New York, New York!
During the next few days, things settled into a routine. It was pretty quiet around the house. Ashton usually came down for breakfast at eight o'clock and then would disappear into his room. Chloe took advantage of her free time to familiarize herself with the house. She spent her time vacuuming, dusting and even cleaning the upstairs bathroom, collecting his laundry from the hamper and a few articles he chose to toss into the corner.
Laundry proved somewhat challenging, especially with some of his more radical stage clothes, which were barely held together by shredded thread and safety pins. She didn't think she could possibly shrink his pants anymore, so she just hoped for the best, and thankfully things didn't turn out too badly. Some of the more intricate items, she washed by hand and hung them to dry.
He preferred eating lunch upstairs, so she would drop it off and collect it an hour later. He seemed happy enough with whatever she gave him. He spent most of his afternoons working away on something. He explained that sometimes he would have to work for days just getting a song out of his head. He usually spent at least one or two hours daily working out. He would come down for dinner at six o'clock exhausted and didn't seem to want to talk a lot.
Some days when he was particularly frustrated, he would barely say a word. After dinner, he would usually sit in the front room flipping through magazines and listening to the radio. Chloe would join him there after cleaning up. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they said nothing. She'd grab a sketchbook and doodle away. Since he sat so still, he made for a great model.
***
"I need to go to New York for a couple of days next week," Ashton said, looking at her from his armchair.
Chloe looked up from her drawing. "Oh? For a show?" she asked, surprised.
"No, a meeting with a client interested in another one of my songs. It shouldn't take long. Just enough time to go over some details. Unfortunately, I'll be stuck there, at least, a couple of days," he said glumly. "Come with me, Chloe. It would be nice to have some company."
"New York?" She blinked in disbelief. "Sure, I mean if you want me to come with you, I will," Chloe agreed excitedly. "I've never been to New York before."
"Great. I'll book us a flight and hotel," he said as he stood up. He took a step toward the stairs and hesitated. "We could share a room if you don't mind. I'll request two beds of course. For the sake of cost but if you prefer your own room it's not a problem."
"We can share," Chloe answered rather quickly. "Anyway, I wouldn't feel comfortable alone in a hotel room in city I know nothing about." She winced at the thought.
He raised an eyebrow and smiled thoughtfully. "Great, I'll get on it," he said, going straight upstairs to the computer.
Chloe sat there a moment longer. Wow, New York with Ashton. How cool would that be? This job was getting more interesting by the minute.
***
The next morning at breakfast, Ashton came and sat down, holding some papers. "Good morning, Chloe," he said, reviewing his notes.
"Good morning, Mr. Wright," Chloe said cheerfully, placing his breakfast on the table as she sat across from him.
"Miss Martin." He smiled and chuckled at her formal address. "So, it's done. I've booked us on a nine o'clock flight, Monday morning. I've got our hotel for two nights. I tried for one night, but the return flights were all booked up. I hope that's okay with you," he said, placing the papers aside.
"Oh, okay, sure. What time are you meeting with your client?" Chloe asked, trying hard not to sound too excited.
"Two o'clock in the afternoon. We'll get an early check-in at the hotel, drop off our luggage, and grab a quick meal. Then I'll go to the meeting. It shouldn't take long, maybe an hour. I'll meet you back around five or so."
"Cool, it'll be fun," Chloe said with an exuberant smile.
"Fun? Huh... I suppose it could be." He sighed, smiling back at her. "Why don't you get on the internet and look up some places you'd like to see. Make a list or something."
"Hey, that's a great idea. Maybe after breakfast if that's okay," she said excitedly.
"It's okay, Chloe, just go on upstairs. The computer is all yours," he said, standing up from the table. "I'll be up in my room if you need anything." He chuckled and walked away.
Chloe finished her breakfast and cleaned up. Racing upstairs, she entered Ashton's office and sat in front of the computer, looking up things of interest. There was definitely no shortage of things to do and see in New York. She settled on the obvious, the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and Times Square. That should just about cover it for the short time they'd be there.
Of course, she'd have to figure out what to pack. Thankfully, it was only for two days. She didn't have a lot of clothes to choose from. One of these days, she'd have to go shopping. Her stuff was okay to wear around the house, but she didn't have a lot of fashionable outfits.
