My recent job as a nurse in the sleep study lab has me working night shifts and weekends. Par for the course when you're low on the totem pole I guess. I've learned to live with it but it nearly ground my love life to a halt. That is until Brett walked through my doors.
He doesn't have any of the physical ailments usually associated with sleep apnea. He's young, has low blood pressure and is in fantastic shape, and I mean fantastic shape. From the first day he walked in almost a year ago I was attracted to him. Tall, clean cut with a couple of tattoos peaking through and just a hint of bad boy. Some might see him as a little cocky but there's just a level of self confidence that exudes from him when he speaks. I spent enough time with him on his last visits to get a pretty good read.
When he was first referred to us we went through all the usual tests and came up empty handed. During his overnight sessions he was often restless, flopping one way then the other until eventually, he would kick all his bed coverings off. I neverminded of course because he slept in only a pair of boxers and the scenery was something I didn't get often. I spent several hours admiring his physique and daydreaming of things unbecoming a nurse. He was restless enough sometimes that his dreams would play out verbally. Eventually waking him, he would finally sit up in bed restless and ask to talk to whomever was on the other side of the cameras. It was always me of course and oftentimes I would have to pause before answering his calls so I appeared to be busy doing other things and not pining over him.
He would talk about the normal things like work and the gym and whatever else seemed to keep him awake at the time. His thoughts were sometimes deep and thought provoking. Occasionally he would talk about this girl Kim he was seeing but never really in a good way. She was always doing something to intentionally give him hell. For a while I thought that she could have been part of some psychological stress that was causing his insomnia but I ruled it out since part of his referral required therapy sessions meant to reveal such a problem. Still, he was always careful not to get too personal with his thoughts.
His last stint here was short and when it came to a halt we found nothing wrong. The doctor, giving up, sent him home with some arbitrary prescription for sleeping pills.
I was surprised to see him back when he walked through the doors and even more surprised when he asked, "How's Kelsy doing?"
I didn't think he'd remember me and certainly not by name.
I bashfully responded, "Good, and yourself?"
"Better now, doc says I'm your new study for the next two weeks."
Two weeks! I thought. That was longer than the usual stent but I wasn't complaining.
"Looking forward to it," I replied as he walked past me and into the doctor's exam room.
His first night just happened to be that same evening and my light patient load had me excited. It was so light in fact that I only had one lady ending her study that evening and no one booked for another week.
When he arrived for his study I let him know how lucky he was.
"Due to the lack of inpatients you get the penthouse suite." I said.
We called it that because it was a little larger than the other rooms and sat right in front of the control room. In addition to cameras it had a large two way mirror that allowed for a more, "personal," observation.
"Great, as long as you're still available to chat if I get restless." He said with a smirk.
Our rooms are set up much like your typical hotel room with a bathroom, mini bar, desk and T.V. We try to make each patient feel at home as much as possible. It also allows me to observe their bedtime rituals before going in and adhering probes all over them in preparation for the night's observations.
When Brett entered his room he kicked off his shoes and neatly placed them side by side at the end of the bed. I remembered from before how neat he was. He then removed his outer shirt leaving a white wife beater that stretched over his torso like a sporting goods mannequin. Grabbing the T.V remote he threw himself in the air, landing sitting up on the bed with his legs crossed. He started surfing for something on the television but minutes later he gave up and grabbed his phone and earbuds. It didn't take long before he was laid back enjoying his selection of music. His head bobbed lightly as he relaxed and leaned into the mound of pillows at his back.
I watched intently wondering what type of music he was into. Whatever is was seemed to change tempo and his body started to follow. First his shoulders started to find their groove followed by a rhythmic snap of his fingers. It dominoed down his torso to his hips as he stood re-energized from the bed. With a slick spin he sank to the floor and rolled onto his back. My view was partially blocked by the bed but I could see he starting an exercise routine. His head rose above the beds edge and back down. I watched as sit up's became abdominal crunches and elbow to knee kicks as his workout ramped up. After a fierce couple of minutes of core exercises he had to come around the bed and in front of the mirror just to get enough room for his six foot body to stretch out. He placed his feet on top the bed and started doing inverted push-ups.
