Like Lovers and Partners in Crime

16 - One "Paws-itive" Experience

As we pull up to the front of the hotel, I occupy myself by watching Crystal through the rear-view mirror and fidgeting with my fingers. Crystal has her nose pressed firmly against the freezing glass of the window. I chuckle, wondering where I found such a personified dog. 

"Do you have your invitation with you, Anastasia?" 47 asks me as he brings the car to a park in front of where a fancy looking valet is standing just outside of the hotel. 

"Yes, sir." I respond as I somewhat awkwardly pull the envelope with the invitation in it from my bra and present it to him. He does nothing but nod toward it in acknowledgement.

"Good," he says as the two of us step out of the car, "because we'll need it to get into the party."

I nod my head in understanding as he hands the keys over to the valet and gets our two luggage bags out of the trunk. I open up the door to the backseat and Crystal jumps out excitedly with her leash already in her mouth. Her tail wags rapidly as she offers it to me. I can't help letting out a giggle at her. Taking the leash from between her teeth, I smile and wait for 47 to come around. As he does so and shuts the trunk, the valet takes the car around to the parking lot. Crystal is already a little ways in front of us as she constantly sniffs at the ground.  

I don't know exactly how to express my feelings toward having to pretend to be married to 47 again, but I can't say that I'm complaining, if I'm being honest here. Still, I think it's going to take a little while before I get used to referring to him as "Tobias" again. 

"Crystal, heel." I murmur as she tries to get more ahead of us than her leash will allow her to go. She glances at me over her shoulder, giving me an apologetic expression.

When the three of us get inside, we are greeted by the beautiful sight of elegance. The lobby was a widely open area, with one staircase leading upwards that split into two more staircases that lead to either side of one of the upstairs floors. The walls were marble, adorning beautiful white wallpaper with a golden trimming. A large sum of people congregated in the corner and, for some reason, it had been nearly all eyes on us since we walked in. This only caused me to grip tighter onto Crystal's leash.

"Remember, we're pretending that we're on our honeymoon for now." 47 whispers lowly, almost huskily, into my ear. I shiver softly.

Then it occurs to me that I totally forgot that we're supposed to pretend to be a newly-wedded couple. A soft tinge of red forms itself across my cheeks as I try to brush it off as nothing more than the cold from outside. 47 cocks an eyebrow when he notices the sudden redness forming.

"Are you alright, Anastasia?" He asks me with his normal stoic tone of voice.

I nod my head, "Yes, I'm fine." I respond, knowing full well it's not entirely the truth. "The cold is just stinging my cheeks. It's a downside to being as pale as I am." I chuckle at my own joke, but 47 gives me an expression that seems to say he's not buying it.

"Are you certain?" His tone of voice sounds genuinely worried about me, but I don't think that's possible.

I wasn't; not by a longshot, but I didn't want him to know that. "Yes, Tobias, I am." I flash him a genuine smile, clutching Crystal's leash tightly in my hands. "Should we get ourselves checked in, then?" I ask him, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Yes, we should. We haven't the time to waste." He waits patiently for me to walk forward first before he follows behind me. Without making eye contact with anyone, I approach the receptionist's desk.

The receptionist is a tiny woman with dark brown hair and a frail, mousy build. She smiles at the two of us as we approach the desk. At first, she addresses us in Russian, but soon realizes that I don't speak Russian.