Aman and Priya stood awkwardly in the changing room. They were told to get ready for their steam.  

“Do you want me to leave while you get ready?” Aman asked. Priya shook her head.  

“Are you okay?” Aman continued.  Priya nodded, offering a small smile.  

“We don’t have to do this.” Aman said, sensing Priya’s discomfort.  

“No, I want to.” Priya replied.

“It doesn’t seem like it.” Aman pointed out.  

“Aman, I’m trying. I...I want to be your wife.” Priya reasoned.

“Priya, you’re already my wife.” Aman chuckled.

“You know what I mean.” Priya replied.  

“I know, and I appreciate the effort. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.  Let’s just skip the steam.  There’s no need for us to be almost naked in a hot room together...well not now at least.” Aman smirked.

Priya blushed at the thought.  She didn’t protest.  She was actually relieved.  Aman talked to the woman at the front desk, informing her of certain changes he wanted to make to the package.  Next were the spa facials.  

“Priya, I’m not doing this.” Aman said.  Looks like Priya wasn’t the only one who was reluctant to try some of these spa treatments.  

“Why not?” Priya giggled.  

“Facials are for girls. I’m a man.” Aman replied in all seriousness.

Priya couldn’t control herself, she started laughing so hard.  Aman watched her with an offended expression, trying desperately to hide his amusement.  

“I’d still consider you a man if you got a facial.” Priya reassured Aman.  

“Thanks, Priya, but I’m still not doing this.” Aman replied.  

“May I make a suggestion?” The woman at the counter turned to the couple.  “Why don’t you take a steam, while she gets a spa facial?  That way, you’ll both be done in time for your massage.”

“That’s...actually a great idea!” Aman replied.  

After Aman had a steam, and Priya finished her facial, they met in a private room for their couples massage.  The room was dimly lit with bowls of rose petal placed throughout in an effort to make the ambience more romantic.  Two massage tables were sitting beside each other, close enough for both people laying on them to be able to hold hands during their massage.   Aman entered to find Priya already waiting in the massage room.  He was wearing a long robe, but Priya was still in the gold sari she’d arrived in.  

“I’ll leave while you change.” Aman said, backing out of the room.

“Aman,” Priya stopped him, “I can’t...wear this.”

“Wear a towel?” Aman asked, “Yeah I figured you wouldn’t.  Didn’t you get a massage done when I sent you to a spa?” he asked.  

“No not a massage.” Priya said.  

“Looks like we have a problem .” Aman said.  

Priya looked down.  Aman walked over to her and turned her around so that her back was facing him.  He started pulling at the strings that fastened her blouse.  She quickly spun around and pushed Aman’s hands away.  

“What are you doing?” Priya asked.  

“Just trust me on this.” Aman replied.  

“But..” Priya protested.  

“Priya, you said you wanted to try to open up to me more.  You’re going to have to trust me.” Aman said.  

Priya nodded.  She turned back around. Aman started untying Priya’s blouse again.  He was impressed with how well she was taking it.  She obviously seemed apprehensive, but she didn’t resist.  Aman’s eyes wandered over Priya’s back.  He looked away, knowing that he was bound to get carried away if he kept staring at her.  He walked around to face her.  Priya looked up at him, still nervous and unsure about his intentions.  Aman took the drape of Priya’s sari off of her shoulder.  Priya’s gaze followed his hands.  

“Hold this.” He instructed her.  She took ahold of the drape and held it to her chest.

Aman peeled Priya’s blouse off her shoulders.  He noticed Priya constantly biting her lip and smiled.  

“Priya, it’s okay.  I’m just getting you ready for a nice, relaxing massage.” Aman reassured her.  

He pulled her blouse down a little further.  She clutched the drape tightly against her front torso.   Aman took her hand and pulled her to the massage table.  He told her to lay down on the table.  Priya did as she was told.  Aman walked to the other massage table and untied his robe.  Priya turned her face away.  Aman laid down on the table and turned to look at Priya.  

“Priya, it’s okay. I’m decent.” He chuckeled.  

Priya blushed.  Aman laid on the table without a shirt.  The lower half of his body was concealed under the blanket that was on the massage table.  Priya felt a lot better that she didn’t have to lay on the table topless.  Only her back upper back and shoulders were exposed.  She felt a little uncomfortable, but she trusted Aman.  The masseuses had magical hands.  They were both women who knew what they were doing. Neither of them commented on Priya’s reluctance to undress. Priya had never felt so relaxed before.  Aman resisted the urge to succumb to the relaxation. He worried that Priya wasn’t enjoying herself.  He glanced over at Priya, who looked calm and tranquil.  Aman reached out and placed a hand on her arm.  Her eyes fluttered open.  She looked at him with a curious expression.  His hand traveled down her arm and grasped her hand.  Priya linked her fingers with Aman’s, and their hands stayed connected throughout their massage.  

“That felt amazing.” Priya commented afterwards.  They were waiting for their after spa dinner that was part of the package.  

“Yeah, it was better than I expected.” Aman admitted.  

