Seth grinned brightly. “I’d like that too. I just didn’t want to be presumptuous.”
“Feel free to be presumptuous for the rest of our stay here,” Erik said. “At some point today, I need to explore the hotel and get a feel for what I’m working with here, but other than that, I’m all yours.”
He felt his cheeks grow warm at his choices of words, but Seth merely grinned at him. “I need to finish my article on Buffalo wings today, so that works out great. After breakfast, we can get our work done and go from there.”
“I’d like that.” Erik dipped his head and fled for the bathroom, feeling flustered and oddly happy all at once.
Seth was fully dressed by the time he came out, wearing a pair of jeans, a blue button-down that showed a sliver of his chest, and a warm-looking tan cardigan. He looked casual and so handsome that Erik felt his breath catch in his throat.
Whatever was happening right now, it was clear Seth had somehow opened Erik up to some very new thoughts. As odd as it felt, he didn’t mind it. He’d spent two decades letting his marriage smother the spark inside him, but it turned out it wasn’t dead. And the bright flame that burned in him every time he looked at Seth warmed him far more than any heater.
“You ready to go?” Seth asked as he looked Erik up and down. “Mmm. You look great by the way.”
Erik glanced down at his narrow gray trousers and slim black cashmere sweater. He adjusted the zipper on it, feeling a little shy. “Thank you. And, yes, let’s head down.”
As Seth held the door open for him, his body buzzed with pleasure at Seth’s compliment and proximity.
“Holy hell,” Seth said as he shut the door behind him. “I think all of the heat that’s supposed to be in our room is here in the hallway.”
“I think so too. It’s like a sauna.”
“Hey, have you ever done a sauna the traditional way with a plunge into a cold pool after?”
Erik shivered at the thought. “I can’t say I have.”
“You should try it.” Seth grinned at him. “I’ve done it a few times in Finland and Germany, and it’s invigorating.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“If you’re curious, there’s plenty of snow out there ...” Seth teased as they stepped onto the elevator. “You could go straight from this hallway into the snowstorm.”
The thought made Erik’s balls want to crawl up into his body and never come out. “You do that and let me know how it goes.”
“Where is your sense of adventure?”
“Where it’s warm.” They were still grinning at each other as they reached the first-floor lobby, and Erik felt a strange feeling wash over him. Erik was enjoying himself. Seth’s enthusiasm was contagious, and he felt his usual dourness melt away. It made him wonder who he’d been before his unhappy marriage. Had he always been so serious? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d just been able to relax and be himself with someone. He’d been so focused on work since the divorce he hadn’t allowed himself to open up to anyone new. But he welcomed it. This friendly, slightly flirtatious banter was fun. Every interaction with Robin in recent years had been perfunctory. A duty rather than a pleasure.
They followed signs toward the alcove where the breakfast bar was arranged. They did a slow walk-by, checking out what they had to offer.
“This actually looks pretty good,” Seth said, sounding surprised.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Erik had set low expectations, but he was glad to be proven wrong. The hash browns appeared crisp, and the scrambled eggs were neither watery nor rubbery-looking. Small miracles. He handed Seth a plate, who took it with a murmured thank you.
“Would you take this to the table?” Seth asked, handing his laden plate back to Erik. “I’ll get us both coffees.”
Erik took it but raised an eyebrow at him. “Like the kind we had last night?”
“I was planning to skip the bourbon since it’s not even ten in the morning, but ...”
Erik laughed. “I meant adding the cocoa and all that.”
“Yes. Two bargain mochas coming right up.”
Erik found them a table, then got up to get silverware for them both. Seth arrived a moment later carrying two mugs. He set them down and pulled out a chair. The table was fairly small, and their knees brushed as Seth took a seat across from him. Erik didn’t pull away.
“Thanks.” Erik lifted the mug to his lips.
“You like them a lot, huh?”
“I do.” Erik took a sip. “It feels indulgent.”
“I knew there was an inner hedonist lurking inside that practical body.”
“You might be right.” He grinned at Seth. “It looks like it took you to bring it out in me.”
“Hmm. Good to know.” Seth’s eyes gleamed.
Erik glanced down at the cup, feeling warm and content. “Is that cinnamon in there?”
“I sprinkled a little on top. After all, it is Christmas. I wanted it to be a little special.”
“Thank you. It’s very good. I feel like you’d be useful to have around while traveling.”
“Oh, honey, I’m useful for all sorts of things.” Seth bit at his lip and sent him a smoldering glance.
“Somehow, I don’t doubt that.”
Seth smirked at him as he picked up his fork. They fell silent as they ate, but Seth’s knee occasionally brushed his, and Erik felt a sense of contentment steal over him.
“So how would you rate the breakfast if you were officially reviewing it?” Erik asked when they finished.
Seth seemed to consider that for a moment. “Maybe a seven out of ten? It’s nothing fancy, but the quality and execution are up there. For a bargain hotel, it’s solid.”
“So one point in the hotel’s favor,” Erik said. “The heating system is a definite minus however.”
