Sebastian pulls the knob off the door, and he enters a large, luxurious room, with a four-poster bed in the center. The walls are covered in rich tapestries, and the air is thick with the scent of roses. To his surprise he saw Charlotte in a white towel, neatly tied around her chest.
Her long straight legs shone so elegantly. He was stunned. He had to recollect himself quickly. He wasn't expecting to see Charlotte in that manner.
"Um...um I was asked to go to the bathroom, no," he closed his eyes and opened them again. "No, my dad asked me to come in. Do you mind if I follow you to the bathroom? I mean, do you mind if I stay here with you just for this night?"
"Em, you are free to stay in the room." Charlotte cuts in. "I'm sorry for dressing this way, I just wanted to take a bath, I smell like a crab."
"Yeah, that's right." He replied.
Charlotte looked embarrassed.
"I don't mean you smell like a crab, I mean it's good to bathe I guess whenever we feel we smell that way." He looks at Charlotte to see if she understands. But her face shows she's seriously lost. "I should just keep shut." He muttered to himself.
"I'll just go and bathe quickly," Charlotte said, her finger pointing at the bathroom while her face still looking at Sebastian. She turned and moved to the bathroom hastily.
His eyes followed Charlotte, till she entered the bathroom. He slammed himself on the couch.
"I've made a fool of myself for sure, I should better sleep, before she comes out." He quickly took two pillows and a duvet. He placed himself very well on the couch. As soon as he noticed the bathroom knob turning he quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be sleeping. He opened his eyes slightly to see what Charlotte was doing. He noticed how curvy Charlotte was in a dark red gown she wore, her hair floating freely without any obstruction.
"Are you sure you're comfortable sleeping on the couch?" Charlotte asked, because of the annoying creaking sounds coming from the couch as he turned over and over.
"Wouldn't you rather sleep in the bed? It's much more comfortable here while I sleep on the couch."
"Oh, I'm fine," he lied, hoping she wouldn't notice the tremor in his voice. "I'm just troubled that's all, please make yourself comfortable. I'll be fine."
But Charlotte looked unconvinced. Do you mind sharing?" Charlotte asked.
"Huh, share what?" Sebastian asked his voice cold.
"Umm, umm, I mean you can...."
The sudden gust of wind cuts Charlotte in mid-sentence. The raging storm rattled the windows, causing them to fly open. The roar of the storm outside filled the room, Sebastian and Charlotte both rushed to the windows to close them. As they reached for the knobs at the same time, their hands brushed against each other.
Time seemed to slow down as they looked at each other, their eyes locking for a moment that felt like an eternity.
Charlotte pulled her hand away, slowly. "I-I'll get the windows," she stammered, her cheeks flushed.
"Yeah, I think it's going to rain heavily tonight," Sebastian said, his voice a little shaky. The intensity of the moment was still making him feel dizzy and off-balance.
He turned to look at Charlotte, who was now staring out the window, the wind blowing her hair around her face. "I hope it doesn't get too bad," she added.
"I wonder how my kids are doing now, I've never been away from them for this long." Charlotte thought her eyes fixed outside.
Sebastian shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to do or say. He cleared his throat. "So, uh, I think I should get back to sleep." Sebastian interrupted her thoughts.
"Yeah, I'll just close the window," Charlotte said, moving quickly to shut it tight. She then walked over to the bed and lay down, closing her eyes and trying to relax. Even though she knew it was silly, she couldn't help but feel more secure under the covers.
As Sebastian lay on the couch, he wondered what Charlotte was thinking. "Was she replaying the moment of their hands touching, too? Was she feeling the same things he was feeling? Or was she completely unaffected, sleeping peacefully in the bed?" He wished he could read her mind, but all he could do was guess.
Meanwhile, Charlotte lay in bed, wondering what Sebastian was thinking. "Was he thinking about their brief moment of contact, or had he already forgotten about it? Did he feel the same way she felt, or was he just being polite?" She wished she could know for sure, but she had no way of knowing what he was thinking.
"Stop it," Charlotte snapped at herself. "You can't let yourself fall for him. You can't trust any man, especially not a man like Sebastian. You need to focus on the contract, and once it's done, you can go your separate ways. You can't let yourself be used and dumped like trash." She looked at Sebastian who seemed to be sleeping. She turned and closed her eyes.
As soon as she turned, Sebastian looked in her direction, Sebastian couldn't help but stare at Charlotte as she slept. She looked so peaceful and beautiful, her features softened by sleep. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated her face, making her skin seem to glow. He felt a strange mix of emotions as he watched her, a strange mixture of longing and fear. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he knew he could not.
"No, no, no," Sebastian said to himself, as turned to another direction away from Ch Charlotte. His thoughts racing. "You can't let yourself fall for her. She's just a means to an end, nothing more. You can't trust her, or any woman, for that matter. You need to stay focused on the task at hand and forget about everything else. It's the only way you'll get what you want."
He turned back and continued to stare at Charlotte till he slept off.