Monday morning, Chloe awoke to a knock on her door. "Come on, Chloe, it's time to wake up. We'll be leaving soon for the airport." It was still dark out at six o'clock but it was time to get ready.
"Okay thanks, I'll be out in a couple of minutes." She jumped out of bed, grabbed her things and hopped in the shower. She was dressed and ready by six-thirty. Ashton waited patiently in the kitchen. "Super, let's go!" she said, dragging her small suitcase behind her.
He stood up and stretched. He approached her with an indulgent smile and took her suitcase to the car. She followed him, locking up behind her. "Wow, I'm so excited!" she said, buckling her seatbelt.
"Good, that's good, Chloe," Ashton said, preoccupied with something.
"What's up? Everything okay?" she asked, noting his melancholy mood.
"Everything's fine. It'll be even better after this meeting," he said with a sigh.
Chloe sat back and stayed quiet not wanting to be annoyingly giddy. She'd be content thinking about New York and seeing all the things on her list.
The flight took off on schedule. Chloe sat beside Ashton, practically jumping out from under her skin. She hadn't been on an airplane since she was eight years old on a family trip to Florida. It took all her strength not to squeal with excitement when she felt the plane revving up.
Ashton sat unimpressed, flipping through some notes. He couldn't help noticing her mood and it rubbed off a little on him. He shook his head and chuckled to himself when he felt her hand clasp nervously to his during takeoff. He squeezed his fingers around hers, and again when they landed.
On the ride over in the taxi to the hotel, Chloe sat in wide-eyed wonder, staring out the window at the streets and buildings teeming with life. It was unlike anything she'd experienced before. The noise, the car horns, all of it overwhelmed her senses. Ashton sat back casually like he'd seen it all a dozen times. He smiled at her enthusiasm now and then but chose to close his eyes most of the way.
The taxi dropped them off at the hotel at twelve-thirty. Ashton checked them in while Chloe stood aside, awestruck by the overwhelming grandness of the place. The lobby was all done up in classic Art Deco style. It was so very impressive and slick.
"Okay, we're all set. Shall we?" he asked, taking their bags to the elevator.
Chloe practically skipped behind him in an effort to keep up with his pace. She watched the numbers light up in the elevator with great interest and nearly squealed with anticipation when they finally reached their floor. Smiling to himself, Ashton opened the door to their room and stepped aside, encouraging Chloe to enter.
She couldn't believe her eyes. It was so impressive and classy. She practically ran toward the window and gasped with delight. "Wow, what a view! Oh look, Ashton, there's a balcony!" she exclaimed, hurriedly stepping outside. It was a perfect fall day. It was cool but warm in the sun. The sky was clear blue and the scenery was surreal. Just skyscraper after skyscraper as far as the eye could see. They were so high up. The cars looked so small.
Feeling a little case of vertigo coming on, Chloe stepped back from the edge. She stumbled right into Ashton's chest.
He caught her as she fell into him. "Hey, take it easy now. This isn't the place to be stumbling around." He chuckled, straightening her up. "I take it you like the room."
"It's amazing. I had no idea," she said, leaning against the ledge facing him.
"What were you expecting?" he asked laughingly. "Get used to it, baby. We only travel in style. It's what you get for working your ass off, and selling your soul now and then," he said as his smile quickly faded.
"Oh... you poor tortured, wounded musician. What can we do to make things right?" she asked, pouting at him. "Come on, Ashton. Is it really that terrible?"
"Sometimes, but mostly it's great. Like right now being able to impress a cute girl like yourself makes it all worth it." He smiled again, somewhat suggestively.
Chloe blushed and looked away, focusing on the building across the street.
"Aw... you're blushing, how sweet." He stroked her cheek. "See? You've made all my pain and suffering worthwhile. Thank you." He studied her face as if memorizing her features. "Now, how about some lunch? I'll just call for room service."
"Sure, that'll be fine. Just pick something for me," Chloe said, looking around at the room. She claimed the bed nearest to the window. "I'll take this one if it's okay." She flopped down, suddenly exhausted.
"It's yours, Chloe. It's all yours," he said, picking up the phone.
