Ch. 13

                The glow of the crimson digits of her alarm clock glared at me in a hellish light. 4:37. Spencer Carlin was asleep with her head buried in the crook of her neck, her fingers grasping onto my shirt and legs draped over mine. I lay still and stiff as a board. She had cried herself to sleep on me. Surely this didn’t count as a romantic encounter, did it? I rolled her off of me carefully and tucked her back in bed. My shift at NYU was to start soon at 5 am, and I was not one to be late. I got up and smoothed out my uniform in the bathroom, washing my face and making sure every hair was in place on my head. The dog whined and tried to jump on me as I reached for the doorknob. “Stay.” I said firmly, stroking its head. The canine whimpered and sat down on the floor, begging me with its eyes not to abandon it. I sighed and picked him up, placing him down on the foot of Spencer’s bed. “Watch her.” I said firmly. As I turned to leave, I felt a hand reach out and grab my wrist in the darkness. “Don’t leave.” A soft feminine voice whispered. “My shift starts in 15 minutes.” “Do you really have to go? Can’t you stay a little longer?” she pleaded quietly. Part of me was moved by sympathy for the girl. She was lonely and frightened. I was never one to miss a day of work, but then again…Paula had instructed me to maintain constant surveillance over this girl. It would be the perfect cover. “Ok then.” I said slowly. I heard her breathe a sigh of relief as she squeezed my hand. “Are you going to go back to sleep?” she asked innocently, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly. I felt my throat go dry as a twinge of arousal passed through me. I shook my head. I had to focus on my objective. Paula would have dire consequences in store for me if I fouled this assignment up. “No?” she asked, a hint of disappointment tainting her voice. “No… I am going to back to sleep with you.” I said, the words coming out of my mouth awkwardly. My voice cracked in the middle of my sentence, making her giggle girlishly. I was thankful that it was dark still, or else she would’ve seen me blush. I was making a fool out of myself already.