Grateful Hearts (Home for the Holidays)

Chapter Four

Chantel stood at the front desk at the hotel.

“When I spoke to the reservationist on the phone, she said the room was two double beds.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but it seems there was a mix-up. All I have is one room left, which is our honeymoon room with a king bed.” the young front desk clerk replied, looking a little guilty.

Chantel blinked, processing the information. “So, one bed?” she repeated and bit her lip nervously as she glanced at Zach.

Zach rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. However, Chantel swore she could see a faint smile on his lips.

“We’ll just have to make do. It’s not like we have a choice with all the canceled flights,” Zach told her.

She nodded, trying to hide her nervousness. “Right.” She looked back at the front desk clerk. “We can make it work. We’ll take the room.”

After Chantel paid for the room and got their room key, they walked toward the elevator. Chantel glanced at Zach.

“I’ll sleep on the floor. You can have the bed,” she told him.

Zach’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Thank you for the offer, but you’re not sleeping on the floor. I’ll take the floor.”

“You can’t sleep on the floor, especially if you’re driving.”

Zach chuckled. “I’ve slept in a hell of a lot worse places. Believe me, the floor is fine.”

Once the elevator arrived, they both got on. The ride to the fifth floor was quiet. When the elevator doors opened on their floor, they walked off and found their room to the left.

Chantel inserted the key, and when the green light blinked, she opened the door, bracing herself for the awkward reality of sharing a hotel room with a near stranger. But when she flipped on the light, the sight before her stopped her in her tracks.

A massive, bright red, heart-shaped bed dominated the room, complete with satin sheets that practically shimmered under the overhead light. A pair of matching heart-shaped pillows rested at the headboard, flanked by a canopy of sheer pink fabric. In the corner, a giant, plastic champagne bottle leaned against the wall like it had rolled out of a Vegas prop closet, and a neon sign that read Lovebirds’ Nest flickered on the wall above a hot tub lined with fake rose petals.

For a moment, Chantel was silent. Then, a laugh burst from her lips. She clapped a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” she finally managed, spinning around to face Zach.

Zach stepped into the room, took one look, and doubled over, laughing so hard he had to brace himself against the doorframe. “Holy shit! It looks like Valentine’s Day threw up in here,” he wheezed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

“I mean, this can’t be real,” Chantel said, gesturing wildly at the room. “The bed is heart-shaped ! Who actually chooses this?”

“Apparently, newlyweds with a flair for the dramatic,” Zach replied, straightening and kicking the door closed behind him. He let out a low whistle, eyeing the room. “Well, it’s official. This might be the tackiest place I’ve ever stepped foot in.”

Chantel plopped her bag onto a small, round table covered with a pink lace tablecloth. “Forget the tacky. How are we supposed to sleep in here?” She motioned to the singular bed, the centerpiece of the room.

Zach smirked, tossing his duffel onto the floor. “Well, I was still contemplating on taking the floor, but…” He nodded toward the bed, struggling to keep a straight face. “I might just claim half of the heart instead.”

Chantel laughed, shaking her head. “Half of the heart? Really? That’s your compromise?”

“Hey, it’s romantic in theory,” Zach teased, a playful grin spreading across his face. “Nothing says ‘perfect strangers sharing a room’ like splitting a bed shaped like a Valentine’s Day candy.”

Chantel rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched in amusement. “Okay, fine. You get half of the heart, but if you snore or cross the invisible line, I’m shoving you onto the floor.”

“Deal,” Zach said, holding out a hand as if to seal it formally.

Chantel shook his hand, biting back a smile. “Great. Now let’s figure out how to survive this honeymoon nightmare without dying of secondhand embarrassment.”

Zach chuckled, wandering over to the hot tub and poking at the fake rose petals. “Oh, come on, admit it. You’re having a little fun.”

Chantel laughed as she set her bags down. “Surprisingly, I am.”

As they settled in, Zach took the bathroom first, changing into a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.

Chantel was fumbling through her bag when she remembered that she had forgotten to pack her pajamas.

“Everything okay?” Zach asked, coming out of the bathroom and noticing her expression.

“Uh, yeah,” Chantel said, blushing slightly. Damn! Does he have to look good in everything he wears? “I just forgot to pack pajamas in my haste to leave Boston.”

