130

130
Gianna’s POV
By the time we reached out hostel in Cleveland, I was more than ready to collapse. The day had been a whirlwind of planes, calls, and emails, and Matteo’s constant stream of chatter had frayed my patience. He wasn’t unpleasant, exactly. He just had this way of filling every silence with a comment, a joke, or a question. Charming, sure, but exhausting.
The front desk was brightly lit, staffed by a young woman with a polite smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Matteo lingered a step behind me, looking around the lobby as if he’d never seen one before.
I approached the desk, pulling out my phone. “Hi, checking in. Reservation under Lorenzo.”
The receptionist’s fingers clattered across the keyboard. “Lorenzo… let me see here.” Her smile faltered.
“Something wrong?” I asked, already dreading her answer.
“It seems there’s been a mistake,” she said hesitantly. “We only have one room available under your reservation. A single king bed.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I’m so sorry. The booking system must have-”
“Fix it,” I interrupted, trying to keep my voice level. “We need two rooms.”
“I understand,” she said, her voice overly apologetic. “Unfortunately, we’re fully booked for the night. There’s nothing else available.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. “So you’re telling me that my assistant and I are supposed to share a room for the night? That’s not exactly professional.”
She winced. “I truly apologize. I can provide extra pillows and blankets if needed.”
Matteo chose that moment to step forward, leaning casually on the counter. “Don’t worry about it,” he saId with his usual easy grin. “I’m sure we’ll manage.”
I shot him a sharp look. “We’ll manage?”
“What other choice do we have?” he asked, still grinning like this was the most entertaining thing to happen all day.
“We could go to another hotel,” I said through gritted teeth.
The receptionist quickly interjected. “Most of the nearby hotels are also fully booked because of the conference. You’re welcome to check, but…” She trailed off, her meaning clear.
“Great,” I muttered under my breath.
Matteo turned to me, his expression somewhere between amused and placating. “Come on, Gianna. It’s just one night. I promise I won’t snore.”
I glared at him, but he didn’t budge. And the truth was, he was right. We didn’t have any better options.
“Fine,” I said finally, turning back to the receptionist. “We’ll take the room. But I want a discount.”
She nodded quickly, typing something into the system. “Of course, ma’am. I’ll adjust the rate for you.”
“Thank you,” I said curtly, snatching the keycard from her hand.
Matteo followed me to the elevator, his suitcase rolling noisily behind him.
“Well, this should be interesting,” he said as the elevator doors closed.
“Don’t push your luck,” I snapped.
The elevator came to a stop after a short while and we got out of it. We located our room quickly and I scowled as I stormed up to it, swiped the key card and pushed it open.
The room was nice, I’d give it that. Modern decor, clean linens, and a decent view of the city. But my appreciation for the space evaporated the moment I saw the bed. One bed. A king, yes, but still only one.
Matteo set his bag down by the door and surveyed the room with a low whistle. “Not bad. I’ve stayed in worse places.”
“Good for you,” I said, walking over to the bed. “I’ll take the couch.”
He frowned. “Gianna, the couch is tiny. You’ll be uncomfortable all night.”
“I’ll survive.”
“Or,” he said, crossing his arms, “we could just share the bed.”
I stared at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Why not?” he said with a shrug. “It’s big enough for both of us, and I promise to stay on my side.”
“You promise?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Like that means anything.”
He laughed, holding up his hands. “Okay, fair. But seriously, you don’t have to sleep on the couch. I can take it if it makes you feel better.”
I hesitated, caught off guard by the offer. “You’d sleep on the couch?”
“Of course,” he said easily. “I’m not a complete jerk, you know.”
I folded my arms, studying him. He was infuriating, yes, but he also had a way of surprising me when I least expected it.
“Fine,” I said finally. “You take the couch.”
“Deal,” he said, grabbing a pillow from the bed.
I watched as he arranged himself on the couch, his long legs hanging awkwardly over the edge. He looked ridiculous, but I didn’t say anything.
“Comfortable?” I asked after a moment.
“Not at all,” he replied, grinning up at me. “But I’ll manage.”
I rolled my eyes and turned off the light, climbing into bed.
For the first half hour, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioning and the occasional creak of the couch as Matteo shifted.
Finally, I sighed. “Are you asleep?”
“Not even close,” he said immediately.
I turned my head to look at him, barely able to make out his outline in the dark. “Why not?”
“Probably because this couch feels like it was designed to torture people,” he said cheerfully.
“Why didn’t you just take the bed, then?”
“Because I’m a gentleman,” he said, his tone teasing.
I rolled my eyes again, even though he couldn’t see it. “You’re impossible.”
“You’ve mentioned that before.”
We fell into silence again, but this time it felt… less awkward. Almost comfortable, in a weird way.
“Hey, Gianna?” he said after a while.
“What?”
I
“Thanks for not strangling me back at the front desk.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, a soft, tired sound. “Don’t tempt me, Matteo.”
“I’ll try my best,” he said, his voice light.
And somehow, despite everything, I felt myself beginning to relax. Maybe this trip wouldn’t be a total disaster after all.