“Seth Cobb.”
“Oh, I think I see what happened.” She frowned at the computer screen. “Mary, who was here before me, checked you in, Mr. Cobb. Uh, Erik.”
He nodded.
“Well, she put a note in saying that you were waiting for your partner to arrive. When Mr. Cobb—Seth here—checked in, I pulled up the name Cobb, saw the note, and assumed he was your partner. I put him in your room as instructed and cancelled the second reservation, thinking it had been made in error.”
Erik gaped at her. Why on earth would them using the same name ... Oh. Now he understood. She’d thought it meant romantic partner. Husband. “I was referring to my business partner,” he said between gritted teeth. “Apparently, I should have been more specific. His name is Bertram Forsythe, and we work together.”
She gave him an apologetic look. “I do apologize for the mix-up. Normally, we would have spoken in person rather than rely on notes, but phones were ringing off the hook, and because of the storm, we are very short-staffed. Not everyone could make it in today, and we’re all scrambling.”
“Well, at this point, I care less about how it happened than making it un-happen,” he said icily. “Find this man another room.”
She grimaced. “I’m very sorry, sir, but that was the last room we had available. The hotel is undergoing some renovations right now, so about half of our rooms are closed. It’s rarely a problem, but with the holidays and the storm, we’re at full capacity. After the second Cobb reservation got canceled, it was snapped up immediately.”
“You can’t possibly force me to share a room with a complete stranger,” Erik said, his tone filled with disbelief. “That’s absurd.”
“Well, of course, we can’t force you,” she said apologetically. “But as I said, it is the last room available here. And likely within at least thirty miles. Everything is booked. And the cab services have closed. There might be a few rideshare drivers still making runs, but I would doubt it. The roads are virtually impassible right now.”
“Please.” Seth touched Erik’s arm. “I literally have nowhere else to go. I know you’re upset, but you wouldn’t actually kick me out with nowhere to go, would you?”
Reluctantly, Erik turned to look at him. His tone was pleading and so were his dark eyes. The heavy brows and slightly pouting lips contributed to the pathetic effect, and Erik found his resistance wavering. God damn it. At the moment, Erik couldn’t think of anyone he wanted to share a room with less, but he didn’t see any other options. Erik knew he could be kind of an asshole, but he wasn’t a monster. He couldn’t actually turn the man out into the storm. And it was his fault. The reason he’d even thought of the name Cobb was because Seth had said it earlier, and it had stuck in his head. Plus, if Erik had let Seth come with him in the cab to the inn, this entire situation could have been avoided.
“Okay, you can stay,” Erik said, the reluctance in his tone clear as he turned back to the woman at the desk. “But if you have any cancellations or early checkouts or a room becomes available for any other reason, I expect a call.”
“Of course, sir,” she said. “I will make a very clear note about it. And of course, we’ll be taking ten percent off your bill.”
Ten percent? He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Or perhaps twenty would be more appropriate given the circumstances?”
He nodded. It wasn’t that he needed the money, but it was the principle of the issue. “Fine.”
“And if there is anything else we can do ...”
“I think you’ve done quite enough,” he said tightly.
He stalked toward the elevator, Seth trotting behind him.
“Thank you, Erik,” he said as they waited for the elevator to arrive. “I really appreciate you letting me stay in the room.”
“Don’t make me regret my generosity,” he muttered as the doors slid open.
The only good thing about the situation was that it had physically warmed him. It had heated his blood to boiling, and Erik didn’t think he was going to cool off any time soon.
Chapter Three
When they reached the room, Seth immediately began gathering up his belongings from the bed by the window. “I am sorry I spread my stuff out everywhere. I was searching for something in my bag, and then I decided to take a shower. I’d planned to clean up after but then you arrived and ...” He dumped it on the other bed. “I’m not quite as, um, neat as you are, but I’m not typically this big of a slob either. I promise.”
