"Midnight", Karen said as she twirled the last sip of Cabernet around in a glass. "Already midnight."
"Hmm?", John smiled.
"I mean it's been two hours already", Karen took the final sip, then hovered the glass above the bar, avoiding the finality of putting it down. She knew that putting this one down meant calling it a night.
"I never know where the time goes", John said, immediately regretting the boorishness of what just came out of his mouth. "It's a beautiful city, though."
They had come here together on a business trip, and were leaving tomorrow. Sitting at the cozy bar of the Hyatt, Karen had hoped something more would have come of this. She looked over at John, his suit jacket on his chair, his tie loose, his stylishly unkempt brown hair, his blue eyes, and hid her smile. She couldn't help but feel warm inside when looking at him.
Gently, she rested the glass down on the bar. "Guess it's time to call it."
After a few seconds, John stood up and grabbed his jacket. "Well, airport at nine. Want me to walk you up to your room?"
"I think I'll be fine, Superman", Karen said with a teasing smile, standing up from her chair as well. "I'll call your room at six thirty. You can't be late again."
"Almost late- there's a difference!", John said. "I'm going to go out and check a message, then head up too. See you tomorrow."
"Don't give me that! You're always late.", she teased. Karen walked over to the elevator, and after disappearing inside of it, John walked out into the cool night air.
Standing alone he pulled out his phone, but he didn't really have to check anything. Just a habit when he doesn't know what to do, he lit up the screen and aimlessly checked his empty voicemail. "Really John? See you tomorrow? Seriously?", he thought to himself.
This was one of those things where both people know what's going on, but nobody is sure enough to say it. They both looked forward to this trip together, after having known each other for a year at work. Karen had fantasized about John making a move, while John tried to play it smooth, hoping he could make something happen, but never finding the right moment.
After three days of being on the trip, interlaced with careful dialogue, the tension never broke.
John sighed, walking back into the hotel towards the elevator. He got a consolatory smirk from the bartender. He knew too. Jesus, everyone knew.
The elevator took an eternity to open, and John stepped in, riding it for nine floors, though it felt like ninety. He pulled out his phone again, laughing to himself since he knew the elevator had no reception but he pulled it out anyway, not liking to stand there doing nothing. Finally, the doors opened.
"Karen!?", John looked up, surprised. This wasn't even her floor- Karen's room is on the tenth.
She was standing there, across the hall from the elevator, her left hand on her hip, her right hand dangling by her side, holding her shoes, looking at him with a wide grin. "You kept me waiting!"
"You lost?", joked John as he walked out of the elevator, sliding his phone away discretely, playing down the fact that he had his phone out in an elevator with no reception.
Karen dropped her shoes, walked over, still with a big grin on her face, and got right up close, exploring his eyes with her own. "Three nights, and I don't know how many drinks, and you still won't take a hint."
She reached out, loosened his tie a bit more than it already was, paused to test the moment, and then looked up and kissed him lightly, lingering her lips near his after she was done.
John looked at her and smiled, waiting for her to glance back up at him. He brushed her dark hair back as she looked up and smiled, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"Maybe we can think of an excuse to miss the flight. Afterall, I'm always late."
