Chapter Text
The change in air temperature passing through the rotating doors into the hotel lobby had even Lucy sighing in relief, feeling the cool settle onto her sweaty skin. Saint-Tropez sun was far more rewarding when expereienced from a poolside or a beach in her opinion, negotiating luggage through a city of cobbled streets and heat reflecting buildings was another matter entirely. Even the sight of the queue to the check in counter wasn't enough to take her away from sweet relief, and Lucy tipped her head back and closed her eyes as she joined the back of the line.
The world washed by her for a while, long enough for her to shuffle forward a few spaces until somewhat tense voices called her back to the present. Well, tense voice. The young clerk behind the counter seemed to be doing his best impression of catfish, pursing his lips and wiggling his head back and forth.
"Euh?" he said, eloquently.
"Please, it is under my sister's name, I just need to transfer the booking." The tense voice speaking in accented but clear English belonged to a woman, a little smaller than Lucy. The back of her head was all Lucy could really see, but the way her hair was staring to slip out of it's bun and the way her shoulders were starting to twitch were enough to paint a picture of frustration Lucy was all too familiar with.
Her hand swept over her head, temporarily smoothing escaping brown tendrils.
"Forget Spanish dude, you're working a desk catering to tourists and you haven't got the English to get me in this place? If I lose it this is Not on me."
Hearing the Spanish muttering Lucy cracked a smile. She stepped forward alongside the woman slowly losing her mind at the desk, leaning in to catch the catfish's attention.
"Excuse me," she joined in French, "she says her sister booked the room. I assume that's the problem here?"
"Euh?" he said, again.
Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. He 'startled' into action. Like he was wading through honey.
"Oh right. I just need her sister's details too then."
Lucy turned to the woman beside her, who was looking up at her with startled honey brown eyes.
"He says you need to give him her details." In Spanish, this time.
An exhale of relief that seemed to deflate her turned into a reply as she moved to dig through the bag slung over her shoulder.
"Oh my god thank you so much, what is up with this guy? I was ready to pull google translate out but fuck knows that's gotten me in trouble before - and besides my phone has no service right now."
She pulled her phone from her bag as she released the stream of words, scrolling through to find what she needed and giving Lucy time to take her in.
Smaller she had seen before. The eyes, they were busy elsewhere now, but Lucy had the startling thought that she would like to look at them a little longer, honey brown and deep. Wishing to look into some random girl's eyes was way too far into the sappy end of the thought pool for Lucy's tastes. She shook herself out of it, moved her gaze away. Brought it back immediately, involuntarily. The freckles. They made her whole face look warm, and youthful. She looked young all together, an energy to her movement, a freshness in her complexion despite the light sheen of perspiration that spoke to a journey through the hot city. Lucy hoped she wasn't being a creep.
The subject of her study turned from the counter where the desk clerk was typing in details with one finger, and beamed a smile that brought the full light of the midday sun back at Lucy. She reached out and put a hand on Lucy's upper arm, which suddenly seemed to have more nerve endings than the rest of Lucy's body put together.
"You're a lifesaver."
The woman gave Lucy her own up and down look and her smile took on a smirkish edge.
"If I'd known the universe was going to drop me such a beautiful multilingual saviour I might have dressed up you know." She gestured down at denim shorts, a tank top. The shorts were short. The tank showed arms - arms with surprising definition.
Lucy felt a thrill of heat travel up her spine, through her cheeks.
"It's nothing. And, you know, you look good to me."
The thrill of returning flirtation was vying violently with the flush of embarrassment in Lucy. 'You know, you look good to me?', her brain shuddered to itself. She had said that to a woman who could've been the covergirl of the 'Lucy's type' magazine. Sure.
A pointed cough from behind them startled them both, Lucy turning back to see the line growing behind them and the catfish man taking the opportunity to hand over the room key that he had eventually managed to produce. By the time Lucy had bumbled through her own checking in, the other woman was gone.