“Right this way, sir.” A waiter appeared out of nowhere and led Aman and Priya to their table.  There a restaurant near the spa, and that was where the after spa dinners were held.  Aman was impressed with the setup.  He’d never heard of a spa and restaurant teaming up to offer such a unique spa experience.  

“I’m starving!” Aman said, eyeing the menu.  

Their dinner was hardly as romantic as Aman had hoped.  The restaurant was a little crowded and didn’t have the right ambience. Priya wasn’t complaining, so Aman said nothing about his dissatisfaction.  Aman and Priya had made the most of their experience though.  They sat for hours after their meal, just talking to each other and enjoying each other’s company.  

The restaurant was about to close.  Aman and Priya were the only ones left in the restaurant.  Thunder crashed outside as rain began to pour down.  

“Shit! It’s going to be impossible to find a cab in this weather.” Aman said angrily.

“What about that one?” Priya spotted an empty cab, near the parking lot of the spa.  

Aman ran through the rain and began conversing with the cab driver. He seemed reluctant at first but eventually agreed to drive them after Aman had greased his palm a little.  Aman motioned for Priya to come to the cab.  Aman told the man where their hotel was located.

“That’s mighty far out of the city.” The driver commented.  

“Drive as much as you can. I know the storm is bad.” Aman said.  

The driver agreed and began to head out of Detroit.  The rain got heavier as time passed.  The strong Midwestern winds combined with the heavy rain made driving conditions deplorable.  They were on a long stretch of road and no one else was anywhere to be seen.

“This is as far as I’ll go.” The driver said once they entered another town.

Aman tried to convince the man to drive further, but the driver wouldn’t agreeing, saying it was too dangerous.  Aman and Priya got out of the cab and took shelter under an overhang of a close by building.  

“Great! What the hell are we supposed to do now?” Aman said, frustrated.  

“Maybe we should find a nearby hotel.  There’s no way we’ll make it back to ours in this weather.” Priya suggested.  

“I guess we have no choice.” Aman relented.  

The weather had gotten so bad that Aman and Priya were forced to stop at the first hotel they came across. It was a small, modest hotel, unlike the five star resorts Aman was used to.  The couple had no choice, however.  They desperately needed shelter.  

“Two rooms, please.” Aman told the scruffy man at the front desk.  The man peered from behind the magazine he was intensely focused on and gave Aman a disgusted look.  

“We only have one room available,” He announced in a snarky tone.

“We’ll take that one.” Aman replied, irritated by the man’s tone.  

“Fine. Credit card only.” The man demanded.  

Aman handed him his platinum credit card.  The man’s eyes traveled to Priya’s dripping wet body, stopping on her chest.  Aman took a step to the side, obstructing the man’s view of Priya.  The man handed Aman they key to the room.  Aman scowled at him.  After getting the key, Aman and Priya quickly went in search for their room.

“There was only one room left, but I’m sure we can make it work.” Aman said as he led Priya down a hallway.  Priya, who was following behind, said nothing.  At this point, she really didn’t mind sharing a room with Aman.  They had done it for so long when Payal was visiting that the thought no longer seemed daunting.  She’d even been disappointed when Aman moved her belongings out of his bedroom.  

“This is it.” Aman said, stopping in front of the last room in the hallway.  He unlocked and opened the door.  

They looked around the room.  It was sparsely furnished and not very clean.  There was grungy carpeting throughout, no television, no mini fridge, and a single queen-sized bed that looked a little small.  

“Damn.” Aman commented.  

“It’s...” Priya offered

“Disgusting.” Finished Aman. “But it’s all that’s around.  The weather is terrible.  It’s a good thing we found even this.  We need to get out of these wet clothes.”

“We don’t have any more clothes.” Priya replied, concerned.  

She started feeling cold.  She wrapped her arms around her torso in an effort to get warmer.  She eyed the bed, wishing she could be under the covers.  

“I know, but we don’t have a choice.  We’re going to get sick if we keep these on.” Aman said.

“But what do we wear?” asked Priya.  

“Um...nothing.” Aman replied quietly.

“Aman!” Priya said in disbelif.  

“No! Not like that. We just don’t have anything to change into.  Look, we’ll stay under the covers all night.  I won’t see anything you don’t want me to.” Aman explained.  

“We can’t do that!” Priya said.  She felt the heat rising to her cheeks as she contemplated a night with Aman without any clothes on.  

“Then what do we do?” Aman asked, frustrated that Priya was being difficult again.  

Priya was quiet.  She couldn’t come up with an alternative solution.  

“You undress here.  Get under the covers.  I’ll take the bathroom.” Aman said.  He walked over to the bathroom, took one of the large bath towels and handed it to Priya.  

“Here, wrap this around yourself.  It’s better than nothing.  We’ll hang your sari in the bathroom to dry.” Aman didn’t wait for a reply.  He walked off to the bathroom again and slammed the door shut.  

