"You must be Mai," Gene said as he strode out of the lift. His hair was wet with sweat and his shirt was discoloured. "I would offer to shake your hand but I fear that would put you off me."
Mai laughed nervously.
"Go and shower," Oliver ordered, his smile gone.
"Yes, sir!" Gene mock saluted and traipsed through to his private ensuite.
"Well, I think you made the better first impression than he did," Oliver muttered.
"Thank you?"
"He was teasing me this morning that he was going to play-act as some villainous character and see how long he could have you going…"
"I probably would have cried," Mai mumbled. "I'm glad he didn't."
"Yes." Oliver reached over the edge of the sofa and picked up a menu from the side table. "Why don't you look at the menu for dinner?"
Mai took the menu and began reading.
"It surprises me they have a menu, I thought this sort of fancy place just cooked whatever people ordered…"
"Oh they do, but people often find having a menu of suggested items helps them decide."
"Fair enough," Mai conceded, "I admit, if you'd just asked me what I wanted I would not have known what to say. It's not like I can just ask for bangers and mash in a place like this…"
"You can."
"What?"
"You can ask for bangers and mash if that is what you want."
"And miss out on something fancy?"
Oliver chuckled.
"Fancy food isn't always what people prop it up to be…"
"Fair point," Mad admitted.
"Besides, a good chef will take something 'normal' and make it even better."
Mai pursed her lips.
"Do I really want one of your chefs ruining bangers and mash for me though? What if it's so good that nothing I cook will ever be good enough again?"
"Then I guess you'll just have to visit me more often."
Mai's cheeks flushed, but she was saved the trouble of speaking as Gene had re-entered the room.
"Hey, you guys decided on dinner yet?" he asked, noticing the menus.
"Not yet," Oliver said, sitting back a little and increasing the distance between himself and Mai. "How was your workout?"
"Monk put me through my paces."
"The usual then."
Gene noticed Mai's frown.
"Monk is our personal trainer," he explained. "His real name isn't Monk, but he trained with monks in Asia and will not shut up about it if you get him talking about it."
Mai laughed nervously and made a conscious effort to stop twisting her hands together.
Gene flopped down into the chair opposite Oliver and Mai.
"I was thinking about lamb," he said. "I haven't had lamb in ages."
Oliver shrugged.
"If you want."
"Mai?" Gene prompted with a charming smile.
"I usually can't afford lamb so sure." A look of mortification washed over her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out. I don't mean it like—"
"It's fine," Gene said.
His smile did little to put Mai at ease; she bit her lip.
"Why don't you order the lamb for us, Noll, while I get to know your girlfriend a little better here?"
Oliver narrowed his eyes at his brother but nodded. Mai looked around, interested in the fact he had not corrected the 'girlfriend' assumption and also terrified to be left alone with this new entity.
"So, you're a barista?"
Mai stopped following Oliver with her eyes and looked to his brother.
"Technically I'm the manager, but yes, I am also a barista I guess. I just do a lot of paperwork too."
"I found you on Twitter you know, lots of pictures of your cat."
Mai cringed.
"Yeah, I haven't used Twitter in ages. But when I first got it that's what I used it for. Luna is adorable and I had a few friends that liked seeing her antics."
She shrugged.
"But you didn't go for Instagram?"
"No?" Mai shrugged again. "I had a few friends that used Twitter and they kept bugging me to get it, so I did. I stopped using it when I realised how political it was. Like, I know I need to keep up with the news and all, but Twitter can get very depressing."
Mai was acutely aware that Gene was studying her answers.
"Do you use Twitter?" she asked.
Gene laughed.
"Oh no, I don't really use any social media. I think we have business accounts but I don't see much of it…" He glanced around to check on his brother, then leant towards Mai. "So, what do you like about Noll?"
"What?"
"Come on, he's awkward and rude and yet you still befriended him, why?"
Mai frowned and tried not to be too offended on Oliver's behalf at this question.
"I work in an airport. I have people talking to me from all around the world almost every day. I have so many cultures and differing social norms thrown at me that I've sort of lost touch with what's considered normal. But to actually answer your question, he's interesting. Not many people turn up five minutes before closing and chat with me like I'm a human being rather than a slave. Not many people will sit in my car with me and discuss economic theory. Not many people would… Would take their own time to look after me when I'm ill. He did." Mai realised how serious her tone had become and attempted to lighten the mood. "Besides, Luna likes him and she has good taste."
