pissed.”

“I’m pissed at her,” I said and she scoffed.

“No you’re not,” she said. “Well, you are but I know that’s not what bothers you.”

“Just shut up and work,” I sniffed and she giggled.

“Yes boss.”

I smiled. We worked quietly for another hour before she started nudging me with her foot. I smirked and nudged her back. I tickled the bottom of her foot with my toes and she gasped, pulling her leg so the bottom of her foot was on the bed. I turned slowly to her, my smirk widening.

“Have I finally found Mirela’s ticklish spot?” I whispered.

“No,” she said quickly. “Just… your feet are cold.”

I kissed her cheek, logging that information in for later. After a final hour, she whooped.

“Done with the grouchy family!” she proclaimed.

“And I’m one picture away from crazy lady,” I said.

She put her head on my shoulder and watched. It was a group shot with Tui in between her parents.

“It’s so adorable,” she whispered. “Although, that is one chubby baby.”

I laughed. “Yeah it is.”

I did an air brushed snow border and a cheesy ‘Merry Christmas’ in cursive letters underneath it. For Tui’s solo shots I had put ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ in varying fonts. It looked pretty decent in my opinion.

“Switch,” I said. “Here is the Yen email and you can forward the pictures. Let them know that Luther will be the one sending them the physical printouts and the CD with all the pictures, both original and edited. Then send an email to Luther letting him know the same thing.”

“Okay,” she nodded and pulled up my Outlook account.

While she typed up the emails, I looked through her edits. God, she was good at this. There were only two that I adjusted, showing her that she used a border that didn’t really fit what they wanted. At first I thought she’d be offended but she nodded seriously.

“So I should have picked one that matched their sweaters?” she asked.

“For this one, yes,” I said, scrolling through the different ones until I found Christmas lights wrapped through garland. “It changes for each client. Sometimes they don’t even need a border. One reason I wanted one for these two clients is because they’re for Christmas cards.”

“That makes sense.”

When that was done, I logged into my email account on her Outlook while she turned my laptop off. She yawned and slid down under the cover, watching me until I had the emails to the family and Luther sent out. I then turned her laptop off and stretched. I looked down at her with a smile.

“What time is it?” she asked and I looked at the clock by the bed.

“One in the afternoon,” I said. “Still just want to stay in?”

“If that’s okay,” she said.

I got down beside her. “Of course it is.”

She smiled and wrapped her arms around me. I closed my eyes happily.

“You know, you look incredibly sexy in my shirt,” I said in a low voice.

“Is that so?” she asked.

“Mmhm.” I smirked down at her. “I wonder what you’d look like without it on.”

She slapped my chest good naturedly and rested her head on my shoulder, looking up at me.

“I love you,” we said in unison.

I laughed. “Jinx you owe me a Coke.”

“Maybe later,” she shrugged and kissed me.