Romantic getaway? I don't think so

And so it begins...

If there was any doubt in Mike's mind that Michelle was really hungry, now it was all gone. She downed the her big pizza before he was halfway done with his regular-sized one. That brought him an enormous sense of relief but also worry, because it didn't explain the reason behind her obvious weight loss.

She could have just been stressed out from work, through no fault of Dominic's, Mike was sure of that. Dominic didn't believe in exploiting his employees, although from what he'd heard Clarissa should have been on the receiving end of it nonetheless.

"What's on your mind, Michelle?" He asked her as she took a moment to breathe in deeply.

"This hotel we're staying at..."

"Yes?"

"I am aware that I am now indebted to Dominic for all eternity and I don't even know what to do to start repaying him."

"He would fire you on the spot if he heard you talking like that, you know." Mike chuckled.

"Oh I doubt that. I know all of his business secrets, he wouldn't dare to do that."

"Then that case is hopeless, so you might as well enjoy it while we're here."

She nodded.

"So... it's only fair that I keep my end of the bargain. Do you have any questions for me?" He asked after two minutes of complete silence.

"About your girlfriend?"

Mike shrugged, keeping it casual even though he wanted to avoid the topic altogether. He was tired of the lies he needed to tell.

"My girlfriend... or anything else."

She was silent for a few moments.

"Ok, I have a question. Not directly related to her because I really don't want to know her personal details, but close enough. How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" He kept a straight face, but what he wanted to do instead was to giggle at her obvious jealousy.

"How does it feel to wake up next to her? Or should I say a person in general."

"Oh, that. It's...it's definitely more comfortable than seeing an empty bed first thing in the morning. It's nice to know that I can reach out for her hand and find it. Even though sometimes her presence is what makes it hard when I really want to be left alone. That's why I prefer to spend time at her place when we do meet. My job is draining me sometimes, I am not cut out for a completely extroverted life. I was used to being alone all the time so it's very hard to bring someone new in." It was so hard to balance the words and emotions, and he was dying to change the conversation. It's been years since he had anyone sleeping in his bed, because it was just too much for him to handle. Sex was fine, but sleeping with someone was categorically out of the question. But of course, Michelle didn't have to know that yet.

She was silent again, thinking about his words.

"That makes sense."

"She is my silent support, though, and I am very appreciative of it."

A painful smile crossed her lips, and Mike's heart sank. This wasn't supposed to be the way to spend the holiday.

"I'll tell you what...I don't want to talk about my relationship. I don't want to talk about my job, and I don't want you to talk about yours. I want us to use this trip to find common ground. We'll be back to our regular lives soon enough, so let's make this a real holiday."

"I couldn't agree more. So, what's our plan? How do we find common ground?"

"How about we make an itinerary of this trip? The whole country is full of myths and legends, so that shouldn't be a problem."