Page 34 of Silver Fake

But I don't tell him that.

Instead, I brush his hand away and say, "Do you know if the hotel is serving breakfast? I'm starving."

I try to sound nonchalant, but I'm secretly grateful for the distraction. The last thing I need to discuss with John is how we spent the night. The topic of food seems safe enough - we can figure out the rest later.

John doesn't respond to my question right away. Instead, he continues to observe me, an unreadable expression on his face.

It's like he's aware that I'm avoiding something, and it's making him all the more intrigued. Suddenly, the air in the room feels thick with unasked questions.

After a moment of silence that seems to stretch into eternity, he finally breaks the silence.

"Yes, they do, actually. It's quite a spread," John says. "What are you in the mood for? Pancakes, eggs, fruit, yogurt, or...?"

He trails off, looking at me expectantly, clearly leaving the choice up to me.

"All of the above sounds great," I respond, forcing a small smile onto my face. "And coffee... I definitely need coffee. As you can probably tell, I'm a little cranky without it."

I let out a short, self-deprecating laugh, hoping it'll ease the awkwardness still lingering in the air.

John's face breaks into a smile. "I'm on it."

He swings his legs over the side of the bed, the mattress shifting below his weight as he stands. Then he gets up and retrieves his clothes from the chair across the room.

As he pulls a t-shirt over his bare chest, his biceps flex, and I can feel my throat going dry at the sight.

"The buffet is usually packed on the weekends, so I might be gone about twenty minutes or so," John says as he grabs his keys. "Feel free to hang out here and rest." He winks at me as he walks to the door. "We've got a long day ahead.”

I nod, taking his words as my cue to retreat under the covers.

But before he goes, he suddenly turns back to me, a soft expression on his face.

Without warning, he leans in and gently kisses me on the forehead. Then he strides out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

My phone rings from the bed, and I almost trip, trying to reach it. Melissa's name glows on the screen.

"You're calling at a criminally early hour," I joke as I answer the phone.

Melissa's laughter floats through the speakers. "I just wanted to check in and make sure you're enjoying your vacation. I know you got a bit of a late start thanks to a certain asshat boss of yours."

Turning around, I sit on the edge of the bed, trying to think of a way to explain that I spent the night in that same asshat boss's bed.

"Lisa," Melissa says. "Why did you just go quiet on me?"

"Well, it's funny, really."

"What is?"

"I'm actually on vacation with that very asshat of a boss."

Melissa's voice shoots up an octave. "Wait, what? John is with you?"

"He's technically downstairs getting coffee."

Melissa chortles with glee. "I knew you two had a thing for each other! Have you guys been dating this whole time behind my back?"

"I promise we haven't. It's...it's complicated."

"Well, uncomplicate it for me. I need all the details now. Don't you dare leave anything out!"

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