We pulled up to the valet stand outside of the Hyatt Regency Plaza, Tower One. As I got out of the car, the valet opened Beth's door. She handed him the keys but stayed behind the wheel until I had come around to her door and offered her my hand. As she got out of the car the dress she was wearing rode up and flashed the valet and myself a very generous view of her beautiful thighs. I turned and looked at the valet and saw that he was all but drooling at my lovely date.
Beth must have been feeling mischievous as she stepped out of the car. She took her handkerchief from her clutch purse and handed it to the valet. She then indicated the corner of his mouth. It was all I could do to keep for dissolving in laughter. After all, the valet had to be all of seventeen or eighteen years old.
I took Beth's hand and we walked into the lobby of the Hyatt. It was all I could do not to caress her naked shoulders. I looked around and saw the sign for the elevators to the restaurant on the top floor. As we came around the corner we saw that there was a podium in front of the doors and the young man standing behind it was busily checking the book lying on it. As we approached the podium, I realized I did not know whose name the reservations were made in.
I turned to Beth and asked her, "Whose name are the reservations in? You never said and neither did Josh." Beth took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "They are in your name of course. After all you are taking me on our first date aren't you?" She said smiling at me.
I looked at her and said, "Yes as a matter of fact this is our first date. But it's a little different than any date I've been on before, ever. I don't think I realize it's real, not just yet. I feel like I'm in a dream. I know that any good feelings I had for Lisa are dead. When I think of her all I feel is anger. I've decided to see someone about that. I don't want it to poison the rest of my life." I chuckled and continued "I also suspect that you are going to get very tired of seeing me, because I intend to spend as much time in your company as you will allow." The room was suddenly lit with the brilliance of her smile. Tears welled in her eyes again threatening to start falling.
"I don't suppose I have any say in this, do I?" At that Josh's voice interrupted our mood. Beth and I looked at each other and turned to face Josh as he stepped closer to stand next to his sister. Looking at him, Beth and I spoke at the same time "No, you don't!" The reservation clerk watched all of this with a vacant look on his face until Beth and I spoke. At which point he began to snicker madly. Josh seemingly outraged by this, looked at the clerk and said "Oh that's right! Encourage them why don't you?"
The poor clerk was absolutely hysterical at this point. The clerk turned his back on us trying to control his laughter. Gaining a measure of control he looked at me smiling and asked, "Name sir?" I grinned and said, "Alex Palmer party of three." The clerk glanced at his book, frowned for a moment, then pulled a post-it note off of the page he was looking at and said, "Yes sir! Here is your keycard; the elevator will take you directly to the restaurant. Give the host your name and he'll show you to your table. Enjoy your evening."
I had eaten here before but had never before been given a keycard. I looked at Beth and she seemed as mystified as I was. Josh looked smug but said nothing "Excuse me? What is the keycard for? I've never been given one when I've eaten here before." I asked. The clerk looked for a moment like he hadn't understood the question and then said "I'm sorry, ah, the reservation was changed earlier today to include an additional guest and the penthouse suite of Tower Two. The meal and the room are paid for in advance. The room is paid through until Monday at eleven a.m. check out time. The billing was also changed to an, ah... anonymous benefactor." He gave a distressed look at Josh.
It was only Thursday night. Beth and I looked at Josh. "What's going on here Josh? What are you playing at?" Beth's voice was a mixture of hope, disbelief, and suspicion. I said "Answer her Josh or we're leaving right now." I was not in the mood for a prank and Josh's sense of humor was questionable at best.
"Nothing is going on." He said with a smirk "I know how you two feel about each other. Alex I knew fifteen years ago you were making a mistake but it was your choice to make. Granted I didn't know just how big the mistake would prove to be, but you are both here, together, and unless I miss my guess very quickly becoming involved." Josh looked smugly at his sister, "I thought this might happen if you and Alex ever got to have a quiet talk. I also know you haven't had nearly enough time alone." Josh took Beth's hand and pulled her his way a little forcing me to follow.
Looking at me he said, "While you were gone this afternoon your ex-wife called and wanted to talk to you. It seems that your cell phone was off." He chuckled. "I told her I didn't know where you were and that I would pass on the message that she wanted to talk to you Alex. Consider the message delivered, by the way."
As he spoke he had been shepherding us towards the elevator doors. As they opened we entered the elevator and began the ride to the Top of the Tower, which was on the top floor of Tower One. The Hyatt has two towers connected by bridges. Tower One stands at twenty-six stories, and Tower Two stands at thirty stories. The penthouses of Tower Two could only be accessed by the express elevator in the lobby of Tower Two or by the bridge in the lobby of the Top of the Tower restaurant, where you had to show the concierge your room key to go across the bridge.
"I didn't think you would want to talk to her tonight and I don't think you should talk to her without your attorney present. I also don't think she'll give up. You need a little time to just learn to deal with what she did to you and my sister needs a little time to deal with what's happening between you two. So a faerie god-brother, who shall remain nameless, booked you a suite for the weekend where the Wicked Bitch of the West can't find you. The rooms are in my name and on my dime and you can consider it my gift to the two of you. In fact give me your cell phone Alex. You won't need it this weekend. I'll give it back to you Monday. I know where to reach you if anything comes up."
"I'm not pushing you to jump into anything. The suite has three bedrooms in it so if you don't want it to; nothing has to happen in the next three days. I'm not gonna ask and I don't wanna know. You guys have had this weird thing going on all this time and I think you'd be great together." Josh said all of this in a rush as I handed him my cell phone. "I had my assistant Joyce, pack a bag for you, Beth. I gave her my key to your place and told her to pack for three days," and with a gleam in his eyes "and nights. I told her to keep it sophisticated casual. She dropped off your bag and your house key while you guys were gone today."
A dark look crossed Beth's face. Josh continued "I took the liberty of packing your bag myself, Alex. I had Joyce bring both bags here and they are already in your suite." He had a smirk on his face and I just knew I wasn't the only one upset at the invasion of my personal space here.