I don't know who was getting hotter. As the sweat started to bead on Brett's brow and run down his cheeks my own temperature rose. His arms were soon glistening and I could make out every muscle group as he pushed himself harder. I focused on a bead of sweat that rolled across his collarbone to his sternum and disappeared behind the wet fabric as he changed to dips, using the arms of the desk chair in front of me.
I quickly turned to see if any lights were on in the control room, worried it might give my presents away through the mirror. I was getting turned on being the fly on the wall and wondered how much longer I could take it.
Lucky for me the dips ended his routine and he stood up straight and eyed himself in the mirror as his chest heaved for air.
I never mentioned the mirror to him so he had no idea I was standing only inches from him on the other side. The room's camera was behind him and pointed at the bed.
For privacy reasons the cameras are not allowed to see anywhere else in the rooms but as Brett turned and walked into the bathroom I could see his reflection through the sink mirror. A little oversight we all knew the control room had but kept secret.
He bent over and started the shower.
When he stood back up he wrestled the sweat laiden fabric over his back and head. I felt my loins flutter and the feeling ran south as he continued to undress. He turned toward the door allowing me a look at the payoff from his quick workout.
He wiped the sweat from his chest with his shirt and began to shimmy his shorts down. I stood on my tiptoes against the glass for a better look just as he elbowed the door closed, shutting down my arousing peep show.
"Shit!" I said out loud as I slumped back in my chair.
For the next short while I patiently waited for my subject to exit the bathroom like a puppy waiting to be fed.
Eventually the door opened, exhausting the steam from the shower. Placing his toothbrush on the counter he turned and cut his way through the white mist back into the room. He had a towel wrapped tightly around his waist and tucked into the natural V below his stomach. He made his way to the bed and once adequately covered he picked up the nurse call button on the nightstand and called out to the camera that he was ready.
That was my que to enter the room and set up the probs and wires for monitoring his rest. I purposely procrastinated again to seem like I was busy managing other things. Truthfully though I needed time to collect myself and snap out of the lustful trance I was in. I stood at his door until I was able to put my professional face back on.
"Knock, knock," I wrapped on the door.
"Come on in Kelsey!"
There it was again, my name. I liked the way it rolled off his tongue. He was making it very difficult for me to remain professional.
When I entered the room he was sitting up in bed with the T.V playing in the background. From his waist down he was covered in sheets and from his navel up he was shirtless.
"I hope this is ok", he said. "I knew you had to attach your probes to my chest and head, so I thought this would be easier."
"It's fine," I replied as I started to put the adhesive back pads on his chest. It was everything I could do not to just start heavy petting him right there. Each time I pushed a probe onto his smooth skin I felt a tingle below my waist line.
He lightened the situation by making a few jokes as I attached the awkward pads to his face. He even made me giggle a few times mocking his good looks as the wires hung from his face like something from a sci-fi movie.
I made a joke about how Kim would probably jump his bones if she could see him now.
His face went slack as he told me that was no longer an option.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." I stammered.
"No worries, it wasn't an option before she left me either." He said.
"What do you mean?" I asked, knowing exactly where I was leading the conversation.
"She had no interest in intimacy long before we split." "Hell, it was like that the last time I was here."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize she was a lezbian." I said
He looked at me in an awkward silence until I couldn't keep a straight face anymore and we both broke out in laughter at my attempt to lighten the situation.
"Your legs," I said, holding up the last of the probes and trying to avoid another awkward moment.
"Oh ya, I almost forgot.""Give me a sec."
He shuffled around until the covers only covered his waistline and his legs hung from the sides of the bed.
"Sorry, I sleep nude now." "Well when I sleep." "Between that and a quick exercise routine I think it's been helping me to relax. "
"Whatever works." I said as I sheepishly applied the last two probes to his calves trying to ignore the fact there was only a precariously perched sheet between us.
"We better get you to bed if we are going to do this." "You've got work I assume and my shift ends at 7:00am."
"Thanks Kels," he replied as he made himself comfortable again. "I hope you see something new this time."
I do too, I devilishly thought to myself as I left the room.
The T.V Continued to play long after he rolled to one side and tucked into his pillow. Normally I cut the T.V's off as my patients fall asleep but I remembered from before that he slept longer if it played. Besides, the soft flicker of its light gave me a better view through the mirror. I usually have to watch through the camera's night vision to get a visual on my subject and this was a nice change.
