"Are you okay? Derick asked, looking at me, concerned.

"I'm fine" I whispered.

"Okay then, Good night"

"Good night"

I closed the door to the room and quickly grabbed a pillow and started screaming into it.

What was that?!

I laid on my stomach and recalled what happened today...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Derick went around asking if there were any nearby mechanics, while I went to the hotel to ask if there are any available suites with two bedrooms.

They told me there was only one available, because apparently there was already only two suites two begin with.

The suite had two bedrooms and an adjoining living room and one bathroom.

I don't think it could've been more perfect so I quickly agreed because I couldn't risk someone else taking it.

Then again this isn't some big fancy place anyway, it's amazing how there is already a suite taken.

Before leaving I told them I'd be back with the money and they agreed.

I walked outside and saw Derick walking towards me.

"Were you able to book a room?"

"I was, two bedrooms actually" I smiled.

"Good, but I actually would've liked sharing a room with you" he smirked.

"Yeah no, were you able to find a mechanic?" I asked quickly dodging his attempt to flirt.

"I was, but the bastard kept asking for money and in the end I refused" he scowled, forgetting the fact I turned him down quickly.

"Did you ask him to fix the car in a day?" I asked bluntly.

He stayed quiet.

"Really Derick?! Of course he'd ask for more money! The only thing you needed to do was be nice, was that so hard?!"

"I was nice!"

"If that's what you call nice, what do you call a demand?!"

"Why don't you try reasoning with him then!"

"I will! Lead the way!"

He gave me a sinister smile and started walking, I followed hoping he won't murder me.

What? That smile was the smile of a psychopath!

I walked into a mostly empty warehouse with a bunch of tools and old takeaway boxes just scattered around.

I knocked on the metal door and called out hello.

"How can I help you Miss-"

The man stopped and his face turned into a scowl.

"Oh it's you! That pig headed idiot that just walked in here and decided to throw around orders! I see you brought your wife to try and reason with me! That's not how things are done around here! If you're going to act like you rule the world, I don't think you would've minded paying!"

Derick opened his mouth probably to shout out profanities, but I don't think this would help our situation so I quickly intervened.

"Sir, I have to apologize for my superior's actions, it's become a habit, but I really want to go back home and from what I can tell I can't get a cab anywhere" I said calmly, adding a small pout at the end.

"I'm sorry but I can't help you! Or not this asshole!"

I scrunched my brows in frustration, I was in the midst of fighting an inner battle with myself to not attack Derick right this second, but I noticed something very interesting.

"Sir? Do you have a daughter?" I said covering up the smirk with a radiant smile.

"Yes I do" He scruffily said.

"Well then sir, how would you feel if it was your daughter in my situation, can you handle the fact that your daughter would be staying the night with a random man?"

"No..." he mumbled,

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind helping a poor defenseless girl in this kind of situation, I really do want to go back home, not to mention the service here is horrible and I'm not even from around here!"

His head perked up at the sound of my last sentence, he kind of looks like a dog that just spotted a squirrel.

"If you're not from around here, doesn't that mean you willingly agreed to spending a night with this man?" He asked suspiciously.

It took everything in me not to tell him I was brought here against my will, but I guess we're not all winners.

"No sir, yes I agreed to this trip but I came on a strictly professional basis, which means we won't be staying in the same room even"

The man looked at me carefully then sighed.

"Fine, I'll fix the car at a reasonable price but even so it'll take about a day, so you will be forced to stay the night"

"Thank you so much!" I beamed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When we were a fair distance away from the warehouse, I started glaring furiously at Derick.

"You couldn't shut your mouth could you? Was it so difficult to act like the world doesn't revolve around you for just one minute?!"

He shrugged like I'm a mother that has said the same words to scold him over and over again.

"Look at me when I'm talking-"

"How did you know he had a daughter?"

I glared at his abrupt change of subject but decided I don't need wrinkles on my face from frowning so much.

"It didn't take a genius to figure out he had a ring on his finger" I said shrugging dramatically.

"I'm surprised he's even married, who'd marry that hard headed guy, but still you played a wild card with the daughter thing"

"I did, it was all purely coincidence, by the way, you're even more hard headed than he is, not to mention arrogant" I glared.