“It’s fine.” It wasn’t but it looked like Erik would have to tolerate it for another day or two. Erik grabbed his food from the dresser and pulled open the small refrigerator. It looked ancient and opened with a creak, but it was cool inside and no terrible smells emanated from it, so it would do.
Seth glanced over, and his expression brightened. “Oh, where did you find food?”
“At the cafe about half a block from here. They were closing as I left though.”
His face fell. “Damn. I haven’t eaten since lunch and that was hours ago.”
Erik winced. He didn’t imagine there was anywhere else around here open now, especially with the weather continuing to worsen. Guilt gnawed at him.
Erik shut the refrigerator and walked over to Seth. “Here.” He thrust the Styrofoam container at him. “It’s only half a chicken pesto panini, but ...”
“No, this will be great. Thank you.” Seth’s smile was blinding, his warm fingers brushing Erik’s as he accepted the food.
“Call it an apology for not letting you get in the cab earlier,” he said gruffly. “I wasn’t feeling well, but I was unnecessarily harsh to you.”
“I’m sure you were disappointed by your partner not joining you ... Oh! You were talking about your business partner then too, weren’t you?”
Erik gave him a puzzled look before he realized Seth had also assumed he’d meant a romantic partner when he’d talked about Bertram earlier. “Why does everyone assume I’m gay? Do I give off that impression?”
Seth shrugged as he took a seat on the bed and flipped open the container of food. “I think these days people use the term partner to refer to a romantic partner more often than not. They’d be more inclined to say business associate or colleague or something.”
Erik rolled his eyes as he gathered up a few of Seth’s remaining belongings that were still strewn across the bed by the window. “We’re both managing partners in the business, but I’ll keep that in mind.” He dumped the items on the bed next to Seth.
Seth raised an eyebrow at him. “So you aren’t gay then?”
“No. Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not. I’m recently divorced from my ex-wife, and I have a daughter in college.” Erik retrieved his laptop bag, then took a seat on the now-empty bed. He kicked off his shoes and stretched out with a sigh. A glance at his watch told him it was only seven in the evening, but it had been a long, tiring day.
“You don’t look old enough to have a daughter in college,” Seth said around a mouthful of food.
“I’m forty-three.”
“I figured late thirties at most.”
“Flattering but no.”
“So, you’re forty-three, live in Philly, are recently divorced, have a daughter in college, and a business partner who’s stuck somewhere in an airport waiting for a flight. What else should I know about you?”
“We’re sharing a room for two days at most. I don’t think you need to know anything else beyond the fact that I’m unlikely to murder you in your sleep.”
“I suppose that is the critical one,” Seth said with a grin. “Although, should I be concerned that you said ‘unlikely’ rather than ‘definitely won’t’?”
Despite himself, Erik laughed. “Well, I haven’t murdered anyone yet. And I don’t have any plans to. But I suppose I like to leave open the possibility I might change my mind.”
“That’s not reassuring at all.” Seth’s grin widened.
“Do you snore?”
Erik raised an eyebrow. “You’re gay?”
“I am.”
“Oh.”
“Is that a problem?” Seth licked his fingers clean, then set the empty food container on the dresser.
“No! No. It just makes sense why you made the leap from partner to romantic partner.”
Seth frowned at him. “So, I’m curious. Your last name is Cobb too? I don’t remember you mentioning it at the pub.”
“Uh, no.” Erik rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable. He sighed. “Look, my company owns this property. Bertram—my business associate—and I were supposed to come here to evaluate it and decide what we want to do with it. I prefer not to use my own name in situations like this.”
“Okay.” Seth’s frown deepened. “But why use Cobb?”
“To be honest, I was exhausted, slightly drunk, and it was the first name that popped in my head.”
“Oh. All right.” He paused for a moment. “So, what is it actually? I promise I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Josef, with an f.”
“Eric Josef.” Seth said the name like he was rolling it over on his tongue to get its flavor.
“Erik. Hard k on the end. Not a c.”
