The young blonde receptionist smiled invitingly as he came up to the reception desk. "Welcome to the Grandview Mr..." She didn't wait for Sebastian to offer his name;she said:How can I help you,sir?"
Jesus. Wasn't it obvious that he was running away from the damn storm? That he was here to seek shelter?
But the blonde was pretty, and she wore a very warm smile. Sebastian found himself automatically smiling back at her. "Sebastian Wolfe," he muttered. "I need a room,please."
The receptionist's big blue eyes flashed with recognition, and she cocked her head to one side,smiling: "Would that be the Sebastian Wolfe I'm thinking of..." she started to ask, but trailed off as a young woman,seemingly in much worse condition than Sebastian,waltzed through the lobby doors,shivering and soaked to the bone.
As Anya approached, she caught Sebastian's eye,and for a moment,they just stared at each other.
Despite her bedraggled appearance, she looked like a vision. Her long dark hair wet and tangled, and her green eyes sparkling like diamonds in the dim light of the lobby. Sebastian felt a jolt of attraction,but before he could do anything about it,the receptionist cleared her throat,breaking the spell.
"Good evening," Anya said. "I'm Anya Quinn,and I'm looking to shelter from the storm."
"Alright. Gi'mme just a second," the blonde receptionist said as she went to work,typing furiously at her computer.
"I'm sorry,folks," she said apologetically,glancing back up at them. "We're experiencing a bit of a situation with our rooms. A pipe burst in one of the wings,and we're having to redirect our guests to the other rooms."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's the situation with my room?"
The receptionist hesitated,her eyes darting to Anya and back to Sebastian. "Well,Mr. Wolfe,the only room we have available is the presidential suite-It's a bit...unconventional,but I'm told it's quite comfortable,and of course,big enough. The thing is,it has only one bedroom, I'm afraid you might have to share. I hope you understand, Mr. Wolfe, it's just for one night."
Share? Sebastian wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. He felt a spark of annoyance,but pushed it aside. He was a man who prided himself on his control,and he wasn't about to let a little thing like a unexpected roommate ruin his night. He shrugged, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Fine," he said,his voice cool. "I'll make it work."
Anya's eyes met Sebastian's, and they exchanged a tentative glance.
"Oh,I don't think that's necessary," Anya said quickly,her eyes darting away. But Sebastian nodded, his eyes fixed on the receptionist. "It's fine. We'll take it. We'll be like two peas in a pod. Or two wolves in a den. Or,you know,something like that."
The receptionist smiled,relieved. "I'll just need you to sign here,please,Mr. Wolfe."
Sebastian scribbled his signature on the registration form,and the receptionist nodded. "The elevator is just over there,Sir. I'll show you to your suite, and then I'll have your bags sent up," she said as she pushed her chair back to stand.
As they turned to head towards the elevator, Anya felt a sense of trepidation. She had no idea who this man was,but she knew she was about to be stuck with him in a small space for the night. She took a deep breath, and followed him,wondering what the night had in store for her.
The tension between them was palpable, but neither of them seemed to know how to break it. As they rode the elevator to the 15th floor, Sebastian couldn't help but steal glances at Anya. She was even more beautiful up close,her eyes alight with a hint of amusement.
The elevator doors opened, and they filed out into the hallway,the receptionist leading the way to the suite. "Here we are,sir," she said,opening the door with a flourish. "The presidential suite."
Anya gaped as they stepped inside,her eyes wide with wonder. The suite was enormous, the living room bigger than her entire apartment. The walls were adorned with artwork,and the furniture looked like it belonged in a palace.
Sebastian whistled, impressed. "Not bad,not bad at all. I think I might have to start staying here more often."
The receptionist beamed. "I'll leave you two to get settled. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call."
As the receptionist departed,Anya wandered over to the windows,looking out at the snow-covered city,the lights twinkling like stars. It was a magical scene,and for a moment,she forgot about the storm. But as she turned back to the room,she saw Sebastian watching her,his eyes narrowed. Anya felt a shiver run down her spine. "Wow,the view is incredible, even more incredible with the storm raging on," she commented,tipping her head toward the window.
"I know, right?" Sebastian said distractedly as he slumped on the overstuffed couch. "Sometimes I forget how beautiful this city is,especially when it's trying to destroy itself with the storm."
Anya smiled, her green eyes glinting with amusement. "I think it's trying to tell us something."