"Couldn't you go one second without scolding me?"

"Of course not! I wouldn't be Juliana Downs otherwise"

"But now that I think about it, that's not the first time you guessed something correctly"

"Well do you know why Derick? Because I'm a freaking wizard"

He raised his eyebrows in a unamused manner and just left me standing there.

What an asshole.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When we set up at the hotel we got to our rooms and it wasn't much but at least it's better than sleeping in a car.

I heard a knock at my door and opened it to see Derick standing there.

"Yes?"

"I'm not sleeping there"

"Why? Do you want this room?"

"No"

"Then what's the problem?"

I walked to his room and saw nothing out of the ordinary, it was exactly like my room.

"I'm not sleeping in a junkyard"

"Well then do you prefer the car?"

He stayed silent.

"I don't know about you but I'm hungry and I want to eat"

"I don't trust the food here" he made a disgusted face.

"If you find a five star hotel give me a call" I said walking past him and out of the suite.

When I got to the main floor which was only two floors down I walked to an area that was filled with tables and chairs, there was a stage at the back and I saw a karaoke machine too.

Surprisingly most of the chairs were taken so I guessed the hotel's dining was open to the public.

I saw that the place was quaint and clean which was enough a place to eat as any in my book, the one thing that's different from other hotel restaurants was that I had to order the foods the way you do at a fast food restaurant, which was fine by me, I'm not into fancy dining anyway.

I looked at the menu and saw all the basic stuff for a small hotel like this, for breakfast, pancakes and waffles, Sunny side eggs and bacon on the side, for lunch they had pizza, with all sorts of toppings and some basic chicken soup that no matter how much I tried to ignore it, it sounded sketchy.

And last but not least dinner, pasta, with either pesto or just normal marinara sauce and all kinds of salads.

"What are you going to order?"

A voice said from beside me, scaring the life out of me.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I mean I know I make women faint but death is a bit too much don't you think?" He smirked.

"That was so lame, so what happened to the whole 'I need to find a five star hotel because my life depends on it' mission?"

"I never said that! Don't make things up, what are you getting for dinner anyway?"

I looked at the menu then back at him.

I don't really have a number of choices do I?

"So many choices oh whatever shall I do!" I said dramatically.

"Aren't you funny, what's with your attitude anyway?"

"Derick, early warning, I'm almost at my limit and if you push me over the edge I swear you'll regret it!" I said darkly in a low voice.

"Did you forget I'm your boss Ms. Downs?"

"I think you forgot I'm not on your turf Mr. Reid, need I remind you, you were the one who asked me to come with you in the first place"

He stayed silent and went ahead and sat on a chair and started sulking.

I sighed and looked around to see who I should order from and I saw a boy around eighteen or twenty, with beautiful flowing brown hair.

"Excuse me where can I order?"

"Hello pretty lady, I'm not the guy you're looking for I'm guessing, but if you are looking to take a drink I'm the guy you're looking for, Max, bartender at your service"

I chuckled, kids like this also exist in small towns like these.

"You do know I'm older right?"

I recovered, smirking, this kid sure is bold.

"Is it bad that I like to flirt with older women?" He smirked back.

"Well, I guess I know where to go for a drink" my smirk widened and I winked for extra effect.

Not interested in younger guys in the slightest by the way.

"By the way, the guy you're trying to look for is on a break"

"So I can't order?"

He shook his head, smiling.

"I might make an exception and get myself killed for the pretty lady at the bar but why should I? Women come and go am I right?"

"Good point" I said dryly and walked away feeling that that kid ruined my mood at the last second.

So much for having a cute bartender.

I went to find Derick and sit beside him, I sighed looking at him.

"We really need to find someone to do, I wish I was at home right now on my couch watching TV, hell I wish I was at work! Better than sitting idly waiting for the car to get fixed!"

He perked up and started looking around.

"I have an idea"

I looked at him curiously and saw that he was reaching for my hand.

Really wondering what he's planning I let him take it.

He dragged me around the few number of tables and in to the stage.

I widened my eyes at him silently asking what he's doing but he just nodded in reply.

Yeah not very helpful!

He picked up a nearby guitar and I looked at him in surprise how did he notice that?

