Lynne

Chapter 28

"Thank God."

"I know," he agreed. "It's freezing. But I'd still prefer this over the stupid heat."

"Me too," I agreed. At least with the cold, we could both warm up next to the fireplace, in the hot tub, with each other...

Clamping my eyes shut, I sighed into my scarf. Stop, I scolded myself. You're gonna become one of those sex addicts. Freak.

I laughed softly to myself.

Len drove us directly into the heart of the city. The biggest difference between these tall buildings and the ones downtown were the people. The streets were much more crowded in the city, and here, only a few groups of people passed through. Each person was bundled in hats, scarves, gloves, boots, and the like. Len and I were no different. The buildings here were much wider, too, unlike the thin, taller skyscrapers of the city. Billboards were everywhere to be seen. It was just growing dark enough for the lights to really shine.

The passing lights flashed against my face as we drove by. Just when I thought we were going to pass right through the buildings, Len pulled off to the side, and we parked in a parking garage beneath another huge building.

As we walked towards the elevator, I scanned the lot. "I don't see the others," I told him.

"We're early," he shrugged me off. I followed him.

"No stairs," I grinned. "You gonna be okay?"

He took a deep breath, pressing the elevator button. "I'll live. Probably."

"If you get too scared, you can hold my hand," I teased, laughing to myself.

"Oh shut up." He was grinning, too.

The doors dinged open, and we stepped inside. As the doors closed, I smiled to myself as I felt him intertwine our fingers. We both wore gloves, so our hands fit together awkwardly.

The ride was short, only to the first floor. The doors opened to reveal a man, standing at a podium containing tall, laminated menus. Behind him, the restaurant was booming with life.

Len stepped forward, talking to the man. The place reminded me of the restaurant we had gone to for my birthday. Red and gold were the primary colors, fancy carpets beneath us, busied waiters and waitresses walking briskly through the room. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, and everyone was dressed in their bests, coats draped over the chairs behind them. I felt suddenly underdressed. Fancier clothes than jeans and a t-shirt seemed the norm, here.

To my surprise, Len turned around, and, with a smile on his face, led me back to the elevator.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. Are we leaving already?

"Gotta go to our floor."

"Our floor?" I gawked. The host must have heard me, because he chuckled behind us.

He nodded proudly. The doors closed in front of us.

Our second trip was much longer than the first. The counter over the doors kept increasing, until it reached numbers I didn't think possible for a building. I hadn't even noticed that Len was holding my hand again. Finally, the numbers slowed, eventually stopping. The doors opened. My eyes widened.

It was a single room, in the same fancy style as the lobby downstairs. Paintings, plants, and other spectacular decor littered the walls, except for the one straight across from us. Just like our cabin, the single wall was completely glass. The cabin showed us the wilderness in the sunset, and this room showed us the city in all its brilliance. And, sitting in front of the window, was a table. A candle sat in the middle, already lit, next to a single rose in a vase.