Once they were on the elevator, Zach said to Kendall, "Well… I really didn't think you were ready to take this step…"
"Don't get any ideas… this is just for show. We can have brandy and caviar and you can sleep on the sofa, Zach. I just wanted my mother to see what happens when she tries to run my life," Kendall said with a hard edge to her voice.
Zach laughed as he lifted his hands in a sign of surrender, "That's fine by me… and exactly what I thought you'd say. I requested a room with two doubles, so that will be no problem at all."
Kendall and Zach shared a brief laugh over his comment and continued to laugh as they strolled down the hall from the elevators – until they entered the room and found it to be dominated by a king-size bed instead of the two he had requested. They looked at each other quickly and Zach made as if to return to the lobby to correct the error when Kendall placed a hand on his arm, "No… Zach… if you go back downstairs it will ruin everything. Besides… this is perfect. Anyone who gets suspicious will discover that we have only one bed, and I'm sure we can both behave ourselves for one night. Just imagine how they're all reacting downstairs!"
He laughed in response, noting the location of the sofa that he was sure would be his place of repose for the evening… despite what she might have implied.
Zach removed his suit jacket and folded it before laying it on the arm of the sofa. He then loosened his tie while Kendall stood watching him. As he continued to remove the tie and unbutton the top button of his shirt she held up her hand, "Stop! Wait a minute! What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm getting comfortable... after all, we're going to be here all night," he answered calmly.
"Just how comfortable do you plan on getting?" she asked with concern.
"I was planning on removing my jacket and tie... do you have a problem with that?" he said implacably.
"No-ooo... as long as that's as far as it goes," she answered quietly.
"For now," he replied.
She looked at him as if she had more to say, but was interrupted by a knock at the door, "That must be room service with the cognac."
"I'll take care of it... you... do whatever it is you do... when you stay at a hotel," he said as he began to open the door.
A young man in uniform entered with a table containing covered dishes that were most probably the order of caviar as well as an unopened bottle of Courvoisier and two large snifters. He took a few minutes to arrange the table near the sofa before Zach gave him a bill from his pocket and the waiter responded as he left, "Thank you, sir."
Kendall laughed from the corner where she had been watching, "Just how much did you tip him, Zach?"
"Enough... tell me... was the caviar for effect... or do you really eat it?" he said with a grin.
"For effect... I'm sorry... it must have cost you a fortune..." she said.
"... you'll make it all back for me when you re-open my casinos. Eat it or not, as you please," was his quiet reply. He busied himself in pouring two snifters of the rich, caramel liquor before handing one to Kendall as he took a brief sip of his own. He seated himself on the sofa and relaxed against it while watching her take a tentative taste.
She looked at him with surprise, "My goodness... I forgot just how potent this stuff is."
"It's definitely something you should respect... and neither one of us wants to end up like... um..." he paused wishing he had not started the statement.
"Maria? ... She was in pretty bad shape, wasn't she?" Kendall said.
"Yes," Zach answered quietly.
"Look...I'm not blind or stupid, Zach. It's obvious that you still have feelings for her... but who am I to complain when I still have feelings for Ethan?" she said candidly.
"Thank you... but as I said before..."
"The topic of Maria is off limits... I know... but if you ever want to talk about it... need to... I will understand, you know," she answered him.
He looked at her in surprise, "Considering how your mother..."
"What? You can't be surprised that Erica and I have a difference of opinion regarding Maria! About the only things we do agree on are Bianca and Miranda... and that's not always the case," she said with a laugh.
"That's fair... but I don't share my feelings... with anyone," he replied.
"Well, that's a big surprise! You really need to learn to unwind... after all... you said you'd always trust your wife. Why don't you give me a test drive?" she said sitting down on the bed across from him.
"And exactly what kind of test drive do you have in mind?" he asked with a lewd glance.
"NOT that kind... I was talking about trust... an issue that we both have problems with," she smiled.
"In other words... you want to know about me and Maria," he said, setting his glass on the table and helping himself to some of the caviar that Kendall had rejected. He took a few moments to chew thoughtfully before saying, "I really don't want to talk about it... except to say that I hated to see her in so much pain... and I wish she had not gone with Ethan to his room."
"Good... that's a good start," she said. "If it makes you feel any better... I wasn't too happy with them heading to his room either. I don't want him... but I sure as hell don't want anybody else to have him."
"I'm more concerned that he's taking advantage of her... again," Zach replied.
"Physically… or emotionally?" Kendall asked sharply.
"Emotionally… she's very delicate right now. Besides, she won't…" Zach answered her quietly.
"Oh... you mean once she's had a real man and all that..." Kendall interrupted with a laugh.
Instead of informing her that Tad was at that moment returning Maria to Wildwind he smirked, "When you put it that way..." He then proceeded to help himself to some more caviar while she looked at him in a combination of surprise and intrigue.
"You're awfully impressed with yourself... but I'm not... so don't bother to try and convince me otherwise," Kendall smirked in response.
"Kendall... if I was interested... and you can trust me on this one... you would never have any doubts," he answered with another suggestive look.
Kendall rolled her eyes and laughed, "I know about guys that are all talk, Zach."
He just grinned and laughed, "Are you sure you don't want some of this caviar? It's delicious." With that comment he used the remote control to turn on the television and pretended to be immersed in the headlines on CNN while Kendall sipped her cognac and stared at him bemusedly.