Two Weeks With Chelsea

Chapter 23

The relaxing dinner at Sensi Bistro flowed into a leisurely stroll through the Gothic Quarter that would eventually bring Chelsea and Trevor back to the hotel. Chelsea had managed to extend the evening by stopping for some window shopping. It had afforded her the opportunity to grab Trevor by the hand to drag him towards closed stores for a peak at window displays. His hand gently grasped hers as he feigned resistance. Finally, she made a stop at Amorino for some ice cream that was sculpted and severed in the form of a flower. She stood and watched as the woman behind the counter crafted the treat. Chelsea cursed herself for getting her ice cream in a cup rather than a cone since it didn't leave a hand free to hold his for the last bit of the walk towards the hotel.

Trevor opened the door to the room and turned on the light, then stood beside Chelsea, motionless with their eyes fixed on the lone double sized bed that was now setup where the two twin beds had been twelve hours earlier. He turned his eyes towards her, and she met his gaze.

"I totally forgot I had asked the front desk to change it to a double bed," he said.

"Can they change it back?"

"Not likely. At least not tonight," he replied. "I can call the front desk but..."

Chelsea waited as Trevor made the call to the reception desk. A short conversation later he relayed the message. It couldn't be changed that night or the next. The old twin beds had been moved to another room in the hotel and there were no vacancies that would allow them to move to a different room. He was reminded that he had requested a double bed.

"Okay, I'll sleep in the tub," Trevor suggested.

"There's no tub, just a shower," she replied.

"Right... I guess I'll sleep on the floor, then."

"Gross! No! We can share. It's not a big bed, but I think we can... share it," Chelsea said softly.

"Are you sure?"

Chelsea nodded without looking directly at Trevor. She hoped her suggestion wasn't being taken as an invitation for something other than sleeping in a shared bed.

"Thank you! I was hoping you would say that. I really didn't want to sleep on the floor," Trevor said with a sigh of relief. "I need a shower. Did you want to get in there first?"

"No, you can go first," Chelsea replied as she started to remove items from her backpack.

While Trevor showered, she retrieved her pajamas from the suitcase. She sat on the bed writing in her journal as she waited. When he finally emerged from the bathroom, his body glistened in the dim light of the room. How long she remained with her eyes fixated on him she did not know. It could only have been a few seconds, but he definitely noticed.

"Your turn," he said with a smirk.

She stood in the bathroom for a moment sifting through her feelings. She took a deep breath then prepared to step into the shower, still battling the swirling emotions that occupied her mind.

When Chelsea returned to the main room, she found Trevor already lounging in the bed with his hands behind his head and the bedsheet draped low across his hips, well below his belly button. Her heart skipped and she stumbled back a step before averting her eyes away from where the sheet crossed his abdomen. A bare leg was exposed from mid thigh down to his foot. He appeared to be naked and wore a suggestive smile. The appearance was capped off with a twitch of his brow and a single drawn out word spoken in a sinister and flirtatious tone, "Hey!"

"Oh! I..." Chelsea stammered as she turned her back towards him.

Trevor laughed hysterically, "Relax, I'm wearing pajama shorts."

She found herself wishing she could come up with a witty retort. The best Chelsea could do was glare at him as she returned to the edge of the bed. She lifted the sheet then looked to confirm his claim while keeping a neutral expression on her face.

"Come on, get in bed," he requested.

Chelsea didn't speak a word and kept her gazed fixed on his eyes as she slipped under the sheet and pulled it up to her chest. She turned her head and waited a moment before breaking into laughter.

Trevor switched off the lamp on his night table, darkening the room.

"I hope you aren't planning to get all grabby and snuggly," Trevor said. "I like my personal space."

"Hmmm," Chelsea responded, "you just keep those pajamas on, mister!"

"Good night, Chelsea," Trevor said softly.

Chelsea looked into the darkness above her head. The image of his half naked body lying in bed filled her thoughts. The lightly tanned skin, the lean and slightly muscular build of his torso faded as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Trevor could hear Chelsea's hair rustling on the pillow each time she turned to look his way. She would pause a moment then turned her gaze back towards the ceiling. He listened to her movements for a while, then turned his head towards her.

"Relax, go to sleep, I'm not going to try anything. Promise."

Chelsea closed her eyes. She couldn't believe she was sharing a bed with Trevor Leland, the first guy that had ever captured her attention so completely. She analyzed his statement and wondered. Was he being reassuring and showing a gentlemanly side of his character or was he so disinterested in her that he wouldn't even think of making a move? She then wondered how she would feel if movements in the night brought them together and a wayward arm came to rest across her body, perhaps dropping the corresponding hand onto a breast. Would she slap it away or gently remove it? Would she let it linger for a while?

"Good night, Trevor," she whispered.

"Oh, by the way, I posted some pics on my Stone Wall page, and you were in some of them. Hope you don't mind."

"Oh... That's okay," she replied as she pondered for a moment. "I guess Chambers would have figured out I lied about going on a cruise at some point."

"Shit! Sorry. I wasn't thinking," he said. "Oh, and one of them was that drunk selfie from last night."

Chelsea closed her eyes. The concern about headmaster Chambers knowing she had lied dissipated as a smile crept onto her face. Trevor had just let his friends know where he was and that they were together.