“How Germanic. Or is it Scandinavian?”
“Mmm. There’s some of both in my family ancestry actually.”
“You do have that look.”
“That look?” Erik shot a quizzical glance across the room.
“The big Viking look. Minus the beard, of course, but the rest of it.” Seth gestured vaguely with his hand. “Your height and the reddish-blond hair and blue eyes.”
“Right.”
Erik pulled his laptop bag toward himself. His phone was nearly dead, and he really should charge it in case he heard from Bertram again.
“Mind if I put on the TV?” Seth asked.
“That’s fine.” His head still pounded, and at this point, it couldn’t get much worse. He’d put in his earbuds if he had to.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Seth scramble off the bed to grab the remote off the dresser. This roommate situation for the next few days would be ... interesting.
Erik rummaged through his laptop bag, unable to find the cable. Where was the last place he’d seen it? The plane? He had a flash of memory of plugging his phone in and laying it on the tray table while it charged. They’d hit a bunch of turbulence about an hour in though, and he’d had to fold the tray up and put his phone away and ... He groaned internally. He knew exactly where his cable was—tucked into the pocket of the seat in business class. “Damn.”
“What is it?” Seth asked.
“I can’t find my charging cable. I’m fairly certain I left it on the plane.”
“Apple or Android?”
“Apple.”
“You’re welcome to use mine. One sec.” Seth rummaged through the mess on the bed before holding it up with a triumphant, “Aha!”
Erik got up to take it from him. Their fingers brushed as Seth handed it over, and Erik suppressed a shiver. He must still be chilled from the walk back or something.
“Thank you.” Once he located an outlet behind the nightstand and his phone was plugged in, Erik grabbed his shoes. He grimaced down at them. They were just as snow and salt-streaked as he’d feared. They definitely wouldn’t be salvageable by the time this trip was over. He should have packed something more sensible, but he’d never dreamed that car services would shut down completely. Of course, most of this I didn’t imagine happening, he thought with a rueful smile as he reached for a light sweater.
“Excuse me.” Seth brushed past him and reached for the door handle. “I’ll be back shortly.”
He was out the door before Erik could respond. “Okay ...” he muttered. Weird guy but now that Erik wasn’t feeling quite so terrible, Seth didn’t seem quite as irritating as he had at the airport. After Erik put on a pair of warm, dry socks, he felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. Maybe he’d nap for a little bit.
Erik had just stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes when he heard a banging on the door. “For fuck’s sake,” he muttered.
He peered through the peephole to see Seth grinning at him from the other side. “Did you forget your key?” he asked as he pulled the door open.
“Yes, but my hands were full anyway.” He held up two coffee mugs, looking triumphant. “I have a peace offering for you. A thank you for letting me share your room and your dinner.”
“Okay.” Erik eyed him warily as he took the mug Seth offered and closed the door behind him.
“It’s a recipe I made up after one too many hotels with shitty coffee. Oh, are you good with caffeine this late? I should have asked first.”
“Yeah, I’m an all-day coffee drinker.”
“Perfect.”
Erik peered down at the mug. “What is it? It just looks like regular black coffee.”
“It is. Bring it over to the dresser, and I’ll show you the magic.”
The magic, huh? Erik was skeptical about all of this, but he did as instructed. Seth pulled several things out of his pockets and deposited on them dresser. “So, you start by filling your mug about half full with coffee.” He nodded at the coffee mugs and grabbed a couple of small creamer cups.
“Okay.”
“Stir in a little cream but no sugar.” Erik did as instructed, then watched Seth tear open a packet of something else. “Put in some hot cocoa.”
Seth handed him a second packet along with a spoon. “Stir that in while I get the final ingredient.”
Still a little bewildered by the whole thing, Erik stirred the cocoa into the creamy coffee while Seth rummaged through the belongings still strewn across the bed. He held up several small bottles triumphantly. “And now the magic ingredient.”
