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16. Awkwardly Comfortable

Carlos and I made a second sweep of the apartment, looking for additional bedding. We gave up after looking in every conceivable place we could think of and flopped down beside each other on the sofa.

Carlos looked around and said, "I can sleep on the sofa."

"This is the only blanket in the entire apartment and I took it off of my bed. If you use it here, I'll probably freeze. If I take it with me, you'll freeze. Neither scenario really appeals to me. The funny thing is, I could have sworn there were blankets on the spare beds when we were here on Monday."

"Then that leaves us with only one option Babe. We'll just have to share your bed and hope that you don't jump me during the night."

I glared at him and after a moment, I realised that he was right. "We're both adults and we can share a bed. Besides, it's a super king sized bed that is wider than it is long, there will be plenty of room.

"I'm going to go get ready for bed. You can use the bathroom upstairs or you can wait until I am finished and use the ensuite."

When I walked out of the bathroom 10 minutes later, Carlos was sitting on the upholstered chest at the foot of the bed. He turned and looked at my shorts and t-shirt and said, "I don't really have any pyjamas, so I'll sleep in my shorts. I hope that's OK with you?"

I nodded, turned out the main light and moved to the bed. Carlos waited until I had climbed into the left side of the bed before he walked around to the right side. We pulled the duvet back onto the bed and then both crawled under the covers.

I don't know why, but laying there and staring at the ceiling, I had a very strong urge to laugh. I was fighting it and Carlos must have been able to tell something was up because he said, "If it bothers you that much, I can take a taxi home Babe, there's no need to cry."

When his words registered, I wasn't able to hold back my laughter any longer. Loud giggles erupted from me and I had to hold my stomach because it was hurting from working so hard to keep the laughter inside.

Carlos realised his mistake and said, "Oh, you're laughing at me, not crying because you're stuck with me. That's a little bit better I suppose."

"I'm not laughing at you Carlos!" I managed to choke out between laughs. "I'm laughing at how awkward this is."

"I know Babe, and I'm really sorry. Let's just try to get some sleep. We can analyse or pretend this didn't happen in the morning."

"OK. Good night Carlos."

"G'nite Babe."

I turned onto my left side so that my back was to Carlos and tried to fall asleep. A few minutes later, I had a thought.

"Carlos, you don't snore or talk in your sleep do you?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Do you?"

"I hope not, that would make this even more embarrassing."

I closed my eyes and tried to quiet my mind. After about 10 minutes, I heard Carlos' breathe even out and I fell asleep shortly afterward.

The next morning, I awoke, but was reluctant to open my eyes. I was extremely comfortable and warm, and didn't want to get up quite yet. I turned my head and heard a groan, so I opened my eyes. To say I was surprised at what I found was an understatement of grand proportions.

I was lying on my right side and my left leg was wrapped around Carlos' left leg. My left arm was draped across his chest, and his left arm was under my neck and wrapped around my shoulder so that my head resting on his chest and shoulder. His right arm was resting on my left hip.

If Carlos and I had a different type or relationship, this sleeping position would be understandable or even expected. Instead, it was a bit awkward, even if it was very comfortable. I didn't want to startle Carlos and I was really comfortable, so I decided to leave things alone until Carlos was completely awake. I couldn't see the clock, but it was still dark, so it was pretty early.

I started making a mental shopping list for all the things I would need if I was going to be able to have overnight guests in the future. I'd need two sets of Queen sized sheets, pillows and blankets. As I was mentally picturing the guest rooms after I bought a bunch of linens, a forgotten memory flooded my brain and I sat up with a start.

Carlos sat up beside me and gently placed his hands on my shoulders.

"What's wrong Steph?"

I looked at him and spoke so quietly that he had to lean closer to hear me. "We were set up."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean we were set up?"

I didn't answer him. Instead, I climbed out of the bed and walked through the living room and out to the hallway leading to the door out to the elevator. I opened the door and walked into the hallway, looking at the only other door in the hallway. I opened it and laughed as I pulled out a bundle of sheets, pillows and blankets.

Carlos' mouth dropped open when he was what I was carrying back into the apartment.

"How did they get in the closet out there?"

"As I said, we were set up."

"You are going to need to explain what you mean because I'm missing something and you're not making any sense."