Zach looked thoughtful for a moment, then reached into his bag. “Here, you can wear one of my T-shirts. It’s clean, I promise.”

He handed her an oversized, soft military green T-shirt, and she hesitated before taking it. “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” Zach said with a reassuring smile. “I’d feel bad if you had to sleep in jeans and your new T-shirt,” he joked, pointing to the shirt he had bought her.

Chantel took the shirt and went into the bathroom to change. As she pulled the T-shirt over her head, she couldn’t help but notice the subtle scent of Zach’s cologne lingering on the fabric. It was a warm, inviting scent that made her feel strangely comforted. The shirt was huge on her, reaching down to her knees, and she felt a bit self-conscious but also oddly at ease. It was really strange.

She stepped out of the bathroom and found Zach standing on the bed, who appeared to be inspecting the smoke alarm.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He glanced at her and smirked as she stepped down from the bed.

“Sorry. It’s a habit for me to look for hidden devices in hotel rooms.”

She raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything at first. But then really thought it.

“Does that happen a lot?” she asked.

“What?”

“People hiding cameras or other devices in hotel rooms to spy on strangers.”

“It happens more than you think.”

She curled her lip up in disgust. “That’s just creepy. I’ll make sure always to make a note to inspect my hotel room, though it’s not like I’m a world traveler or anything.”

He smirked at her. “Well, you’re traveling now. Tomorrow, during our drive, I’ll give you some more safe travel tips.

She grinned, then held out her arms slightly. “How do I look,” she asked, showing off his T-shirt.

Zach grinned, trying to hide a flicker of admiration in his eyes. “You look comfortable.”

Chantel smiled, feeling a bit more relaxed. “Thanks for this. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem,” Zach replied, moving to the side of the bed closest to the door. “I’ll take this side. I also found an extra blanket in the closet, so we each can have our own.”

She nodded, climbing into the other side of the bed.

As they settled in, Zach turned off the bedside lamp, leaving the room in darkness. Chantel lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, trying to focus on anything other than the fact that she was sharing a bed with a near stranger.

Zach’s amused voice broke the silence. “So, I’m guessing you don’t do this often?”

Chantel chuckled softly. “Ah, no. I can honestly say that this is a first for me. Sharing a bed with a stranger was definitely not on my bingo card. But I have to admit I’m surprisingly enjoying this. It’s different.”

“Yeah,” Zach agreed, his voice gentle. “Sometimes things don’t go according to plan, but that doesn’t mean they can’t turn out okay.”

Chantel smiled in the darkness, feeling a warm sense of comfort. “You’re right. Thanks for being so cool about all this.”

“Hey, it’s not every day you meet someone new and end up sharing a heart-shaped bed,” Zach said with a chuckle.

They both settled back into the bed, and Chantel tried to relax. The room was quiet again, and she found herself listening to the soft sound of Zach’s breathing. There was something comforting about his presence, a sense of safety she hadn’t felt in a while. She couldn’t help but reflect on her recent breakup and the mess that had led her here.

As she lay there, her mind wandered. Zach was kind, considerate, and respectful. They were qualities she realized she had been missing in her previous relationship. She felt a pang of longing, wishing she could find someone like him. The way he handled the situation, from the spilled coffee to offering his T-shirt, showed a level of thoughtfulness she deeply appreciated.

Chantel sighed softly, trying to shake off the melancholy thoughts. It was silly to wish for something that couldn’t happen, especially under these circumstances. But still, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope, wondering if maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for something real and meaningful in the future for her.

“Everything okay?” Zach’s voice broke the silence, concerned.

Chantel blinked, realizing she had been lost in her thoughts. “Yeah, why?”

“I heard you sigh.”

I did? She didn’t even realize she had done that. “Sorry, just thinking about stuff.”

“Want to talk about it?” he offered, his tone gentle and genuine.

She hesitated for a moment, then smiled. “Maybe another time. Right now, I think we both need some rest.”

“Fair enough,” Zach agreed, a smile in his voice. “Goodnight, Chantel.”

“Goodnight, Zach,” she replied, feeling a warmth in her chest at the sound of her name on his lips.

As she finally closed her eyes, Chantel felt a strange sense of peace. Despite the chaos of the day, she felt grateful for Zach’s presence and kindness. And as she drifted off to sleep, she couldn’t help but wonder what the next day would bring.