Chapter 7 One Room #2
"You're not just saying that?"
"No."
Orm looked down at her laptop.
"Thanks."
Ling nodded.
The compliment shouldn't have affected her so much.
But it did.
When Orm had first arrived at Veyra, she had expected Ling to be intimidating. She had not expected the criticism to bother her so deeply, nor had she expected to care so much about Ling's opinion.
Now, somehow, the woman whose approval she had once resented had become one of the few people whose praise actually made her feel proud.
Orm wasn't sure when that had happened.
She wasn't sure she wanted to find out.
Her phone vibrated.
She looked down.
Pete.
PETE: Surviving the trip?
Orm smiled.
She typed back.
ORM: So far.
Another message came.
PETE: Tell your terrifying boss I said hello.
Orm laughed.
Ling looked over.
"Pete?"
Orm looked at her.
"How did you know?"
"You smiled."
"So?"
"You only smile like that when someone says something ridiculous."
Orm smiled.
"He's asking about the trip."
Ling looked out the window.
"How thoughtful."
Orm stared at her.
There was something in her voice.
Something very small.
But Orm knew Ling well enough now to notice it.
"Jealous?"
Ling didn't even look at her.
"No."
"You didn't hesitate."
"Because I'm not."
Orm grinned.
"You're getting better at lying."
Ling finally looked at her.
"I'm not lying."
"Of course not."
"You're enjoying this."
"Very much."
Ling shook her head.
"You'll regret teasing me."
"That's what you said last time."
"And?"
"I'm still here."
Ling laughed.
The car continued down the highway, and although neither of them mentioned it again, Orm couldn't stop smiling.
?
They arrived at the hotel shortly before five.
It was an elegant riverside property, quiet and expensive-looking without being unnecessarily grand. The lobby was filled with warm lighting, polished stone and enormous windows overlooking the water, and for a brief moment Orm thought the trip might actually be pleasant.
She stretched as she stepped out of the car.
"Finally."
Ling walked beside her.
"Tired?"
"A little."
"You slept most of the way."
"I was conserving energy."
"For what?"
"Surviving the client dinner."
Ling smiled.
"You'll survive."
"Again with that."
"Because it works."
P'Cherry walked ahead toward reception with the reservation details while Khun Dew spoke to one of the hotel staff.
Orm followed.
Everything appeared normal.
Until P'Cherry stopped.
The receptionist looked at the computer.
Then at P'Cherry.
Then back at the screen.
Orm immediately knew.
Something was wrong.
"What happened?"
P'Cherry turned.
"It's a small issue."
Orm frowned.
"That is never a good sentence."
P'Cherry smiled weakly.
"The hotel made an error with our booking."
"What kind of error?"
P'Cherry hesitated.
"They only have one room available under the reservation."
Orm blinked.
"One room?"
"Yes."
"For who?"
P'Cherry looked between Orm and Ling.
"For both of you."
Silence.
Complete, devastating silence.
Orm slowly turned toward Ling.
Ling was looking at the receptionist.
Fluke, who had just walked into the lobby, stopped mid-step.
Khun Dew closed her eyes.
Orm spoke first.
"No."
P'Cherry winced.
"I know."
"No."
"I know."
"Two rooms."
"Yes."
"We booked two rooms."
"Yes."
"So where is the second room?"
P'Cherry gave her an apologetic look.
"The hotel made a mistake."
Orm looked at the receptionist.
"Can you fix it?"
The receptionist shook her head.
"We are fully booked tonight."
Orm stared.
"Fully booked?"
"Yes."
She turned toward Khun Dew.
"Call another hotel."
Khun Dew checked her phone.
"The nearest available hotel is almost an hour away."
"We can go."
"The client dinner starts in forty minutes."
Orm looked toward Ling.
"Then she can go."
Ling raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
Orm hesitated.
Ling continued.
"You want to stay here alone?"
"No."
"Then?"
Orm looked at the key card sitting on the reception desk.
Her stomach dropped.
Ling calmly picked it up.
"We'll manage."
Orm stared at her.
"How?"
"One night."
"One night in one room."
"Yes."
"With one bed."
Ling paused.
"Yes."
Orm pointed toward the elevator.
"That is exactly the problem."
Ling's expression remained calm.
"We'll share."
Orm's mouth opened.
She closed it.
Then opened it again.
"You're insane."
"Possibly."
"You can't be serious."
"I am."
P'Cherry turned away, very clearly trying not to laugh.
Orm immediately noticed.
"Don't."
"I'm not laughing."
"You are."
Fluke was already smiling.
"You too."
He raised both hands.
"I'm innocent."
"You look guilty."
"I always look guilty."
Khun Dew finally stepped in.
"Enough. It's one night."
Orm stared at her.
"Everyone is far too calm about this."
Khun Dew shrugged.