I laughed, thinking back at the memory that triggered my realisation. I looked at Carlos and motioned for him to follow me back into the bedroom. It was early, I was cold and I wanted to crawl back under the covers before I started to explain what was going on.

Once back under the covers, I turned to face Carlos, who was lying on his side facing me. "I clearly remember that there were sheets and pillows on the spare room beds when we came here last Monday to check this place out.

"I didn't go into either spare room until after everyone left yesterday, so I didn't notice that anything was missing. I think your parents, or at least your mother set us up to spend the night together."

"Why do you say that? Maybe Jonny moved the sheets at the request of Linda."

"The reason why I think your mother is involved is because I remember her and your sisters carrying something bulky out of the apartment earlier. At the time, I didn't think anything of it, so I forgot about it. Thinking about it now, it was the blankets, pillows and sheets from the spare rooms. They stole them so we'd have to sleep together."

"How can you be sure?"

"The bundles they were carrying were the same colours as the sheets from each room, and your mother has made a few comments to me that lead me to believe that she'd support a relationship between us."

"What kinds of things?"

I sighed and thought back to a conversation from just the other day. "She told me earlier today that she really liked the way that you behaved when I was around. She also said that I brought out the best in you."

Carlos didn't say anything for a while, and the look on his face was quite pensive. Eventually, he looked at his watch and said, "I think you might be right, but it's too early to dwell on it now, let's try to get some more sleep."

I nodded, and before I could make myself comfortable, Carlos pulled me towards him. I narrowed my eyes at him, but let him place my head on his shoulder. I relaxed after a moment of awkward discomfort and closed my eyes, drifting back to sleep.

My stomach growled very loudly sometime later, waking both me and Carlos. I lifted my head to look at the bedside clock and saw that it was only 7:30. I groaned and lowered my head back to Carlos' chest, hoping that my stomach would behave and let me go back to sleep. No such luck, it growled again only a few minutes later.

"I think we had better feed you Babe, or we'll have a full-blown mutiny on our hands. You stay here and I'll be right back."

I watched as Carlos walked out of the room and smiled. I appreciated the view and it was the first time that I wasn't afraid to admit that to myself. I didn't want to dwell on my feelings for too long because I knew that once that door opened, it would be difficult to close. I know I'm not ready for another relationship and I'm definitely not ready for Carlos Manoso.

I listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen with curiosity, but I couldn't bring myself to get out of this comfortable bed to go and investigate. Instead, I cuddled down into the blankets and waited for the food fairy to appear.

I must have drifted in and out of sleep for the next 15 minutes because when I heard Carlos walk into the doorway, I was a bit groggy. I stretched out on the bed to help me wake up and heard Carlos moan like he'd hurt himself on something.

My eyes flew open and saw him watching me intently. "Is something wrong Carlos? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Walking in and seeing you stretch like that could kill a man."

Both of us blushed at his comment, but Carlos gracefully distracted me by placing a tray filled with wonderful smelling food on the bed. He crawled back into bed and told me what he'd made for breakfast.

"I used some of the left-over veggies, meat and cheese and made us an omelette. I also chopped up the rest of the watermelon and made a fruit salad. Enjoy."

"Thanks Carlos, this looks wonderful."

As I was eating, I noticed Carlos reposition himself on the bed a few times. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when I looked over at him when I was done eating, I was surprised to find that Carlos had a pained look on his face.

"Is there something wrong Carlos?"

Instead of answering me, he fluffed up his pillows and rolled onto his side so that he was facing me. "Why do you think my mother set this little trap for us?"

I thought about his question. I remembered the words Maria said to me earlier, and I had a feeling that she would love to see Carlos and me dating. I know I like Carlos, and I know we'd probably be good together. My problem is that I don't want to get into a new relationship before my old one resolves itself somehow. I want whoever is harassing me to be caught and dealt with before I put myself back out there.

There is also the possibility that if Ryan or his father is behind the attacks, dating another man might cause an escalation of some sort. I could endanger Carlos if I gave in to my feelings before things were resolved. For both our sakes, I needed to hold Carlos at arm's length for his own good.

"Earth to Stephanie."

My head jerked up and I made eye contact with Carlos. He looked concerned, but I managed to shrug it off.

"Sorry, I started thinking about what has happened to me recently. One thought led to another, and before I knew it, I was far, far away."

"Care to share your journey with me?"

