Together they walked up to Rue's room since Luca was adamant that he should have something to eat before they had a drink together. It was a bit backwards to travel at night on little to no sleep, eat dinner at five am and then have a morning-nightcap, but Rue figured "When in Rome..."
The staircase had velvet details to match the entrance and there wasn't a stain in sight. The sides of each step was made up pf wood and the velvet in between was sealed with gold plated brass details.
Rue was beginning to feel ashamed over his casual clothes. He was wearing a black v-neck wool jumper and taupe chinos, which to be fair wasn't too bad. But the hotel made him feel as if he'd be underdressed wearing his best and only suit, had he decided to keep it. He had bought one a few years prior, on Rick's advice, as he believed he would need it for when he sold his designs at his restaurant. But then Rick started taking over the sales more and more and Rue just never found a use for the suit. He hadn't told Rick yet, but he gave the suit away a few months back. One of his tenants had posted on the board that was looking to borrow one for a job interview. Rue let him borrow it and he got the job. When he got back, Rue realised he didn't actually want the suit back, and so he let him have it.
Honestly, even if he had had use for it, Rue found it to be stuffy and uncomfortable. He couldn't handle more then half an hour of wearing it. It still had the tags left when he gave it away.
As he looked around, he couldn't help but wonder if the place had been quite exclusive once. More of a cocktails and smoking kind of place. It was sad to think that it had gone from that to this. It was still beautiful, but given how affordable the room had been, it was more blue collar than aristocrat nowadays.
They must have renovated some of the interior design since it was built back in 1899, though they appeared to have remained true to the original style.
Rue wasn't just guessing; on the walls on the second floor there were black and white photographs from different eras. They appeared to range from the early 20th century to around after the second world war, based on their clothes. The interior in the background, however, looked much the same. There was one photograph, places far from the others, that must've been from the 70s. Even through the photograph the bohemian energy could be felt. Bell bottoms, denim, tie-dye, crochet along with platform shoes and long hair. Rue looked down at his own jumper and then back at the photograph. V-necks now and then were vastly different. The one worn in the photograph was made out of a slinky fabric and the V begun just above the belly bottom and displayed the wearer's slim, hairy chest. Rue found he preferred that trend in fashion to remain in the past.
No matter how meticulous the staff had been in caring for the place, there was still no way the decor, at least not all of it, was over a century old. Just the sheer amount of people who must've stayed there over the years would've made their marks on the place. On the flooring at least. Perhaps they had the same supplier over the years, someone who could make sure things looked the same? Rue was now getting all sorts of ideas for his own building. He couldn't wait to start sketching and jotting down ideas.
Upstairs, behind the various historic photographs, were beautifully decorated walls. The lower part of the walls had intricate carved images while the upper parts were covered in a hand-painted floral design. There were also images of clouds and a detailed meadow. It looked so lifelike Rue felt almost called to reach out and touch it, just to make sure it wasn't. He was staring so intently at a particular part of the painted meadow that he had stopped walking. He was in awe. It seemed like if he were to step but a little closer, he would find himself in the midst of that serene landscape. It was both extraordinary and unsettling at the same time.
At the same time, Luca noticed Rue was no longer beside him and walked back through the corridor to find him. What he saw made him smile wide and he almost had to hold back a laugh. Rue was delicately tracing his fingers along the patterns on the wall, while shifting his body back and forth, alternating between standing on his tippytoes and squatting, all so he could look at it in every conceivable angle. A true art lover.
Luca walked up to him, but Rue didn't notice. He was completely focused. In an effort to make himself known, Luca cleared his throat. Rue jumped high with an inelegant shriek and in doing so, found himself in Luca's arms, leaning heavily into him. His back pressed against his chest and he found himself standing on top of Luca's feet.
"Sorry!" Rue jumped away with bright red cheeks. Luca had his face turned away and Rue was afraid he'd upset him. His shoulders were hunched and trembling ever so slightly and his hand had gone up to his face. Perhaps he'd hurt himself when Rue fell onto him? He wasn't exactly petite, after all.
"Luca?" Rue asked softly, almost in fear of startling him.
A light snorting sound of acknowledgement was heard followed by a strangled, hoarse "I... s...ry".
The effort it took him in turn completely broke his attempt to hold himself back. He couldn't keep it in any longer. It wasn't long before he was laughing so hard his composure was but a fond memory. The suave and charming young man now looked like a five year old child laughing at the sound of his own flatulence. Completely innocent and relaxed. Free from the worries and scares of adulthood.
Rue wasn't upset with him for laughing. He knew he must've been a proper sight freaking out like that. And laughter is known to be contagious. Add some sleep deprivation to the mix, and soon one will found themselves bursting at the seams. And true enough, that's what happened.
Staggering and making all kinds of unattractive noises, they laughed the entire way to his room. It took a while, but they made it there. No one had stopped them, so hopefully they hadn't bothered any of the other guests. Not that the place was fully booked, far from it, but Luca would undoubtedly be reprimanded should anyone had made a complaint.
Luca helped Rue turn the ancient looking key in the rustcovered lock that was attached to what appeared to be an original door from the 19th century. It wasn't that the door itself wasn't well preserved, but that Rue recognised the design from the research he'd done for a design once. He swore he'd study it more closely before he went back home.
It took them a few minutes of sitting down in small emerald green sitting group in his room to calm down fully and find their breaths again.
"I'm sorry, I hope I haven't offended you. It's just..." Luca snorted while remembering, "I truly wasn't expecting your reaction and I just lost it."
"No need to apologise." Rue assured him. His eyes sparkled, still a little wet from all the laughter. "I honestly can't tell you when I last laughed like that, if ever. If anything, I should be thanking you. I think it was just what I needed." He nodded to himself thoughtfully.
