By Quinn Tyler Jackson
"Did you ever think you'd be triple spooning me and a cat?"
Connor opened one eye. Josephine's amber curls obscured most of his view of the cat's golden ear. His arm was around her and her arm was around Nigel, the tom. He listened to her breathing, but mostly heard the cat's purr.
* * *
"Roll over," she said.
He didn't want to move. He didn't want to think. He didn't want to shift a muscle. He wanted sleep. She was not going to give him sleep.
"You're snoring."
-- And you're being a hag. In his half-sleep, he was not certain whether or not the words had actually formed.
"Connor! You're snoring!"
-- A bloody crime!
He pulled himself to the side of the bed, threw one leg over, and then the other, and stood.
"Where are you going?" Carmine asked.
After gathering his pants and undershirt, he replied, "I'm going to sleep on the couch." Before allowing for a reply, he was already out the bedroom door, his pants were on one leg, and he was hopping toward the couch.
"You're such a bastard!" Carmine hollered through the wall at him.
* * *
In amongst the softness of the bamboo sheets, pressed against Josephine's nakedness, Connor stroked the softness just under the tomcat's ear.
"The thought never crossed my mind," he finally answered her. He pulled closer and kissed the back of her neck.
* * *
"How'd you sleep?" Carmine asked over the top of her steaming mug of coffee. She had already showered and was dressed to head out for work.
Connor did not reply, but instead just screwed up his light-sensitive eyes at her.
"Are we not going to talk?" she asked.
"How do you think I slept?" he finally said.
"You didn't have to sleep on the couch," Carmine replied. She put her now empty mug into the sink and rinsed it out.
"Have a good day at work," he replied as he headed into the washroom to take his morning shower. He heard the front door shut and lock as he started shampooing his hair.
* * *
"Never even crossed my mind."
- - -
