When I walked into the Harrier Hotel, I had certain expectations. I was there on a business trip, and I had never stayed anywhere as exclusive as the Harrier. I definitely felt like a stranger in a strange land. I thought for sure that someone would come and tell me I was in the wrong place, and from a certain perspective it turned out I was. Regardless, one of my expectations was that I would not meet anyone I know, my social network didn't frequent hotels like the Harrier. So when I walked through the doors ready to be overwhelmed by the pomp and glamour (which I was), I was not prepared to run into Anna. But within moments of entering the lobby I spotted her and had to rub my eyes in disbelief. I kept walking, uncertain of whether to approach her or not, when she looked over at me, paused, and let out a smile with such ease I half thought she was expecting me. She snapped off her sunglasses and called out,
"Dan?! Dan is that you? Oh my god!"
I chuckled and walked slowly over to her.
"Its me Anna, boy how are you doing?", I said somewhat lamely holding out my hand. She ignored it and leaned in to give me a friendly hug, the smell of her hair wafting up at me, as pretty as ever.
"Well, what are you doing here?" she said when she finished hugging me.
"What you don't think this is my kind of place?" I said with a bit of grit in my voice.
"Oh don't be like that, I meant here in Chicago! I heard you moved up east?" she chided.
"Yeah, I did, moved up to Portland, got married, got a job, the whole deal. I'm actually just here on business."
"Really, and what kind of business are you doing these days?"
I laughed, "Actually it's government work, I'm a spy now. Oh shit, I guess I have to kill you now."
Anna left out a gentle laugh, "I see some things never change." She eyed me closely, "God how long has it been?"
I thought for a moment, "Well it must be about nice years now."
"God, nine years." she smiled somewhat ruefully and shook her head.
She spotted someone behind me and waved at them, I turn to glance at someone who was clearly a girlfriend of Anna's, having the same sense of fashion and style in her dress and demeanor.
"Claire, you are never going to believe this!" Anna grabbed my arm and presented me to her friend. "Remember that guy I told you about from college, Dan?"
