I absently swirl the ice cube along the bottom of my scotch glass. It glides smoothly along the surface, a mesmerizing, repetitive dance.
"Are you game?" Aaron's voice breaks through my trance.
My wrist stops, but the ice keeps moving. I stare at the table, attempting to jumpstart my brain into remembering what was just said to me. I glance up and smile sheepishly at Aaron. "Ummm, I might've zoned out."
He just looks at me, eyes sparkling with amusement. "I noticed. You wanna get out of here?"
I straighten up and glance around. "Where'd our waiter go?"
"Why?"
I look at him, confused. "So we can pay?"
He stands. "You were more out of it than I thought. Jesus, Christine."
I follow suit and grab my purse. "Shit. Are you serious? I swear I didn't even notice him come by."
He shakes his head and takes my hand. "Come on, idiot. Time for some spontaneity."
We walk out of the hotel's 4-star restaurant and down a hallway. We eventually an elevator tucked away in the corner of the building. When we get in, Aaron swipes a card and presses the button labeled "RG."
My eyes light up. "I thought the roof was limited access." Aaron waves the keycard in my face. I snatch it from him and read the name. "You stole a janitor's keycard?"
Aaron's jaw drops in feigned indignation. "Wow, first of all, he's a utility worker, and second," Aaron reaches out for the key card, his body pressing against mine as he does so. "I didn't
steal
it. Some people just find me highly persuasive."
My hands have instinctively wrapped around his waist, and Aaron leans down to kiss the top of my forehead. "Oh yeah?" My voice has dropped to almost a whisper. The elevator doors open with a ding.
"Yeah," he says, pulling away from me and drawing me out of the elevator. We're in a small maintenance shed. Potted plants and white bags of soil line the wall. A bucket in the corner holds various trowels, shovels, and hoes.
"Damn, some view. Worth it."
Aaron rolls his eyes at me and continues through the small room. There's a door on the opposing side, which he opens without unlocking. He places a small block against the frame to catch the door and gestures for me to take the lead.
I step out of the dimly lit shed into a rooftop garden. In the moonlight, I can make out small trees dotting the landscape around me, and there's a little wooden bench less than ten feet from where I'm standing. I take a few steps down the stone walkway, trying to get a better look at the handiwork, when thousands of fairy lights turn on.
I gasp. "Oh my god!" My hands cover my mouth as I take in the view. The tiniest lights rest in the branches of the small trees, causing green leaves to glow gold and casting a maze of shadows on the ground beneath them. Swatches of lush grass are framed by winding garden pathways, and dozens of flowering bushes, seemingly all in full bloom, cover the roof.
I hear Aaron come up behind me, and I feel his hands wrap around my waist. He kisses the top of my head. "It's beautiful," I whisper.
"I thought you'd like it." He kisses my neck, and I lean into him.
"You're sure we won't get caught?"
"Shhh." His breath is hot on my neck, and I feel my body heat up in response. I turn to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. My lips find his, and I kiss him slowly and deeply. His hands slide down my waist, wrapping around to grip my ass as his tongue gently traces my lower lip.
I pull my body flush against his, standing on my tip-toes, dying to be as close to him as physically possible. He responds in turn by tightening his grip on my ass, fingers kneading into the firm flesh. I bite his lip and let out a long exhale. His mouth moves down to my neck, and I feel his hands wander up to the zipper of my dress.
The fog clears from my brain as I pull away from him. "We're on a roof."
He takes a step toward me. "Mhmm."
"This is a public space."