I was awakened by gentle lips that were leaving kisses on my face and shoulders. "Cariño, you have to wake up or we'll be late" his voice caressed my temples and I felt the weight of his hand on my arm.
I gripped the pillow more tightly, bringing it to my chest, and begged him to leave me there for another five minutes.
"I can't," he said, giving me just a few seconds before pulling off the sheet covering me from the fan's jet. "You have five minutes to get up and come have breakfast or I'll come get you."
I hid my face against the pillow and shook my head.
I had been waiting for that vacation for months, but that didn't make it easier for me to wake up at five in the morning to go to the airport. Not even the desire to see Egypt with Pedro was strong enough to drive away sleep.
To sit up and open my eyes, I had to use all the energy in my body. For the next few minutes, I stood staring into space as my mind slowly recovered.
Yawning, I got up to look for the clothes I had packed the previous night.
Since Pedro and I had been together for a few months, he had found some space for my clothes in his closet and even showed me a whole section of his that I could borrow.
When I got up I almost tripped over my suitcase left open so I could put away my pajamas. I quickly looked for what I needed and changed.
"Are you awake?" Pedro asked me, leaning against the jamb of his bedroom door.
Still unable to speak and with my eyes glued together, I nodded and pulled up my shorts. Pedro, unlike me, was ready and his suitcase had been packed for at least two days. Technically mine had been for days too, since the previous evening I had come to sleep with him so I didn't have to worry about setting an alarm and not hearing it.
Pedro reached out a hand to me. "Come on, I made some coffee."
My feet guided me to him even though my mind wasn't working yet. They had moved instinctively, sure that I would always feel good and safe around him.
I took his hand and rested my face on his shoulder. Although I was a burden slowing him down, Pedro didn't complain and took me to the kitchen. My cup of coffee was waiting for me, I drank it without detaching myself from him and enjoyed his warmth with my eyes closed.
"We have forty minutes to finish getting ready and head out," he warned me, brushing a few strands of my hair away from my face. "Oscar said he woke up early and will join us in ten minutes. Is that a problem?"
Oscar, Pedro's best friend, had offered to take us to the airport in his car, so as to get rid of the problem of having to pay for parking for a week. It was kind of him, not only because he had woken up early for us, but he had saved us a lot of money that we could spend on the holiday itself.
"Can't he come later?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"Why?"
Pedro drank his coffee in one gulp. I kept wondering how he liked it bitter.
I got on my toes to whisper in his ear. "Because ten minutes isn't enough to touch you the way I want."
The glare Pedro gave me betrayed his lust. "We don't have time."
I walked away from him to put our empty cups in the sink and made sure I crouched under his eyes. "We have. Not much. But we have some."
"Alessia."
"What?"
"We have a week just for us."
I raised my eyebrows. "Does that mean you don't want to?"
"That's not what I said."
I smiled triumphantly as I saw him move towards me. I threw my arms around his neck and allowed him to pull me onto him.
Our bodies pressed against each other and his kisses woke me from the warmth of the night.
Initially, I didn't expect our passion to stay strong all those months. Even though things between us had changed since the first few times we had been together, that spark still hadn't gone away.
I still wanted him.
I wanted to be close to him, listen to him, and know that he was okay.
And he made sure to tell me that he felt the same way I did.
Pedro placed me on the table and his hands, now that they no longer had to hold my butt, moved along my sides, insinuating themselves under my shirt to look for my breasts.
"You're not wearing a bra," he noted, filling his hands.
His lips moved away from me just enough to give me time to respond. "No."
"It means you had it planned already," he finished, kissing me so that he devoured my victorious smile.
"Maybe," I giggled, proud that the plan I made at two am plan was working.
Pedro's kisses traveled down my neck, pausing to suck my flesh and release it before a hickey could form. I grabbed his shoulders, pulling his body even closer to mine.
"We're short on time," I reminded him. "And you're still wearing too many clothes."
Pedro looked for that spot under my ear that he knew would freak me out. He sucked at my skin harder, sure my hair would cover up his wrongdoing. "Oscar can wait outside."
"This is cruel."
As if he had been summoned, the bell rang and I jumped in surprise. Pedro froze, his hands still clasped around my breasts. He raised his head, staring confusedly at the door, as if he wasn't sure that what he was hearing was real.
The doorbell rang again and Pedro gave me a disappointed look. "I can't really leave him outside."
"Why not?"
I didn't want to leave Oscar waiting either, but the way Pedro said it seemed to insinuate something I hadn't caught.
"Pedro?" Oscar called to him through the door, banging hard.
