I hesitated, unsure if it was the right time to say something, but decided to oblige him. I walked into the main lodge, hoping to get a few bottles of water for my room. I was surprised to find Bonnie by the front desk. We weren’t expecting her for a couple more days, and by the looks of it, neither was the lodge. Her face was a study in resignation when I walked up to her, but she lit up once she saw me.
“Hey! How’s it going? I hope my arrival isn’t an issue. I can just ride along on whatever you’re doing for the next couple of days. If I can get a room to sleep in, that is!”
I waved her off, genuinely happy to see her. “Of course it’s not an issue. Glad to have you with us. Is there a problem with your room?”
She looked over her shoulder at the disgruntled front desk clerk, then back at me. She was decked out in one of her many tunic and jeans combos, but this time she was wearing heavy-duty hiking boots instead of Birkens, her white hair in its usual messy topknot.
She spared another look for the man at the front desk, who was tapping helplessly on the keyboard. “I knew it would be ill-advised to head down here early, but I figured they could make it work for a couple of nights. Unfortunately, it seems they’re not only full for the next few days, but they double-booked the room I was supposed to have when I arrived on Sunday. They won’t have a room for me until Wednesday.”
“Is there another place in town you could go until then?”
She made me a face at my question. “Oh no, this is not my first rodeo.” With that she turned back to the front desk, obviously ready for another round. I was about to offer to share my room, I only had one bed though. It wasn’t a big deal for me, but I knew Bonnie needed her space.
She was in a heated discussion with the clerk when I put my hand on her shoulder, interrupting the exchange. “Hey Bonnie, why don’t you just take my room? I can ask one of the other guys if I can crash with them. No big.”
The thought of having to room with Sam made a shiver of apprehension run down my spine, but I was willing to suffer for a few days.
Bonnie perked up at my suggestion and glanced at the clerk, who was looking at me like I had just rescued a small village. “Are you sure? Because I’ll take it. I’m not gonna do the ‘Oh, you shouldn’t, I don’t want to put you out’ bullshit. I will take the damn room and leave you to your own devices.”
I really liked this woman. “Yes, I’m sure,” I said with a laugh.
At that moment Elias walked in. Bonnie’s face lit up and she greeted him with the Ethiopian double kiss and double embrace. “As always, Elias, you’re right on time. I did it again!” She threw her hands in the air while Elias grinned at her antics. “I decided to come early, and now I don’t have a place to sleep.”
He smiled at her with affection while she waved her hand in my direction.
“Thankfully, Desta here has gallantly offered me his room. I, of course, accepted before he could take it back, but now he’s roomless. Can he bunk with you? I think you got one of the doubles when we reserved, right? It’ll be tight, but—”
Before she could finish, Elias shrugged and said with the most nonchalant face I had ever seen, “Sure.” Then he turned to me and asked, “Is it fine for you, Desta?”
I swallowed hard, twice. I nodded, trying not to let my panic show as I walked to the door of the lodge. The only thing that came out of my mouth was, “I’ll get my stuff.”
Chapter 22
I walked into Elias’s room and immediately noticed it had one big bed with a smaller cot to the side. At least it appeared like two people could sleep here. I looked back at him as he leaned against the door, his arms crossed in front of his chest, but he was not offering any conversation at the moment.
The room was…small. I knew Abraham, Yohannes, and some of the other staff had decided to stay in cheaper lodgings so they could save some of their per diem. Elias had opted to stay here, though. Now I wondered if he’d done it to be closer to me, just to have me act like a brat toward him all week.
We stood there, unable to bridge the distance my actions had put between us. I hated myself for starting this. After I put down my bag by the bathroom door, I turned and tried to school my face into a friendly expression. “So! This is awkward.”
He didn’t even crack a smile. He moved to the bigger bed, sat on the edge, and said in a distant but clear tone, “I can go into town and get a room there. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
His voice completely lacked inflection, like he’d stripped all emotion from anything he had to say to me. He didn’t look hurt. He didn’t even look angry. He was simply indifferent, and that was so much worse.
“I’m not uncomfortable with you. I know I’ve been a little distant this week—”
He scoffed as if saying understatement of the year, and I couldn’t blame him. I had done a complete one-eighty on him. Had changed my mind so fast I had given myself whiplash.
I sighed and sat on the floor in front of his spot on the bed. “This is so stupid, Elias. I’m sorry I’ve been such an asshole this week. Now that I’m here sitting with you after this afternoon, when I once again saw