They ate their lunch and Ashton readied himself to leave. He looked quite smart in black pinstriped dress pants, a fitted white shirt, gray tie, and a dark jacket. "Will you be all right here for a while? Feel free to go out if you like. You don't have to wait around for me," Ashton said on his way out.
"Oh, no, I'll be fine here. Maybe I'll take a bath in that jacuzzi tub. Besides, I'd probably just get lost on my own," she said, nervously chewing her bottom lip.
"Sounds like a plan. Maybe I should just skip my meeting and join you," he teased, shaking his head when she blushed again. He chastised himself for saying out loud what he should've just kept to himself. "Well, I'll see you later. You can reach me on my cell phone if you need me," he said, lingering in the doorway.
"Okay, good luck, Ashton. Not that you'll need it. Oh, and thank you," she said, holding the door for him, still blushing at his comment.
"For what?"
"For bringing me with you to New York. It's very generous of you."
"You're welcome. But you know, it is part of your job description, or didn't you read the fine print?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah, that's right I am your personal assistant after all," Chloe said pensively, not quite sure if she'd actually read all the fine print.
"Okay, go take your bath." He laughed, messing her hair and walking away. "Lock the door," he said with a wink.
For Chloe, the next few hours went by rather uneventfully. She took a bath, got dressed, she put on her makeup, styled her hair best she could, and waited. It was now six o'clock and she still hadn't heard anything from Ashton. She was feeling restless in the hotel room. At least, she could stand out on the balcony and watch the world go by.
Ashton hadn't actually made any plans with her for the evening. She shouldn't have let herself get so excited, but it was hard not to get excited in this city.
The thought of being on her own much longer was actually starting to freak Chloe out a little. It was such a big place. As it got darker, the city took on a whole other mystique. The noise, the sirens didn't seem all that inviting anymore. She stepped back inside and locked the balcony door. She crept back into bed and turned the television on, but every channel seemed to be showing either horror movies or crime dramas.
Glancing at the clock, she noticed that it was nearly seven o'clock. She wondered if she should just order room service again, but before she could finish that thought, she heard someone at the door.
"Chloe?"
At the sound of Ashton's voice, she sighed with relief. "Ashton, you're back. How did it go?" She hopped out of bed and went to greet him.
"Come here, sweetness," he said, giving her a tight hug. "I'm sorry things took longer than I had expected. I'm sorry you had to be here alone all this time." He released her, studying her face, recognizing the tremor in her voice for what it was.
"Oh, it's okay," she said unconvincingly. "I'm glad you're back, though. I was getting hungry. We could just get room service again if you're tired." Sweetness? That was new. She really liked the sound of that.
"No way, we're going out. You've been cooped up here long enough. Just give me a minute and I'll be right back," he said, heading into the bathroom.
Chloe straightened herself up again, giving her hair a quick brush. She couldn't help notice Ashton's good mood. His meeting must have gone well.
"Okay, Chloe, grab your things and let's go," Ashton said, exiting the bathroom. "Let's get you some dinner. Any preference?" he asked jovially opening the door for her.
"Well, how about Italian?" Chloe answered.
"You got it," he said, following her out of the room. "Do you mind walking? I know a place just down the block."
"Walking would be great," Chloe said. They stepped out into the night and the sudden clammer of noise and nightlife caught her a little off-guard. She felt her excitement mix with trepidation. She stepped quickly to keep pace with Ashton while trying to take in all the sights. All of it making her feel quite small.
Ashton smiled to himself at her wide-eyed wonder. He slowed his pace to match hers and took her hand in his. She appreciated the gesture and held his warm hand gratefully. It comforted her immensely.
"Here we are," he said as they reached the restaurant.
The host greeted them with a big friendly smile. "Ashton, good to see you again." Looking over at Chloe, he nodded approvingly. "I'm glad to see you're not alone this time," he said, winking conspiringly at her. "Finally, I was starting to wonder about you." The cheerful man chided in his New York accent. "I'll even give you my best table, right here by the window. Two good-looking kids like yourselves, you should be seen, maybe bring in some more business."
"Thanks, Bruno, that would be great. This is Chloe, by the way," Ashton said as the man pulled her chair out for her.
"Ah, Chloe, a beautiful name for a beautiful lady."
