Chris groaned when the alarm clock blared. He fumbled for the off button, and then sagged back onto his pillow. Beside him, Elizabeth rolled over and wormed her way deeper under the blankets.
With a heavy sigh, Chris slid nude from the covers and climbed to his feet. I need a vacation after my vacation, he thought. Then he grinned. No way I’m gonna regret that vacation, though. They’d called it their “Last Hurrah” but “Hurrah” was the understatement of the year. Even if the new year was only a week old.
He looked out the window at the back yard. It looked cold. The thermometer just outside the window read 35 degrees, which would make swimming unpleasant. He sighed. He’d been looking forward to getting back into the pool.
Instead, he pulled some underwear briefs out of his dresser and slipped them on. Then he padded down to the den.
He flipped the lights on, turned on the TV, and slid the :20 Minutes Workout video into the Betamax player. He hit play and stepped back into the middle of the room. The opening credits started—
—and the music blared from his speakers.
Chris leapt forward and turned the volume knob on the stereo, too late. The sound slammed through the room. He cursed under his breath and hit pause on the recorder.
Forgot about Leah’s party, did you?
To be fair, it’d been before they’d left for Utah, and they just hadn’t used the TV or stereo since they’d gotten back. But still…
He adjusted the volume knob and checked all the other stereo settings, particularly the bass. Then he double-checked them. Finally he hit play and returned to the middle of the room.
The aerobics instructor Bess Motta came on screen. As always, she looked great in the tight leotard, as did the two women behind her. She smiled and explained their first workout, and then she and the other women began.
Chris started to mimic their moves.
About five minutes into the routine, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see Leah in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb. She was nude and bleary-eyed.
“Good morning, Pumpkin.”
“You woke me up,” she grumped.
“You woke yourself up,” he said. “Someone left the stereo volume on high after her last party. Despite being told several times to turn it down.”
“What! That party was, like, weeks ago.”
“It’s still your responsibility.”
“It’s too early for this. I need coffee.”
“Make me some, too,” he said. “I’ll be there in… fifteen.”
She nodded and disappeared up the hall.
When Chris walked into the kitchen, he found Leah sitting at the table with both hands wrapped around her mug. She looked a lot less bleary-eyed and gave him a half-smile.
“Coffee’s ready. Obviously.”
He smiled and went to pour himself one. “It looks like you need a vacation after your vacation too.”
“Yeah,” she smirked. “Except I’ve got one.”
He laughed. “That’s right. You don’t have to head back to work like I do.” He put his hand on his brow in mock agony. “However shall I manage?”
She snorted. “I’m sure you can do it.”
“Well, of course. Look what I have to come home to.” He waggled his eyebrows to make the innuendo clear.
She smiled but still rolled her eyes.
He filled his mug and smiled at her again. “I’m going to have some cereal. Want some?”
“Yes, please.”
He brought the bowls, spoons, and cereal to the table. Leah gave him a warm smile when he sat down and joined her.
“So,” he said as they started eating, “will Mark be okay with what happened?”
“In Utah? Oh, yeah. I told him last night and he was really excited.”
“You called him? Last night? So late?”
“Not late in Seattle. C’mon Dad, you know time zones better than I do. Besides,” she continued, “I didn’t call him once while we were on vacation.”
“We were a little busy,” he said with a grin.
“You think?”
“Hey, I only kept you up one or two nights. You kept me up almost the whole trip. It was hard for me to endure.”
That was a preview of Only Fair. To read the rest purchase the book.