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The core trio of Lockwood & Co., had to literally drag their bags into the lobby of the local inn. Well, it was more like drag their bags into the side door of a rowdy pub since said pub was also an inn. They got a few strange looks. Which was fair given that they were covered in cobwebs that couldn’t be brushed away and no small amount of ash.
It took Lockwood a few minutes to get the barkeep’s attention and request the keys for their reserved rooms. After much shouting and repeating of questions and answers, he was given one key. George and Lucy, who had been hanging back with their bags gave him a quizzical look, but Lockwood just gestured up the stairs.
Once on the floor above where the din was not so overwhelming, George started, “Lockwood. I’m going to ask this with the affected patience and understanding that it does not deserve. But did I just watch the innkeeper give you only one key?”
With a wince, Lockwood answered, “Yes.” His face was a mask of stoicism. It was a public mask. Not one usually given to his best friends and colleagues.
“Might I ask why?” George sounded a little less understanding than before.
“If I heard correctly over the noise of the patrons, he said we were late checking in. Therefore, he gave one of our rooms to a traveling party of people who were too inebriated to drive.”
Lucy was walking behind both of them, so she saw George’s pause before he – quite literally whinged, “A party of people? Please tell me they got the single room.”
“’Fraid not, Georgie.”
George stopped dragging his bag, so it was fortunate that Lockwood also stopped at the door to their room. Perfect timing, Lucy thought.
Quickly opening the door and walking in, Lockwood held it for Lucy and then waited for George to stop glaring long enough to grab the handle of his bag and drag it through the doorway.
George’s glare now took on a glint familiar to his friends as he just stared at the single bed taking up space in the small room. It and a small nightstand were the only pieces of furniture.
“I don’t even understand how this keeps happening.” He pointed a finger at Lockwood. “You need to talk to Holly and make sure she’s telling them that we’re Agents and will arrive late. Not that she shouldn’t know that and already be imparting that information, including the receipt of confirmation that the reservations will be held.”
Clearing his throat, Lockwood responded “I know this isn’t ideal George – “
“Ideal?! This is the fourth out of town case we’ve had in four weeks, Lockwood! And each time we’re left to squeeze into a single bed.” Pulling off his glasses, he swiped at them angrily with his shirt before perching them back on his nose. “It’s statistically improbable that this is happening by pure chance.” He stripped off his puffy jacket and started to pace, using finger quotation marks to emphasize his points. “First a ‘misplaced registration’. Then an ‘emergency’ with a ‘flooded room’. Then a ‘broken toilet’. And now our room was just given away?!” His volume had risen with each point. “And it is always the larger of the two rooms we’ve requested? Something isn’t right.”
Lockwood opened his mouth, but George kept talking. “I know Holly’s having a hard time after her break-up with Willow, but we cannot afford for her to make so many errors. And don’t tell me she’s not, because I can tell you’re covering for her, mate. If she’s getting our reservations wrong, what else isn’t being done correctly. If it’s important paperwork, it could cost you the Agency and everyone their jobs!”
“Really, George, I think you’re overreacting. I’m sure Holly is doing as fine of a job with reservations as she does our paperwork, which I do see and review since I have to sign it. The Agency is not in danger, I assure you.”
“No, just my sanity and sleep!” With that George declared he was taking the first shower, grabbed a few items from his overnight bag and disappeared into the bathroom.
Lockwood and Lucy exchanged glances, then sat on the edge of the bed. Not wanting to transfer too much dirt and ash from their clothing to the bedspread.
Lucy finally commented, voice barely above a whisper, once the water in the shower was turned on. “You don’t have Holly only reserving one room, do you? Because, if you are, this isn’t working. George only seems to be getting angry.”
“Luce, I swear Holly’s been making the right reservations. I was in the room, myself, as she made the call to this place,” Lockwood responded. Chewing his lip he paced, pulling off his overcoat and jacket. Unease rolled off of him in waves. It was evident in the set of his jaw and urgency in his path back and forth. Then suddenly he heaved a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his soul. “I don’t know what to do. I realize not this, I’m not stupid. But… Were we completely wrong, Luce?” His eyes took on a sadness she didn’t see very often. “If not, wouldn’t he at least not mind this?” He pointed at the bed.
Lucy shook her head. “No way. I’ve seen him watch you when he didn’t think anyone would notice. You’ve seen him do the same to me.” Giving up on the cleanliness of the bed, she flopped backward. “We’ve talked about this. We have examples. Shit. George would like that part. Having data to back up our deductions.”
“There has to be a way to get it through his thick, but brilliant skull. Although forcing ourselves into bed with him wasn’t on my list of things to try.”
Lucy turned her head to look at Lockwood. “Maybe we’re being too subtle at home? I mean George is all about facts and what he can see. Maybe we should just lay down our cards, show our hand, and see what happens, yeah? Just have a straightforward talk over tea.”
Lockwood worried at his lip a bit more, then turned his head toward her. “Are you sure? We’re not even dating because we’ve been waiting for him to realize he’s part of this.” He waived an elegant gesture between them and the door. “Would that really work? Or would he panic?”
Lucy made an inarticulate grumble of frustration. “I don’t know, Lockwood! Something has to get through to him! And the only thing we haven’t tried is just telling him!”
Lockwood chuckled, “That’s true.”