Luca tried to ignore the twinge of sadness he felt when he heard that, because his life, after he'd found his family at least, had been full of love, joy and laughter. In fact, most of his childhood memories ended in laughter, one way or the other. He felt sad just imagining a life without such joy, though perhaps that would be his reality too, had he not become part of his family.
Still, he figured it was far too early for him, a stranger, to inquire as to why Rue hadn't been able to let go like that before. Then again, he mused, perhaps that in itself made him the perfect person to ask such an intimate question? After all, sometimes it was easier to confide in a stranger than someone you've know all your life.
Luca had worked as a bartender before he started working this job, and he still chipped in at the hotel bar when needed. His job may have been to mix and serve drinks, but thinking back, the job had been more of a cross between a confession booth, a psychologist's office and a liquor store. The truths people had confided in him...
"Then I am glad I could be of some help to you. And for what it's worth, I think you should try to let go like that more often. For one, its good for the soul, but also... you looked proper adorable." Luca smiled.
Rue couldn't figure out how to respond, but as he was about to mumble some form of verbal response, there was a knock on the door. Luca got up to answer it and came back with a fully packed black tray. There was a plate with duchesse potatoes, gravy and marinated shredded wild mushrooms and vegetables. On the side stood a small basket with a few pieces of bread. There was a paper bag that Rue figured held the two sandwiches Luca had ordered for him. Finally there were two low wineglasses stacked on top of each other along with a bottle of Amarone.
Rue frowned slightly. It would seem the cook had had a hunch he'd have company. How? Had Luca planned it somehow or was this something he did so regularly that the cook had the routine down? Rue wasn't sure what to believe and it was starting to make him feel a little awkward and trapped.
In an attempt to not overthink it, he decided to go freshen up instead. After letting Luca know, he grabbed his things and went to the bathroom.
After a shower that ended up being longer than he had intended, he was starting to feel better, albeit still exhausted. Once the hot water had begun dissolving the knots in his neck and back and Rue felt that the process could not be rushed.
Dressed in a pair of slim, soft pair of grey trousers and a long wrap cardigan, he walked out of the bathroom. He wasn't entirely sure Luca would still be there, but he felt glad when he saw that he was.
"Feeling better?" Luca asked with a small smile.
"Much."
"I feel I have to explain myself here. When you were in the shower I realised how this must've seemed to you." He gestured to the food that he had now set out on the table for Rue. He hadn't poured any wine because it didn't feel right doing so while Rue might still be misunderstanding him.
"You don't have to—"
Luca squeezed his shoulder. "Please let me explain."
Rue agreed and sat down. He started nibbling on some bread while Luca spoke, and it wasn't long before he had devoured all the rolls. He had dipped them in the gravy and it was delicious. The second he had registered all the delicious smells coming from the food, his stomach made it clear just how hungry he was. It wasn't far from creating a primal Jurassic Park reference.
Luca tried not to get distracted by how sweet Rue looked as he enjoyed his food. He liked that he wasn't just picking at it, but actually ate it heartily. He then decided it was time to start talking.
"I have worked at the hotel full time for a year and half now. I used to work shifts here a few times a week before that. A friend of mine used to work here and he got me the job. He has moved since, but I decided to stay.
"Over the years, our guests have changed somewhat. The hotel was doing real bad a few years back and since then, it has attracted a certain type of customer. We now have a lot of wealthy male guests, businessmen primarily, who come here under the pretense of travelling for work. Which is half-true for some, I guess. But their main objective for coming here is to meet up with their lovers for extramarital engagements.
"The staff has had to accept this and adjust their behaviour accordingly. Both to keep the guests happy and in order to practice complete discretion so as to avoid drama, conflicts, and things like suspicious spouses visiting at the wrong time. We have other guests here as well and our discretion also works to keep them blissfully unaware about the ongoings so that they may enjoy their stay.
Part of our routine has become to serve dishes to certain rooms at odd hours. When doing so, it has become a bit of an unspoken rule to include two glasses and a bottle, whenever wine, champagne or other alcohol is requested. Generelly speaking, the guests would enjoy their drinks and their time together and then the "friend" would leave quietly in the early hours. The guest staying in the room usually eats their meal after that, rests for a couple of hours and then they go to meetings, keeping up with the "travelling business man" routine.
"I think we, the staff, would all prefer it if the wealthy adulturers weren't our most common guests, but unfortunately we do need their business."
He wasn't quite sure what more he could say. "To be abundantly clear, I have no expectations and I am not and have not been trying to pressure you in any way. When I saw you downstairs, I invited you out for a drink. I did this for no other reason than that I felt sure I would regret it if I didn't."
Rue blinked. He hadn't expected him to say all of that, but he found that he believed him. And he did feel more comfortable now. His gaze travelled to his plate and his eyes widened a little when he noticed he had all but licked the plate clean.
When he looked back at him, Luca was already watching him. His eyes flickered to the plate and they were amused.
"I'm glad you enjoyed the meal." He nodded toward the plate. "Do you want me to leave to let you rest now?"
Rue sat there quietly, chewing his lip.
"Or would you like to sit here and talk? I'd love to hear more about you." Luca told him sincerely. He truly had no hidden agenda. He just found himself feeling a desire to get to know Rue, and he hoped Rue would let him.
"Thank you for explaining all of that and it did make me feel better knowing that was the reason. I didn't truly believe you had arranged it, but all the same I feel reassured now that I know why it happened that way.
"I should be sleeping, but I've waited this long to rest so a few more hours won't do me any harm. Would you like some wine?"
Luca beamed. "I'd love some."