Only One Bed

“Wow,” I said quietly. “It’s so peaceful.” Aside from our footsteps, the snow-capped forest seemed silent.

“No music or partying allowed. A lot of the hotel staff live in the village, but I guess the cabins are good for out-of-towners.”

These cabins were spaced much more closely together than the guest variety, and there were no porches or hot tubs. Light only shone from a few. Etienne punched in a code on the door of one, and I followed him inside.

He flicked on the lights, and I was surprised to see sparkly garlands strung up around the square room. The little kitchenette to the right had a microwave and mini-fridge with a big red bow on the front.

Etienne bent to pull off his mukluk-style boots before crossing to the bed and plugging in the multi-colored lights wound around the rustic bedposts and across the top of the spindled headboard. The cabin’s one window over the bed had snowflakes sprayed on the glass with that fake snow in a can and a stencil.

I laughed. “Festive!”

“Bree’s work. You should see her cabin.” He whistled softly. “I think she bought out the Christmas store in the village.”

I was taking off my boots and coat when I realized the lit bed was also the only bed. For some reason, I’d been thinking of a standard hotel room with two beds in it. But the cabin was what the resort probably called “cozy” or “snug.” A.k.a. real small.

Etienne hadn’t made the bed, and the red and black plaid duvet was in a pile at the foot of the mattress. The plaid matched the curtains on the window. The mattress was a double at most. A full, I think they called them? Definitely not a queen. Which was fine!

“Okay?” Etienne asked.

I croaked, “Uh-huh! Thirsty.”

He hung his coat on a hook beside the door and poured me a glass of water from the tap. “Sorry there’s only one bed. I could ask them if there’s a rollaway I can sleep on? They probably don’t charge too much for it.” He handed me the glass, our fingers brushing.

Shaking my head, I gulped the tepid water. “Nah. It’s fine. Remember that time on the school trip to Tofino when we had to share that tiny tent? This is luxury.”

He laughed. “Yeah. You almost gave me a black eye with your elbow in the middle of the night.”

“I’ll try not to mess up your good looks this time.”

“Better not! The Pinnacle’s paying me the big bucks for this.” He motioned to his face, giving one of his fake skater smiles. He dropped the smile just as quickly, flopping onto the end of the bed. “Did you eat? I’m starving.”

“Me too. I mean, no, I didn’t eat.”

“Pizza? They’ll deliver it to the side of the hotel. Takes too long to bring it all the way back here. I’ll get it.” He was already tapping his phone. “They’re fast.”

“Perfect. Can I grab a shower? I’m surprised you were willing to hug me with this bus stink all over me.”

“Is that what that was?” He wrinkled his nose. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but…”

I picked up a plaid throw cushion from the chair by the wooden dresser against the front wall of the cabin and threw it at him. “Shut up.”

The bathroom was to the left of the festive bed. It was a decent size and tiled in simple white. I eagerly stripped off and stayed under the powerful stream of hot water long enough that the mirror steamed over completely.

With one of the white towels slung around my waist, I opened the door and poked my head out of the bathroom to get a gulp of cool air. Etienne was gone, presumably off to meet the pizza guy. My stomach growled at the thought, and I padded barefoot to the kitchen to poke around.

Aside from Etienne’s gross protein powder, a carton of eggs, and various vegetables, there wasn’t much. I remembered the candy cane and fished it out of my coat pocket. Still damp, I sat on the end of the bed and peeled the crinkly wrapper.

Mmm. Sugar.

It was Christmas Day. I wasn’t eating vegetables unless they were roasted in butter. Well, I’d make an exception for the pineapple and mushrooms on the pizza. Though pineapples weren’t a vegetable. No, they had to be a fruit.

I shivered in the whoosh of cold air as Etienne returned. Candy cane in my mouth, I blinked up at him in the doorway. Goosebumps rippled over my skin, my nipples going hard. Pulling out the candy cane, I frowned.

“Dude, it’s freezing! Close the door!”

Etienne jolted and slammed it shut, leaning back against the heavy wood. He was still staring at me, gripping the pizza box.

“Hey, pineapple’s a fruit, right? Not a vegetable?” I licked across the rounded top of the candy cane.