The young blonde receptionist smiled invitingly as Sebastian came up to the reception desk. "Welcome to the Grandview Mr..." She didn't wait for him 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 receptionist was way too pretty, and she wore a very warm smile. Sebastian found himself automatically smiling back at her. "Sebastian Wolfe," he said. "I need a room, please."
The receptionist's big blue eyes flashed with recognition. She cocked her head to one side, smiling: "Would that be the Sebastian Wolfe I'm thinking of..." she started to ask, but her voice trailed off as a young, pretty woman,seemingly in much worse condition than Sebastian, waltzed through the lobby doors, shivering and soaked to the bone.
As Anya approached, her attention was caught by the man standing at the reception desk. He was tall, athletic, impeccably dressed in an expensive-looking dark suit, white shirt, and black wingtip boots-all covered in snow.
She caught Sebastian's eye, and for a short moment,they just stared at each other.
Despite her bedraggled appearance, she looked like a vision. Her long dark brown 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 looking to shelter from the storm."
"Alright," the blond receptionist said with a warm smile. "Gi'mme just a second. She went to work, typing furiously at her computer.
"I'm sorry, folks," she said,glancing back up at them, her smile turning apologetic. "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 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 sudden 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 with the receptionist right between them, 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. In the wet blue jeans, black winter coat,and equally black fuzzy boots, she was even more beautiful up close, her ocean blue 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 fireplace was huge,the walls 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 window and looked out at the snow-covered city; the lights twinkled like stars. It was a magical scene, and for a moment, she forgot about the storm. But as she turned back to the room to thank Sebastian, she found him on his phone,his back to her.
With a frown, Anya turned back to admire the view out the window, and the next time she turned; she caught Sebastian watching her,his eyes narrowed. She felt a shiver run down her spine.
"Wow," she commented shyly, tipping her head towards the window. "The view out there is just incredible;even more incredible with the storm raging on."
"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 wine cellar 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.
It was really good that he'd been prepared for a night in Chicago, or things wouldn't have been so smooth for him, considering he couldn't tell how long the fucking storm was going to last. Luckily, he thought he'd packed his bag with clothes that could last at least three days.
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 rest of the snowy, tense 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 going forward?
What should he even call her if he needed to talk to her?
As the silence between them stretched and thickened, 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."
"Really?"
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.
He was really good looking, with chiseled facial features, intense brown eyes that seemed to see straight into her core, and a very athletic physique. But there was something about him that intrigued her,something that made her want to know more.
They continued to talk,their conversation flowing easily. They laughed and joked and talked some more, 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 Anya. "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. "Hey!"
Anya turned back to him, her pretty blue eyes questioning.
"What should I call you?" He asked.
Anya blinked. "Anya."
The name caught Sebastian off guard, and for a second, his eyes widened and his mouth gaped with stunned silence. But he quickly recovered.
"Good night, Anya, he 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.
Anya? Sebastian frowned at her back as she went through the bedroom door. Was this some kind of a sick joke? Nah. It was nothing. Probably just a coincidence. A big mother coincidence to be precise. He didn't believe in such coincidences. His life was too dull to accommodate such big mother coincidences.
For a moment, Sebastian thought about knocking at the bedroom door to ask her what her other name was. But, after thinking about it for a second or two, he decided against it. He had no right whatsoever to demand to know her names. Becides, it was probably nothing but a mere coincidence.
The name bothered him throughout the night, turning and twisting there on the couch until well after three o'clock.
What was the chances that he just happened to shelter in the same hotel, in the same suite with the Anya that he'd been searching for all his life? As far as he could tell, the chances of that happening were thin and none. And thin was out of town. There were probably about ten thousand Anyas in the metro area alone. He turned one last time on the couch and tried to get some sleep.
As she lay in bed, Anya Quinn 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.