-7- Betting debts are debts of honor

Zhan gives me a challenging look. "Now what? Afraid you'll lose your bet and have to grant my wish?"

"That is not the case. I just need to pause for a second. I guess I shouldn't have had that fifth beer."

"Ah, I hope you don't throw up now."

"No, don't worry. You better get ready to be carried right off. And no unfair tricks like squirming."

"I would never do that."

"I have one more question first."

"Which one?"

"Can we please be friends already?"

"Friends"?

"Yeah. Nobody says we can't be friends after the competition. We can still be friends."

"All right, if that's what you want. Then we'll be friends."

So please, it works. The first step has been taken. And the second will follow soon. But I'll catch a kiss from him anyway.

I stretch once more and then it's time. I lift Zhan up in my arms and carry him like a bride towards the hotel. Fortunately it is not far away, so not too many people will see us. But what I notice, for a man his size, he is quite light.

And as promised, Zhan held still. He held on to my neck with both arms and hid his face so that no one would recognize him. And I hope no one will recognize me either. Not that there will be pictures and some text in the internet later again, which I have to explain then and then get a huge trouble from my manager.

We have reached the hotel and now it is only a few meters to the elevator. Even if I am drunk and feel how my strength slowly decreases, I will win!

The receptionist looks at me confused and I smile nervously and tell her that he has fallen and that I am only helping him. "Yeah, right." She replies and smiles.

Only a few more steps separate me from my victory. Zhan raises his head and his eyes widen as he sees the elevator coming closer and closer. "You really want to win what?" He asks me and I grin as we reach the elevator.

I press the button and the doors of the elevator open. Two steps later we are in the elevator and I let Zhan stand up again. I admit I am quite out of breath and my arms feel painful. But I win. And that in two ways. I won the bet and my second win will be a kiss from Zhan.

"I told you I could do it."

"Yes, you convinced me." Zhan replies and presses the button for our floor.

The doors close and the elevator starts to move, just to hold one floor higher. The doors open again and an older man gets into the elevator to us. He looks at Zhan and me, nods and presses the button for the floor he needs to go to.

The elevator stopped on our floor, we nodded at the old man again and went out. It was very quiet on our floor, which is probably no wonder, after all it is already one o'clock at night.

I accompany Zhan to his door and wait until he has opened it, I was about to say goodbye when the door of my manager opened. Panic-stricken I looked in that direction and Zhan noticed my look, he grabbed me by the collar and pulled me into his room.

Standing at the door and listening we had to keep us from laughing. Because my manager was right outside the door. And only two or three seconds later there was a knock on Zhan's door.

Zhan pushed me into the corner behind the door, threw his jacket to me, slipped out of his shoes and took off his sweater. He handed me his sweater and opened the door half-naked.

"Oh, sorry to bother you, I just have a quick question. Any chance you know where my boys are?" I'm holding my breath when my manager asks for us.

"Unfortunately, no. I was in the bar earlier and had a beer, but because of the medication I didn't tolerate it very well and then I went up to my room. So I didn't see any of them."

"Oh, okay, well, then I won't bother you anymore. Get well soon."

"Mm, thanks. Good night."

Zhan closes the door and looks through the peephole. I stand behind him, but of course I can't see anything. And then Zhan breathes a sigh of relief and turns around to me. "He's gone, and back to his room." He explains it to me.

"You should put some clothes on Zhan." I say so and give him his sweater.

"Ah no thanks. I'll change." Replies Zhan and goes to his wardrobe. He gets a pair of sweatpants and a shirt out of the closet.

I thought about turning around for a second while Zhan changes. But that was just my head that was thinking that. My body and my eyes remained fixed on Zhan while he took off all his clothes and then put on his other clothes. I'm not sure if I drooled the whole time, but it's possible.

"Well, Mr. I always win, so what now?" Zhan asks me and I think for a moment whether I should say goodbye and go to my room. But my mouth says, "I don't know, make a suggestion and there's your losing bet."

"Ah, you mean the kiss? Did you really mean it?"

"I was dead serious. So?"

"You don't really want a kiss from a guy, do you? Maybe I can ask one of the girls. I'm sure they'd love to."

"ZhanZhan, betting debts are debts of honor and I don't want to be kissed by any woman."

Zhan looks at me with wide eyes and as I walk towards him, he walks backwards step by step. Until he reaches his closet and can't go any further. I stand right in front of him and look him in the eyes.

"Ah haha. You really mean it, huh? Is a kiss on the cheek enough?"

"No, that's not enough for me. After all, I've carried you far, and like I said, betting debts are debts of honor."

"All right, OK." Reply Zhan. He puts his hands on my cheeks and gives me a little peck on my lips. "Happy? I've paid off my bet."

"Uh, no." I reply and put my hands on his cheeks, I pull his head a little closer to me and kiss him. Not a quick kiss. But a long kiss, a longing kiss. And what amazed me most about it was that Zhan didn't reject me.

I put his arms around my body without releasing the kiss, and he began to return the kiss. My heart was fluttering and my pulse was racing. And our kiss became more and more passionate. Until my phone rang.

"Damn it." I scolded and looked at the caller ID. It was my manager.

"You should answer it." Tell me Zhan and lie himself down on his bed.

I accepted the call and my manager immediately started bitching about what we were thinking of doing, and if we weren't afraid of being recognized. He bitched for minutes until I could finally tell him that I was in the hotel and not on the road and that I didn't know where the others were.

After the conversation I went back to Zhan, he lay cuddled up in his blanket in bed and slept. Damn manager!!!