Brass woke up to a terrible headache. He kept his eyes closed. Light didn't seem like a good idea. How much did I drink last night? He tried to think; he remembered a shot from his bottle of scotch in his drawer. But then I left. Was heading over to the cafe. Jenny doesn't serve booze so how'd I get so drunk? And why? I haven't woken up like this in years. Damn, how much did I have...

Seemed like his whole head hurt, but especially on his left side. His mouth tasted like well, shit. I'd forgotten that cotten texture too. Need to brush and empty a bottle of mouthwash to get rid of it. He rubbed his hand over his mouth, his stuble scraping his palm. Gonna have to open my eyes to get up though. He tried to force his eyes open, just a slit to see if it was a good idea....No, bad idea. I'll just wait awhile longer. Damn, what was I thinking last night?

He concentrated on lying very still. Any movement seemed to hurt his head And his brain was still pretty fuzzy; not to mention that he couldn't remember the party that left him in this condition. Then he felt something. The mattress shook...just a little. That opened his eyes. Pain shot through his head as the light flooded in. Slowly, very slowly because it caused more pain, he turned his head to see the source of the motion. Wait, this isn't my bed. Where the hell am I?

Then he saw the source of the motion. It was her...Jenny. From the rhythm of her breathing, he deduced that she was asleep. She even seems to be smiling in her sleep. her mouth wasn't really smiling but her expression was so tranquil that she seemed happy.Then a realization hit him. Holy shit! I spent the night with her? What...how did that happen? What did I...we do? And why did I get drunk to do it? He studied her face for clues. The rest of her was under the covers. He ventured a peek under the covers at himself...nothing but his shorts. And they looked a little askew. He was confused. One thing he knew for sure, he was going to kick himself for the rest of his life for being too drunk to remember a night with her. Damn, a night in paradise and I was too drunk to remember it. But wait, if I was so drunk...I don't do so good when I'm drunk. I mean Woody's willing but his spirit dies. Oh god, I've ruined it. I must've come on pretty strong and then just ...Morbid fear settled in as Jim thought about how miserably he must have performed in a drunken state. Shit. What's she goona think of me now. You're gonna get tossed out on your ass, Brass. And you'll deserve it. How could you be so stupid? He wished his head wasn't so fuzzy and that he would quit hurting so that he could think straight. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus but it just wouldn't happen.

Suddenly he was aware of her eyes on him. "Good morning," she smiled.

She's smiling at me. Maybe it wasn't so bad..."Good morning"

"How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts...and I'm pretty fuzzy."

"Well, the fuzziness is probably the drugs..."

Drugs? What drugs? I don't do drugs. "What? Drugs?"

"Your prescription. The doctor said you'd probably need them for a few days?"

"Prescription?"

"You don't remember, do you?" His expression told her that he had no clue. "You took a pretty nasty hit on the head last night. You have a concussion. The only way they would let you leave the hospital was if someone stayed with you to keep an eye on you. So, here you are."

"I got hit? With what?"

"Apparently a metal fence post."

"Oh." That explains alot. So I wasn't drunk...and we didn't... Jim wasn't sure how he felt about that, except that at least if they ever did, he'd be sure to be able to remember it. "So you were my nursemaid last night?"

"Well, there wasn't much to the job. Hardest part was putting you to bed. I've never had that much trouble getting a man into my bed before. If anything, it's usually just the opposite." She was smiling at him again.

"You...ah...I mean, I'm not wearing much." He was a little flusterd by her words.

"Yeah, most men lose their clothes very quickly in my bedroom. You seemed to have some objection to the idea though." She was laughing at him.

She undressed me. Wonder what she's wearing. "Hey, what can I say...I try to be a gentleman." He was trying to match her humor. The effort made him wince.

"Must be time for another pill" she commented when she saw his pain. Sliding out from the covers, she crossed the room and disappeared through the door.

Jim watched as she emerged from the covers and saw that she was wearing a tank top and flannel pants.The flannel didn't do much for him but the sight of her in that top took his fuzzy brain into a fantasy world. Keep yer hands to yerself, bum.Oh but how he wanted to touch her hemispheres and claim them as his own.

She returned with a pill and a glass of water. He swallowed both and handed the glass back to her. "Uh...I think I need to go to the..."

"Need help?"

He couldn't tell what the meaning behind her question was. Her eyes were teasing him but her face was serious...concerned. "I don't know. Maybe I should stand up and we'll see ."

She stepped aside as he gingerly moved to the side of the bed and sat up. Then slowly he stood. The room spun a little before he got his balance and he felt very wobbly. She slid next to him and put his arm over her shoulder, letting him use her to steady himself. They walked to the bathroom. "Now what?" she asked, her eyes showing her amusement at his precarious situation.

"I think I'll be okay," he smiled. "Just leave the door ajar so you can hear if I fall in."

She pulled the door almost closed behind her and he had the feeling she was standing just on the other side, listening for signs of trouble. He finished his business and washed up a little, rinsing his mouth, giving it a better feel. He turned to try to walk to the door but when he stepped, he got woozy again. "Ah...Jenny?"

She was there instantly. Understanding his need, she was beside him and the reversed the procedure back to the bed. "I think you need to stay here today. There's no way you are ready to be left alone."

"But...you have a business to run...I can't ask you to look out for me like that."

"You're not asking; I'm insisting. Besides, you aren't in a position to argue. Luis is in the kitchen today and I called Marcie; she said she could cover the front for me today. It's Tuesday...they're usually slow days anyway. They'll do fine."

"I thought Marcie only came in on Friday and Saturday?"

"Occassionally she'll come in to help out in an emergency. Now, no more about that. Those two I trust with my business." She patted his hand to reassure him that things really were okay. "Hungry?"

"A little. But I don't want you to..."

"No trouble. I'll run down and get you a plate."

"Run down?"

"I own the building, Jim. My apartment is over the cafe."

"Oh." I never realized that. Maybe it was a good thing I didn't know where she lived.

She returned with a plate of breakfast sausage, eggs, biscuits, and a glass of OJ. "You probably don't want it all but I thought I'd bring the usual variety."

"Thanks," He was discovering that he indeed was hungry. He started with a bite of biscuit and dove into the rest. After consuming most of the plate, he was feeling drowsy. She covered him as he nestled into the pillow. "Don't I get a good night kiss?" he teased.

Grinning, she leaned down and gently pecked him on the cheek. "Sweet dreams." And she was gone.

Whoa...what are you doing, Brass. You're way too old for her, you've already thought this through ...many times. She's still young...well, a lot younger than you. You got no right. she's not right for you...no, more like you're not right for her. Leave her alone...His eyes were heavy with weariness. But the way she makes me feel...so good... He drifted to sleep.

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