Chapter 5

• Poppy covered her face with her hand. Oh God, what had she done to Harvey? Why did she kiss him back? She should have kicked him for daring to kiss her like that. Poppy covered her face with her hand. She was nearly going crazy thinking about this. Why did she kiss a man who clearly wasn't her boyfriend? She should have been thinking about Nathan. Poppy then stood up and moved away from her chair, but Harvey held onto Poppy's hand, preventing her from distancing herself.
• Poppy swallowed hard, looking at Harvey's fingers on the surface of her hand. The man stared at her lips, his lips slightly lifted but without a smile.
• "Where are you going?" Harvey asked.
• Poppy took a deep breath, turning her face away, avoiding Harvey's intense gaze. Her heart was racing, unsure of what it was that she hadn't felt towards Nathan.
• "I need to go to the bathroom," Poppy whispered.
• Harvey took a deep breath too, getting up from his chair. "I'll escort you then. I'm afraid you might get lost, and I can't guarantee your safety if you go alone."
• Poppy swallowed hard, amazed that Harvey thought she might get lost. She had been to Europe before, and she often traveled abroad during vacations. She was even fluent in English, able to read every sign written in English here. It's just that earlier, she had said it was her first time in New York. And this was Dubai, famous for its safety.
• "Alright then," Poppy finally said, unable to refuse.
• Throughout their journey to the restroom, they remained silent, lost in their own thoughts. Harvey watched Poppy match his steps as they followed the signs and eventually found the restroom they were looking for. As he stood there, he thought about how special life was, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to love.
• ***
• "Sorry sir, only one room is available," the receptionist said.
• "Single bed or twin bed?" Harvey asked.
• "Single bed."
• Harvey glanced at Poppy, who was standing beside him, waiting while he was transacting at the reception counter. Harvey looked at the round clock on his wrist, showing 10:30 PM.
• "Ready?" Poppy asked, looking at Harvey.
• "There's only one room left, and it's a single," Harvey tried to explain. "So you didn't make a reservation earlier?" Poppy inquired.
• "No, I didn't. Usually, in New York, rooms are always available, especially when the weather is cold. Maybe it's late now, and there's only one room left. If you want to find another hotel, it's already too late. Do you want to look for another hotel?" Harvey asked.
• Poppy glanced at the round clock on her wrist; it was already too late, and she was too tired to search for another hotel, especially in the cold weather. She looked towards the lobby door and saw several couples entering.
• "So, what do you think?" Poppy asked again, although she was a bit worried about being alone in the same hotel room with Harvey. Considering that they had kissed at the airport earlier, those memories were still vivid, and the desire to kiss Harvey again was strong.
• "It's okay; let's book this one for now. We can get separate rooms tomorrow. We're really tired after being in the air all day," Harvey said, understanding their exhaustion.
• Poppy nodded, "Alright, it's fine," she said. Harvey then walked back to the reception counter and booked the single bed room. Honestly, this wasn't what he had planned; he had told Poppy they would have separate rooms, but when they arrived at the Hilton hotel, there was only one room left. Harvey completed the payment transaction, and he received the room key. Poppy followed Harvey into the elevator, and their room was on the fifth floor. Harvey swiped the access card, and the elevator took them up. A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened, and they walked down the corridor.
• Harvey stopped in front of room number 505. Victor swiped the access card, and Harvey turned the doorknob. He inserted the card near the door lock, and the lights automatically turned on. The hotel room looked like a typical hotel room.
• Upon entering, they were greeted by a bathroom and a walk-in closet. There was a bed in the room, and near the window, there was a turquoise-colored sofa and a matching table. A large flat-screen TV was placed in front of the bed, with a wooden panel underneath serving as a workspace, along with a swivel chair.
• The room felt warm, and they looked out the window, where skyscrapers could be seen. Poppy took off her shoes and socks, allowing her feet to breathe, and she also hung her blazer in the closet.
• Poppy watched as Harvey did the same. He removed his leather jacket and placed it beside his shoes. Both Harvey and Poppy were feeling extremely tired after spending the entire day in the air, especially considering the lack of quality sleep on the plane earlier.
• Harvey entered the bathroom; he needed a warm shower and then some rest, as they would be meeting with the subway owner tomorrow. Harvey turned on the shower, and the warm water cascaded over his body.
• Harvey couldn't figure out why he found himself in this situation with Poppy. He was confused about himself, wondering why he had been so eager to kiss Poppy earlier, especially knowing that she had a boyfriend. He wasn't the type to interfere in the relationships of women, let alone consider dating his own secretary.
• Previously, his secretary had been much more beautiful than Poppy, but Poppy made him feel differently. Harvey wanted to forget that kiss, but the memory seemed to linger in his mind. He could still feel how his lips had sucked, nibbled, and played with Poppy's lips. Slowly, he felt himself going crazy thinking about that woman.
• Meanwhile, Poppy gathered her makeup and bath essentials. She knew that Harvey was in the shower. She also needed to freshen up, as her body was feeling uncomfortable. Poppy prepared her sleepwear, which she planned to change into in the bathroom later. She heard the sound of the door opening and turned to look at Harvey. He was wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist.
• Poppy knew that beneath the towel, Harvey was completely bare. What would happen if she were to remove that towel? What would transpire between her and Harvey in this room? People could do anything when influenced by desire and uncontrolled thoughts.
• "Do you want to take a shower?" Harvey asked as he approached the nightstand, grabbing a bottle of water and opening the cap.
• "Yeah, my clothes are sticky, and I'm tired," Poppy replied.
• Harvey took a sip of his water and observed Poppy. "You should take a shower. The towel is in the bathroom."
• For a few seconds, they unintentionally locked eyes. They were both preoccupied with their thoughts. Harvey's gaze shifted to Poppy's lips, wanting to move closer to her and engage in a warm, deep kiss. He felt like their previous kiss had been a bit too short and unsatisfying. There was an elusive, difficult-to-define tension in the air.
• "Go ahead and shower; we'll rest after this," Harvey said, breaking the tension.
• "Okay," Poppy replied.
• ***