"Because it is a logistical problem, not a catastrophe."
Orm muttered, "Easy for you to say."
Ling picked up her suitcase.
"Come on."
Orm followed reluctantly.
"This is a terrible idea."
Ling smiled.
"Probably."
?
The room was beautiful.
That was the first thing that annoyed Orm.
If the room had been tiny, uncomfortable or ugly, she could have complained about it without guilt. Instead, it was spacious and elegant, with a sitting area near the window, a large bathroom and a breathtaking view of the river.
And in the centre of the bedroom stood one enormous bed.
Orm stopped.
She stared at it.
Then slowly looked at Ling.
"One bed."
Ling put her suitcase beside the wardrobe.
"Yes."
"One."
"I can count."
Orm pointed.
"That is where we're supposed to sleep."
"That is generally what beds are for."
Orm glared.
"You are enjoying this."
"A little."
"I hate you."
Ling smiled.
"No, you don't."
Orm stopped.
The words had been playful.
Almost casual.
But something about them made her heart stumble.
Ling seemed to notice the change too.
For a second, they simply looked at one another.
Then Orm cleared her throat.
"Fine."
She walked toward the bed.
"I'll build a wall."
Ling raised an eyebrow.
"A wall?"
"A pillow wall."
"Why?"
"Boundaries."
Ling smiled.
"All right."
Orm grabbed two pillows and placed them directly in the centre of the bed.
Then another.
Then another.
Ling watched.
"That's excessive."
"I want structural integrity."
"It's a hotel bed, not a border."
"You don't understand diplomacy."
Ling laughed.
"You've been watching too many documentaries."
Orm added another pillow.
"There."
She stepped back.
"Perfect."
Ling looked at the barrier.
"You're serious."
"Completely."
Ling picked up another pillow and added it.
Orm stared at her.
"What are you doing?"
"Helping."
"You made it higher."
"More secure."
Orm laughed.
"You're ridiculous."
"And you're smiling."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Orm tried to hide it.
She failed.
?
The client dinner went better than expected.
By the time they returned to the hotel, Orm was exhausted, but it was the good kind of exhaustion that came from knowing she had done well.
One of the regional partners had specifically praised her creative direction and asked several questions about how Veyra had developed the Aurelia campaign's emotional positioning.
For Orm, the conversation had been more important than she had let anyone know.
She was still new.
Still proving herself.
Still trying to make sure people at Veyra saw her as a creator rather than the accidental centre of a publicity story.
Tonight had reminded her that she could stand in front of important people and defend her work.
She could belong here.
She didn't need the photograph.
She didn't need the fake relationship.
She needed her own talent.
When they entered the hotel room, Orm kicked off her shoes.
"I survived."
Ling closed the door behind them.
"You did."
"Did I embarrass you?"
"No."
"Did I embarrass myself?"
"Only slightly."
Orm looked at her.
"When?"
"When you called the regional director 'sir' after he told you not to."
Orm groaned.
"I forgot."
"You panicked."
"I did not."
"You tapped your fingers."
Orm looked down.
Her fingers were indeed tapping against her palm.
She stopped.
"You notice too much."
Ling looked at her.
"Maybe."
Orm's heart gave an uncomfortable little beat.
"Go shower."
Ling laughed.
"That's an order?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you're still wearing your work clothes."
Ling looked down.
"That's true."
"And you're making me nervous."
Ling paused.
"Why?"
Orm immediately realised what she had said.
"The room," she corrected quickly. "The room is making me nervous."
Ling smiled.
"Of course."
"Don't make it weird."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I haven't said anything."
"Your face did."
Ling laughed.
Orm grabbed her sleepwear.
"I hate you."
Ling smiled.
"No, you don't."
?
When Orm emerged from the bathroom, Ling had already changed and was sitting on her side of the bed.
The pillow wall was still there.
Orm stopped.
"Good."
Ling looked up.
"What?"
"The wall survived."
Ling laughed.
"You really thought it wouldn't?"
"I wasn't taking chances."
Orm climbed into bed and carefully stayed on her side.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
The lights went out.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Orm closed her eyes.
She opened them.
She turned over.
She pulled the blanket higher.
She turned again.
Finally, Ling spoke.
"You're moving too much."
"I'm trying to sleep."
"So am I."
"You sound annoyed."
"I'm tired."
"Same."
Silence returned.
Ten minutes passed.
Then Orm sighed.
"Ling?"
"Yes?"
"Are you asleep?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you're talking."
Orm smiled into the darkness.
"I wasn't talking."
"You are now."
"You're impossible."
"So you've said."
Orm stared at the ceiling.
"This is ridiculous."
"What is?"
"We're two adults who can't sleep because there's a pillow wall between us."
Ling laughed softly.
"The pillow wall isn't the problem."
Orm turned her head.
"Then what is?"
Ling was quiet.
"You're here."