I was at a pre-Christmas house party at my co-worker Jodie's lake house outside the city. I had only met her husband Todd a couple of times, and only briefly each time. But I had known her for a few years, and we always got along well. I felt an instant attraction to her the first time I saw her, but I tried to keep that a secret.
A few dozen of her and my friends were at the party, and everyone was having fun, listening to music, chatting, drinking and dancing.
My friend Joe had given me a ride to the party, and he supposed to drive me home later, but he got a call from his girlfriend. Kim was working a late shift that night, and she didn't feel well. She asked him to come pick her up from work early and take her to their home. He hadn't been drinking at all, so he was okay to drive. When he told me about Kim, I assured him that it was no problem, and that I hoped she was feeling better soon. Some pain relievers and sleep can work wonders.
I couldn't find another ride into the city, so I tracked down Jodie, who was moving from group to group, making sure that everyone was having a good time. I explained what happened and asked if I could stay the night. She said that it was no problem, there was plenty of room in the house.
As the party went on, her husband got more and more drunk, loud, and sloppy. A few times I caught her rolling her eyes at his favorite crude jokes. Unlike her, he was not concerned about most of the other guests, and just wanted to get drunk and play poker with his friends. Before midnight, he was passed out on a chair in the living room. A few of his buddies dragged him up the stairs to bed, and they decided it was time to head home as well.
After the other guests trickled out, I helped her clean up some beer bottles and glasses scattered around the living room, the dining room, and the deck. We put away the leftover chips and dip and the veggie tray.
"Okay, that's enough for tonight. I'll do the rest in the morning. I'll show you to your room." She led me upstairs to the spare room, and pointed out the guest bathroom down the hall. It was chilly in the bedroom. The heat was turned low because no one was expected to use that room that night.
"Do you need anything? Blankets? A glass of water?"
"Water would be great, thank you."
"Okay. You brush your teeth and get ready for bed. There are some new toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet. I'll bring your water in a few minutes."
She paused by the door and turned the heat up a few degrees.
"I'll make sure Todd is still breathing." she said with a wry smile.
Of course, I didn't bring any pajamas or anything, so after I was done in the bathroom, I stripped down to my boxers and quickly slipped under the covers to get out of the cold. It didn't take too long to warm up under the duvet.
As promised, she came back and knocked on the door. "Come in!"
She had changed for bed as well, wearing a nightgown, her hair now loose around her shoulders. I couldn't resist a glance at her gorgeous legs as she brought the water over to the bed. I looked up and she smiled as she passed me the glass of water.
I thanked her for the water, and thanked her for inviting me to the party, and for letting me stay over unexpectedly.
"You're welcome! I'm glad you're here."
She sat down on the side of the bed and we talked for a few more minutes as I sipped the water. I saw her rubbing her arms to warm them, and I knew that she'd soon be heading to her warm bed.
"Can I get under the covers for a minute? Just to warm up?"
"Oh, uhh, sure, of course." I slid back away as she lifted the covers and slid in. I held the covers down in front of me so that she wouldn't see me in just my boxers. She moved over to the middle of the bed, to the warm area where I had been. "Mmmmm... much better."
We chatted some more and I finished the water.
"Won't he be waiting for you?"