Mai could not tell if Gene was satisfied with her answer, but he did not ask another before Oliver returned.
"Has he been giving you a hard time?" Oliver enquired, eyebrow raised.
"He's been cyberstalking me, it seems," Mai answered. "Found my old twitter account that's full of pictures of Luna."
"She is worthy of having pictures taken of her," he stated. "Is that all?"
"I also found her fanfiction account," Gene said. "But I decided to save questions about that for later."
Mai's eyes widened.
"Which ones did you read?" she demanded. "Because I started writing those when I was young and some of them are awful and not at all representative of what I can do and—"
"Oh, I can tell," Gene said with a smirk. "I started reading one based on Ouran High School Host Club with a very tense relationship between Haruhi and Hika—"
"No! Shhh! You can't have read that! I was a kid when I wrote that and it's so bad!" Mai covered her face with her hands.
"I also found something that I really hope you did not write as a child about some people called Hak and Yona and that was not PG in the slightest!"
Mai grabbed the nearest cushion and shoved her face into it.
Oliver removed the cushion from Mai's face. She grabbed another one.
"Mai?" he prompted.
"Mai can't come to the phone right now, she died."
Gene laughed.
"Mai," Oliver said again, but this time, Gene interrupted.
"Mai, if you don't come out, I'll show Oliver your stories."
Mai launched the cushion at Gene. Then covered her mouth in horror as the cushion hit Gene squarely in the face.
There was a moment of silence as the cushion tumbled to the floor before Gene burst out laughing.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean—"
"Mai, he's messing with you," Oliver said. "He's already shown me them."
She spun around, cheeks still red and her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.
"I have to leave," she stammered. "I'm sorry."
She stumbled to her feet and was halfway to the room where she had left her bags when Oliver caught her arm.
She turned to face him and he let go immediately.
"He showed them to me several days ago. If I found them so cringeworthy that I did not want to see you again, I had plenty of time to cancel on you. As you might have noticed, I did not."
Gene's raucous laughter died down.
"You've seen all the worst bits of me," Mai mumbled, trying to keep the whining tone out of her voice. "First when I was ill and now this!"
"If these are the worst bits of you then you really have nothing to worry about. You're staying for dinner."
"You two are so cute," Gene said.
Oliver glowered at his brother.
"And you will behave," he muttered.
Gene was rescued from further reprimands by the arrival of their dinner. Waiters swarmed into the suite, set the dining table and lay out the food before disappearing again.
The three adults took their seats and began to eat.
Oliver took a slight lead on the conversation, asking Mai more about her day at work and how Luna had been. Gene threw in a few questions here and there, but did not press Mai as he had done previously. After they had finished eating, Gene excused himself.
"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone then," he said, winking at his brother, and left for what Mai presumed was his bedroom.
Oliver rolled his eyes.
"He's an idiot."
"No, he's not," Mai said quietly. "He cares about you and is trying to suss me out. He's probably worried that I'm only interested in you because you're rich or something." She smiled sadly. "It's nice that he looks out for you."
The edge of Oliver's lips twitched.
"You sound jealous."
"I guess I am," Mai admitted. "I have friends and stuff that look out for me, but you have someone that's been with you for so long. He understands you really well and knows what you've both been through."
"It can be irritating, I hope you realise. I can't get rid of him."
"Would you really want to?"
"Well, when he's causing you upset I would."
"That's only temporarily though," Mai pointed out. "But I appreciate the sentiment."
"Perhaps next time he'll treat you like a normal person, but no promises, he's a bit weird."
"Isn't everyone?"
"I suppose," Oliver relented, then raised his voice. "You hear that Gene? Next time you are going to treat her like a normal person."
"Uh-huh, sure!" Gene's voice replied.
"I knew he was listening in," Oliver muttered, then raised his voice again. "Fancy going and doing something other than eavesdropping?"
"Nope, I was hoping it would get more interesting if I left the room," Gene called. "But if Mai's fanfiction is anything to go by, I think it might be more unintentional comedy than steamy romance…"
"Come on," Oliver said and indicated to a room on the other side of the main living space. "We'll sit in my room, the larger air gap will muffle our conversation."
"And any other activities!" Gene shouted.
Mai pressed her head into Oliver's chest and screwed her face up.
"He's deliberately making it awkward," Oliver said, he took Mai's hand and led to her to his bedroom. "Try to ignore him."