Erik laughed as he recognized the familiar shape. “Alcohol?”
“Bourbon to be specific. Trust me on this.” Seth grinned.
“Oh, you’ll get no arguments from me. It sounds perfect right now.”
Seth handed over two small bottles. “Add as much as you’d like.”
Erik poured one bottle in, eyed the level of liquid, and added the second. He had to stir it carefully and take a sip off the top of the mug before he could carry it over to the bed. The booze made his eyes water, but it was warm all the way down. And the coffee, cocoa, and bourbon flavor was pleasant. Strong, but pleasant.
“This is good. Thank you.”
“Like I said, it’s a peace offering.”
“Are you trying to get me liquored up so I won’t mind sharing a room with you?” Erik asked drily.
“I am.” Seth’s dark eyes seemed to dance. “Is it working?”
“Ask me after I’m done.”
“There’re more little bottles tucked away in my bag,” Seth said. “If it’s necessary.”
Erik chuckled and took another sip. It really did hit the spot. He didn’t typically drink so much—he winced, remembering his airport bender earlier this afternoon—but it really had been a stressful, shitty day. This was a nice way to unwind. And, he thought as he glanced over at Seth, who was cleaning up the trash from their drinks, it does make having a roommate a hell of a lot easier to tolerate.
“So, you picked that trick up on your travels?” Erik asked when Seth took a seat on the bed again.
“I did. I started adding a little cocoa first, just to improve coffee that was either bitter, burned, or watery—or sometimes all three at once—but one time, I had some bourbon on hand and that concoction was born. I like to call it my special hot cocoa.”
“I admire your ingenuity.” Erik took another sip. His stomach felt warm and his shoulders had begun to unclench. “So where do you travel?”
“Wherever they send me really. Sometimes, it’s short jaunts to places like Buffalo for wings. Sometimes, it’s a lot farther afield. I’ve been to Canada, Mexi
co, most of the European countries, Australia, Morocco, Egypt ... Haven’t done much travel in Asia or the rest of Africa yet but maybe someday.”
“This is for a magazine?”
“An online one, yeah. They’re one of the top sites for travel reviews.” The pride in his voice was clear. “I’d been doing some freelance stuff, and when they put out a call for staff travel writers, I sent in a bunch of my reviews of local places, and I was hired immediately.”
“That’s impressive,” Erik said.
Seth flashed a brilliant smile at him. “I love what I do.”
“So you must not be home very often then, huh?”
Seth shrugged. “I’m gone about half of every month. Sometimes more.”
Erik winced. He traveled somewhat frequently for work but not that often. And rarely outside of Philly, New York, or Baltimore. “Do you have a home base?”
“Manhattan,” Seth said. “I sublet a place I share with a couple of roommates. It’s a little crowded when I’m home, but it’s not bad, and it keeps the cost somewhat manageable.”
“Do you like being that nomadic?”
“Yeah,” Seth said. He scooted back on the bed. “I get antsy if I’m stuck in one place for too long. Don’t get me wrong. It’s nice to have that home base to come back to, but if I were there all the time, I think it would feel stifling. I get this itch under my skin to get on a plane and explore the world.”
“Hmm. Interesting.”
“Are you a homebody?”
Erik considered the idea. “No, not really. I like to travel as well. Minus today, I generally enjoy the business trips I take. I don’t know that I’d like to be gone quite as much as you, but I do see the appeal.”
“Do you ever feel like you’d explode if you had to stay still and do the same thing over and over? Like you’d just become stagnant and slowly wither away.”
Erik hesitated. “Truthfully, that was what my marriage was like. It had become very stagnant, and I felt like I was shriveling up and dying inside.”
Seth gave him a look filled with sympathy. “I’m sorry. That sounds miserable.”
“It was.” Erik was surprised he’d admitted as much aloud to a virtual stranger, but apparently, the alcohol had loosened his tongue.
Snowstorms and Second Chances Page 3