Thirty-two minutes and twenty-three seconds after having put his head to rest, Bruce was woken by the coffee brewing. Well not the actual brewing process, but when the timer on the coffee pot shrieked, so did Ignatz, Bruce’s cat. It just so happens that Ignatz’s shriek characteristically includes very sharp claws penetrating very soft flesh.

The imaginary flames of Bruce’s dream were interrupted by some mumbled combination of the words Ow, Fuck, Asshole, and Shit.

Just as Bruce began to finish the sentence At least I didn’t sleep through my alarm clock this morning, he turned his head and noticed something.

There was an unconscious woman laying in his bed.