Page 59 of An Accidental Flatmate

A woman arrived hard on the sound of the buzzer. “Hello. Welcome to Bendigo.”

“We’ve got a booking. Name of Ramirez.” Casildo handed over the slip of paper.

“I’m guessing you’re here for the Lost Trades Fair. Is it your first time?” The woman busied herself crosschecking details.

“I’ve been before, but it’s new for Beatriz. We’re really looking forward to it.”

“You’ve got lovely weather for it. Two nights’ accommodation for two people.” The woman held up a keycard. “We’ve had to swap rooms for you. A plumbing problem we discovered this morning.” She smiled her apology. “But the replacement is our best room. The wedding suite. It’s upstairs in this main building and is the only unit we have free.”

Casildo turned to her and held up his hands in surrender.

A giggle tickled Bea’s throat and came out as a half-snort, then a full-throated laugh. “We’ll take it.”

“Are you out of your mind?” He hissed.

Bea slipped her hand under his elbow and drew him to one side of the room. “What’s the alternative? What’s your accommodation Plan B?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Then this is it.” She turned back to the counter.

He grabbed her elbow this time and lowered his forehead to hers. “You know what this means?”

“You can say no.” She giggled. “Again.”

The bemused motel manager was holding up the keycard. “Will you be taking the room?”

“Yes. Please.” Casildo accepted the card, then drew Beatriz back out of earshot of the clearly interested manager. “This isn’t how I planned to seduce you.”

“But you had a plan.”

“Yes. No. I’m trying to think for both of us.”

“Then don’t. I might have my own plans.” She nudged his shoulder. “How about you go collect our bags, while I use the bathroom?”

He looked at her as if unsure, but she made a shooing gesture with her hand. In the bathroom, Bea found what she needed, and was waiting in the lobby when he returned with their overnight bags.

“Let’s go have a look at the honeymoon suite, check out their definition of luxury.” She took her bag.

“Have you ever stayed in a honeymoon suite?”

She raised an eyebrow.

“What? You might have had an offer like this before.”

“Have you?”

“This is a first for me. What do you reckon we’ll find?”

“Is this another of your ‘five questions before we arrive’ games?”

He took her arm. “Guess.”

“The entryway, even the guest bathroom in the lobby are a bit oldie-worldie English. A few too many frills for my taste, although some of the fabrics are traditional prints.”

“So bog awful?” He grinned.

“Probably lots of pillows.”

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