Just Business

Chapter Twenty-One: Marcia

Her heart beat finally began to slow after spending all day at a rabbit pace, frantic and erratic. As soon as they were definitely free from the cameras, Marcia launched herself at David, hugging him.
"Second!" she cheered. "We came second."

He swept her off her feet, spinning as if she weighed nothing.

"We sure did. I'm going to order a good bottle of champagne to the room to celebrate."

After giving back their microphones, she and David were permitted to go up to their room. It was on the top floor, and apparently overlooked a duck pond, which Marcia was excited about. They were next door to Dwight, so took the lift with him and tried to lift his spirits. They helped him into his room, holding the door open and moving a badly placed waste bin out the way, before finally saying goodbye.

"Nice guy," David remarked.

"Everybody seems nice," Marcia said. "Although those poor siblings at the end seemed so uncomfortable."

"I found them a little standoffish."

"No," Marcia said, "Just shy. I think, anyway."

David unlocked the door, swinging it open.

"Shit," he said.

"What?"

"There's only one bed."
"Oh."

Marcia followed him into the room. Indeed, the only bed was a plush double with a creamy velvet headboard. The rest of the room was neuvo-regency, decked out in creams and pinks with a few modern touches thrown in. It was beautiful, like something out of a Jane Austen adaptation.

"It's probably just a mistake," Marcia said, dropping her bag on the polished oak desk.

"I'll go check. Candice said to go and find her about any issues."

Marcia watched him leave, admiring how cool and collected he seemed despite the hectic day. She pretended not to admire the snug fit of his jeans, but she was a warm-blooded woman and it was very hard not to.

Unable to unpack since they may change rooms, Marcia flicked through her current read - a romance involving a grizzled sea captain and a reforming bratty actress - without taking much in. She found herself missing David and the space he had been taking up in her life over the day. This feeling was, unfortunately, becoming more frequent. Marcia found herself loitering downstairs at the end of even long days, eking out every last second she could spend with David. The sound of her front door closing was no longer a relief, but the start of a lonely night. They texted sure, but it was no longer enough for her.

Of course, parts of her still protested. Reminded her he was stealing her bookshop, that he was lying to her through omission. But those voices could be drowned out after a while, leaving nothing but longing for the man. They would eventually come back, leaving Marcia feeling guilty and confused.

When David came back, Marcia tried to not jump up immediately. He seemed sedate when he walked in, a small, sheepish smile the only thing stopping her from worrying.

"So do you want the good news or the bad news first?" he asked.

"Bad news," she replied. "Get it out the way."
"They can't move us to a twin room. Or even give us separate rooms, they're fully booked."

"Oh! Shit," Marcia said, her mind overcome with images of them sharing the bed.

"But good news," he continued. "Is they're giving us a free meal for the inconvenience. Starters, dessert and wine included. So no crappy buffet for us!"