“I would agree with you on that,” Seth said with a little sigh. “The rooms appear clean though. And there were plenty of towels. They’re a decent size too. Some places, they’re like postage stamps.”
Erik briefly contemplated the idea of Seth wearing nothing but the aforementioned tiny towel. Now that was a surprisingly pleasant thought. “Hmm,” he managed.
“What else do you evaluate?”
“Oh, a lot of things,” Erik said, tamping down the fantasy before it ran away with him. He rattled off a dozen other things he took into consideration. “We make a list of all the improvements that need to be made, then weigh them against what we currently have invested in the property, what the current profit margin is, and what it could potentially make with the improvements.”
“And you and your work boyfriend typically do this together?”
Erik chuckled. “My business associate, yes.”
Seth smirked at him. “Sure. ‘Business associate’.” He made finger quotes.
“If you’d ever seen Bertram, you’d know that he’s the last man I’d ever be attracted to.”
“The last man, huh? So, does that mean there’s been a first?”
“Look, I’ve had about enough of you.” Erik pointed at him. “Now, go off and write your article while I do my evaluations.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Seth sketched a messy salute. “Just for that, you can take care of our dirty plates.”
“I was planning on it anyway.”
Seth grinned as he walked away, a little swing to his step. Damn, he was handsome. And fun. Had Erik ever had that much fun just talking with someone?
It made him wonder how much fun they could get up to in other ways.
Chapter Five
Before Erik got to work, he knew he needed to take care of one thing first. As pleasant as it had been to sleep next to someone, he didn’t want to go to bed in the sub-Arctic air again. Which meant he needed to let the hotel know the climate control in their room was on the fritz.
“Hello, Mr. Cobb,” the woman at the front desk greeted him as he approached. “I hope your stay has been pleasant despite the earlier mix-up.”
“Well, there seems to be a problem with the heater in our room.”
She gave him a sympathetic look. “Has it been extremely warm? I know Sarge, our maintenance worker, has been trying to fix that for several of our guests.”
“No, the complete opposite, in fact. It was quite cold last night.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “Well, that’s new. I’ll let him know immediately.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” she asked.
He shot her his most charming smile. “Well, there is one thing. With this storm, I’m stuck here for a few days, and to be honest, I’m going out of my mind with boredom. Would you mind me poking around the hotel and taking a closer look at the architecture and decor? The vintage look is so, um, interesting. I’ve never seen anything else like it.”
“Oh. Sure. I don’t see any reason that would be a problem.”
“Thank you.” He smiled again. There. Now if people noticed him wandering around the hotel and peering into unused rooms, no one would question it too much. “I appreciate it.”
Erik wandered the hotel, taking as many surreptitious pictures as he could when no one was around. He was pleasantly surprised when he noticed the rectangular building surrounded a rather charming courtyard. The snow had slackened enough to allow him to see patio tables and chairs. The old streetlamps with large, round glass shades were almost picturesque with their toppers of snow. Whether there was concrete or grass underneath the feet of snow, he didn’t know, but with a little landscaping, it could be a real selling point for the hotel.
There wasn’t much in the way of event space—it was more like an old motor lodge than a modern hotel—but Erik’s mind was already churning with ideas of how to bring it into the modern era. There were enough people who liked vintage that he could see updating it while working within the mid-century bones. It didn’t have space for large conferences or events but he could see people hosting small weddings or birthday parties there. Especially if they were looking for something unique at a more reasonable price.
In one of those unused rooms overlooking the courtyard, Erik dropped into a chair near the window and fired off the pictures to Bertram that he’d taken earlier.
He called a moment later.
“So it’s going to need a considerable amount of work to update the place, huh?”
“Yeah,” Erik admitted, sitting back in his chair and stretching out his legs. “But I think it may be worth doing.”
Bertram was silent for a moment. “Well, I didn’t expect those words to leave your mouth.”
“No, me either. I was ready to burn the place down yesterday to be honest.”
“What’s changed?”
“Well, I looked around more closely, and for the most part, it’s solid. Just ... dated.” Erik ran through a few more things. “But, I think it has some charm that we could capitalize on.”
“Interesting.”
"Though, even after exploring the entire place, I still don't understand why my father bought it," Erik said, furrowing his brow. "Or why it was hidden under several layers of shell companies. It's very strange. Though, knowing him, he probably either did it to have a discreet place to bring a mistress or to hide it from my mother during their divorce."
Bertram sighed. "I wish I could tell you that you were totally off base, but having known your father, that's entirely possible."
"Which?"
"Both," he said grimly. "I considered your father a friend, but I'd be lying if I said he was a good man."
"There's one thing we can agree on."
"How's your mother doing since his death?"
"She seems delighted by her condo in Sarasota, Florida. She's having the time of her life drinking martinis and ogling the pool boys."
"I was at least ten years younger than her, but when we met, I remember thinking your mother was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen."
"She was miserable when they were together though," Erik said. "I think she genuinely loved him when they married, and he broke her heart with his infidelities."
"I know. She deserved better."
Erik nodded his agreement. “She did."