I shook my head and rubbed my hands over my arms to warm them up and to help keep the morning chill at bay. Carlos pulled the blankets back so I could crawl under, and then he pulled me towards him so my head rested on his shoulder.

"Do you think my mother will be disappointed that her little scheme didn't work?"

"That depends Carlos. We don't actually know the desired outcome. Part of me does think that she wants us to be together, but I can't be sure."

"I think she does want us to be together, but I'm not sure why exactly. I know she loves you, so maybe she sees this as a way to have you as a more permanent part of the family."

I didn't have anything to say, so I enjoyed being close to Carlos without the pressure of conversation. My mind wandered back to thinking about the break-in at my apartment. I thought about the damage that was done to my belongings and couldn't understand why Ryan would do such a thing. Perhaps it wasn't Ryan after all. That revelation didn't make me feel any better.

"Carlos, can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

"Sure Babe, go ahead." He placed his left hand on my shoulder and started rubbing is hand slowly up and down my arm as I spoke.

"If you were really angry with your girlfriend and you wanted to take your anger out on said girlfriend's property, what would you destroy?"

As he thought about his answer, I moved my right hand and placed it palm down on his chest. Up until that point, my arm had been wedged between us and it was getting a little uncomfortable, so I needed to stretch a little.

"I'm not a very vindictive person, but for the sake of the hypothetical, I imagine I'd try to destroy anything of sentimental value."

I considered his answer, rubbing my fingers on his chest unconsciously.

"That's what I thought. I've been thinking about the destruction in my apartment. I'm not really sure Ryan would destroy my clothes, it just doesn't make sense."

Carlos stilled my fingers by placing his hand over mine.

"Do you think you should talk to Detective Carter?

Carlos' phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. Carlos had an odd expression on his face and made no move to answer his phone.

"Are you going to get that?"

"I'm not really in a position to get up at the moment."

It never occurred to me that I was lying on top of him, keeping him stationary. I started to pull away from him so he could get up but he held me tighter.

"Not so fast Plum. It's probably my mother and I think that it's only fair that I ignore her calls until I'm ready to get up and answer the phone. I'm enjoying our chat and I don't want her to interrupt us just yet."

His phone stopped ringing as he spoke and mine started shortly after, causing Carlos to grin and hold on to me tighter, just in case I felt inclined to answer my phone.

"If we don't answer, won't your mother be concerned?"

"Maybe, but it's more likely that she'll think we're otherwise occupied."

I blushed when I realised what he meant, causing him to laugh. I slapped him on the chest and he grabbed my hand.

"Careful Babe, you're playing with fire."

I didn't know how to respond to that so I said nothing for a long time.

Carlos finally broke the silence when he told me about Tom and his plans. "Tom and I went back to the Army recruitment office the other day. When I told my parents, they weren't very pleased. Don't get me wrong, they'll support me no matter what I decide, but I know they worry about me joining the Army.

"It's something that I've thought a lot about over the past year. The more I think about it, the more I think it's the right path for me. Tom was always going to join. He would have joined two years ago if his mother hadn't gotten sick.

"My dad wants me to finish college, but I'm not sure it's necessary. The skills that I learn in the army will be just as beneficial if not more so."

"Do you think your dad wants you to take over his business?"

"I don't think so. He knows that my interests lie elsewhere and he's never said anything that would make me think he wants me work with him in the long term."

I thought about what it would mean to Ricardo and Maria if Carlos joined the army. He would be away from home for long periods of time. Depending on his circumstances, it could mean that he isn't around much for 8 whole years. With that thought, realisation came to me.

"Carlos, that's it. Your mother is hoping that if we're together, you might be more reluctant to join the army."

Carlos leaned his head back so he could see my eyes. The look on his face showed me that he was shocked by my realisation, but he believed it.

"I don't know what angers me more, the fact that my mother tried to manipulate me or the fact that a relationship with you might be the only thing that would keep me here."

"Carlos, you can't be serious. Even if we did have a relationship, that shouldn't stop you from joining the army if that's what you want. There are hundreds of thousands of men in the army with girlfriends, why would we be any different. Besides, I'll be busy with college for at least one more year. If I decide to do post graduate work, that will be another one to two year commitment.

"If you are in the army and I do my Masters degree or another degree altogether, you could be off active duty before I'm done with school. Of course it would be hard to be away from you. It will be hard even if we are just friends, but I would never ask you not to go."

