“I know,” he said softly. “But I want to.”
The woman smiled, visibly relieved, and began printing the key cards. “Again, I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.”
CHAPTER 41
“I’m sorry we couldn’t get separate rooms,” Jay said as he opened the door to our room and stepped inside.
He held the door open for me as I rolled my suitcase in.
I hit the lights, and in the dim fluorescent glow I discovered the room was actually pretty nice. It felt almost like two rooms. There was the living area with the sofa in one section, and then the king bed through another door next to the bathroom. The pull-out sofa was average-sized, but I still felt bad knowing he’d be sleeping on it.
“It’s decent,” I said, setting my bag down near the mini fridge. “It wasn’t your fault either. With such a big event, there was bound to be some mix-ups.”
“Still, I’m sorry,” he said, setting his things down and reaching up to scratch his neck.
Then, awkwardly, we just stood there for a moment.
“I should—” I started.
“Maybe—” Jay said at the same time.
We paused, then both laughed at the awkwardness.
“I was going to wash up real quick maybe, if that’s alright,” I said.
“Yeah, of course,” Jay replied. He walked over and sat on the couch, grabbed the remote off the coffee table, and turned on the TV. The sound cut the tension a bit, and I relaxed just a little.
“Thanks,” I said, slipping into the bathroom with my suitcase.
Once the door closed behind me, I walked over to the mirror and leaned against the granite countertop.
My lipstick was smeared, faint traces of mascara clinging to the dried tear streaks on my cheeks. I looked awful—and I didn’t feel great either. Seeing Dr. Pike had been an unpleasant surprise, and my entire nervous system felt completely out of whack.
I blew out a breath between my lips and paced the bathroom for a minute, trying to calm myself down.
First, Dr. Pike, and now I was sharing a hotel room with Jay. I was anxious for entirely different reasons now. He seemed pretty chill about it, but staying in a hotel room with my boss was most definitely not professional. Maybe I should’ve suggested driving back…
“Ugh,” I groaned. I just needed to stop thinking.
I turned on the shower, hoping the water would help.
A few minutes later, I finished my shower, brushed my teeth, and pulled on my pajamas. Since I hadn’t planned on sharing a room with anyone, my sleepwear wasn’t exactly guest-friendly. I stood in front of the mirror again, debating whether to sleep in my business clothes instead.
My pajamas were a cotton tank top and lace-trimmed shorts.
“I’m such an idiot,” I muttered to myself.
Gathering my courage, I accepted the situation for what it was and stepped out of the bathroom.
I pretended nothing was out of the ordinary as I reentered the living room. Jay was still watching a show, and he didn’t even glance over as I padded across the rug and took a seat. I quickly grabbed a decorative blanket draped over the back of the couch and tucked it around myself to cover my legs, hoping he hadn’t noticed what I was wearing.
“I’m surprised you didn’t opt for warmer pajamas,” Jay said suddenly, turning to look at me.
He was most definitely fighting a smirk.
I glared at him and pulled the blanket tighter until it reached my chin.
“I wasn’t exactly expecting to share a room with anyone,” I retorted.
