Free Newlywed Games by Mary Davis

deep in her suitcase like it was a matter of life or death that she find out if she forgot anything else.
    “You can use my toothpaste,” Bruce broke in. His voice did not suggest any emotions.
    He turned away and she fell silent. What was hethinking? She was rambling like an idiot. She knew it but couldn’t stop. She hadn’t expected to feel so nervous; after all, he said he would be leaving. She hoped he meant it. She heard a drawer open, then close a moment later.
    He appeared at her side again. “You can wear these.”
    Her hands, of their own volition, reached out and accepted the men’s blue silk pajamas. Her thank-you got caught around the lump in her throat.
    “I’m going to go wash up,” he said, and entered the master bath.
    Meghann stared down at the blue silk in her hands, biting her lip, wondering what he’d do if she bolted for the front door and just went home. Because she wanted to do exactly that.
    More than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.
    Bruce hadn’t heard any noise from the bedroom and had taken longer than normal in the bathroom to make sure he didn’t catch her indecent. Tapping on the door, he said in a hushed voice, “I’m coming out.” He heard no protest; in fact, he heard nothing at all. He rattled the doorknob to make his intention known and opened the door slowly.
    A smile crept across his face when he saw her curled up on the far side of the bed. Her head was on his pillow and her feet conspicuously hanging off the bed as if to keep her shoes off the bed. He moved around the end of the bed to stand beside her. She stillheld the pajamas he had given her cradled in her arms.
    He debated whether or not to wake her. She was so tired and the situation was terribly awkward. The contrast of her dainty form against the dark, harsh background appealed to him but seemed out of place. He looked around the room and surveyed the rest of his apartment. After being in Meg’s wonderful house, his place suddenly resembled more of a show room than living quarters. This was definitely a bachelor’s apartment. Unlike Meg’s charming, cozy place, there was not a hint of anything feminine here, except this delicate flower asleep on his bed. The picture was too lovely to disturb.
    Slipping off her shoes, he carefully eased her feet onto the bed and pulled the forest green and burgundy comforter over her. As he brushed back a strand of hair from her forehead, a warmth welled up from deep inside him, a sense of rightness. He wondered if a month would be long enough to satisfy his need to take care of her and gazed at her a moment longer before silently slipping away, closing the door softly behind him.

Six
     

     
    M EGHANN WOKE SLOWLY, MOVING HER STIFF BODY AND rolling onto her back, stretching her muscles one at a time. She felt so snug and comfy…
    She pried her eyes open, but they slammed shut. Concentrating hard, she managed to get one open and keep it open. With success, she proceeded to open the other one and focus.
    This isn’t my room,
she thought with a yawn.
Where am I?
Suddenly her eyes snapped wide open.
Bruce Halloway’s!
Reality crashed in on her and she bolted upright in bed. Quickly she scanned the room and the bed. Her heart raced. The clock read 7:22 A.M.
    Man, what a sleep. Once she drifted off, she was out. Sleep depravation had certainly caught up with her last night.
    The last thing she remembered was waiting for Bruce to come out of the bathroom after he had given her his pajamas. She looked down and found the blue silk in a puddle beside her. She was still in her clothes from yesterday; evidently she had slept in them. Thebed was untouched except for the comforter over her. Bruce must have covered her. But where was he? More important, where had he slept last night? Had he left as promised?
    She pulled back the comforter and stood. Making the bed with quick, hasty movements, she selected some fresh clothes and dumped the remainder in the two drawers Bruce had