Carlos sat up and pulled me up so that we were facing each other so that he could wrap his arms around me and hug me tightly. After a few minutes, I pulled away and rolled away from Carlos. I turned to face him and we talked about what life would be life for him if he joined the Army. He explained his desired path and that involved joining the Rangers. I knew all about the Rangers. My father had been a Ranger and I knew that it was a huge honour and an amazing accomplishment.

I encouraged Carlos to do what he thought was right. He stared at me as he was lying on his back. We stayed in our respective positions for a long time. Carlos explained why he had such a burning desire to join the Army and I explained why I didn't want to be Burg. He wanted to change the world by eliminating threats to the people he cared about. It was an honourable ambition and I was proud of him for it. We stayed like that, talking but not actually physically touching for a long time.

After a while, we ran out of things to talk about. I looked at the clock beside my bed and decided that it was probably time to get up. Instead of rushing into the shower, I decided to take advantage of the pool and took a quick dip. Carlos joined me and started to swim laps. I relaxed in the water and watched him swim back and forth. I took advantage of his near nakedness and admired the view as his muscles rippled in the water.

I was starting to feel a bit waterlogged so I climbed out of the pool and continued to watch Carlos from one of the loungers. He eventually got tired of laps after about the 50th trip back and forth and joined me. He shook out his hair, splashing me and causing me shriek from the sudden cold. Carlos was busy tickling me and we were laughing when we heard someone clear their throat.

We both jerked our heads around to find both Ricardo and Maria staring at us with funny grins on their faces. Carlos dropped down beside me and said, "How the hell did you get in here? Why didn't you call?"

Ricardo chuckled and said, "We tried to call. You didn't answer. Johnny also called a little while ago. He knew you were still home and when he checked the security cameras, he saw that you were in the pool so he let us in. I hope we're not interrupting anything."

Carlos shook his head and I pulled my towel over and jumped up. I offered the Manosos something to drink and hurried to the kitchen to get a pitcher of iced tea. Maria followed me and helped. I didn't want to say anything about the situation she forced on Carlos and I so I stuck to safer topics, such as where the girls were.

Maria smiled and said, "They're at a friend's for the afternoon. We wanted to stop by and give Carlos the keys for the car. We won't stay long."

"That's fine. Carlos said that he has to work this evening so we would have called you shortly anyway. We just kind of lost track of the time while we were in the pool."

Maria gave me an understanding nod and helped me carry glasses up to the deck. After a quick drink, Maria handed Carlos the keys and then they were gone. I walked them out and returned to the deck to clean up. Carlos was grinning when I walked in. He looked at me and said, "I think you were right about the set up. My father asked me what on earth we were doing that neither of us could answer the phone. He said it in a way that makes me think that he was in on the plan as well."

I laughed and thought about his parent's interference in his life. I came up with a great idea. I looked at Carlos, who was still laughing and said, "Will you come home with me next Saturday for dinner? If I take a date, my mother will be forced to cancel her attempt at fixing me up with the Dick. Since I played along for your parents, it only seems fair."

Carlos nodded and said, "It would be my pleasure Babe. I'd even be willing to engage in some PDA to really make our story stick."

I laughed and said, "I bet you would."

I carried the glasses and empty pitcher into the kitchen and turned to find Carlos behind me. He walked closer and said, "As much fun as this has been, I really need to go. I have to go home before going to work. I'll see you at the office in the morning."

I smiled and said, "Feel free to take a shower before sitting in the car smelling like a pool."

He smiled and headed to the bathroom. He came back out less than 10 minutes later all dressed and ready to go. He gave me a quick hug and walked towards the door. When his hand was on the handle, he looked back at me and said, "I'll call you later Babe. Don't forget to call your friend Mary Lou. She'll want all the gossip and I'm sure she'll be interested to know that you spent the night with a guy you've only known a little over a week."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Later Manoso. Have fun at work and say hi to Tom and your sisters for me."

Carlos waved and was gone. I turned and had a momentary feeling of loss. It was silly really. I barely knew the man but he was always around when I needed him. I shrugged it off and went to have a shower. Once I was clean and dressed in clean shorts and a t-shirt, I picked up my phone and headed up to the deck.

