It's the end of the first day of our work conference -- interesting but not nowhere near as interesting as how our flirting and teasing seems to have a tension to it that has not been there before. At times you try to convince yourself that the tension is only because you will be part of a panel discussion tomorrow, but it is hard keep that pretense when our legs are pressed together in the theatre seats or when even our hands brush up against each other more often than could be explained by chance while we're walking between sessions.
Despite the continual low-grade teasing and how close to each other we are standing in the hallway of the hotel after we have gotten out of the lift, you have to decline my suggestion that we grab dinner together. Yes, it's a perfect excuse to tease each other further -- and to indulge in a couple of delicious steaks, a bottle of wine and maybe some shots of limoncello, but you know that you need to prepare more than you have for tomorrow's session. Your stomach sink as my smile fades, then I close my eyes, take a quick breath, and agree that: "of course you are right" with a smirk at our usual tease about you being right and ask if I can bring you something to eat or be a sounding board or if there is any other way I can help.
"Not right now, but I'll hold you to dinner tomorrow night?" you suggest. Quickly rewarded by the way my face lights up at getting to spend time with you tomorrow night as you unwind.
"Of course -- good opportunity to celebrate. But in that case, I'd better let you get to it -- just don't forget I'm available anytime tonight if you want to test stuff out or if you need to give your brain a break."
You smile and nod, immediately regretting your decision while also feeling proud of yourself for putting your preparation first. You scan your keycard and enter your room, pulling your suitcase behind you. The room is nice but nothing special -- that interesting mix of warm and sterile that modern day corporate hotels seem to strive for. Settling yourself in at the small desk with your laptop and water bottle, you get down to work.
Hours go by remarkably quickly as you tweak your planned comments and your responses to expected questions to take into account some of the new ideas from during the day. Room service comes and goes without much of an impression, same as the overpriced half sized bottle of wine in the hotel fridge. You can't help but think as you pour the last of the bottle into your glass that the whole experience is a poor second place compared to a nice steak dinner with good wine and a side order of flirting.
At last, you realise you have reached the end of what you need to revise. Checking the clock, you see it is 9:30 and you can relax for the rest of the evening. You briefly consider something else from the minibar but decide on a shower instead. For long minutes you relax in the hot spray, keeping your hair dry and working but failing to distract yourself from 'good idea fairies' that you consciously chose to stop listening to over a week ago. As you wash yourself down the thought pops unbidden into your head of my hands instead of yours. You briefly consider taking the opportunity for a little self-love but remember you only brought a normal lubricant instead of the one you would need for the shower and decide that if you're still pent up when you go to bed, you can worry about it then.
As you step out of the shower and start to towel yourself dry you hear your phone buzz. You wrap the towel around yourself and pick up your phone to see three texts from me, each stating: "Knock knock?". You smirk as you start to think of a response then suddenly start as you hear an actual knock on the door behind you, followed by another buzz on your phone. "Just got out of the shower!" you rapidly type and send.
"Perfect timing!" comes the text response barely two seconds later.
You shake your head as you smile but approach the door, at first positioning yourself to the side so you can lean your head over to the crack in the door then pausing for a moment as you realise this is a chance to not just repay the flirting and teasing but an opportunity to take a clear win. Looking down at yourself, you pull the towel down lower, exposing more than a very healthy amount of cleavage. You hear my knock at the door again and, before you can reconsider, you flip the latch and open it towards you, still hidden away behind the door.
The door opens and you can imagine that it just looks like an empty room to me. I take two steps inside, holding something in my hands before you slip behind me and bump the door with your hip to close it. I jump slightly and start to turn but you have already wrapped your arms around me from behind, pressing your still wet shoulders and upper chest into my shirt. "Got'cha!" you whisper into my ear, seeing me shake my head and raise a hand to my heart.
I turn around and you can tell the instant I have realized you are dressed only in a towel because my eyes go wide, and I involuntarily lick my lips as I take in the sight of you.
"H-hi" I stammer, caught off guard by my first ever sight of you out of work or casual clothes. You smirk competes with your blush.