Considering it was a hotel bedroom, Mai thought Oliver had managed to personalise it rather well. He had a few stacks of textbooks on the desk with his laptop. There were more books on actual shelves and the odd knick-knack on the dressers. There was a sofa in the bay window with a blanket and cushions that looked a little like it had been slept in, despite the giant king-sized bed.
"Because we're staying so long, they offered to redecorate our rooms," he explained. "That's why this room is blue, instead of the usual magnolia."
"That's really nice of them," Mai said.
Oliver snorted.
"They do it for a fee."
"Oh…"
"You were right to suspect Gene was checking you weren't just a golddigger. Most people around us are. They discover we have money and… Prices go up, more services are offered… Gene's had romantic interests before that have won him over and then started asking for money. It's not like he couldn't spare the cash, but it hurt to find out they didn't actually like him."
"And he doesn't want to see the same happen to you," Mai concluded.
"Indeed." Oliver took a deep breath. "Would you like to watch something? Perhaps more of that Netflix show we watched while you were ill?"
"The Good Place?"
"Yes, I enjoyed that. It made me consider taking a Philosophy module or two."
"Really?"
Oliver began to set up the TV as Mai perched on the end of the bed.
"Yes."
"I'm surprised, I would have thought Philosophy was not definite enough for you."
Oliver smiled.
"You're correct. There is no right or wrong answer, but if I do not challenge myself to learn about these things, then I may never become comfortable with them. Besides, I am in the fortunate position that I can afford to fail the module. It does not matter in real terms if I pass or fail."
"I guess you're right," Mai mumbled. "I envy you that. I think university would be a lot more enjoyable if there were fewer real-world consequences of the result of the exams."
"Yes, and perhaps students would perform better if they were less stressed too."
"Yeah…"
"Do you want to remain perched on the end of the bed or would you like to be comfortable?" Oliver asked.
Mai shuffled a little further onto the bed. Oliver rolled his eyes.
"You can come and sit next to me if you want."
"But I'm wearing a dress."
"I don't follow."
"Well it's one of my nice ones and I don't want to get it all crumpled."
"Then take it off."
Mai's eyes widened.
"Are you trying to get me into your bed in a state of undress? What would your brother say? Perhaps instead of him worrying that I am after your money, perhaps he ought to worry you're just after my body," she teased.
"If that were the case, do you think I would have waited this long?"
"People often want what is denied to them."
Oliver smirked.
"I distinctly remember you making several inappropriate suggestions about my body," he said. "Perhaps if I stopping denying you, you'd be less interested in me…"
"I said those things while ill!" Mai protested. She reached over and poked him. "You meanie."
"You really ought to own up to your own actions."
Mai just pouted.
"Why don't you go and change into your pyjamas? I presume you bought some?"
"Of course I did!"
"Well let's both change and watch a few episodes before bed. That way you won't crumple your dress."
Mai agreed and jumped up from the bed. She reached the door before remembering something.
"Could you unzip my dress for me?"
"Of course."
Oliver stood and Mai turned so he could undo her dress. He slowly pulled the zipper down Mai's back, exposing her soft skin as he did so. She pressed the front of the dress to her chest so that it would not fall.
Transfixed by the sight of her bare back, Oliver reached out a single finger and ran it down the skin where the zip had lain only moments before. Mai shivered at his touch and half looked around at him, not quite able to make eye contact.
"Um, thank you."
She reached up and kissed his cheek before running out of the room.
Oliver pressed his fingers to the spot she had kissed. He smiled a little to himself and made to get changed.
"You'll never guess what my friend who works at the hotel told me today, Frank?"
"What did she tell you, dear?" Frank asked as he passed his wife a cup of tea and sat down.
"Well she told me about this ugly old car that appeared a while back and how they never see that sort of thing at their hotel, but her friend Chelsea who works at their sister hotel said she saw the same car!"
"I don't follow, dear."
"Well, at this other hotel, our dear Oliver and his queer brother have another suite. The owner of this car was apparently sent up to see them! According to Janine's friend, that is!"
"A friend?"
"I doubt it," Margaret muttered. "Prostitute for the queer no doubt. But it might be way in."
"Do they have the number plates? Or a description?"
"Dark green Renault Clio, but it looks bashed up, like it's been in an accident or two."
"That could be very useful indeed…"
Author's note: Look at me actually updating on a Monday like I planned to! Life should be calming down a little now, so I hope to catch up on some writing. I've also started thinking about NaNoWriMo... Anyone got any genres/AUs they'd really like to see? Tell me in your reviews!
