Let's sleep together.

"Ofcourse I remember your name sir." She said with slight nervousness.

"Then why aren't you calling me by that?"

His pressed lips looked more relaxed now. Be it the frustration that he still felt distant from Ayana's world, but if the fact that she wouldn't even remember his simple English name, it would've been pretty upsetting for him.

"Because you're my senior and I am a junior. It's mutual respect." She boldly claimed.

Eric sighed upon seeing the sincerity gleaming in her eyes. It was a good thing to see such attitude in his company's staff, but this wasn't the time he wanted it for. She always marked the line and erased it whenever she wanted. Even though she herself was unaware of it, her dominant character was something Eric desperately wanted to overcome someday and get close to her heart for real.

'As a friend. Yes! As a friend only!' he emphasized the latter part loudly inside his brain and continued after a long pause.

"You don't need to be formal when it's just the two of us. Understand?"

Ayana knew what he was trying to say since all this time she would just call him so casually. But due to her own reasons, after coming to this resort she just felt the necessity to address each other formally.

"Uh..I am sorry sir, but I can't accept this. It would be against my rules to directly call you by your name (now that I know your position). So if it's okay, can I address you by your last name instead?" she hesitantly asked in an even more formal tone.

Eric was just speechless as despite lying all this time, he still failed to prevent this situation. His forehead ached from the constant frown and he sighed deeply in front of her.

'Should I just reveal my real identity, now that the gap is already created? No, what if the distance gets bigger even more? I'll have to approach the path to her heart gradually.' he calculated within his mind and finally responded after a while.

"No, either you call me by my name or simply address me as sir or master. I don't care.' he firmly declared without giving Ayana a chance to ask why? He, for the first time felt fortunate about having such a common name as it was easy to disguise oneself if he ever got stuck in media, but to his false hope, Ayana rather chose the second option right away.

Noticing the dead silence in the room echoing with crashing waves, things started to get awkward. It was now time to either move out and look for another hotel since it's already too late to go back home, or, sleep with him in this expensive resort. The decision was obviously the first choice.

"I..I shall take my leave now sir. Have a good night." She stuttered as she took out her phone and walked past him in a flash after a long bow. Being on the blind spot of his vision, Ayana increased her pace and tightly grabbed the knob to open it when suddenly her boss called from behind again.

She turned around repulsively from shock, but her shoulders loosened upon seeing his body still faced on the opposite side. It was as if he was vacantly looking at the window.

"You didn't told me your answer. The one about that deal of fake relationship..." He exclaimed monotonously however his voice carried a strange weight. It was much deeper and hoarse.

Ayana felt the urge to not go yet as if she was missing out something, but no matter what he does, she had already made her mind to take a break from all of this ruckus and decide carefully after that. It would be a waste to let go off this tempting offer but making a fast commitment might turn the tables against her.

"I haven't decided yet. I'll let you know if I ever decide to, however I suggest you to not rely on me, as I might never accept it even in the future. Looking for an another candidate might be the best option in this case." She blurted out her opinion without any filters.

But there was no specific response from the other side.

"I see." He said and started arranging the bed. Seeing the conversation finally put to an end, Ayana turned again to face the exit, but to her surprise the door was locked.

"Where are you going?" He asked as he sat down on the other side side of bed.

'Ah, Right! The card key! He has them.' Ayana soon realised and turned once again embarrassingly.

"To go home ..." she replied with a nervous smile.

"I see, but you can't."

"Excuse me?!" She flinched.

"There's a heavy snowfall in your area right now, and all the other hotels here are booked too. Not to mention their heavy cost." He recited it all in one go effortlessly as if he was already prepared for this question.

"Then what are you telling me to say? That I should share the bed with you?" She subconsciously had a sharp tone in her voice.

Things were already too frustrating since this morning and she was completed exhausted thanks to that little dance competition she participated in. Her vase of patience was on the brink to overflow, and she could explode from rage any moment now.

"Why not?" He asked expressionlessly as if it was nothing that big of a deal, but Ayana didn't think the same way as he did.

' "why not?", Is he kidding me? Doesn't he realise how frankly he's inviting me to join his bed?! This is horrendous!' she mimicked his voice in her thoughts and stared at him continuously.

After taking a deep breath to control her anger and she clenched her fist with a buisness smile barely staying on her face.

"I think you don't understand the gravity of what you just said Sir. I don't sleep with men whom I am not in a relationship with..." She managed to say it out loud, politely somehow.

"Hmm. Maybe you misunderstood my intentions Ms.Shekar. I am not asking you to spend the night with me rather it's to just share the bed. I promise I won't lay a hand on you." He said as the timidness began to reappear on his face.

'It seems his anger has subsided. But why was he so upset in the first place?! Does he don't liked being addressed with sir?' Ayana pondered.

"Umm, I think it'll be better if I sleep on the couch. Please ignore my presence and freely sleep on the bed."

She said after a long pause with her buisness smile still intact. Definitely she didn't wanted to be here, but upon checking her phone real quick, she saw his claims to be true regarding the reservations and weather reports of East Elmont.

She seriously had no choice but to spend the night here.

'It's not like I truly feel hatred and disgust from this idea, instead I am pretty okay with it(?) Sigh..I don't know man. He is a very genuine person. I mean, he even helped me even when I was drunk right? He could've taken the physical advantage of me but he didn't. He always respects me and always smile brightly at me with his.....

Wait a minute.

Why am I suddenly getting thoughts like this? Does one shot of vodka makes you that drunk?'

Ayana was taken aback upon what she just thought. Certainly, Eric was a beautiful young man, but since when did he became so attractive?!!! No, more importantly, has she developed a crush on him by any chance?!

'No, no. That's impossible. Maybe it's the influence of this damn alcohol that I am feeling so heated.' she said as she grabbed an extra blanket from closet and glanced a peek at Eric who was arranging the pillow on sofa.

She tightly hugged her blanket as she approached him when suddenly her gaze fall upon something she wish she didn't had.