Twenty-Two
The night had dragged on longer than Ari anticipated. But now, at last, they were free. Big lights on, music off. People were leaving the hall, heading up the stairs to the designated rooms.
Ari and Nancy found themselves in the hallway, staring at each other in a thinning crowd. Ari felt very fortunate she hadn’t actually opened her mouth and said something dumb because it made it easier to pretend nothing had happened.
Ari glanced around again. ‘So, where the hell do you think our room is?’
Before Nancy could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Laurence, the butler, appeared from seemingly nowhere. ‘Your designated room is just upstairs. If you would allow me to guide you? Your bags are waiting for you.’
Ari smiled at him. ‘Laurence, you are good,’ she said. ‘If you ever want to leave this place, promise me you’ll call me. I could do with a good, um… Buttling.’
Laurence smiled, turned, and led the way. Ari and Nancy exchanged a thick glance before following him, the winding hallways seeming to grow more intricate as they walked further into the manor.
As they climbed the staircase, Ari glanced at Nancy. ‘That party was too long. I drank too much.’
‘Everyone did,’ Nancy said.
Ari took that to mean that they were just rolling right past the weirdness. Thank fuck.
They continued up another flight of stairs, and finally, Laurence stopped in front of a door.
‘Here we are,’ he said and opened the door for them.
The room was small but undeniably elegant, with rich velvet curtains in deep burgundy that framed the windows. A queen-sized bed, dressed in crisp white linens, took centre stage. Their bags did indeed await them in the corner.
‘Goodnight,’ Laurence said and slipped off silently, like the service ninja he was.
‘Odd seeing this from the other side,’ Nancy noted.
‘What?’
‘Being served. I’m more comfortable on the other end, if I’m honest,’ she said.
‘Well, you could pass for rich,’ Ari assured her.
Nancy shrugged. ‘If you say so.’ She grabbed her bag and headed into the ensuite, shutting the door with a click.
Ari grabbed her bag and unzipped it, pulling things out haphazardly. She tossed her dress onto the back of a chair and grabbed one of her oversized sleep shirts, moving quickly to get changed.
She was decent by the time Nancy walked in, wearing her Eyes on the Fries PJ’s again. It was so oddly un-Nancy. Ari thought she might treasure the sight for some years to come.
But then she saw the look on Nancy’s face. Disconcertion. ‘Umm…’
Nancy was standing by the bed. The bed. Singular. Not two. Not even two singles pushed together. One large, undoubtedly luxurious, four-poster bed.
Ari blinked. ‘Oh.’
Nancy sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. ‘I should’ve checked earlier.’
‘This is on me, sorry,’ Ari muttered. She stared at the bed as if another one might materialise if she waited long enough. It did not. ‘You’re sure there’s not a fold-out or something?’
Nancy shot her a look. ‘Does this look like the kind of place with fold-out beds?’
Ari sighed dramatically. ‘I suppose not.’
Nancy shook her head and sat on the edge of the mattress, testing it. ‘Well. At least it’s big.’
Ari eyed her, suddenly aware of how casually Nancy had just accepted this. ‘You’re not bothered?’
Nancy shrugged. ‘It’s a bed. We’re adults. I assume you’re not going to kick me in your sleep.’
‘No promises.’
Nancy rolled her eyes. ‘I’m too tired to care. If you want to make a big thing of it, you can sleep on the floor.’
Ari grinned, pretending that this whole thing was hilarious rather than what it really was. Unnerving. ‘When you put it that way…’ She shrugged and flopped onto the bed beside Nancy, bouncing slightly as the plush mattress absorbed her weight.
For a second, neither of them spoke. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been in confined spaces before. They spent hours together in the car. But this was different. Unavoidably intimate in a way that neither of them had planned for. Ari didn’t need that. Not tonight.
But at least she’d sobered up enough to behave herself. She was keeping her hands to herself. Nancy didn’t deserve to be assaulted in the night. No matter how she’d looked at her for the briefest of moments. This whole situation was weird, Ari decided. And weird breeds weird. That was all there was to it.
Nancy exhaled slowly. ‘Alright. Ground rules.’
Ari raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh, this’ll be good.’
‘No stealing the duvet,’ Nancy said. ‘No sprawling across the whole bed. And no talking in your sleep.’
‘How would I control that?’ Ari asked mildly.
‘I don’t know. Figure it out.’
Ari smirked. ‘Anything else, Sergeant?’
Nancy gave her a deadpan look. ‘Just go to sleep, Ari.’
Ari settled back against the pillows, pulling the covers up as Nancy shut the lamp off. The room was dim, the weight of the day pressing down on her.
Beside her, Nancy shifted slightly, getting comfortable. A beat of silence passed before she said, almost absently, ‘You have to leave it alone.’
Ari was jolted. ‘What?’
‘The necklace.’
‘Oh,’ Ari said relieved.
‘What did you think I meant?’ Nancy asked quickly.
‘Yeah, the necklace. Of course.’
No one said another word, for which Ari was very grateful.
Soon enough, the warmth of the covers, the soft scent of fresh linen, and the steady presence of Nancy beside her lulled Ari into an easy, dreamless sleep.