A STEP FURTHER, PART 1.

MAYA.

After Andrew and I finally returned to our suite, the air was thick with unspoken tension, a palpable electricity that hummed between us. Once inside, he headed straight for the bathroom, the sound of running water filling the space around us. I could hear the splashes echoing through the walls, a soothing backdrop that contrasted sharply with the whirlwind of thoughts racing through my mind. I couldn’t help but wonder what it all meant, this inflection point we had reached.

Once he emerged, a soft glow of steam trailing behind him like an ethereal shroud, I knew it was my turn. I made my way into the bathroom, inhaling the fragrant warmth left in the air, our lingering presence having created an intimate cocoon. As I let the hot water cascade over me, wild thoughts whirled around my mind like a tornado—anticipation, nervousness, and the thrill of uncertainty brushed against my skin like each droplet.