Lindsey played her at least ten songs that night, all while they laughed over silly lyrics they'd created on the spot and polished off the wine she brought and some of the scotch that he had packed away in his duffel bag upon his arrival.
It was light and easy, especially for two people who really didn't know each other, nor did they ask any real questions about one another. They just scrapped the surface and that seemed to be enough.
In fact, it was so simple, it was a sigh of relief for both of them and the hours just seemed to slip right through the cracks of their fingers.
By the time she realized that her legs had fallen asleep, the room was beginning to spin and her eyes were growing tired- the sun was already beginning to rise in the East... It was six in the morning and they had been together all night.
"Careful getting home." Lindsey was standing in the doorway of his room, leaning into the frame as he watched her take five steps to her door.
Tossing her head back, she let out a soft giggle as she worked on unlocking it. "Thank you, I'll try." Her face was a soft shade of red from the drinks and all the laughs... She couldn't remember the last time that life felt that simple. "Good night..." she added with another little giggle.
"Good night, Stevie..." He waited until she had disappeared inside, giving her one more wave when she turned back to close herself in. "Oh, boy." Shaking his head softly, he let out a faint chuckle as he slipped back into his room.
And on her side of the hallway, after she'd locked herself into the comfort of the place that she'd called home for so long, she let out the deepest sigh as she sank right back into the wooden door. "Gosh..." she whispered to herself, not at all impressed with the feelings that she seemed to be experiencing... She knew better.
That was not only very unprofessional for a business owner, but also really unethical for someone who was already in a relationship... with her husband of nearly twenty- five years.
"It's okay." She told herself as one hand met her chest, trying to calm her racing heart as she began to travel further into her room. "It's okay..."'she repeated, letting out the heaviest huff once she fell back into the silk sheets and luxurious throw pillows on her four poster king size bed.
~~~
"Stevie?" Marissa called out her name the second she hit the top of the staircase. "Stevie?" She repeated, hand meeting the door a couple of times as panic began to creep up.
It was well after noon and no one, not any of the staff members had seen their boss at all, which was so unlike her, they couldn't just ignore it. Usually Stevie met them every morning in the lobby, but when she didn't make it down there, Marissa grew a little concerned that she'd never gotten back to the hotel the night before...
"Stevie?" She creased a brow, knocking once more as she pressed her ear to the wood to listen. "Are you okay in there?" She lightly jiggled the knob, a sigh of relief escaping her the moment she heard commotion on the other side.
It slowly came open a second later, only to reveal a woman that looked like she had gotten no sleep the night before. "I'm so sorry, I should have called down there." Stevie held open the door a little more, welcoming Marissa inside. "I woke up with the worst headache," she added as the pads of her fingers met her temple to try to rub it out.
"Did you have too much fun with your friends?" Marissa let out a soft chuckle, very happy to see that Stevie was in one piece.
Biting down on the inside of her cheek, Stevie watched as Marissa slowly dropped into one of the chairs at the circle table that sat close to the big window. "We were out really late and I just lost track of time." She lied, running her fingers through her hair with one hand as she used the other to pull down a couple of coffee cups.
The younger woman cracked a soft smile, totally oblivious to the fact that Stevie had actually snuck across the hallway and hung out with the mysterious man from the West coast. "Well, I'm glad to hear that you had a little bit of fun." She shrugged lightly, giving Stevie the most appreciative smile when she handed her a mug.
"Yeah," Stevie felt out of it, she really did. "It was fun, but I'm just not feeling well." She admitted as she slouched down into the chair across from Marissa.
"Hm," chewing on the inside of her cheek, she slowly brought the hot cup up to her lips. "I hate to make you feel worse...." She lingered with a faint sigh after she'd taken a small sip. "But Tom called and he's in town already." Marissa announced, which caused the blonde to let out a huff instantly. "He couldn't get ahold of you, so Max is on his way to the airport." She added with hint of angst lingering in her tone.
They weren't expecting him for a couple more days... None of them, but especially not his wife, who already felt overwhelmed by the idea of his presence at the Inn.
Rolling her eyes, Stevie was annoyed with herself more than anything else. "I have to get around." She didn't hesitate to push herself back out of her chair, abandoning her cup at the table as she headed straight for her bedroom without another word.
She was already a ball of nerves, but to hear that her husband had flown in a couple of days earlier than scheduled was enough to make her sick to her stomach. But she didn't have much time to dwell on that, not when they were already heading back towards the hotel...
So, with hardly any ambition and no excitement, she ran a brush through her long curls, threw on just enough makeup to hide how tired she was, then slipped into a maxi dress and a pair of high heeled boots... Anything to look a little more put together than she was feeling.
"Ready?" Stevie let off a faint smile when she pulled open her bedroom door, relieved to know that Marissa had waited for her.
"I'm taking your cup with me." She chuckled as she led the way towards the door with her coffee in one hand and a cookie she'd taken in the other.
Stevie laughed in return, glancing down at her left hand as she slipped her wedding ring back. "Maybe he won't stay long."
