Page 48 of Fallen Hearts

“You seem to have a lot of those. What are some others?”

“Punctuality. Resilience. Respect for authority. There are lots of them.”

We stood much too close for comfort.

In my fucking bedroom.

Every muscle in my body screamed for me to reach out. To pull her into me. To throw Pia onto my bed and make her scream my name.

“We should go,” I said, not waiting for her to respond. Once out in the hall, I closed the door.

“I’m sorry,” she said as I reached for the door to the towel closet.

“Why?” I asked, pulling out two towels and a hand towel. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Wandering into your bedroom like that.”

I handed Pia the towels. “Pia, there’s a lot of ways I could respond to that, but being respectful,” I said truthfully, “of our positions here, I’ll keep it clean. You have nothing to be sorry for. Furthermore, you never have to apologize to me. Ever.”

“What if I do something wrong?”

“Fix it. But don’t apologize.”

“Ever?”

“Ever.”

“Why?”

“Not apologizing doesn’t mean avoiding accountability. It’s a reminder to take opportunities to learn and grow. You can be mindful of feedback but unwilling to compromise values or well-being without hesitation too.”

“You’ve thought a lot about this?”

“I’ve thought a lot about everything. Doesn’t mean you have to agree with me.”

Pia flattened her full lips, thinking. “I’m not sure about this. But duly noted either way. Except…” She bit her lip.

Fuck.

Me.

“What if I am sorry. I just… don’t say it?”

“Give me an example.”

“Like peeking into your room.”

“Bad example. There’s nothing to be sorry for. I’d peek at yours too.”

“You would?” She blinked up at me, and so help me God, I wanted to kiss her.

“Yes, I would. Try again,” I said, anxious to be away from the bedroom talk.

“What if I screwed up a reservation? Double-booked a room. And the guests were not willing to accept any compensation and threatened to leave bad reviews?”

“I’d tell them to get fucked.”

Pia laughed. “You know what, maybe we should revise the duties flowchart so you aren’t dealing with any guests, ever.”

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