Priya stood in the room completely perplexed.  She really had no other choice.  She already felt cold and she didn’t want to risk getting sick and ruining their trip.  She sighed and began fiddling with her sari.  She untied her blouse and let it fall to the floor.  She bag unwrapping her sari.  She felt colder and colder as she undressed.  Priya reached for the towel and wrapped it tightly around her body.  She felt naked even with the towel around her.  It showed her shoulders and fell right above her knees.  She gathered all of her clothes and walked to the bathroom.  With a slight hesitation, she knocked on the door.  Aman cracked the door open, but Priya stopped it before he could open it wide enough to see her.

“I need to go in.” She said quietly.  

Aman nodded. Priya stepped aside, so Aman could open it all the way.  Aman flung the door open and stepped out.  He was wearing nothing but a towel that was wrapped securely around his waist.  Priya hid behind the open door as she watched Aman.  Her gazed traveled up his muscular back.  A blush crept up her neck.  She made no effort to move from behind the door.  

“Don’t worry, Priya.” Aman said, still facing away from her.  “I won’t turn around.  Go inside.”

Priya quickly emerged from behind the door and shut it behind her.  She took a deep breath once she was safety inside the bathroom.  She wrung out her sari in the sink before hanging it over the shower door next to Aman’s clothes.  She looked around the bathroom.  Her eyes fell on the towel rack.  She and Aman had already taken the bath towels.  Priya took one of the smaller towels and started drying her hair.  She dried off the rest of her body as best as she could.  She cracked open the bathroom door ever so slightly.  She peeked through to see Aman ravaging through the closet.

“Dammit!” Aman cursed, “No robes.  If this was a five star hotel, there would be some damn robes!” He said to himself.  

“Aman,” Priya called.  

Aman looked over at the bathroom.  Priya quickly slammed the door closed.  She looked down at the towel that barely covered anything, feeling embarrassed.  There was a quiet knock on the door.  

“Priya, it’s okay.” Aman’s voice said soothingly.  

Priya cracked open the door and positioned her body so that it couldn’t be seen through the crack.  

“Come on out.” Aman said.  “I won’t look.” He turned his back to Priya and stepped away from the door.  Priya came out, keeping her eyes on Aman who was facing away from her.  She quickly made it to the bed and ducked below the warm covers.  

“You can turn around now.” Priya said, clutching the sheets to her torso.  

Aman slowly turned around.  He saw Priya completely swathed in the sheets.  He walked over to the bed and carefully lifted the covers just enough to squeeze under them.  Aman hadn’t realized how cold he felt until after he was enveloped in warmth of the covers.  

“Are you okay?” He asked Priya, who looked visibly uncomfortable.  She nodded but didn’t say anything.  She wouldn’t even look at him.  

“Priya, please relax.  I’m not going to do anything to you, and I didn’t see anything.” Aman tried to comfort her.  He didn’t understand why she was so uncomfortable.  He thought they’d made so much progress at the spa.  And it’s not like they hadn’t lived together before.  Of course, they’d never been in such a compromising situation before, but he hoped Priya would trust him enough to at least acknowledge him.  She was acting as if he was plotting to take advantage of her.  Aman glanced over at Priya, who was shivering profusely.  

“Priya,” Aman moved closer to her but didn’t touch her, “You’re cold. Come here.” He held out a hand, placing it on her sheet covered shoulder.  

Priya flinched away from him.  

“Priya, what is it? Look at me.” Aman gripped Priya’s shoulder and turned her around to face him.  

“I don’t like this.” said Priya quietly.  

“I know you don’t, but you need to trust me, okay? I’m not going to do anything.  Come here. You’re shivering."  Aman held his arms out, and Priya scooted closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.  Priya felt relieved as she felt the heat that radiated off of Aman’s body.

“Aman, I do trust you.” Priya said as she nestled into his bare chest.  

“Thanks,” Aman said, smiling.  He felt the urge to kiss her.  He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.  Priya looked up at him in surprise.  He place another soft kiss on her cheek.  

“Aman,” Priya whispered.  She felt herself succumbing to Aman’s affection.  Aman realized what was happening.  He was taking advantage of their close proximity after he’d promised he wouldn’t.

“I’m sorry, Priya.  I shouldn’t have…”Aman started to apologize

Just then, Priya reached up and kiss Aman.  She pulled away and looked into his eyes.  He looked at her, shocked by what she’d just done.  She’d never been the one to initiate a kiss before.  He could see traces of blush on her cheeks, and she no longer looked uncomfortable.  Priya waited for Aman to say something.  When he didn’t, she pulled away from him, embarrassed by what she’d just done.  

“No, wait.  Don’t move away.” Aman said as Priya began to shift her position.  She paused and remained in Aman’s arms.  

“What do you want to happen tonight?” Aman asked bluntly.  

“I...I don’t know.  Whatever happens though, happens.” Priya answered.  

Ooohhhhh Aman and Priya are getting really romantic.  I hope you all saw how much Priya opened up to Aman. Darn Hiten! Always getting Aman and Priya into predicaments.  What’s gonna happen in that hotel room?! Are they finally gonna consummate their marriage? Looks like things are heading that way!  Aman better confess pretty soon!

I have an exam tomorrow (technically, since it’s past midnight.) Wish me luck, guys! I’m gonna need it. Science sucks!

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