She smiled and blushed at his compliment. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bruno," Chloe said, holding out her hand to shake. Instead, he took it and kissed it in a suave manner.
"The pleasure is all mine. Now, what can I get you folks tonight?" he asked, turning to Ashton.
"Let's start with a bottle of your best red wine," Ashton said. "Why don't we just go with the lasagna tonight, Bruno. Is that all right, Chloe?"
"Excellent and some garlic bread. I'm starving."
"Hey now, don't you just love a girl with an appetite?" Bruno asked, patting Ashton on the shoulder. "Hang on to this one my friend."
"Yeah, she's definitely a keeper," Ashton said with a wistful smile.
Chloe beamed a toothy grin at his affirmation. "Well, aren't you in a good mood? Things must have gone well for you today."
"Indeed, things went very well. Your boss just made us a whole lot of money today." Pleased with himself, Ashton sat back in his chair.
Bruno arrived with the wine and poured them each a glass. "Enjoy," he said before he excused himself.
"Really, that's great, but what about your soul?" she teased. "Was it worth it?"
"Oh, my soul is very much intact. That's what took so long. I had to make a few changes to the contract and send it over to the lawyer, but it was worth it in the long run. You really have to pay attention to the small print in this business. It'll get you every time if you're not careful," he said, taking a sip of wine. "But enough business talk. Let's just enjoy the rest of our time here in New York."
"Sure, but first, congratulations on your success today," she said, holding her glass to his.
"Thank you, Chloe. Thanks for being here. For coming with me." He smiled sweetly.
"Apparently it's in the fine print that I have to be here." She laughed. "Somehow I wasn't paying attention to that when I signed the contract."
"See, you're just lucky I'm such a good guy. If my intentions weren't so honorable I could have had you sign over your first born and you wouldn't even have realized it until it was too late," he said, raising an eyebrow.
"I guess you are right. Thank you for being so virtuous and honest. I'll be more careful when I sign things in the future."
"That's right, Chloe. You have to be very careful these days. Just like if one day you decide to sell your artwork. You'll have to make sure you get all the particulars down first in writing. Treat it like a business."
"Yes, I guess you're right. How'd you get so smart anyway?"
"I went to college. I studied business management, particularly music management. I figured, if music was what I was going to do with my life, I might as well learn how to take care of the business end of things." He took another sip of wine.
"Very impressive. I remember seeing your diploma and I meant to ask you about it."
"I could help you, whenever you want to pursue your art career," he said eagerly. "I could do some research, get my lawyer to look things over. Just let me know and I'll do it."
"Wow, thanks. I'm not quite there yet but it's very kind of you to offer," Chloe said, overwhelmed at his enthusiasm. He was so sure of himself. She felt nowhere near that confident in herself to even dream of taking that step.
Ashton noticed the apprehension in her voice and decided to back off. "Okay, Chloe, I don't mean to push. I'm here if you need my help, that's all."
Bruno returned then with the food. He placed it on the table in front of them. He looked from Ashton to Chloe. Taking her cheek in his meaty hand, he gave it a gentle pinch. "Bella," he exclaimed before walking away.
Ashton smiled at Bruno's enthusiasm. "Can you blame him? I guess you just have that kind of effect on men, Chloe."
"You're no slouch either," Chloe retorted.
"Oh, really, you think so?" he asked, feeling chuffed. "Actually, I think we're quite possibly the best-looking couple in the whole of New York tonight."
Chloe laughed. "I think the wine is going straight to your head," she said as she blushed.
After dinner, Ashton led Chloe out and took her by the hand again. They walked for a while. Eventually, they arrived at Times Square. "Wow, look at all the lights," Chloe said, grasping his hand tightly with excitement. He just smiled contently at her. Although he had to admit to himself that it was impressive seeing it from her perspective.
Continuing on further, they reached a nightclub. "What's this place?" Chloe asked as they passed the bouncer on the way in.
"I thought you might like to go dancing, maybe grab a martini or two," he said, leading her deeper into the dark club. She quickly assessed herself, feeling somewhat underdressed compared to the other women they passed.
Ashton didn't seem to notice them glancing his way, or, at least, he pretended not to. Chloe couldn't help but notice their lusty stares. It didn't even seem to matter that she was there. When she glanced sideways at him, her breath caught in her throat. It was no wonder they were staring. The man was stunning, painfully beautiful.
