There is no air conditioning. Most of the lights work and even the lift. However, no air conditioning. It's too hot for me to sleep so I leave my room to find out what's going on. Henry is still awake and I let him know what my plan is. Something called loadshedding according to the front desk. There is a generator and most things are functioning so it's not a massive problem. I just need to wait 2 hours before the electricity returns and I can go to sleep.

I decide that returning to my room is not going to work. You can't open windows in the room either. I rather go to the swimming pool side that is still open to sitting in the night air. There a quite a few other guests who have the same idea as me so I am not alone. The bar at the side is open and the low lights illuminated the area.

I order myself a cocktail, a mint mojito, and choose an empty lounge chair to relax on. There were not a lot of chairs left as the crowd grows bigger. I'm glad I got here when I go here. The drink is brought to me by one of the servers and so is Henry.

"What are you doing here?" I ask before taking a sit of my drink through the green straw.

"I decided to search for you when you didn't return to the room." He is still in the t-shirt and shorts he sleeps in.

"Yeah, they said at the front desk that the electricity will be back properly in two hours," I reply. I forgot to text Henry about my whereabouts since I hadn't even had a chance to settle. It's sweet of him to come to find me. I think it's probably been around thirty minutes since I left the room.

"I know, she called it shedding or something. The power outages are normal."

"Loadshedding, well at least they have a generator, even if we can't switch on the air conditioning." The idea of being in complete darkness and using the stairs instead of the lift did not sit well with me. Especially with how tall this hotel is. I don't even think they have a stairway, except for the emergency exit.

"True, now move up," Henry demands. All the lounge chairs are taken and Henry's solution is to squeeze onto my one. Sounds easier said than done. I placed the drink down on the small metal side table and shuffled. Henry did not squeeze in easily. I think I elbowed him a few times before I somehow end up partially on top of him. I was more on Henry than on the lounge chair. He stole my drink and took a sip from the edge of the glass.

"This is refreshing," he commented and take another big sip.

"Go buy your own one instead of mine," I complain, reaching to grab my drink from him. He holds it away from us as I lean to try and get it. He gives it back to me in the end. 

"Come on baby, everything that's yours is, is mine." He laughs, waving down a server at the same time who acknowledges Henry as they take an order from another group by the pool.

"We are not married."

Henry is silent and I think I miss something important at that moment.

The moment is broken when the server comes and Henry orders literally the same drink as me. I shuffle closer to Henry, to stop the armrest from digging into my back and Henry puts his arm around my back as if he knows exactly where my discomfort comes from.

"I think this is the perfect ending to the day," Henry says once he gets his drink. I nod in agreement. There is just something about the quiet ambience and the generators running in the background that seems to leave us in our own little bubble.

"How are you enjoying being my fake boyfriend?" I ask. He hasn't needed too much recently. just holding hands and putting his arm over my shoulder. Those are gestures that can even be considered platonic with the best of friends. We barely talk to other people, sticking to ourselves so aside from Ava, he hasn't been introduced to anyone else. For once, my parents aren't dragging me around and introducing me to every random person they meet. They are content with leaving Henry and me  alone and I am here for the peace.

"I think it has some ups and downs," he replies without a second thought.

"Downs?"

"Yeah like you not sharing your drink with me," he teases.

"Sorry, you need to upgrade to be able to share drinks with me."

"I'm working on it." I don't think he's teasing me here. I don't know what he's thinking right now. Henry is having one of the serious moments that I don't know what to do with. However, he changes the topic for me, "When do I get to meet James?"

"Probably soon. Why?" I have not been running towards my ex-boyfriend. Who would do that anyway? Since the couple were not here today, I am sure Henry will get to meet them at some point. Ava probably mentioned Henry to him at this point.

"Got to do my duties and glare at him." He gives me a fake glare and I can already imagine the moment. It will be entertaining. James doesn't have any feelings for me so he will back down at first glare. It might even get rid of the awkwardness that surrounds us whenever we meet up.

"I can't wait, in that case. I will run towards him next time I see him." I am honest in my words. Tomorrow. I will introduce Henry to James tomorrow to watch him a glare and play fake boyfriend.

"If you do that, I will have no choice but to carry you out of the room. I can't have you running towards any guys, let alone your ex."

I pause. I imagine Henry carrying me out of the room and I think the temperature by the poolside rose while we were sitting here. I take a sip of my drink to parch my throat and reply, "He's going to be married soon."

"That's not the point, baby."

What's the point then?

The point doesn't dawn upon me until much later when the electricity returns and we retire to our room with the fully functioning air conditioning. I turn to face Henry, ignoring the point and pretending to forget to switch off the air conditioning like I swore I would earlier that day.

~*~

Who wants snuggles by the pool from Henry?

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