Jasper held his breath. “That’s nothing.”
“It is not,” Bennett agreed. “It’s also not something I am prepared to define.”
“I am not asking you to define it,” Jasper said.
“Good,” Bennett replied. “Because I wouldn’t.”
Jasper smiled, accepting the line where it was drawn. “I know.”
They sat there a moment longer, the almost-confession hanging between them like something fragile and alive.
Bennett cleared his throat. “If the roads open, we will need to coordinate logistics.”
Jasper laughed softly. “There it is.”
“Don’t read into that,” Bennett said, standing.
“I would never,” Jasper replied, watching him with an expression that said he absolutely would.
The morning passed quickly.They exchanged updates, drafted emails, and occasionally debated word choices. Bennettremained precise; Jasper, persuasive. Their collaboration proved unexpectedly effective.
Around eleven, Jasper stretched and closed his laptop. “I need a break. Want to explore?”
Bennett looked up from his screen. “Explore what? We’re in a hotel.”
“Exactly,” Jasper said. “A hotel we’ve barely seen beyond this room and the lobby. Come on. Live dangerously.”
Bennett hesitated, then surprised himself by agreeing. “Fine. Ten minutes.”
“I’ll take it,” Jasper replied.
They wandered the halls like tourists, discovering a small library tucked away on the second floor, filled with dog-eared paperbacks and mismatched furniture. A business center that was empty except for a humming printer. A sunroom with windows on three sides, currently showcasing the endless white landscape.
In the sunroom, they stopped. The light was different here, softer, filtered through snow and glass.
“It’s almost beautiful,” Jasper said. “If you ignore the fact that we’re trapped.”
“We’re not trapped,” Bennett corrected. “We’re delayed.”
“Semantics,” Jasper replied. “But sure. Delayed.”
They stood side by side, watching the snow. Bennett became acutely aware of how close Jasper was standing. Close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating from him. Close enough that if he shifted even slightly, their shoulders would touch.
He didn’t shift.
But he didn’t move away either.
“Can I ask you something?” Bennett said.
“Always,” Jasper replied.
“Are you always this comfortable with uncertainty?”
Jasper considered the question. “No. I just got better at pretending.”
Bennett glanced at him. “That’s honest.”
“You asked,” Jasper said. “I figured you deserved an honest answer.”
