Serendipitous Saturation ✔ [Completed]

Chapter 9 - Predicaments

He kissed her earlobe as she slid the keycard into its slot, his hands at her sides, fingertips tapping along them impatiently. "Okay, you're the boss. Is that what you want to hear?"

"If I didn't know why you were suddenly so agreeable, then I might just believe you," she laughed. She arched her back slightly against him and followed it with a pronounced wiggle of her hips. Enlivened by a little too much Champagne or simply enjoying the upper hand to unnerve him further, he couldn't decide which - perhaps a little of both.

He closed his eyes as she rubbed against him. "Then hurry up with the damn key, woman, will you?" he said between gritted teeth.

She laughed again as the light above the gold handle turned green and she shoved the door wide open with force. If Vansh’s reflexes had been slower in pulling her back, it would have hit her straight back in the face as it slammed shut again immediately in front of them. "What the hell?!" she exclaimed.

Vansh frowned and took the card from her, tried it. This time he opened the door slowly. He peered inside as her hand swiftly went to the bag at her hip. He glanced back at her with a smirk. "Cop instincts, huh?" He chuckled. "You better come in, you'll see what the problem is." He entered first, gauging her reaction as she came into the room.

Her eyes widened. For the second time in seconds she uttered disbelievingly, "What the hell?"

He began to chortle as she took note of her surroundings with undiluted annoyance.

The room was tiny. A chest of drawers lodged up beside the door had made it swing back on its hinges and close again when Riddhima had opened it with the flourish of a magician uncovering a white rabbit beneath a hat. The carpet was barely visible as the wardrobe was within touching distance of the bed.

"Meh, it's not that bad. Cosy," he tried.

Her gaze hardened on him. "It said Boutique Hotel so...well, I thought that meant romantic, not had rooms the size of a matchbox."

He sat on the bed and bounced on it. "Bed's big enough. And comfy. Come here," he offered. "It's fine, Riddhima."

"The bed only looks big because the room is so small."

She marched over to the window and pulled open the curtains. Vansh shielded his eyes from the sun's rays. "And it's supposed to have a sea view. I'm looking at dumpsters," she seethed. "They should be sued over the name. The Oceania - yeah, right."

He puffed out a breath and approached the window. Well, she wasn't wrong. He saw a rat scuttle out of one of the bins below. So fair enough, maybe she had a point about it not being such a romantic setting. Still, he pointed to the far right of the window and placed his other hand on her shoulder. "Well, they didn't actually lie about the sea view."

"What?"

He nodded towards where he was pointing. "See that minuscule triangle of blue in the very far distance - that's the ocean."

She turned around, ire in her eyes. "This isn't acceptable."

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He toed his shoes off and lay on the bed, flicking on the television as she called reception to complain. From what he made out there were no other rooms available apart from single or twin rooms. She looked at him for his viewpoint and he shook his head with determination they wouldn't be spending their first night together in a cot. She nodded in agreement with a sigh. Shortly afterwards she replaced the receiver. "They've offered us free dinner in the hotel," she muttered as she sat on the edge of the bed. There wasn't enough room for her to pace to relieve some of her exasperation and her fingers drummed on her thighs instead.