CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE
Mia followed Nathan down the hotel corridor, still trying to understand how their room key had suddenly stopped working.
When they reached the reception desk, Nathan placed the key on the counter.
"Our room isn't opening."
The receptionist checked the computer.
Then she frowned.
"Mr. Nathan, I'm terribly sorry."
Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?"
"There has been a mistake with your reservation."
Mia folded her arms.
"What kind of mistake?"
The receptionist hesitated.
"Your room was accidentally assigned to another guest."
Mia stared at her.
"What?"
Nathan closed his eyes for a moment.
"You have got to be kidding me."
"I'm very sorry, sir. We can arrange another room for you tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow?" Mia repeated.
The receptionist nodded apologetically.
"We're completely booked tonight."
Mia turned toward Nathan.
"So where are we supposed to sleep?"
Nathan looked at the receptionist.
The receptionist smiled awkwardly.
"We have another arrangement available."
Mia immediately became suspicious.
"What arrangement?"
---
Twenty minutes later, Mia stood inside one of the hotel's activity halls with a look of complete disbelief.
She turned slowly toward Nathan.
"I blame you."
Nathan stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because somehow, every terrible thing that happens on this trip involves you."
He pointed toward the large sign behind them.
NEWLYWED ADVENTURE CHALLENGE — ONE NIGHT ONLY!
"We didn't even choose this."
"Exactly."
The receptionist had explained that because their original room was unavailable, the hotel would allow them to stay in a private guest cottage the following morning.
But tonight, they had been given temporary accommodation in a smaller suite reserved for couples participating in the hotel's special evening program.
Mia looked around.
There were several newlywed couples preparing for a series of ridiculous challenges.
She lowered her voice.
"I am not doing this."
Nathan shrugged.
"Then we're sleeping in the lobby."
Mia stared at him.
"...Fine."
Nathan smiled.
"That was easy."
"Don't enjoy this."
---
The first challenge was a cooking competition.
Mia stared at the ingredients placed before them.
"We're supposed to make dinner?"
"Apparently."
Nathan picked up an onion.
"I can cook."
Mia laughed.
"You?"
"Yes."
"You once burned toast."
"I was ten."
"You were fifteen."
Nathan looked offended.
"That was one time."
Mia reached for the knife.
"Move."
"I can do it."
"You'll probably destroy the kitchen."
"I won't."
She handed him an onion.
"Then prove it."
Nathan began chopping.
For several minutes, everything went surprisingly well.
Then Mia noticed something.
"Nathan."
"What?"
"You're cutting them too thick."
"They're fine."
"They're not."
"They're onions."
"They still need to be properly cut."
Nathan placed the knife down.
"Do you want to do everything yourself?"
Mia picked up the knife.
"Yes."
"Of course you do."
She gave him a look.
"Watch and learn."
Nathan stepped aside.
Mia started chopping.
A minute later, Nathan began laughing.
"What?"
"You've been cutting the same onion for five minutes."
"Because I'm doing it properly."
"No. You're just slow."
Mia threw an onion peel at him.
Nathan caught it.
"Violence already?"
"Keep talking."
---
Their meal was eventually completed.
It wasn't beautiful.
It wasn't particularly impressive.
But somehow, it tasted good.
When the judges announced that they had won the cooking challenge, Mia stared at Nathan.
"We won?"
Nathan grinned.
"Apparently."
She smiled before remembering herself.
"Don't get too excited."
"Too late."
---
The next challenge was a memory game.
Each couple was given questions about their partner.
Mia read the first question.
What is your partner's favorite childhood food?
She immediately wrote her answer.
Nathan finished at almost the same time.
When the cards were revealed, both answers matched.
Mia looked at him.
"You still remember?"
Nathan smiled.
"You used to eat it every Sunday."
Mia shook her head.
"That's because you used to steal half of it."
"You always gave it to me."
"I was being nice."
"You were."
Another question appeared.
What was your partner's childhood dream?
Mia wrote her answer.
Nathan did too.
Again, they matched.
Mia stared at her card.
She hadn't realized she remembered so much about him.
His favorite hiding place.
The food he hated.
The games he loved.
The things that scared him.
The ridiculous dreams he had when he was younger.
Nathan looked at her.
"You got mine right."
"So did you."
He smiled.
"We knew each other pretty well."
Mia looked down.
"We did."
---
The final challenge was different.
The host handed them two blindfolds.
"You will have to guide your partner through an obstacle course using only your voice."
Mia immediately shook her head.
"No."
Nathan laughed.
"Why?"
"Because I don't trust you."
"That's unfortunate."
"You're going to make me walk into a wall."
"I won't."
"You absolutely will."
Nathan smiled.
"Trust me."
Mia stared at him.
For some reason, those words sounded strangely familiar.
She remembered being a child.
Running through the woods.
Nathan standing ahead of her, holding out his hand.
Trust me.
She had always followed him.
Even when she shouldn't have.
Mia slowly put on the blindfold.
"Fine."
Nathan stood at the other end of the course.
"Take three steps forward."
Mia moved.
"Stop."
She stopped.
"Turn right."
She turned.
"Two steps."
She followed.
"Careful."
She stopped just before an obstacle.
"You almost made me fall."
"I told you to stop."
"You could have said it sooner."
"I'm trying to keep you alive."
Mia laughed.
"You're terrible at this."
"And yet you're still listening to me."
She continued forward.
Eventually, she reached the finish line.
When she removed the blindfold, Nathan was standing in front of her.
She smiled.
"We actually did it."
Nathan nodded.
"We did."
For a moment, neither said anything.
Then Mia suddenly remembered something.
"Wait."
"What?"
"You remember the race we had when we were fourteen?"
Nathan laughed.
"The one where you cheated?"
"I did not cheat!"
"You took a shortcut."
"Because you were ahead!"
"Exactly. You cheated."
"You were running too fast!"
Nathan laughed.
"You were such a sore loser."
"And you were an unbearable winner."
"Still am."
Mia smiled.
"Unfortunately."
---
Later that night, they finally received the keys to their temporary cottage.
Mia walked inside.
It was smaller than their previous room, but comfortable.
There were two separate beds.
She smiled with relief.
"Finally."
Nathan dropped his bag beside his bed.
"Looks like we survived."
Mia sat down.
"Barely."
Nathan looked around the room.
"You know something?"
"What?"
"Despite everything that happened today..."
Mia waited.
"I actually had fun."
She looked at him.
"So did I."
Nathan smiled.
There was no teasing this time.
No argument.
Just a quiet understanding.
They had spent the entire day competing, laughing, remembering their childhood, and discovering that even after years apart, they still knew each other better than they realized.
Mia pulled the blanket over herself.
"Goodnight, Nathan."
"Goodnight, Mia."
She closed her eyes.
For once, there was no argument.
And perhaps that was the strangest part of the entire honeymoon.