I did exactly what Carlos suggested and called Mary Lou. I filled her in on what had happened to me in the past week and she seemed amazed that I was so calm about it. "I can't believe that you had to get a restraining order against Ryan. I also can't believe that you were accused of running a brothel. "

"I know. The only men who ever came to my apartment were my dad and that no-good ex of mine. Luckily Detective Carter set the owners straight."

"Yeah Steph, that is good. Now tell me about this guy you keep mentioning. Carlos isn't it?"

"He's been a great friend. We're kind of in the same boat. His girlfriend was the one that Ryan cheated with. We were both jilted and have built a friendship on that. His family is great too. I am working at his father's company for the summer and really enjoying my job."

"I'm happy for you Steph. You're still going to come back for the wedding right?"

"Of course I'll be there for the wedding. How could I miss it? You've been my best friend since kindergarten."

"That's good because I need you to be one of my bridesmaids. I wanted you to be my maid of honour but my mother is insisting that Lenny's sister be the matron of honour."

"I'd love that Mare. Do you have dresses yet? Will I need to arrange a fitting?"

Mary Lou was quiet for a moment and then asked, "When will you be here next? Maybe I can coordinate a fitting on your next trip."

"My mother is insisting that I come for dinner next Saturday. I have to call and let her know that I'm brining Carlos. I am hoping that his presence will discourage my mother from inviting the Orrs."

"Oooh, do I get to meet the mysterious Carlos?"

"Sure, why not. I'll come by yours before we go to my parents'."

"Great, I can't wait. I'm sure your mother will be annoyed if you bring your own date, but if it means that you are out of the clutches of the Dick, all the better."

Mary Lou and I talked for a little while longer. We finally got off the phone when she was called to dinner. I made an easy meal from the leftover food from the day before and spent the rest of the daylight on the deck with one of the many books that I found in the library. Once the sun went down, I cleared up things on the deck and went inside to enjoy the massive television.

I flicked through the channels and settled on an old rerun of NCIS. That Mark Harmon was dreamy, even at his age. I just hoped that whomever I settled down with looked that good in his 30s, let alone his 60s. I curled up on the sofa and when the episode was over, I was ready for bed. I cleaned up and crawled into bed and read for a little while. When my eyes were getting heavy, I pushed my book aside and curled up under the covers. I was just about asleep when my ringing phone jerked me awake.

"'Lo?"

"Babe? Did I wake you?"

"Carlos? Why are you calling so late?"

Carlos laughed and said, "Babe, it's only 9:30, I never dreamt that you'd be asleep already. I'm really sorry."

I sighed and said, "It's OK. I wasn't asleep, not yet at least. What's up?"

"Not much. I just wanted to check in and see how your evening went."

"It was fine. I talked to Mary Lou, ate some food and watched some TV. How was your class?"

"It was OK. A majority of the participants were little old ladies hoping to find out how to defend themselves from purse snatches. Tom suggested that I join a few of his training sessions to increase the hotness levels for my class, but I'm happy with a smaller number. It's easier to give more individual instruction when there are fewer people."

I thought for a moment and then asked, "How much does your course cost?"

"Why Babe? Are you thinking of joining?"

"I don't know, but knowing how to defend myself sounds like a good idea to me."

"It's not a bad idea Babe. If you want, you can join the gym where I work and I can teach you some things in the evenings after work. I'll have to do it on the days that I don't work in the office though, or I won't be able to get home afterward."

"I don't want to cause problems Carlos. Maybe I'll just join the class on Sunday nights."

"You can if you want Babe, but what I teach there is pretty basic. I teach other classes on Tuesday and Thursday that are more advanced. The classes start at 6:30 and last 2 hours. Tom teaches the classes with me. Why don't you come to the one on Tuesday evening as my guest? You can see what the class is like and if it's more than you're interested in, you can try the Sunday class."

"OK. That works for me. I guess I'll see you in the morning."

"Sure thing, and Steph?"

"Yeah?"

"Sleep well tonight. I know you'll miss me, but get some rest all the same."

I laughed and said, "My fluffy pillow is a little less rigid. I'm sure I'll sleep fine. Night Carlos."

"'Nite Babe."

I hung up and made sure that my alarm was set for the morning. I curled back up into my covers and fell asleep moments. The last thing I thought about was how uncomfortable my pillow was feeling at that moment.

More to come. Thanks for reading and drop me a line if you get a chance. :)