"I saw a band poster on the wall and guessed there were a number of instruments around here somewhere"

"You really took the time to observe this place"

I'm genuinely surprised.

"You took your time flirting with the bartender, now choose a song, people are starting to stare"

I really wanted to retort that the bartender was flirting with me and not the other way around but I was too stunned to and quickly racked my brain for a duet, because he was right, people were staring.

And the only thing that came to my mind was Let Her Go by Passenger.

Even if you ask me I have no idea why but my mouth went on automatic and the lyrics came out.

Well you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you're missing home

Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go

And since the mic wasn't on it was kind of awkward singing into emptiness but then it did the second the first verse started.

Staring at the bottom of your glass

Hoping one day you'll make a dream last

But dreams come slow and they go so fast

I looked around to see it was actually Mr. Bartender that turned it on and he smirked giving me a thumbs up.

When I repeated the first hook Derick's voice also joined mine and it really did become the perfect melody.

I couldn't help but smile and when I looked back I saw him smiling at me with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

I'm amazed he caught up with the chords of the song so quickly and happy he pushed me into doing this.

It's as if he knew that music really did calm me down.

I especially love the bridge in the song.

Oh, oh, woah, oh, oh

And you let her go

Oh, oh, woah, oh, oh

When you let her go

Whoa

'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you're missing home

Only know you love her when you let her go

'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you're missing home

Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go...

I didn't notice I had closed my eyes until I opened them to the sound of cheering, to my surprise even the depressed receptionist who I met at the beginning was clapping.

Me and Derick smiled and held each others hands as we walked back to our seats and I saw food in front of everyone and must have guessed that the chef was finally working and quickly went to order.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After and during the meal me and Derick were talking continuously, it's the first time we've been in such high spirts and weren't fighting.

It was nice and as we walked back to our suite, we went to change and get ready to sleep, because it's been a very tiring day and I'm ready to sleep anywhere really.

As we were about to part a sudden thought his me.

"Derick, we have a slight problem"

"What is it?"

"I want to shower but don't have anything to change into" I said shyly feeling a slight blush creep on my cheeks.

He smirked and held my hand pulling me into his room.

He started taking of his shirt and I gasped and turned around.

"Why are you stripping?!"

"I always keep a spare a dress shirt that you can wear"

"What about you?"

"I sleep shirtless, and you need it more than I do"

He held me by the shoulders and turned me around and I faced glory itself.

His chest was right in my face.

Damn it! He looks delicious!

I quickly looked down and heard him chuckle.

"Don't act innocent I know you like it"

"Shut up"

I saw the white shirt in his hand and greaves it walking out and into my room.

I hurried off stripping and leaped into the shower.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When I came out I looked at the mirror in the corner of the room and gulped.

It's not perfect but it'll do until tomorrow.

His shirt reached exactly my mid thigh and would probably rise up with any sudden movement.

I grabbed a nearby towel and started drying my hair when I heard Derick shout my name really loud scaring me.

I ran out of the room and straight into the naked chest I was aquatinted with fifteen minutes ago.

It was one of those 'hello there' moments.

I shook my head and saw Derick with a smile on his face.

"What's wrong?! Did something happen? Why are you smiling?!"

"One, you look sexy as hell and two, I'm waiting for my goodnight kiss"

"What?!"

I think I look like a lobster...

And not the blue kind.

"Yeah I'm going now! Ciao!" I was waving my hand when he caught it and pulled me close enough so that he can hold my waist.

"Running away won't help you, you know?"

"I know" I sighed, smiling.

He leaned in and gave me peck on the lips, at first I thought that was it, but he came back for more and I couldn't help wanting more.

I forgot how addicting his lips were this morning, I forgot how kiss felt in general.

We broke the kiss when we were out of breath and he started kissing my neck.

Reality hit me and I pushed him on the chest.

His eyes widened with anger and hurt but then it softened.

"Are you okay? Derick asked, looking at me, concerned.

"I'm fine" I whispered.

"Okay then, Good night"

"Good night"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

And here we are!

Am I embarrassed?

Yes.

Am I happy?

Yes.

Do I regret it?

No.

Will I regret it?

Probably.

⭐️💬

😘❤️✌️