Ignore me
Felix
"Blair, do you mind coming with me?" I called him from the group. "Need a translator."
I was sure the receptionist knew how to speak English, it was their job to be able to speak to people from all over the world. However, the temptation to be with Blair away from the crowd was too great to resist.
He left his suitcase behind and followed me across the carpeted floor of the lobby to the receptionist's desk.
We were a considerable distance away from the group, so although they could see us, no one could hear us.
"First impressions?" I asked him as we approached the front desk.
He sighed, letting his shoulders relax. "It's wonderful, Felix! Can't wait to go out and explore."
I shot him a smile while keeping my distance from him.
"I'm hoping we might do it together." I said, lowering my voice. "You know, just the two of us."
His cheeks grew bright red. He covered them with his hair.
"I assume you have a plan then." He said, not looking directly at me.
I clicked my tongue. "I might... Let's hope you're a great actor."
As I said those words, leaving him rather confused, we got to the front desk. The young lady behind it smiled sweetly at us, greeting us in French. Without a moment's hesitation, Blair took the lead, talking to her confidently. Even though I couldn't understand what he was saying, I trusted him. It reassured me when he looked at me, as if including me in the conversation I clearly wasn't part of.
I really should have learned a little bit of French before the trip.
The receptionist handed me some papers and Blair told me where I needed to sign. After all that was sorted, I was handed eleven key cards, some rooms being triple, some double. Mr Turner and I would have individual rooms, and we were also given those keys.
Blair and I returned to the group and I started distributing the key cards, taking down the names of the students that would stay in each room. I made sure to give Blair a double room so he could be with his friend and have a little more privacy. He bit the inside of his cheek and hid a smile, realizing I was giving him special treatment.
"Alright guys, listen up." I said once everyone had an assigned room. "Let's meet here in twenty minutes so we can go have breakfast... At four P.M... God, I hate jet lag."
The students chuckled and headed upstairs with their belongings. Mr Turner's room and mine were on a different floor, thank god. I knew they were going to make noise, and I really didn't want to deal with that.
Once inside my room, I dropped my suitcase on the floor and lay on the bed, my arms spread open. I had to admit, I loved hotels. The fresh sheets, the smooth carpet, the smell of a clean room. It felt like I was a guest at someone's house, and the host was the city itself.
I looked out the window, taking in the view of the french rooftops. I could have looked out the window for hours just taking in the beauty of the landscape.
As I stared at the world below me, my mind drifted to Blair who was two floors below me. Not being able to be with him whenever I wanted was a pain in the ass, especially knowing we could be having so much fun together, away from the group.
If my plan was successful, however, we wouldn't have to wait too long. I decided it was best to text him what I had in mind to see if he agreed. After a few minutes, he texted me back.
BLAIR: Felix, this is insane...
BLAIR: It could work though.
BLAIR: But I have to convince both Mr Turner and Maddox that I'm sick. I don't think I can do that.
I smiled as I texted him back.
FELIX: I know you're a good actor. I've seen the way you ignore me when we're in public.
FELIX: This is going to be easy for you.
BLAIR: One thing is ignoring you, another is faking that I'm in so much pain that I have to go to the hospital.
I bit my lip. I had to admit, what I was asking him to do was quite extreme, but I couldn't think of any other way.
FELIX: Think of the reward. Maybe that will motivate you to put on a good performance.
It was almost time to head downstairs. I grabbed my coat and walked out the room. My phone buzzed as I walked down to the elevator.
BLAIR: Deal. I'll do it.
BLAIR: It's going to be really hard to wait so long, though. Can't we see each other before that?
I smiled again, the elevator going down to the lobby.
FELIX: Maybe. I'll see what I can do.
I smiled as I put my phone away. We would only carry out the plan on day three so we wouldn't raise any suspicions. Until then, I would just have to wait, admire him from a distance in secret, and hope we'd have the opportunity to get away from the group for five minutes.