The One Where The Lines Get Kinda Blurry

The One Where Reality Dawns

Jen lay breathless and satisfied, one arm falling behind her head, as David rolled himself off her and flopped back into the plump pillows, their legs still entwined beneath the tangled covers. She turned her head to look at the slightly sweaty, tousle haired man beside her and let out a deep, relaxed giggle as he grinned widely back, mirroring her position as his hand also sank back behind his head.

"I always remember it being good with you, but I'm not sure I remember it being this good" she said with continued amusement, ".... that was just..... just..... wow!"

"Mmmmm" he sighed, still out of breath from their exertions, "I didn't think it could get any better but you just proved me wrong..... again."

Jen shifted position so her head was resting comfortably on the spot between his chest and his shoulder, David's arm snaking around her in a movement that was so fluid and natural. They lay together in completely relaxed silence for a few minutes, hands gently caressing naked skin as they both basked in the glory of their love making, breathing and heart rates slowly returning to normal.

David raised his head after a short while and glanced over at the clock. 4.37am. "Oh God, this is going to hurt tomorrow, well today I mean. I'm not used to this anymore...... not that I am in any way complaining though.... these last two days, and nights, have been up there with the very best I've ever had. Can we just press pause for a while and stay wrapped up like this do you think?"

There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere in the room.

"How many more nights are you in town or do you leave today?" Jen suddenly realised she had absolutely no idea how much time they had left together before they had to part. She had been so wrapped up in the romantic notion that they could make this work and ride off into the sunset together, that she had barely stopped to consider the realities of the situation. He had a daughter. A daughter who lived thousands of miles away in New York. A daughter who he shared custody of and saw every week and mostly every other weekend, frequently more. He could not and would not be dropping everything to move back to LA just because they'd shared a couple of memorable nights together. What the hell was she thinking. How could they possibly make this work?

David sensed the down swing in her tone and almost instantaneously placed his finger under her chin, lifting her eyes up to look at him. "Hey....." he said softly. She had raised her head but refused to meet his gaze, choosing instead to focus hard on the wall behind him. He tried again, more insistently this time, "hey..... I have time.... and I can and I will make time." She refocused her eyes on him and his fingertips could feel her fighting hard to gulp back the emotion as he saw the tears already threatening to fall.

"I can't lose you again" she half whispered, half sobbed as the overwhelming mixture of feelings, tiredness, euphoria and then desperation crashed over her, "I can't, I can't..... I just can't."

"Whoaaaa hang on, who on earth said anything about losing me? Certainly not me. Where has that suddenly come from?" He pulled her tighter into his chest as he felt hot tears begin to drip down into the smattering of hair.

"Before we know it, you're going to be flying back home and who knows when we'll be able to see each other again?" she wept uncontrollably. "It's not like the world is a normal place right now, is it? We can't exactly be hopping from coast to coast whenever the mood takes us, especially when I'm going straight back into my Morning Show bubble in a couple of days. And besides you've got Cleo to think about..."

"Jen..... Jen, just stop and breathe for a moment, please... just breathe okay."

He held her silently for a couple of minutes, giving her the freedom to cry and expel all those negative thoughts that had suddenly overpowered her. When he felt the tension release from her shoulders, he lifted her head once more so that her eyes had no choice but to focus on him, and began to speak affectionately.