He caught her looking and smiled questioningly at her. "What's up?" he asked into her ear over the blaring music. His warm breath against her skin sent a quick chill down her spine.
She simply smiled and shook her head as they approached the bar. The light was slightly better there, allowing Chloe a chance to observe the room. Looking around the bar, she noticed more beautiful people. There were men and women, couples, singles, groups of guys, girls all beautiful and impeccably dressed. New York was definitely a fashion hub. She looked back at Ashton and realized how well he fit in with this crowd. Feeling out of place, Chloe concentrated on Ashton's voice as he ordered their drinks. "Here you go, a chocolate martini."
"Thank you," she said, taking the fancy drink in her hand. At least, she could pretend to fit in a little. Taking a sip, she let the warm liquid trickle down her throat.
"Good?" he asked, smiling at her as she nodded. "First one?" She nodded again. "Perfect," he said as he ordered a second round.
Ashton watched her for a moment, holding the martini glass in her hand. He wondered if she realized how perfect she was, so naturally beautiful, such a breath of fresh air. He wondered if she noticed the way the bartender was looking at her or the guy sitting across from them, not to mention the guy standing right next to her. Of course not, she was way too preoccupied with her empty glass at that moment.
"Dance with me," he said, taking her glass and placing it down on the bar.
Chloe nodded and followed him to the crowded dance floor. The two martinis quickly erased any sense of awkwardness she might have felt. She let the music guide her as she twisted and turned to the fast beat. Ashton kept pace and danced along with her.
When the music slowed into a hypnotic rhythm, he wrapped his arms around her waist and swayed with her. Chloe sighed headily, liking the way he drew her in close. She gladly rested her cheek on his warm chest, her arms around his shoulders. She inhaled deeply and took in his seductive scent.
After a couple of slow songs, Ashton took her by the hand and they left the club. Walking out into the dark night, she shivered in the cold air while Ashton hailed a taxi. Figuring they were on the way back to the hotel, she was surprised when they pulled up in front of yet another nightclub.
"What's this place?" she asked as he led her in by the hand.
"I thought we could check out some bands. Are you up for it?" he asked, smiling at her bemused expression. "Come on now, you're in the Big Apple. You didn't expect to sleep tonight, did you?" He could only laugh when she gave him a wary gaze.
Inside the cavernous bar, Chloe noticed Ashton shake a few hands with guys who looked a lot like him. She couldn't hear much of their conversation over the blare of the rock band on stage. She just smiled along and sipped on the latest fancy martini.
Across the bar, another couple of guys who Ashton seemed happy enough to see, waved them over and made room for them at their booth. The women in this bar seemed somewhat rougher than the ones in the last place. Chloe might have even found them intimidating if not for the alcoholic effects she was experiencing at that moment. The majority of them thought nothing of blatantly checking out Ashton right in front of her. She might as well not have even been there, as far as they were concerned, and oddly the realization upset her. Was this always what it was like for him? To be with him? Would women always stare at him? Could she blame them?
Before she could refuse, another fancy beverage appeared in front of her. "Apple martini?" She heard Ashton say. She smiled enthusiastically and tasted it.
"Good?" he asked, watching her. She nodded. "First one?" She nodded again. "Perfect." He chuckled as he turned to talk to his friend. After a couple more sips, Chloe leaned up against Ashton and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and held her securely to him. "You all right?"
"I'm fine. No more drinks, though," she warned him.
"Okay, you got it. Just relax and enjoy the music," he said, caressing her arm with his fingers.
"Sure, but first I'll need to find the restroom," she said, reluctantly sliding away. Ashton pointed her in the right direction and she made her way on unsteady legs.
She made it there all right, but the trip back to the booth took on a whole new challenge. She was completely disorientated and walked around in circles, bumping into one too many strangers. Horrified, she started to panic. Every woman she bumped into gave her a dirty look, and every tattooed guy she bumped into seemed all too eager to lend her a helping hand. Spinning around, making herself dizzy, she finally gave up and stood still. She closed her eyes in an attempt not to freak out. Breathe, she reminded herself.
She next felt a warm hand on her arm and hesitantly opened her eyes. She nearly cried with relief, seeing Ashton staring at her.
