His name was Nathaniel

70

After their magical evening at the beach, Nathaniel had planned for them to stay at a hotel for the night. True to his promise of keeping things simple, he booked a premium room—luxurious but not overwhelmingly extravagant. The space was elegant yet cozy, with a plush king-sized bed, soft ambient lighting, and a balcony that offered a stunning view of the city's twinkling skyline.

Adaliya dropped her bag near the bed, taking in the room with a small smile. "This is nice," she said, glancing at Nathaniel. "Not too over the top for once."

Nathaniel chuckled as he set his backpack down. "I told you I'm trying to tone it down a bit. I didn't want to scare you off."

"You mean again," she teased, earning a sheepish grin from him.

They settled in quickly, deciding on room service for dinner. Nathaniel handed her the menu, letting her pick their meal. After some deliberation, they chose a variety of dishes to share—simple comfort food rather than anything too fancy.

While they waited for their food, Nathaniel pulled out his iPad, scrolling through emails and messages. Despite his efforts to keep work separate from his personal life, he wanted to ensure there were no urgent matters that needed his attention.

Meanwhile, Adaliya slipped into the bathroom to freshen up. Standing in front of the mirror, she stared at her reflection, chewing her lip. She thought about how amazing the day had been, how connected she felt to Nathaniel, and how she wanted to take their closeness a step further.

They had agreed to take things slow, but she couldn't help feeling a little playful. The oversized T-shirt she had packed for pajamas was simple, comfortable, and... dull. She wished she had thought to bring something a little more enticing.

"Guess this will have to do," she muttered, pulling off her pajama shorts and tossing them aside. The shirt was long enough to cover her modestly but short enough to show off her legs. Maybe she could make this work.

Steeling her nerves, she stepped out of the bathroom, her bare legs brushing against the cool air. Nathaniel was seated on the bed, his brow furrowed as he tapped away on his iPad. He didn't even look up when she entered.

She walked over to the bed, standing just a few feet away from him. "Anything important?" she asked, her tone light but laced with an edge of anticipation.

Nathaniel glanced up briefly, his eyes flicking to her legs for the briefest moment before returning to the screen of his iPad. "Just work stuff," he said absently. "I'm almost done. Did you want to pick a movie while we wait for the food?"

Adaliya raised an eyebrow, her frustration already starting to bubble. That's it?

"Sure," she said, brushing it off for now.

She grabbed the remote and began scrolling through the movie options, but her mind wasn't on the screen. She glanced at Nathaniel, who was still absorbed in his work, and decided to try a little harder.

Sitting down on the bed, she crossed one leg over the other slowly, letting the hem of her T-shirt ride up just a little. "Do you think the food will take long?" she asked, her voice soft and casual.

"Shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes," Nathaniel replied, his tone neutral.

Adaliya leaned back on her hands, arching her back slightly as she tilted her head toward him. "That's not too bad."

Nathaniel nodded, still not looking at her.

Biting back her growing annoyance, Adaliya got up and walked over to the minibar, deliberately swaying her hips as she moved. She opened it, pretending to look for something, then bent down slightly, knowing her movements would draw attention.

Nathaniel finally looked up, his brow furrowing. "Are you okay? Did you lose something?"

"Just looking," she replied, straightening up with a forced smile.

He nodded again, his focus shifting back to his emails.

By the time room service arrived, Adaliya was nearly ready to scream. She had tried every subtle (and not-so-subtle) hint she could think of, and Nathaniel had remained completely oblivious.

They ate together, their conversation light and cheerful as usual, but Adaliya couldn't stop her growing frustration. Even as they picked a romantic comedy to watch, she continued her efforts, inching closer to him on the bed and letting her leg brush against his.

Nathaniel didn't flinch. If anything, he seemed completely unbothered.

As the movie played, Adaliya rested her head on his shoulder, sneaking glances at him. She even traced small, idle patterns on his arm with her fingers, hoping he would pick up on her intentions.

But Nathaniel remained as composed and innocent as ever, laughing at the jokes in the movie and occasionally offering her popcorn.

When the movie ended, Adaliya couldn't take it anymore. She let out a small huff, sitting up and crossing her arms.

"Is something wrong?" Nathaniel asked, tilting his head in concern.

"No," she said curtly, her voice sharper than she intended.

Nathaniel blinked, clearly confused. "Are you sure? You seem upset."

"I said I'm fine, Nathaniel," she snapped, standing up and walking to her side of the bed. "Good night."

Nathaniel frowned, watching as she climbed under the covers and turned her back to him. He replayed the evening in his mind, searching for anything that might have upset her, but nothing stood out.

"Good night, Adaliya," he said softly, still baffled.

As Adaliya lay in bed, she couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. She wasn't angry with Nathaniel—he had done nothing wrong. But his complete and utter cluelessness was maddening.

Meanwhile, Nathaniel lay on his side, staring at the ceiling. He had no idea what had gone wrong, but the last thing he wanted was for Adaliya to be upset with him. As he drifted off to sleep, he made a mental note to figure it out and make things right.