Neither realized that they were no longer whispering. Nor did they notice the shower turned off or the bathroom door had opened.
“What’s true?” George demanded from the bathroom doorway. Steam poured out from behind him, and he was only wrapped in a towel. His curls were damp and riotous.
Glancing at Lockwood, Lucy knew that they both thought he looked beautiful, despite his frown.
“George! We’d started to wonder if the water was melti—”
“Oi. Knock off the bullshit, Lockwood. I heard you two talking. I heard my name. Neither of you sounded happy. So, what is going on?” And it was suddenly hard to see George looking unsure when he was normally so self-assured in his knowledge and his body. “Do you no longer want me to come on out of town cases because the two of you are….” He gestured and finished with, “…whatever it is you are, now? If that’s it just say so. You didn’t need to drag Holly into some grand scheme to let me down easy.” He sank back against the door jam, dejected.
“NO!”
“That’s not it at all, George!”
“Then what is it?” A plaintiveness had creeped into George’s voice. “Just tell me. I can take it. So just say –”
“We want you to date us and us to date you and us to date each other. All together,” Lucy blurted out and then turned a nice shade of deep red. She slapped her hand over her mouth. “I meant to say that differently.”
“Wha… You wh… What?”
Lockwood took over at Lucy’s frantic glance.
“We, Anthony Lockwood and Lucy Carlyle, would both like to date you, George Karim. In a formal relationship. All three of us. Together.” Lockwood stopped. He honestly was now at a loss for words when he most needed them.
“But you two…”
“No,” Lucy cried out. “We’re not! We wouldn’t be complete without you. I told you, Georgie, you’re the best of us.” Her voice had dropped to a soft plea.
“So, the rooms with one bed were planned?”
Lockwood shook his head. “No. This has honestly been one mess after another. Although, if you’re really not…interested…and this is not what you want, I don’t blame you for being upset that these things keep happening.”
“Well, it’s not a likely series of events, Lockwood. And how could I know what was going on with only part of the information?!” Sounding exasperated, George went on, “I thought the two of you were dating. Thought you have been. What with all of the walks and whispering and turning quiet every time I walked into a room!”
Lockwood looked at Lucy asking, “Did we do that?”
George answered, “You did that! You’ve been doing it for months!” He sighed, “I honestly was starting to wonder if you were trying how to politely ask me to move out of the house.”
“Oh god, George. Never.” And Lockwood was suddenly off the bed as he stepped over him. “We’re kind of hoping it works out that none of us ever want to leave.” Clearing his throat, he continued, “Lucy’s seen the way you look at me. I’ve seen the way you look at her. I am absolutely sure about how we each feel about you. But you didn’t seem to notice.” He shrugged. “We been trying to figure out what to do!”
George rubbed one hand across a furrowed brow. He opened his mouth. Shut it. Then said, “I’ll be back in 30 seconds. Non-metaphorical.” He disappeared back into the bathroom and shut the door.
“Tell me we didn’t just ruin everything, Lockwood.” Her voice drew his attention, and Lockwood wiped away a tear.
“No. No way. He’ll –”
George opened the bathroom door now dressed in a t-shirt and, hopefully, pants.
Or maybe not hopefully, Lucy thought a bit hysterically. What she said was, “So, George…”
“Yes, Lucy?”
“George.”
“Lucy.”
Lockwood stepped in, “George! Don’t play with us. Is this or isn’t this what you want, too?”
George smirked. “Oh, I don’t know, Lockwood. Maybe you should give me a few good examples of what I’ll be getting myself into seeing as how I didn’t understand your ‘conversational hints.” The quote fingers made a comeback. “Wouldn’t want not to have a clear picture of – “
George shut up as Lucy jumped up, moved in front of him, grabbed him by his shoulders and kissed him. “Good enough example?”
Blinking, George nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s good. I’m in.”
Lockwood beamed. “Excellent. Do I get a turn?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re filthy. Go shower first.”
“Hey! Lucy hasn’t showered, yet, and you kissed her!”
“Technically she kissed me, so I didn’t get prior say in her cleanliness status.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Guys!” Lucy was beaming as she cut in to stop the inevitable bickering. “Lockwood. You shower. George and I will see if the bar has a menu so we can order a little food.” She shooed Lockwood toward the bathroom.
Lockwood grabbed his toiletries then stopped, totally serious. “Wait. George are you wearing pants? Can’t trust you won’t give Lucy a preview.”
“Oh my God, Lockwood!” Lucy threw a pillow at him.
“Would it really be a preview when you’ve already seen me naked?”
“Yeah, Lockwood. You said so yourself.” Lucy looked triumphant at this argument.
Lockwood sighed. “Then I’ll hurry.” He shut the door. Then it popped right back open. “Get me some chips if they have them.” Then back into the bathroom he went. The shower started in record time.
Lucy looked at George, openly curious. “Are you wearing pants?”
With a smirk George pointed to the phone. “Just call down to the bar to ask about food, Luce.” After she huffed and picked up the phone, George smiled. Damn, it was nice when plans worked out. He’d have to sneak his biscuit share to Holly for the next week, but her arranging a single room for them for all of these trips had been pure genius on her part. Losing a few biscuits was worth it since it got his completely clueless friends to finally open their mouths and just ask a simple question. Still smiling he thought, And Lockwood thinks he’s the only one who can put on a mask and show to get what he wants from people.