"Lost?" he teased, leading her back to the booth. "Where were you going anyway? You must have circled the place twice before I had to come get you," he chuckled, wrapping his arm around her.
"I couldn't see you," she said shakily. "I didn't know where you were."
Catching the quiver in her voice, Ashton gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Aw... I had my eyes on you the whole time, sweetness. You're okay," he murmured in her ear.
"Okay, thank you," she said, breathing easy, resting her weary head on his shoulder and focusing on the band. Ashton tapped his fingers along to the music and cheered as they wrapped up their set. Chloe sat up when he eventually got up to leave. He said his goodbyes and led her out into the frosty night. She shuddered and stood close by while he waved over a taxi.
She was grateful when they finally pulled up in front of the hotel. She had no idea what time it was. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and close her eyes. She didn't even remember stepping inside the hotel or the elevator ride. She did recall being supported and lowered down on a bed and how good it felt to lie down, to be warm.
She woke up a couple of hours later. It was still so dark. Taking a minute to focus, she eventually realized they were both safe and warm in their hotel room. She looked over and saw Ashton's silhouette under the sheets, sleeping soundly on the neighboring bed. She then assessed herself, relieved to discover that she was still fully dressed.
Desperately needing to use the bathroom, she quietly got up and felt around for the door. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and drank a large glass of water. Undressing from her jeans and top, she wrapped herself in a bath towel. Feeling better, she made her way back to her bed, glad to not have disturbed Ashton. Not wanting to rifle through her stuff to find pajamas, she found Ashton's shirt on the floor and put it on. It was long enough, covering just above her knees. Content and tired, she crawled back into bed and closed her eyes.
In the morning, Chloe woke up to the sound of the shower. She turned and faced the window. Curious, she stood and opened the curtain and peered outside. The sun was already high in the sky, the city noise alive and fervent. She opened the balcony door and stepped out, only to shudder when the cold air blew right through her. Her bare legs broke out in goosebumps.
It was exhilarating and she took a deep breath and stood there a moment longer. The wind cut through the thin fabric of Ashton's shirt and wound its way up her legs. She startled, feeling a warm hand around her wrist.
"Hey, what are you trying to do, freeze us to death?" Ashton tugged her back inside and closed the door. "Nice look, by the way," he said, seeing her in his shirt. He smiled, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
Chloe felt her cheeks flush and quickly averted her eyes. "Oh yeah, I hope you don't mind. I woke up last night and found it on the floor. I didn't want to go digging around for my stuff so I just put it on," she said, sitting back in bed, pulling the sheets over her exposed legs.
"Now why would I mind?" he asked, watching her for a moment, tilting his head sideways. Snapping himself out of his trance, he opened his suitcase and took a few items of clothing and returned to the bathroom.
Chloe closed her eyes and heard the hairdryer and smiled, imagining his preening. A few minutes later, he emerged fully dressed in faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt. "Hey, the bathroom's all yours. You should get up now. We've got a big day ahead of us if you expect to see all those things on that list of yours," he said, kneeling down beside her.
"What time is it?" she asked groggily.
"It's practically noon, party girl," he said, messing her hair. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Okay, I guess. Just a little fuzzy." She dragged herself up out of bed. "Thanks to all those fancy drinks you were so kind to buy me last night," she said, steadying herself with a hand on his shoulder. He stood up and gripped her forearms.
"What, you didn't have a good time?"
"I had a great time. Thank you," she said as she smiled at his handsome face, suddenly realizing that she stood there wearing no makeup and her hair a mess. She shyly pulled away and grabbed a change of clothes before retreating into the bathroom. Removing the shirt, button by button, she stood assessing herself in the mirror imagining how she must look to him. She smiled at her reflection. Other than the messy hair, she was pleased with what she saw. She looked good in his shirt, she thought to herself.
Stepping into the shower, she felt the warm water on her skin and it felt wonderful. She lingered there a while closing her eyes. She heard a door open and shut and then an unfamiliar voice. Drying herself off and getting dressed she peeked out. She could see that Ashton had called for room service and waited for her. She finished getting ready, quickly putting on her makeup. Her hair would have to wait until after breakfast.
"Hey, gorgeous," he said from where he sat. "Breakfast is served."
