People at the airport thought I'd been drinking. I hadn't, but I can't blame them for thinking that. I had stubble on my face, I staggered and I'd been working six days round the clock to straighten out some problems on an offshore oil-drilling rig created by a Malaysian Toolpusher who didn't know shit, but had an uncle in politics on the Company Board.
I fought back tears when I spotted my smiling Claire waving at the gate. I was that tired. I don't normally tear up, but maybe ten hours sleep in six days brings you back to what's important. And Claire was important. I hugged her and ran my hand up and down her back. I couldn't tell her how much I thought about her as I looked across a dark ocean at night; how she was always in my thoughts as I drifted off to sleep on a couch; how her enthusiasm for everything from raking leaves to roller-blading was so appreciated and so much part of the picture of her in my mind. So I just said "I'm so glad to see you" and blew my nose.
"Allergies?"
"Every time I see you."
She squeezed my hand and guided me to the car. I promptly fell asleep in mid-sentence. I don't know if it was her sentence or mine, but it didn't matter.
We got home and I got to do something I'd been dreaming about for days: sleep. I tossed my clothes in the hamper and all cares aside for the next 13 hours. When I awoke it was 11:30 am Thursday. The house was quiet. Claire was at work and wouldn't be home for six hours. My mind said "Get up!" but my body said "What for?" so I pulled a blind and went back to sleep.
The sound of my garage door opener roused me hours later and I was rubbing my eyes when Claire walked in.
"I can't believe you're still in bed! Have you been sleeping all this time?"
"Yuuup" I replied in my best Gary Cooper voice.
"I woke up once but my body was still aching so I went back to sleep."
Didn't you sleep at all on the rig?
"I'd nap for a half-hour at a time when I could squeeze it in, but that's yesterday. Come sit by me and let me run my hands through your hair and smell that sweet perfume."
"Let me take off my pantyhose firstβ¦"