Suited

Forty One

There's a perk to traveling with Whitacres in your group. The hotels their company partners with strive for their comfort above all else, so when we arrived a little after nine in the morning, the suite was ready as opposed to the standard three pm check in. It was very convenient.

The hotel was more modern than the one my parents stayed in, but we were in the heart of New York, so that was practically a given. Everything here was plain expensive and it took the first two semesters of my training to stop consciously worrying about how much things would cost in case I broke them. The suite had two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and thankfully two bathrooms. Haydn took too long to get ready in the mornings for me to want to share with him and four people with one set of facilities was simply a time management disaster waiting to happen. As customary, Gabriel claimed the bedroom furthest from the entrance while I confirmed with staff that he was indeed in the building and yes, he did want additional security on the floor. I shouldn't have had to ask since they knew when we'd be arriving but it was more of a checks and balances thing.

Haydn went with Gabriel to unpack and Lawrence did the same with me. I took care of the clothes while he did his study materials. He chose the desk by the window in our room and set up his MacBook, then his iPad, figuring out the cables as he went. Next were the notebooks, the tabletop fan, and the timer. Finishing touches included his pen pouch, a half-burned seasonal candle he'd been rebuying since November and I'm pretty sure he contacted the company for since it was limited edition, and finally, his blue light glasses. They were dainty and studious and I desperately wanted to fuck him while he wore them but it would ruin their association with his work so I refrained.

Sunday was meant to be more of a rest day than anything but I wanted to ensure Lawrence would have somewhere to take his quiz. The hotel had a business center so I asked Lawrence when he needed the space and requested the staff shut the place down from ten to eleven Monday morning on his behalf. His test required a lockdown browser, which itself required an empty and silent testing area. Now that that was handled I could finally relax, and that was done in bed, watching Lawrence study with classical music playing.

There was a knock at the door before Gabriel poked his head in to look at his brother. "Hey Lory?"

He didn't move his attention away from his notes. "Yeah?"

"Can you shut the music off please? Or pick another genre? Or use headphones?"

That was a very specific request. Lawrence swiveled around in his chair. "Since when do you have an issue with symphonic orchestras?"

Gabriel laughed. "It's not me; it's Haydn. Trust me, these walls aren't thick enough to block out anything he'd do if that keeps playing." Oh?

Lawrence's eyes got wide and he put on his over ear headphones and yelled, "Get out!" I turned on the television since he wouldn't be able to hear it and Gabriel giggled his way back to bed while Lawrence loudly suggested he sedate his fiancée. Once the other door shut, he took off one side to talk to me. Whisper, rather. "They fuck to orchestra?!"

I made a face. "How would I know that?"

"Well you've—"

This boy. "Not to Beethoven." He corrected me that he was actually listening to Bach, who Beethoven was inspired by. "Focus on your work."

"I can't now that I know...all of that. Shit."

And now I wanted to murder his brother. Lovely.  "Can you try piano instead of violin?"

He thought for a moment. "I can try."

He didn't have any issues with the piano. In fact, he worked all the way through to lunch without any problems. It was small, but a change nonetheless. I hoped it wouldn't become a hurdle tomorrow. I made him take a break after dinner so he wouldn't try to cram. I let him do it once and it ruined his sleep for a week. He could revise lightly in the morning.