Jamie expected a lot of things from this trip. He expected the crowd that would welcome them in the hotel since several companies were invited; he anticipated the buffet dinner to be delicious. Jamie knew these people would be dressed in their designer suits. He expected the warm breeze from the nearby ocean. The assistant came expecting a lot of things, but one. He did not foresee to sharing a room with Mr. Humble.

He was brought back to reality when he felt a gentle push on the small of his back, ushering him inside the room. Mr. Humble cleared his throat. “There’s plenty of tourists this time of the year. Since it was a small seminar, they opted to let people from the same companies share accommodations,” he explained. Scratching the back of his neck, he gestured Jamie towards the two beds sitting in the middle of the room. “You could choose your bed first.”

Now, Eric Humble never needed to lie. Just this once. It was true that there were plenty of tourists during this season. But they still had time to change the accommodation arrangements before leaving. The organizer had asked him multiple times if he was sure that it was alright for the two of them to share. He just had to say yes every time. It was okay to be sly once in a while, right?

“Sir, I’m fine with whichever,” Jamie replied hastily. “You can choose first.”

“Oh. You don’t mind if I get the one by the window, right?” Eric asked hesitantly before pulling his luggage by the bed of his choice.

“Yeah. It’s fine.”

“Do you want to freshen up first or …”

“You can go ahead, sir,” Jamie immediately replied and immediately regretted it. Upon hearing his answer, Eric got up and started to unbutton his shirt. Jamie’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets at the sight of the smooth, broad chest. It was a good thing that Mr. Humble stopped at that and took his stuff to the bathroom. Jamie would have fainted. If he noticed the beet-red face of his assistant, he did not say a word.

Nope, Eric did not say anything. But he was very much smirking when he got inside the bathroom. He did say he was going to be sly once in a while.

Meanwhile, outside the bathroom, a very panicked Jamie was clutching a towel over his problem. Can anyone blame him? He just saw his very hot boss almost shirtless, and they will be staying in one room for days. He tried various breathing exercises to calm himself down while being very hyper-aware of the sounds coming from the closed door. The moment he heard the click of the lock, his lungs stopped working again.

“It’s your turn,” came the deep velvety voice of Mr. Humble. And Jamie regretted looking up at him.

There stood Eric Humble in a white shirt that was a little snug around his arm. His muscles bulged as he dried his hair with a towel. His sweatpants were hanging loosely around his hips. The leftover steam from the bathroom behind him made him look like a model straight out of the magazines.

James felt his throat dry. In his mind, he prayed to all the gay gods out there, hoping he survives this trip with his heart and soul still in his body.