"I don't suppose we'll ever know why your father acquired this property, but it was all done legally, so we're free to do with it as we wish. I know the business manager would just as soon have us hold on to it. He's been allowed free rein in the years he's been working here, and I think he likes it."
"No doubt." Erik snorted. "Given how he's run it, are we so sure that's a good idea?"
"Well, he is updating it," Bertram argued. "Albeit about fifty years too late."
"I wonder what made him decide to finally update it."
"From what I understand, it was online reviews. Some people like the, erm, vintage charm, but there were a lot of complaints about the lack of amenities and updates to the basics. Like the heating system."
"Ugh, tell me about it."
"You're having trouble in your room?"
"You have no idea," he muttered. But now all he could think about was Seth's warm body next to him under the pile of blankets. It certainly hadn't been all bad. "There was a distinct lack of heat in my room last night," he admitted aloud. "And apparently other rooms are too hot."
"So a whole new HVAC system." Bertram groaned. "Fuck. You know what that's going to cost. And in the era that place was built, we’ll need to worry about asbestos and lead abatement."
"I know. But I think it's worth it."
Besides, sometimes the lack of heat led to interesting things. Like Erik’s realization that he wasn’t quite as straight as he'd always thought. His lips curved up in a little smile, thinking about falling asleep and waking up next to someone. God, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed that after Robin had moved to the bedroom next door. She'd claimed it was because she was a light sleeper, and he was keeping her up when he tossed and turned. The last thing Erik had wanted was to make her life miserable if he disturbed her, but he'd missed the physical contact.
"Are you sure there isn't something else going on?" Bertram sounded suspicious. "You're in a weirdly good mood today for being trapped in Buffalo on Christmas Day. I seem to remember the things you threatened me with yesterday. I didn't expect you to be so damn cheerful today. Especially after a cold, sleepless night."
"I doubled up the blankets and found a way to stay warm."
Bertram let out a little snort. "Oh. I see."
"You see what?" Erik asked.
"You didn't sleep alone."
"You got all that out of 'found a way to stay warm'?" He was baffled by how quickly Bertram had put the pieces together.
"I read between the lines. You not bitching me out was the first clue."
Erik chuckled. "Fine. I ... met someone. The room accidentally got double-booked, and the, uh, person I'm sharing with and I ... hit it off."
"Good for you," Bertram said, his tone hearty. "You should get laid after that miserable marriage of yours."
"I didn't get"—he caught a glimpse of a woman pushing a housekeeper's cart by the open door. She shot him a curious look as she glanced inside, and he dropped his voice—“laid. We just shared a bed to conserve heat, but yes, it was nice."
"Whatever it is, I’m glad to hear you sounding happier. If for no other reason than it's nice to not have you threatening to shove Christmas decorations into my bodily orifices. Give me her address, and I'll send her a gift basket in thanks."
"Thanks, I think I'll skip that." And it had nothing to do with the fact that the person in question definitely wasn't a she, and he didn’t want to clarify that with Bertram. Erik frowned. Was it that he was ashamed? No, it didn’t feel like shame. It simply felt ... too soon.
Erik didn’t even know what he was feeling right now. Attraction to a man? Yeah, that much was clear. But there were still a lot of question marks. Like if he intended to act on it. And even if he did, there was no point in telling Bertram if it was just goi
ng to be a quick fling to answer the nagging question of his sexuality. It wasn't like his involvement with Seth would last beyond their stay in this hotel, so there was no reason to make a big fuss about it. If—and that was a long shot—Erik ever did get serious with a man, he'd tell Bertram but not before then. It was unnecessary now.
"Well, unless you have something else you need to tell me about the hotel, I think we're all set." Bertram's words pulled Erik out of his own head. "I assume you don't need me to try to find a flight to Buffalo now?”
"No, I’ve got it covered. I'll write up everything I found earlier and send it your way. Why don't you line up an inspector to make sure the building is structurally solid, get some estimates for the work we know needs to be done, and we'll go from there?"
"Sounds good. Merry Christmas, Erik."
"Merry Christmas, Bertram," Erik said as he rose to his feet.
Erik ended the call, then slipped his phone into his pocket. As he walked through the lobby a few minutes later, he could hear Christmas carols playing. Although he still wouldn’t say he was a huge fan of them, listening to them no longer made him want to light the entire holiday on fire. It was amazing how much his mood had improved in a day. He supposed he had Seth to thank for that.
When he returned to his room on the third floor, Christmas carols were playing there too. Erik wondered if he’d ever be able to hear Christmas music in the future without thinking of Seth. Of course, if the next day or two led to a little sexual exploration, he was unlikely to ever forget Seth.
Currently, he sat cross-legged on the bed, his laptop perched on his thighs. He glanced up with a smile as Erik approached. “How’d the tour go?”
“Pretty well.” Since Seth wasn’t using the charger now, Erik plugged his phone in. “I got a decent sense of what the building is like and what kind of shape it’s in. My assessment is that it seems like it’s structurally sound, just dated. Although, in order to move forward, we’ll have to have a full inspection done. It’ll certainly need new windows, new HVAC, and a serious overhaul of the decor.”
Snowstorms and Second Chances Page 6