Page 15 of Grateful Hearts

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 ofsharing 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 readLovebirds’ Nestflickered 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 havegotto 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 isheart-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 tosleepin 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.

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