Chapter 15 Arranged to Share a Room
Katniss hopped into a steamy shower while Tristan braved a cold one.
When Tristan finally emerged, Katniss was already dressed and ready. She made a beeline for him, hands reaching for the belt of his robe.
But before she could get far, Tristan grabbed her wrist. "Katniss, we ain't got time for this."
Katniss shot him a fiery glare. "I gotta put some medicine on that shoulder of yours. It ain't gonna heal if it keeps getting soaked."
She yanked him over to the bed, making him sit down, and tugged his robe down a bit, exposing his chiseled shoulder and chest.
The wound looked even nastier now that it was wet, especially with the medicine making it change colors. She felt a wave of worry as she gently dabbed the medicine on and blew on it.
"Some spots are already inflamed. You gotta keep it dry and slap on this medicine every day."
She slapped a piece of gauze on the wound and noticed he was staring at her, eyes unblinking.
"Whether I get my daily dose depends on you," he said.
Katniss pulled his robe back up. "Mr. Forbes, if you don't give a damn about your own body, there's not much I can do. But if you kick the bucket, I might lose my job, so the least I can do is nag you to use the medicine."
For a moment, Tristan's heart did a little flip. Maybe being cared for wasn't so bad after all.
"Mr. Forbes, hurry up and change. We gotta get to the office."
Katniss grabbed the medicine box and left the room, putting it back in its spot before heading to the car to wait.
Right at eight o'clock, she shot a message to Bella, letting her know she had picked up Tristan.
Before Bella could reply, Tristan slid into the car. Katniss put her phone down and fired up the engine.
Not long after they hit the road, her Facebook pinged with a notification. It was a message from Bella.
She glanced at it, only to see Tristan also peeking at her phone. Seeing Bella's name, he raised an eyebrow and gave her a look.
That look made her feel a bit guilty, but Tristan didn't say a word, just leaned back and closed his eyes for a nap.
There were still two days left before the team-building event. Once they got to the office, the secretary's department sent over the list of participants.
Katniss got busy booking the hotel. Since there were a lot of people, they booked the whole place. The first three floors were all standard rooms which were for the regular folks, two to a room.
The fourth and fifth floors were all about those luxury suites.
Tristan and the other big shots? They each got their own fancy suite, no surprise there.
Thanks to Tristan, Katniss always scored a luxury suite right next to his, which made it easy for him to find her whenever he needed something.
After locking down the room arrangements, she was just about to confirm with the hotel when Bella waltzed over.
"Katniss, you wrapping up the hotel bookings?"
Katniss put down the phone she was about to dial. "Yep."
"Mind if I take a peek at the list?" Bella leaned on her desk, flashing a flirty smile. "Just a quick look."
Katniss handed over the paper with the names and room numbers.
Bella skimmed it and then set it down. "Katniss, can you make a little change?"
Just as Katniss had figured, Bella was here to ask for a favor. Katniss kept her cool. "What kind of change?"
"Tristan and I are pretty tight now. No need for an extra room. Just put me in with Tristan." Bella bit her lip, giving her a hopeful look.
Katniss had half a mind to go home, grab that makeup set, and toss it back at Bella, no matter what anyone thought.
"Miss Astor, that's not really appropriate. If the paparazzi get wind of it, those rumors that just died down will blow up again."
Bella waved it off. "Don't sweat it. The resort's a no-go zone for journalists. Plus, Tristan's booked the whole place. No outsiders, so no one will find out."
She circled the desk and grabbed Katniss's arm, pleading, "Just this once, please. I wanna surprise Tristan. Don't worry, if anything goes south, I'll take the heat!"
Katniss forced a smile. "Miss Astor, if your family knew you were being this bold, they'd be heartbroken."
"Even if they feel bad for me, I gotta do this. I love Tristan, and I owe him. I wanna make it up to him. We're gonna get married and be together eventually, so for me, it's just a matter of time. No point waiting for the 'right' moment."
Bella was dead set on staying with Tristan.
Katniss caved in.
She'd get found out sooner or later, so no point stressing over it now. More important not to tick off Bella.
