BECAUSE PURPLE - Introduction: Ā Happy Birthday to Me
I donāt really sleep-in any more ā after years of night-waking with babies, and then rising early to get kids ready for school, my internal alarm clock is permanently set for about 5:30 am. Ā Also, Iām a brooder, a worrier, and Iām pretty sure Iām depressed. Ā My best brooding, worrying, and grieving happen when Iām trying to sleep. Ā Even on weekends, holidays, or vacations I rise early. Ā Sometimes that sucks, but there are other times, when my mind isnāt on overdrive, that I relish the peace and quiet.
This morning? Ā Iām not sure yet. Ā Itās taken me a few seconds to shake out the cobwebs. Ā My eyes are refusing to open. Ā I think Iām hung-over. Ā Plus it doesnāt feel like my own bed? Ā Then I remember. Ā Today is my birthday ā Saturday December 19th. Ā Iām 37 today. My mom took the kids for the weekend so I could have some long-overdue fun-time with my friends. Ā I had booked a room at a downtown hotel for just myself so I wouldnāt have to worry about driving if I had too much to drink. Ā Last night my 2 best friends and I went out for dinner, and then to a club ā dancing! Ā I hadnāt gone dancing in years. Ā The rest is a bit fuzzy, but Iām sure it will come to me as I wake. Ā I do have a vague sense of feeling happy, which is really nice for a change.
I slowly open my eyes, enjoying the sense of peace. Ā Just as I start to smile at the thought that I could lay in bed all day if I wanted, something next to me moves in the bed. Ā What the hell?!?! Ā I practically fly off my side of the bed, as my head whips around to see what the hell is there.
Itās a āwhoā, not a āwhatā - a male āwhoā. Ā There seems to be an extremely attractive, much younger MAN in my bed (I think itās my bed ā is this even my room???), sound asleep, and shirtless. Ā I have no idea if the rest of him is clothed, since he has the bed covers pulled up past his waist. Ā
Oh my god. Ā What the ACTUAL fuck?? Ā
I quickly look down to inventory the state of my attire. Ā OK. Iām in my panties and t-shirt. Ā Soooo⦠Iām not naked, and Iām not sore in any places that would indicate THINGS occurred (and Iād most likely be a little sore since itās been a WHILE). Ā I am definitely hung-over. Ā Iām not at all clear on how the hell I got into this situation, but Iām pretty sure I did not have sex with the softly-snoring, very colorful man who is asleep next to me.
I sit back down on my side of the bed and take a look at him. Red hair, short, scruffy beard, colorful tattoos all up and down both arms, and, wow, thereās a really huge lion tattoo covering his entire chest ā¦huh. Ā This guy looks like Ed Sheeran. Ā Wait. Ā There canāt be too many guys with this combination of looks and ink. Ā I think it might really be him. Soooo, I wake up on my birthday and Ed Sheeran is in my bed?! Ā Happy birthday to me, I guess?
I decide to allow myself the luxury of admiring the lovely, younger man who is asleep next to me. Just for a minute. Ā It IS my damn birthday, after all. Ā Then Iāll likely properly freak the hell out. Ā Heās on his side, facing me. Ā His hair is messy, just like in the pictures and videos Iāve seen. But I suppose it could be bed-head. Itās a stunning shade of bright orange, and itās slightly wavy, and a little long, like heās overdue for a haircut. His arms are over the bed covers, so I can see the tattoos. Ā Iām fascinated, and study them for a few minutes. Ā There must be over a hundred of them, spanning both arms from wrists to shoulders - so colorful against his very pale skin. Ā The lion on his chest is spectacular. Ā It spans the entire upper-half of his torso ā chest, pecs, sternum⦠the mane reaches out almost to his shoulders. Ā There is a light sprinkle of ginger hair across his chest. Ā I almost missed it because of the bright colored ink of the lion. My eyes move up from his chest to his face. Ā Itās quite beautiful, really. Ā He must have shaved within the last few days, because the scruff is short enough that I can see a dimple in his chin. Ā But his lips⦠I think they might be the most perfectly shaped lips Iāve ever seen. Ā They are very full, and the top lip is shaped like a cupidās bow. Ā Iām just blatantly staring at his mouth now. Ā Hmmmā¦I feel like I should stop staring, because, well, I donāt know. Ā But then again this whole situation is probably the weirdest thing thatās ever happened to me, so Iāll just go with it and stare away. Ā
But now heās opened his eyes, and all I see is blue, staring right back at me.
āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā-