They walked out of their room and closed the door firmly and it clicked indicating it was locked.
“I hope you took the key card?” Dimitri asked them as they approached the elevator.
She brought out the key card from her small backpack and waved it in front of his face before putting it back in her bag.
“I knew, I married an old man, but don’t worry I can still manage him” she gave him a once over before walking towards the stairs. She heard him snort behind her.
“Where do you think you are going to young lady?” he asked going to meet up with her.
She turned her head to him with one of her brows raised. “Aren’t we going out?” she asked.
“Yes we are, I meant why are you using the stairs when we can easily use the elevator?” he asked.
“No, you use the elevator I will use the stairs,” she said already descending the stairs.
“But wh-”
“Last to reach the last floor gets to carry our bags for the whole day” she cuts him off and started going down the stairs quickly, taking two steps at a time.
He was quite shocked and taken back by how the words that rushed out of her mouth and how she dashed down the stairs like a little girl that was told she got the biggest gift for Christmas. He looked at the place she was once standing before then remembered the challenge and dashed for the elevator.
He pressed the button multiple times and when it opened he was glad it was empty so he entered and pressed the ground floor. He smirked because he knew he would win, they were staying in a 16-floor hotel and even if he got into the elevator late he would be on the ground floor before her.
***
She was panting when she reached the ground floor and had to bend over to catch her breath. When she felt her heartbeat was back to normal she opened her backpack and took out a bottle of water, opened the cap and gulped almost half of the content then closed it and put it in her backpack.
She looked around for any sign of Dimitri and saw none. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she felt disappointed, she knew it was quite childish for her to bring up the challenge. He was a grown-ass man and wouldn’t want to engage in such childish play.
She had watched her parents play like kids together and even up till now, she had seen them do some child’s play and laugh. they were in love, that’s what couples who are in love do. She and Dimitri are just in this marriage for the show so she shouldn’t expect anything, right?
Sighing she walked away from the stairs when she heard the elevator ding, she looked in that direction and saw people walking out of the elevator and no sign of him.
“I guess I will just go by myself” she shrugged and turned then let out a squeal attracting attention a bit to them.
He held her hand and waved to those that looked at them strangely. He started walking down outside of the hotel tagging her along.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” she said when they were standing outside of the hotel.
He looked down at her golden hair up in a bun to her face that was bare of any makeup to her body that was in a cream-colored halter neck crop top, blue skinny tummy jeans, and a pair of black boots with her backpack. He did admire her dressing and tried not to stare too much when she came out of the walk-in closet.
He was wearing cream khaki shorts with a white short-sleeve shirt, a pair of sneakers, and shades on top of his head.
“When I say something, I go ahead with it”
“Just to fill your ego?” she jokingly asked.
“Duh,” he rolled his eyes and wore the shades. Looking around he saw a taxi approaching them and he halts it and told him their destination.
“Come on, let’s go” he opened the back door and held his hand to her.
She put her hand in his and he drew her closer to the door so she can enter the taxi, then he followed suit.
“Where are we going?” she asked when they were seated at the back seat and the taxi was already moving.
“You’ll see”
***
They were walking on the street in the direction of their hotel building.
Dimitri was holding Audriana’s backpack as he ate from his ice cream cone. Audriana was eating from a bag of Doritos and a medium-sized bucket of ice cream.
They had a long day from the number of activities they carried out. They were both busy people and are very glad they could go out today and enjoy themself not feeling like they were CEOs of great companies but like every normal person. It was night already and they were eating and walking in silence, only a few people could be seen walking on the street and that was what made the silence enjoyable.
He was about to eat his ice cream cone but mistakenly dropped it. He stopped and looked at the ground then pouted a bit, using the tissue in his other hand to clean his hand then continued walking so he can catch up with Audriana.
She was in her own world eating the chips and ice cream like no one was around her, he smiled as he remembered how she ordered the bucket of ice cream after she made him grab her a bag of Doritos. He told her they had it in the large size and she replied that was her target.
She ignored the weird look he gave her as she grabbed it from his hand and pleaded they needed ice cream. She didn’t even try to form or anything. She ate her food joyfully and would glare at him when he dipped his hand to steal some of her chips.
The previous girls he dated… more like had an affair with would always want to eat little and drink little, not telling him what they wanted. Not like he cared or wanted anything more than their body. Audriana was just different.
What was he doing? Comparing her with those ladies? Why would he do something like that to her? She is different and incomparable with them.
“Do you want me to help you out? you seem to be getting full” he asked when they approached the little stairs to the entrance of the hotel.
“No, I am almost done but you can have the Doritos” she handed him the almost finished bag and focused on finishing the bowl.
“I thought you wanted to get stingy with it?” he said and she turned to him with a poker look on her face.
“Take it or leave it”
“Bossy much” he muttered and ate the Chips.
He saw her head for the stairs and stopped her by grabbing her arm.
“Don’t tell me you want to walk up this 16-story stairs? We had a very long day, let’s use the elevator” he said and began pulling her towards the elevator but she pulled back and tried to wriggle out of his hold.
“No, you go I will use the stairs” she insists.
“Come on, I will be there, okay? Let’s go” he tugged her towards him and they walked together to the elevator.
She shouldn’t let her fears overtake her again. It was all in the past, at least someone she knows is with her and what happened before wouldn’t happen again.
“It’s fine, everything is fine” she muttered and he looked at her when he heard her mutter something.
“You said something?” he asked.
The elevator opened and she got in and looked at him with a smile as she hugged the bucket tightly.
“Come on in before it closes,” she said ignoring his question.
He got in not before disposing of the empty bag of Doritos in the bin.
‘Everything is fine, it is fine.’ she reassured herself once more.