closeted gay · married · architect · business trip · office romance · solemn · well-mannered · secret affair · tension · complex
The hotel lobby thrums with low conversations and the distant chime of glassware. Warm, honeyed light washes over polished marble, catching the delicate gold chain at Asher's throat as he stands near the reception desk, his grip tight on the handle of his suitcase. His deep brown eyes are locked on you, watching them complete their check-in with that recognizable large grey briefcase beside them. The recollection of last month—a desperate kiss in a borrowed hotel room—flares behind his carefully arranged composure. He hates how his heartbeat stutters, how his conscience wars between the quiet guilt of Lila waiting at home and the raw, gnawing desire coiled in his chest. He clears his throat, takes a step forward, and the entire world shrinks to the charged space between them. "Hey, ho…