Workplace gossip

After two busy days, Linda was finally able to enjoy some time to relax at the hotel she was staying at.
Together with her colleagues Gavin and Jessica, she was on a weekend business-trip to Prague, all expenses paid by the company they worked for.
Linda had been sad she’d had so little time to see the historical capital of the Czech Republic. They’d spent most of their time in a boring conference room with their company’s most important client.
“We have an early flight tomorrow.” Gavin said. “I don’t think we have much time to go sigh-seeing.
They were in his hotel-room. The three of them had ordered room-service and – while Jessica had already returned to her room – Linda and Gavin were now finishing the bottle of wine they had ordered.
“You’re probably right.” Linda conceded. “There’s probably nothing open at this hour anyway.”
“Some more wine them?” Gavin proposed.
“No thanks. I better stop now that I still have a clear head.” Linda replied.
“Well we can’t let it go to waste,” Gavin poured the rest of the bottle in his own glass. “The company is paying for it after all.”
Linda laughed. “I still can’t believe you got your own room while I have to share with Jessica.”
Now Gavin laughed. “Well any other arrangement would’ve been rather inappropriate don’t you think?”
“They could’ve given each of us our own room.” Linda said.
“Did you ask them to?” Gavin asked.
Linda pouted. “No.”
“Well, if you don’t ask for anything you won’t be getting anything.” Gavin mused wisely.
“Well, they shouldn’t assume that just because we’re both women it’s okay for us to share.” Linda countered.
“You did get separate beds, right?” Gavin asked. His room had a two-person bed. They were seated on either side of it.
“Yes.” Linda replied.
“Well if you really don’t want to stay with Jessica, you can always sleep in my room.” Gavin offered.
Linda laughed. “As if there won’t be enough gossip already, with me staying here after Jessica left.”
“They’ve been gossiping about us since I started working at the company two years ago.” Gain said. “Nothing would change.”
“Except that they’d be right.” Linda said.
Gavin grinned. “I only offered to let you sleep here, didn’t I?”
Linda blushed. “As if that’s all you wanted…” It was Gavin’s constant teasing and flirting that had started the rumors about them in the first place.
In fact, Linda was adamant never to start a relationship with someone from the work-place, it would make things just too complicated. Gavin wasn’t her type anyway, she’d never start anything with someone like him. Sure he was handsome and witty and she liked the attention he gave her, but that didn’t mean she felt anything for him.
“Are you afraid I’d take advantage?” Gavin asked with a mocking tone to his voice. “I would be a perfect gentleman.”
Linda pondered this for a moment. No, she wasn’t afraid he’d take advantage, she was afraid he wouldn’t, that all his flirting and teasing was just a game and nothing serious.
“It wouldn’t change the fact that I’d still be sharing a room.” She said, trying to steer away the conversation. “Perhaps I should ask Jessica to sleep in your room and then I get a room to myself.”
Gavin laughed. “So you trust Jessica’s safety with me, but not your own?”
Linda imagined Jessica and Gavin together for a moment and – while she was not jealous – did not pursue the thought any further.
Gavin drank the last bit of wine in his glass and cleared the plates from his bed. “Well, like I said. We have an early flight tomorrow. It’s probably best you return to your room.”
Linda got up from the bed and hesitated for a moment. “Maybe Jessica is sleeping already, if I go back now I might wake her.”
“If you don’t wake her, she won’t know what time you got back and how long you spent alone in here with me.” Gavin teased.
Linda blushed. “She’s probably still awake, waiting to know how long I stayed away.”
“Probably.” Gavin conceded. “Imagine how crazy she’ll go if you don’t return at all.”
Linda grinned. “I’m not staying.”
“I know, I know.” Gavin replied. “I just like to imagine what’s going through Jessica’s mind right now.”
“She would go crazy.” Linda agreed.
“She’d never believe nothing happened.” Gavin said.
“But nothing would happen, right?” Linda asked.
“I promise. I stay on my side of the bed, you stay on yours. No touching.” Gavin replied.
I must be going crazy, Linda thought as she sat back down on the bed. “Fine, I’ll stay.”