In the morning, the romantic atmosphere from the previous night was gone. The sun shone brightly into the room, the light hitting the faces of Calleigh and Eric. The quiet air was now replaced with the sounds of busy streets, construction and a city fully awake.

Eric groaned as his body recalled the night before. He hadn't spent it alone but this time, the girl was still here. Or he was still with her. The inside of his mouth felt dry, his teeth felt as though they had grown fur against his lips and his head felt as though it were the size of a scuba-diving air tank.

The soft breath on his skin called him to look down at his chest to see a naked, petite frame using his chest as a pillow. Even though her long, blonde hair was covering most of her face, it was undeniable that it was Calleigh Duquesne, his friend and co-worker.

Whatever had happened last night, he prayed, would come back to him before she woke up.

It was still too fuzzy; the drinks, the music, the flirting and the specifics of what happened. His mind flashed scenes of Calleigh, moaning and writhing beneath him but how did they get there? He could feel his body begin to betray him and worried a growing appendage might disrupt the already delicate situation they were in.

He tried not to notice her bare chest or the curves of her body under the duvet which hung off her back. He prayed she was unaware of her actions as she rubbed her leg against his and nestled her face into his chest.

"More," she sighed and pulled her body to his, tighter.

One hand moved under the blankets towards his stomach. Eric took her hand and twined their fingers together, trying to prevent anything else Calleigh would ask to take back in an hour.

"C'mon Eric," he muttered. Maggots. Ants. Floaters. GSR wound to the stomach. His body began to regain control. There we go, he thought gratefully.

Eric relaxed, allowing himself to enjoy the moment with her. He worried it would be the only time he could see her like this. Her face relaxed, her body warm against his bare skin; it was almost too much.

It was then when he brushed her hair back and relaxed his grip, the clock radio on her bedside table blared through the quiet room.

"It's 9:30 on Sunday with DJ Liza and Loco Lou in the morning, coming to you live on this gorgeous-"

Calleigh's head snapped up from her spot on Eric's chest as her arm to snaked out from the covers to hit the snooze button. She laid back down on a confused Eric, who now had no idea what to do. Her eyes snapped open again and her face ran through the possibilities of who or what could have happened and where she was.

Reacting before thinking, Calleigh pulled the duvet over her head and hide there, hoping this was a nightmare.

Eric pulled the blanket back, knowing her seeing them both naked would not help her.

"What are you looking for?"

Calleigh grabbed a pillow to cover her chest and found a deep blue bathrobe near the headboard. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and tied the robe tight to her body.

"Calleigh?"

"We're in my apartment," she murmured. "We're in my apartment."

Eric looked around the bedroom for his boxer shorts, eventually spotting them three feet from the end of the bed. Trying to be as discreet as possible, Eric used a pillow to cover himself to make his way across the bedroom to retrieve them.

"We're in my apartment," she said again.

"Calleigh?" He sat down on the end of the bed, close to her but still at arms length.

"We're in my apartment," she repeated. "I don't remember getting here."

"Do you want to use the washroom first?" Eric asked and she nodded. When she made no movement for the bathroom, Eric looked around nervously. "Do you want me to use the washroom first?"

Calleigh nodded again. "Don't lock the door."

"Uh," he laughed nervously. "Calleigh?"

"The door is broken, you'll be locked in," she replied stoically. "I'll go put on some coffee."

Eric watched her walk down the hall, focused on her hands instead of the scraps of clothing around the room. It appeared as though they had torn each others clothes off like kids ripping into their Christmas presents. He saw her underwear on the headboard, her bra on the side of the bed, her skirt down the hall as well as her knee-high boots.

Eric made the bed and picked up all the clothes around the room to put them into her laundry hamper. If anything, he knew she would appreciate the thought, even if she didn't notice it this morning.

Inside the shower Eric was hit by the fresh, floral and delicate smell of the soap and shampoo she used. Eric tried to scrub off the feeling of last night's drinking. He washed his hair, he scrubbed his skin and tried to ignore the screaming voice in the back of his head that told him he screwed up and she would never forgive him.

When he stepped out of the shower there was a toothbrush in its wrapper, fresh pair of boxer shorts and a large T-shirt on the kitchen sink. Eric smiled; Southern hospitality would always be in Calleigh Duquesne, hangover or not. He assumed his jeans were in Calleigh's room but realised she must be washing them for him.

After brushing his teeth, Eric made his way down the hallway. He picked up her boots and put them by the door on his way to the kitchen. He could hear the washing machine from the front hall and hoped maybe this meant he had the possibility of surviving this morning.

Surprised to find her still in her robe, Eric watched her as she quietly waiting by the coffee maker. Her face looked fresh, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Eric was struck at how young she looked.

Eric leaned against the counter. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she said, sounding unsure. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a beatnik is playing bongo drums in my head," he replied. "I could use some coffee, which I can see you're making..." Calleigh said nothing and Eric ran his fingers down her arm to hold her elbow. "Cal? Why don't you take a shower, I'll get the coffee."

"Sure," Calleigh replied and started to turn to face him.

Eric stepped toward her, placing his hand on her hip and the other on her shoulder. Her cheeks flushed and she let out a shaky breath. Was she nervous?

Calleigh closed the gap between them, pressing her body to his; his arousal pressed against her stomach. Glancing from his eyes to his mouth, Calleigh licked her lips and Eric leaned in to kiss her. Calleigh stood on her toes to close the gap. Her mouth opened, her tongue reached into his mouth, teasing him softly. Eric pressed her against the counter and kissed her with fervour. She let out a small moan and ran her nails down his back.

Suddenly, the coffee maker started sputtering, causing the coffee grinds and hot water to come out the top of the coffee maker. Calleigh broke the kiss and muttered a curse under her breath. Simultaneously, Calleigh grabbed some paper towel as Eric shut the machine off. The water stopped pouring out of the machine but the mess had been made.

"Piece of junk," she muttered as she cleaned up the grinds off the counter.

"What is? Does this happen a lot?" Eric asked.

Calleigh sighed and Eric tried not to groan. Even without a shower, Calleigh smelled amazing. He could smell her sweat, her minty toothpaste and their sex from the night before. It was just too much to take and Eric took a step back.

She nodded. "It's happened a few times. If the filter isn't in just right, it spills. I don't think I was paying attention to what I was doing..."

"Why don't you get a new machine?" he asked.

"I keep meaning to but it works most of the time so I forget about it," she justified with a shrug of one shoulder.

Eric threw the wasted grinds in the trash and rinsed out the cloth he used to mop up the counter. "I can fix this. I'll make some coffee and you take a shower."

She didn't reply, she continued to look down at empty filter. Eric wanted to bring her into his chest, to hold her, to kiss her again.

"Calleigh?"

"Sure, sure. Do you want some breakfast? I'm sorry I didn't offer anything - I think I have ingredients to make pancakes."

"I'll get started. You take a shower," Eric insisted.

Calleigh smiled slightly. "I'll be right back."