Lost in You

Chapter 8

Despite the cocktail and the long skiing session yesterday, I wake up early the next morning while Maja is still fast asleep. Work starts later today and I try to turn around and fall asleep again. But thoughts about Uni come up, the fact that we've studied nothing the past days and I didn't even think about it. The fact that the first exams are less than a month away. I put my arm over my eyes. And see Marius in front of me, the way he smiled at me last night. I growl and get up carefully. I'm never going to fall asleep like that again. It's still dark and cold outside, but I also don't want to stay and wake up Maja, so I put on sports clothes and sneak out of the room, trying to find the gym. Maybe an easy morning workout will help to quiet the thoughts in my head. Wandering through the still silent corridors, I realize how familiar they have become to me. Even the way to the gym is easy to find, I've passed the signs often enough. I nod to the woman behind the entrance desk and a few other people that come past me before I enter the gym. The lights are already on and I hear noises before I even round the corner. When I enter, I consider turning around. Because he's there as well, doing stretches on a fitness mat. How am I supposed to get him out of my head when he appears everywhere I go? Aside from that, there's another man running on a treadmill and one other girl doing yoga in one corner of the gym, half-hidden behind a leg press as if she wanted to border off her private little gym. "Good morning." He spotted me before I have the chance to turn around, so tighten the grip around my water bottle and keep walking. "Good morning." I get another mat and place it next to him. Not close enough to make it uncomfortable, but so much that we don't disturb the other people in case he wants to keep talking. After he already started it. "No headache?" I ask while I start warming up. He grins. "Not a little. In fact, I already feel a lot better." I have a feeling that I don't need to tell him that he looks that way as well. "Impressive. I never thought cocktails would be the right thing to take against fever," I say instead. He laughs. "Try it the next time you're sick. Though I can't promise that it works with every cocktail." I can't help but smile back. There's something infectious about his good mood this morning, especially after him being in a bad mood the last two days. "It could have also been the soup I got you," I tease and bent down to my toes. His eyes follow my movements. "Sure. That deserves some credit as well." Am I imagining it or has something in his voice changed? "Does that mean you'll leave again?" I ask and try to not let my disappointment show. He shrugs and starts stretching again as well. "At least I'll travel after them. I wanted to see how getting up and doing some stretches feels before I decide more." I nod and start doing some lunges. "Sounds responsible." "I wouldn't want to make it worse by starting too early," he continues to stretch, still watching my movements and I try my best to ignore it. "Of course," I say like I have any experience on that. He smiles mildly like he knows I don't. His phone rings. My first reaction is to act busy to not make him feel like I'd overhear the conversation. Then I realize that even if I tried, I'd have no chance. I don't understand Norwegian. All I can understand is his voice trailing off, then getting a little louder before he sighs and seems to say goodbye before hanging up. I can't stop myself from throwing him a curious glance when he puts his phone next to his mat again. "As I guessed, they want me back. We'll leave tomorrow morning." "That's good, isn't it? Then you don't have to be alone in a hotel anymore," I say while continuing my exercises. I don't want to look disappointed. I don't want to admit that I'd hoped for a few more conversations. I should have stayed in my room and waited for Maja to wake up. He gets up. "A little bit of distance from everything was nice, especially while I couldn't be part of it. And I wasn't alone." He smiles at me and continues the stretching, standing now. Right in front of me. I have to focus on my own movements if I want to keep moving at all. "I did what I could. We're supposed to make sure that our guests have an enjoyable stay," I recite what I once read in a flyer in our room. When he looks at me now, I pretend I don't notice or I'd have fallen over during the next movement. "They should keep you then. You did a good job." What I thought was warmth in voice before was now distanced again. Like last night didn't happen. "Not keep me, but I think they'll at least take me back in February. So you'll get a good service again when you come back," I say and smile. He doesn't smile back. "Yes. Hopefully, this hotel isn't a bad omen or I'll miss the next important competitions as well." He stretches his arms up, then picks up his phone and mat. "I am not willing to believe that. Next time we'll make sure you won't get sick," I say. I don't want him to go and our conversation to end. I don't want to wait until February and hope that he hasn't forgotten me by then. "Will you make me eat more cookies then?" he asks. I bite my lip to not laugh. "Maybe that is just what you need," I tease. He shakes his head. "But you won your bet, didn't you? At least I didn't see you at the buffet the next morning." I can feel my face getting hotter at the thought that he did not only remember the bet but actually looked for me. "I did and Maja is still struggling to fulfill it. So thank you for your help, I've had a few great mornings in the kitchen." "Your recommendation wasn't too bad either," he admits. "Maybe I'll think about something else for you to try when you come back." "Is that a threat?" I smile. "Take it as you like." "A threat then." He glances up at the clock. "And on that note, I should get ready for breakfast now." I sigh. "Me too. Maja should be up by now as well." "Until the next competitions here then," he says. "I'll be here," I promise. Maja and I are as good as engaged for then. And now I want it more than ever. Back up in my room, I search the Internet until I have the dates for the competition he mentioned and start counting down the days until then.