I really hated the sound of that alarm clock, that piercing, irritating repeated beeping. After a second or two I slowly started realizing that it was not just another day, it was the day.
I felt the movement in the bed as she reached for the clock and then the beeping stopped allowing me to slip back towards tranquillity again.
"Love you," I whispered.
"Excuse me, you were saying?" she said sarcastically.
"You heard me," I said a little louder yet trying not to strain my tired voice.
"I didn't say I didn't fucking hear you, I asked you what you said. Repeat it, louder. And try opening your eyes this time." After a moment of contemplating the situation I forced myself to make an effort and sat up, looking at her. Everything about her was beautiful even in the morning. The way that curly almost black hair just touched her shoulders. The casual pose she held sitting on the edge of the bed in that worn Lakers T-shirt. I took her hand and pulled her a little closer admiring her mischievous smile. She wanted to say something but she waited for me to speak first. I kissed her hand repeatedly and looking into her dark brown eyes I said slowly overenunciating each word: "I...love...you." Her smile got wider as she replied.
"You better. Don't you dare flake on me now." She lay down beside me and kissed me gently wrapping her arms around me. I slid my hands inside her T-shirt running them up and down her back and I said: "We really don't have time for this." "Absolutely not. How about the shower?" And the shower it was, taking far too much of the time we did not have. I stood shaving when she asked from the bedroom: "Denny's or Jack in the box?" "Which one is the most romantic?" "Breakfast in bed!" "OK, you got me. How about Big Bob's in Burbank?" "You call Big Bob's romantic?" "We're not making love there, we're eating." "It's a drive, I'm hungry. I wanna eat now." I looked at my reflection in the mirror,...