"Alright, I'll set it up so you and Mr. Forbes share a room."
Even though she convinced herself, Katniss still felt a lump in her throat as she said it.
Bella lit up with joy, watching Katniss book the room until she hung up the phone.
"Thanks a ton, Katniss! Oh, by the way, the makeup I gave you last time has some samples. You can take them on the trip, so you don't have to lug around a bunch of bottles. I'm prepping for the trip tomorrow, so I won't be in the office. If you need anything or have a craving, just hit me up."
Katniss gave a faint smile and thanked her, "Thanks, Miss Astor, but I'm good. The main point of the trip is to chill. As long as there's a place to crash and some grub, I'm set."
"Cool, if you think of anything later, just shoot me a message on Facebook. I'm gonna check with Tristan if he needs anything!"
Bella pointed at her phone and then dashed into Tristan's office.
Katniss pushed down her feelings and got back to work.
The day before the trip, she swung by the hospital and picked up some fruits and snacks that Sophia liked.
"You didn't have to bring anything," Sophia said, happy but also scolding her.
While peeling fruit, Katniss said, "Mom, the company has a team-building trip out of town starting tomorrow. I won't be back for at least four days. If you need anything, just call Matilda."
Sophia nodded repeatedly. "I won't need anything. You go ahead. Matilda has more free time than you, even though she's working. Why are you so busy? Can your body handle it?"
"I hardly ever get sick, and I'm in great shape. It's better to be busy while I'm young. When I get older, I won't be able to keep up even if I want to." Katniss handed the peeled kiwi to Sophia, who took a bite and said it was sweet.
"Remember the guy I told you about who runs his own company? He was out of the country for a while but he's back now. I mentioned you to his mom, and she's very interested. She wants you two to meet. When do you have time? You shouldn't be all about work; you're at the age where you should be dating."
Katniss knew that once Sophia brought something up, she wouldn't let it go until it was done. If she didn't agree today, Sophia would bring it up again next time.
"Alright, after the team-building trip, I'll arrange to meet him," Katniss replied.
Sophia, pleased with her agreement, pulled out a piece of paper with a phone number from under her pillow.
"You two can decide when to meet. I got his number, and I'll give him yours. Start chatting, and be proactive. He's a boss, so he might be a bit arrogant, but as long as he's a good person, that's what matters. I've heard he's young and handsome. You're well-educated and good-looking, so you don't need to bend over backward for him."
Sophia's words were contradictory. She wanted Katniss to lower her standards to secure this "good man" but also worried that Katniss might be looked down upon. Her words made Katniss laugh.
"Alright, I understand. I'll strike a balance and make sure he doesn't look down on me while also giving him some face."
Sophia nodded vigorously. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean."
Katniss spent the night at the hospital with Sophia and left at five in the morning. She went home to pack and then drove to the company to meet up.
Tristan had worked late and stayed at the office, so Katniss didn't need to pick him up.
In the business world, Tristan was decisive and unique in his methods, but in private, he was a low-key and approachable boss.
He always traveled with the employees on the bus for team-building trips, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
As soon as Katniss got out of the car, she spotted Tristan in the crowd. Without his suit, he looked softer in a plain black tracksuit, his tousled hair falling over his forehead, his features chiseled.
His deep eyes met hers through the crowd, snapping her back to reality. She smoothed her hair and walked over.
"Mr. Forbes, Miss Astor, Mr. Astor, Mr. Kennedy," she greeted Tristan and the others before saying, "I'll go count the people and get them on the bus."
Tristan nodded, watching her walk towards the gathered employees.
Nicholas leaned in and muttered, "This is the first time I've seen Katniss in casual clothes. She looks even better than in her work attire! Look at her, simple jeans and a white T-shirt, and she looks so different. She looks years younger, like a college student!"
As Nicholas spoke, Tristan glanced at Katniss a few times. Katniss did look stunning, but she had her own charm in whatever she wore. In her professional attire, she had a unique style.
Next to him, Bella's eyes lit up when she saw Katniss. She nudged Michael with her shoulder. "Michael, doesn't Katniss look great like this? Is she prettier than me?"
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