They spent the day going through her list as thoroughly as possible. Chloe must have taken over a hundred pictures. A few people were kind enough to take pictures of the both of them standing like tourists in front of points of interest.
They darted in and out of the various fashionable department stores and boutiques. Although she wanted to try on a lot of the clothes she found, she tried to keep it down to a few choice items not wanting to bore Ashton. The funny thing was, he didn't seem to mind at all and was more than happy enough to try on a few things himself.
Glancing now and then at the price tags brought her back to reality, though. Things were a lot more expensive than she was used to. "Find anything you like?" Ashton asked, holding an armful of articles for himself.
"Uh... yeah, but nothing I can afford, I'm afraid."
"Hey, don't worry about that, just let me take care of it," he offered.
"No thanks, I wouldn't feel right about it. Anyway, I haven't really found anything that fits," she lied.
"Okay then, let's get out of here. We still have more to see and do," he said, heading toward the cashier.
Before continuing on, they stopped in and dropped off his new things at the hotel. Chloe flopped herself down on her bed, exhausted. "Hey, you, we're not done yet. Get changed, we've got an art gallery to visit."
"An art gallery? But we just came from one." Chloe sighed.
"This is different. My client gave me two invitations to an opening night for a local up and coming artist. It's a fancy wine and cheese thing. I thought you might like to check it out," he said, pulling her up by the arms.
"But I don't have any fancy clothes. You should've told me earlier. I would have grabbed something back at the shops," Chloe said, resigned.
"Come on now, don't worry. You don't have to try too hard." He smiled. "I'm sure you'll manage."
"Sure, that's easy for you to say. You always look good," she said, feeling inadequate.
"Chloe, come on. Do I have to tell you how beautiful you are? Don't you already know that? Look at yourself," he said, turning her to face the mirror.
All she saw was him standing there looking perfect and how tall he was and how tired she looked.
"Do I need to get Nick on the phone? Jamie perhaps, or how about Bruno from the restaurant to remind you of just how attractive you really are?"
"All right, you've made your point," she said, turning away from her reflection. "I'll try and find something."
"Good, that's the spirit," he said, rummaging through his things.
Of course, when he emerged from the bathroom, he looked incredible again. He wore a dark fitted jacket and shirt and slim fitting pants, even his shoes were shiny. Chloe felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of him, a halo of platinum hair framing his angel face. It was too much. He was too much.
Chloe eventually managed to put together an acceptable outfit. Luckily she had thought to bring a little black dress she kept for special occasions. Reluctantly she squeezed herself into a new pair of nylons she had thrown in her bag at the last minute. She was grateful to have brought at least one pair of uncomfortable high heels. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, she reapplied her makeup and brushed her golden blonde hair around her shoulders. "Good enough for now," she whispered as she left the bathroom. She made a promise to herself to go shopping the minute they returned to Chicago.
Looking around the room, she saw Ashton standing out on the balcony. He turned then and stepped inside. She spun around for him. "Good enough?"
"Good enough?" He smiled as he took her in. "You've got to be kidding me." He approached her and held her face between his hands. "Try drop-dead gorgeous," he said, tracing a finger along her jaw, threading a few strands of her hair through his fingers. She blushed under his close scrutiny and averted her eyes. With a deep wistful breath, he backed away. "Shall we?" He offered her his arm.
They soon arrived at the art gallery. Upon entering, Ashton and Chloe made their way around the place, sipping on wine and nibbling on cheese. There were all sorts of stylish artsy people in the gallery, all very well dressed.
They were eventually introduced to the artist who gave a small explanation of his work. Chloe smiled at Ashton, observing his confused expression as he stared at one particularly obscure painting. All of it was quite abstract and expressionistic.
"What, you don't like it?" she whispered.
"I just don't get it? Do you see anything?"
"No, I don't really understand it either. It's not really my thing but a lot of the people here seem impressed," she said, noticing the approving nods and gestures around the gallery.
"Or maybe they're just pretending to like it," he said with a smirk.
"Actually, there is a real market for this kind of stuff. People eat it up. One of my art instructors back in the art institute had a similar style and he was very successful. In fact, he gave it up because he got bored and couldn't keep up with demand."