Even before Pedro left me, his phone rang. From his sigh, I understood that Oscar would not give up until he entered.
When his hands left me, I missed him and was tempted to grab his wrists and order him to forget about Oscar.
"I'm on my way," Pedro said, answering the phone.
Before going to open the door he glanced at me, perhaps to make sure I looked presentable. I hurried to put the shirt back inside the pants and got off the table.
While Pedro welcomed his friend, I went back to his room to finish my suitcase. I left the door to the room open so I could hear their conversations.
"Why did you take so little time to come here?"
Oscar's voice was still hoarse from sleep. "I was lucky," he replied. "I quickly found a parking space. Usually, it takes me at least ten minutes just for that."
From their footsteps, I guessed they were moving towards me. I returned my attention to the pajamas and folded them neatly. Oscar stopped at the door. "Hey, how was it getting up so early?" he asked carelessly.
I turned to him and watched him. Pedro had gone somewhere, perhaps to make sure he had taken everything or to wash the cups, and Oscar had leaned against the jamb with one arm. His smile seemed too bright for someone who had woken up at five in the morning.
"Horrible," I said, closing my suitcase and standing up. "You also woke up very early."
"I couldn't sleep," he explained and his eyes stayed on me the entire time, scanning me as I moved around the room looking for the last few things I needed.
"I'm sorry, why?"
Instead of answering me, he just kept smiling and shrugged. Not having known him for a long time, I couldn't decipher that gesture.
"Do you want some help with the suitcase?" He pointed at it with his chin.
"No. I can close it myself, but thanks." My gaze traveled the whole room, already trying to catch some piece of clothing, accessory, or object that could be of use to me.
Oscar moved his whole body in a gesture that warned me that I had offended him by refusing his help. I felt guilty. I hadn't done it with bad intentions. I just didn't need his help to close my suitcase. I forced myself to ignore his reaction and concentrated on getting ready.
I spent the remaining minutes between the bathroom and the bedroom, washing myself and completing my bag. Pedro stayed to talk with his friend in the living room. I joined them only when I was sure I was done.
"Should we go?"
Their gazes fixed on me and I felt their weight. I looked down at my purse, pretending to be busy checking that I had everything.
"Are you ready? Did you double-check?" Oscar asked me condescendingly.
Pedro looked at him and his eyes narrowed, making me wonder if he, too, had sensed the tone used by his friend. Oscar pretended not to see him and stood looking at me.
"Yes, I've already checked three times," I said softly. "You?" I asked Pedro, who nodded.
"If we've forgotten something, we'll find a solution," he said, smiling to reassure me that everything would be fine.
"The passport?" Oscar broke in.
"I got it."
"Sure?"
"Yes!" I cut it short, sure that if he asked me another question I would explode.
"Let's go," Pedro ordered, giving another sharp look to his friend, who this time replied with a smile. It seemed that the two were communicating through their gazes and I felt excluded. I didn't know that personal language of theirs yet.
Pedro was the last to leave the house. He closed the door carefully.
We crammed ourselves into the elevator and I found myself sandwiched between them. I tried to hide my embarrassment by pressing my face against Pedro's chest as he rubbed my head.
Maybe Oscar hated me or disapproved of that relationship like Laura did.
I pressed my face harder. It wasn't a topic I wanted to cover before or during this trip. I should have been carefree all the time and enjoyed my vacation.
When we got to the ground floor, Oscar offered to help me get my suitcase, and this time I let him.
I watched the two men fill the trunk of the car and sat in the back seat.
We didn't talk much during the trip. Oscar put some music on the radio and I fell asleep, my head leaning against the window. I was awakened by Pedro's hand shaking my leg.
Oscar accompanied us inside the airport, staying close during check-in. We left him before the security check. I stepped aside to allow the two friends to embrace and say goodbye. When it was my turn to thank Oscar, I walked over embarrassed.
He hugged me and I let him. It lasted just a few seconds, then we broke away.
"Have fun," he told us, smiling but without happiness reaching his eyes.
Before disappearing over the wall, Pedro turned again to greet his friend, but I kept my gaze on the man next to me. When he looked back at me, he took my hand and squeezed it in his. That gesture was enough to banish all my worries.
I didn't care if his friends and mine were against us. I was fine, I was safe, and I had never been happier than at that moment.
The credit for my happiness was not Pedro's alone. I had also found a good job that didn't make me too disgruntled, I had a loving family and friends I could call when needed. But knowing that I was loved by him too, knowing that he was next to me and that I wasn't alone in that world only increased the joy I felt dancing inside me.
The future looked great and I couldn't wait to experience it.
The End.
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