Sebastian grinned,his eyes meeting hers. "I think it's trying to tell us to stay inside and enjoy the ride."
They stood there,frozen in time,the silence growing, none of them knowing how to break it,until Anya finally spoke up. "Well,I think I'll just...freshen up," she said,her voice barely above a whisper.
Sebastian nodded, his eyes following her as she disappeared into the bedroom. He let out a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. This was going to be a very long night.
As he waited for Anya to emerge,Sebastian wandered over to the bar and poured himself a drink. He was seeping it when Anya reappeared looking refreshed and radiant and even more beautiful and attractive.
"Your turn," she said,smiling.
Sebastian nodded, taking his bag to the bedroom. As he changed into more comfortable clothes,he couldn't help but wonder what the night had in store.
When he emerged, Anya was sitting on the couch,her eyes fixed on the TV. She looked up, her eyes meeting his,and Sebastian felt his heart skip a beat.
"Feel better?" she asked,her voice soft.
Sebastian nodded, sitting down on the couch opposite her and retrieving his laptop. "Much better," he muttered, getting busy.
As they sat there,the storm raged on outside,the thunder crashing and lightening flashing. But inside, they were warm and cozy,though the tension between them was growing with every passing minute.
And for the most part of the snowy night,Sebastian and Anya found themselves in an awkward dance of politeness. Anya tried to distract herself by watching TV,but nothing seemed interesting. She kept glancing at Sebastian,who was typing away on his laptop. She wondered what he did for a living, and why he seemed so uptight.
Sebastian on the other hand,was trying to focus on his work,but he couldn't help sneaking glances at Anya,who was curled up on the couch,looking like a drenched cat. He felt a pang of guilt for being so short with her earlier. Perhaps he should try to make an effort to be more civil?
As the silence between them stretched and became thicker,Anya finally spoke up. "So, what do you do?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
Sebastian gaped up from his laptop, surprised by the question. "I'm a businessman," he replied,his tone a little softer than before.
Anya nodded, intrigued. "What kind of business?"
Sebastian hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'm a CEO of an agricultural products company. We specialize in agriculture and technology."
Anya's eyes widened. "That's sound fascinating, I've always been interested in agriculture."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Really? What do you do."
She smiled. "I'm a Meteorologist. I work at the local weather station."
Sebastian's expression changed,and he looked at Anya with newfound interest. "A meteorologist? That's impressive. I've always been fascinated by weather patterns myself."
As they talked,Anya and Sebastian found themselves opening up to each other. They discovered they had more in common than they thought,despite their vastly different backgrounds.
But as the night wore on,Anya couldn't shake off the feeling that Sebastian was hiding something. There was something in his eyes,a glimmer of sadness that he quickly masked whenever she looked at him.
As the hours ticked by, the storm raging outside seemed to be mirroring the turmoil inside Anya. She felt a sense of unease as if she was walking on eggshells around Sebastian. But despite the tension, Anya found herself feeling drawn to Sebastian. There was something about him that intrigued her,something that made her want to know more.
They continued to talk,their conversations flowing easily. They laughed and joked,and for a moment, they forgot the storm outside.
But as the clock struck midnight, Anya stood up,feeling a sudden chill run down her spine.
"So, Mr. Wolfe,what do you think? Should we flip the coin for the bedroom?"
Sebastian chuckled,his eyes meeting hers. "I think that's a bit unfair, don't you? You're the guest,after all."
Anya shrugged, her eyes darting away. "I'm happy to sleep on the couch if you want."
Sebastian shook his head,his eyes fixed on her. "I don't think that's necessary, we can...figure something out."
"Okay," Anya said. "I think I'll go to bed,then?"
Sebastian bobbed his head,his eyes flicking to the clock. "Yeah,it's getting late."
Anya smiled, feeling relief flow through her body. she was tired,and she needed to get some rest.
As she turned to head to the bedroom, Sebastian called out to her. "Anya?"
She turned back to him,her eyes questioning.
"Good night," Sebastian said, his voice low and gentle.
Anya smiled,feeling a sense of warmth spread through her chest. "Good night," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
As she lay in bed,Anya couldn't shake off the feeling that she'd just stepped into a whole new world. A world where the rules were different, and the players were even more complex.
She drifted off to sleep,the sound of the storm outside luring her into a peaceful slumber. But as she slept,she couldn't shake off the feeling that tomorrow might bring even more surprises.