"Huh, interesting." He shrugged. "So, tell me, Chloe, do you think you would ever want to do this one day? Show your art in a gallery?"
"I don't know. I suppose it would be an interesting experience. Scary, though," she said with a shudder. "Putting it all out there."
Ashton noted her hesitation. "You have to take chances if you want to succeed in anything."
"I guess you're right." She shrugged self-consciously. "Maybe one day when I get enough stuff together." She turned away from him, hoping he'd drop the subject.
Again he couldn't help but notice her apprehension. Perhaps it wasn't something she wanted and that was more than okay. "Well, whenever you're ready, we can take off and get some dinner."
"Okay sounds good. Let's go," Chloe agreed, suddenly needing to leave the art gallery atmosphere. "Where to?" she asked, taking his arm as he led her out the door.
"I took the liberty of making reservations the other night for this real swanky restaurant. It's supposed to be the place to be," he explained as they walked. "It's just around the corner."
It sure was swanky, Chloe thought when they arrived. It was one of those white tablecloth, black tie kind of places, very impressive. The hostess greeted them immediately and led them to their table. Their waiter came along next and lit the candle for them.
"Wow, this is quite the snazzy place," Chloe commented. Opening the menu, she noticed the prices weren't even listed. She glanced at Ashton who didn't seem at all concerned. Most of the items were written in French and she had a tough time deciding on something.
"See anything you want?" he asked, seeing the apprehension in her face.
"Um, I don't know. Do you?"
He laughed at her expression. The waiter came back and Ashton took the liberty of ordering them both the steak and wine.
"Thanks," she whispered. "I'm not really used to this kind of place."
"Neither am I. I just figured you can't go wrong with steak and potatoes," he admitted. "So anyway, are you having a good time? Did you see all you wanted to see of New York today?"
"I'm having a great time. Thank you. I don't think we could've seen much more, given the time frame."
"Well, I don't know about that. There just might be one more place you want to see," he said mysteriously. The waiter returned with their food and wine.
"Where?" Chloe asked acutely curious.
"Just eat your dinner and let me worry about that for now," he said, pointing to her plate.
Of course, after filling up on steak and wine, Chloe was up for anything. Ashton shook his head and smiled as she babbled on about all the things they'd seen and how amazing it all was.
He had to admit to himself, his experience in New York, this time, had been definitely different than those previous times he'd come on his own. The city didn't feel quite so cold and lonely as it had in the past.
Ashton offered her his hand as they walked. Careful to slow his pace to accommodate her, he was content to hold her hand. After a while, he couldn't help but notice how quiet she had become. He glanced at her often. She would smile at him and trustingly follow his lead into the dark of night. "Here we are, smiley," he said as she gazed questioningly at him. "The Empire State Building. You know, the one and only?" he teased as her jaw dropped.
The elevator ride was amazingly quick. As they stepped outside, Chloe felt her heart jump in her chest at the view. "Breathtaking!" she exclaimed, seeing all the twinkling lights.
"Breathtaking indeed," Ashton agreed, only he wasn't referring to the city at that moment. While she stared out at the cityscape, his eyes were on her heart-shaped face and her gorgeous legs as she reached to stand up on her toes. His senses were on overdrive, standing so close to her. The softness of her hair overwhelmed him as it whipped up around his face. The sound of her voice called to him. He closed his eyes and inhaled her alluring scent.
"This is so cool!" Chloe reached for his hand. "Thank you so much." She smiled at him. "Hey, what's the matter? Aren't you having a good time?" she asked, noticing his serious expression.
"Nothing's the matter. Everything's perfect." Taking her hand, he took another deep breath, and squeezed his fingers around hers. "Now, let's get back to the hotel. We've got an early flight," he said, sobering himself from the moment.
"Sure, let's go and get some sleep. It's been a long day," she said, skipping ahead of him.
"Yeah, sleep... sure," he muttered under his breath.
***
Chloe changed into her pajamas and slid in under the covers. "Goodnight, Ashton," she called out to him as he took his turn in the bathroom.
"Goodnight, Chloe." She heard him say as she closed her eyes.✭༻♫༺✭༻♫༺✭༻♫༺✭
To be continued...
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Hand In Glove
Copyright © 2014 by Maria Bernard. All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-9731474-5-2
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