avatarSmillew Rahcuef

Summary

A man reflects on the morning after his romantic interest spends the night for the first time, revealing his internal conflict between admiration and the fear of scaring her off with his intense feelings.

Abstract

The narrative recounts the morning after a woman spends her first night at the narrator's apartment. He watches her sleep, captivated by her beauty, and feigns sleep to give her privacy. When she doesn't return to bed after he sneezes in an attempt to draw her back, he falls back asleep, only to wake up later and downplay the truth about his morning activities. He admits it was too soon to reveal the depth of his affection, which he considers a grand gesture that might be off-putting. The story hints at the complexities of modern romance and the delicate balance between expressing genuine emotions and maintaining an air of mystery in a budding relationship.

Opinions

  • The narrator is deeply infatuated with the woman, as evidenced by his watching her sleep and finding her beautiful.
  • He is conscious of the potential consequences of revealing the extent of his feelings too early in the relationship, indicating a fear of coming on too strong.
  • The woman's actions suggest she values her independence and personal space in the morning, which contrasts with the narrator's desire for closeness.
  • The narrator's decision to conceal his early morning activities implies a strategic approach to the relationship, aiming to avoid scaring the woman away with his intensity.
  • The story subtly critiques the societal expectation that men should not appear too emotionally invested too soon, highlighting the tension between authenticity and the fear of rejection.

Too Soon for Such a Grand Gesture

Another side of the story

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

The morning after she finally agreed to spend the night at my apartment, she woke up at 7:30. I know because I was watching her sleep. She’s so beautiful.

I pretended to doze, giving her some privacy.

At 8:15, I sneezed, hoping she would come back to bed.

She didn’t.

I fell asleep and emerged only at 9.

“Why didn’t you come out sooner?” She asked.

“I just woke up a minute ago.”

It wasn’t the whole truth, but I didn’t want to explain I had spent the night watching her. It was too soon for such a grand gesture.

This story was inspired by Melissa Balick’s dealbreaker. Check out her side of the story:

If you liked this, you’ll wish to read that:

When I’m not here, you can find me on Twitter. Come say hi!

Dating
Modern Dating
Relationships Love Dating
Communication
Fiction
Recommended from ReadMedium