a party in room 2222

Carter led the way. Abbie found some amusement in the identical look of the 22nd floor, relative to the 19th (where her own room with Jake was). Of course they'd look the same, and yet it felt like an entirely different universe -- one without familiar territory, one without familiar faces.

Abbie considered the fact that she had no idea what kind of men Ben and Carter were. Lawyers? Accountants? Professional athletes? She thought about asking, and then decided against it. Maybe it'll come up in conversation, she thought -- and then laughed at herself when she also considered whether or not casual conversation was likely to be on the agenda for the evening.

"What's so funny?"

Abbie turned back to Ben, who must have heard her giggle. "Nothing." She waved her hand through the air, and then proceeded to keep walking backward so she could look at Ben as they traveled down the hall.

Ben held up his cell phone. "Can I take a picture of you? You're so fucking cute, I need to remember tonight."

"You'll remember tonight," said Abbie knowingly. "I promise."

Ben's head fell forward, playfully dead from the unbelievability of this woman ahead of him. "Let me take a pic. Please?"

Abbie stopped walking and posed, hands on hips, head cocked to the side. "This good?"

Ben snapped a photo. "Now tell me what made you laugh before?" He tapped on his phone, and then tucked it into his pocket.

Abbie reached her hands out and took hold of Ben's. "Of course." She let go of one hand, and walked forward again, now holding hands more playfully with Ben, swinging their arms as they walked. "I wondered to myself what you two men do for a living. And then I realized that we're probably not up here to talk about our jobs. And then ... well ..."

"Go on," urged Ben.

Abbie stopped walking, and Ben stopped too. Carter turned back to watch them over his shoulder.

"Oh, do you really want to know?"

Ben nodded.

"Okay," Abbie said with a light sigh. She turned to face Ben. "I imagined myself ... lying on my back ... and you, on top of me ... and then I looked up and asked you what you did for a living."

Ben smiled. "Me? On top of you? You didn't happen to mention what we were doing in this brief fantasy of yours."

"Oh didn't I?" Abbie said teasingly. "We were fucking, Ben."

"Was it incredible?"

Abbie laughed. "The image lasted two seconds in my mind, and was interrupted by my own curiosity about your profession." She let go of Ben's hand, and caught up to Carter, who had stopped at a door. "I hope the real thing lasts more than two seconds."

Ben blushed. They had all been pretty forward in their conversations, but Abbie's blunt acknowledgment that they might actually have sex combined with a mild warning about lasting long enough all added up to a level of reality that hadn't yet hit Ben. He didn't have reason to worry (about the lasting long enough part), but something about the way Abbie said it caught him off guard.

Carter unlocked the room, and held the door open for Abbie. She noted the plate on the wall which had the '2222' on it, and appreciated the uniqueness of the number.

"Make yourself at home, Abbie." Carter followed her into the room, with Ben trailing close behind. "You want to take off your shoes?" Carter took of his jacket and hung it in the closet space inside the front door.

The room was quite different from the one she shared with Jake. It wasn't a suite, per se, but one single large room with two double beds at one end, a couch and two chairs surrounding a small table, a dresser, armoire, and a door she assumed led to the bathroom. Unlike her own room, there was no kitchenette, and everything was a bit closer together.

Abbie nudged her shoes off by the door, and walked, barefoot, toward the sofa, where she sat. She pulled her legs up along side her, tucked under her butt, and looked expectantly at Carter.

"I said we could order food ..." he said, trailing off.

Abbie shrugged. "If you want. I'm not hungry."

"Me neither," Carter said.

"Nah," said Ben, hanging his jacket in the closet as well.

"I do have champagne, though," added Carter. He opened up part of the armoire, revealing a fridge, and pulled out a bottle. "No proper flutes, so I guess these will have to do." He brought the bottle over to the table, and set up two empty glasses next to it.

"Only two?"

Carter shrugged. "It's all I've got. We'll have to share. Or I could just pour directly into your mouth?" His tone was flirtatious, though he hadn't intended too much sincerity.

"Sure, you can try that."

Carter raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"

"Yeah!" Abbie shifted a little on the couch as Carter opened the champagne bottle.

"I'll take a normal glass," said Ben dryly. He picked up one of the glasses and held it out for Carter to fill.

Carter moved around behind the sofa until he was directly behind Abbie. She watched him the whole way, craning her neck, and leaning back to see him looming above her.

"How's your aim?" she asked.

"Never been tested," Carter replied with a chuckle. He put one hand on Abbie's face, then moved it down toward her chin. She leaned back further, and opened her mouth widely. Carter held the bottle over he head, and slowly tilted it.