To The Hotel

Going to New York with Tom had seemed like a bad idea when Cheyenne had agreed to it for Kayla and it was even worse now that Kayla was in the van. Especially with Tom and his girlfriend, Emily, in the backseat, Emily giggling with that sweet voice of hers. It turned out, the girl at Scrappe was his girlfriend. She was due back in Newport that evening for a photo shoot and was taking a flight out of New York. At least the ride back to Birch Falls would be quiet. Not that Kayla disliked Emily, it was just... awkward having her here because Kayla wasn't exactly sure what was going on between her and Tom. Did Tom like Kayla? Was he trying to hook up with other girls while Emily was working in other parts of the country?

Just thinking about it made Kayla's head hurt.

"What kind of music do you listen to?" Jeff asked from the front seat, flipping through the radio stations.

Kayla looked over at him. At least she had Jeff. At least she wasn't the odd third wheel.

"I don't care," she said. "whatever you want."

Jeff chuckled as he stopped on a channel and David Lee Roth's latest track blared through the speakers.

"Oh, i like this song!" Emily said and started singing along as best as she could. Kayla held in her laugh. Not only did Emily get the words wrong, Kayla would guess that she still thought  David Lee Roth was a part of Van Halen. What did Tom see in this woman? Was it because she was a model? Pssh. Hardly.

Kayla glanced at her watch. It was just after nine in the morning, which meant they'd been on the road less than half an hour. The sun shone brightly as it rose in a clear, blue sky, but the windows on the van were so darkly tinted, Kayla didn't even need her sunglasses.

She shifted in her seat, the leather squeaking beneath her.

"Hey, Kay?" Tom said.

She turned to glance back at him. His hat sat crooked on his head. It almost annoyed Kayla how cute he looked right now.

"Yeah?" she said.

"You doing okay?"

She furrowed her brow. "I'm fine," she said and straightened in her seat.

He lowered his voice and whispered "What's up with you?"

Sometimes it was hard to translate Tom's language.

Emily sat forward and poked her head between the front seats, her French manicured nails scratching against the leather as she said, "Who is this?"

Kayla sighed. "This is David Lee Roth."

"Oh, i like him!"

"Yeah. Me, too."

Emily sat back in her seat just as Tom whispered, "You're not going to answer?"

"I haven't been cold," she whispered back, then quickly looked away.

"Liar." Tom said, lowering his head. Kayla could feel his eyes on her as her cheeks flushed.

"I'm not lying." She scowled at him. He grinned back.

"Yes you are."

She chewed on her lip as she tried to decide on her response. Tell him to shove it? Tell him he was delusional? Or tell him the truth?

And what was the truth, exactly?

She liked him. Or at least had a tiny crush on him and she'd been cold because the crush scared her.

There, she'd admitted it. She liked Tom.

The hair on the nape of her neck stood up. She rubbed at it, trying to force the chill from her skin.

It didn't work.

"All right," she said. "the truth is, i sorta like you. Okay? But, you have Emily."

He glanced out the window and smiled to himself, thinking of a response.

While Kayla waited, her stomach twisted into knots. The sixty or so seconds it took him to reply seemed more like a thousand. What if he wasn't attracted to her? What if he thought she was an idiot? Especially for having this conversation with his girlfriend in the car. But she wasn't paying any attention to anything but the road and the sound of David's voice blaring through the speaker.

"You like me?" Was all he said.

This was his reply? She furrowed her brow. "Yes, you idiot!" She said too loud.

He laughed to himself. "Who are you talking to?" Emily asked.

He looked up, shot her a smile. "Kayla. I was asking her about this friend she's supposed to meet tonight."

Kayla widened her eyes at him. Thankfully, Emily couldn't see Kayla because she was hiding behind the passenger seat.

He was blatantly lying to his girlfriend! Kayla felt ill with guilt.

Emily switched the station again.

"Hey now!" Jeff said. "I was listening to that."

"Yeah, but i don't like that song."

Jeff sighed and shook his head.

"You lied to her," Kayla whispered.

"It was a white lie."

"No, a BIG lie."

"Listen," he said, "thing is, i like you, too. And i'm working on getting things straightened out."

Kayla looked back at him now. The smile, the sarcasm, was gone, leaving his expression incredibly serious.

"You're not very good to her." Kayla said.

"I've been for six of the seven months we've been together."

Kayla shook her head and shifted in her seat again, toward the window. She hadn't mistaken the attraction she'd felt between her and Tom.

♥♥♥

They arrived in New York sometime around one P.M. Tom's meeting didn't start until five, but Kayla wanted to find a payphone so she could call Fred's hotel.

First, they had to drop off Emily at JFK Airport. What a mess that was. Kayla had never flown before and if the maze of roadways and traffic and different terminals at JFK were any indication, Kayla could wait several more years before tackling it. She closed her eyes against the chaos, slumping against the car door for comfort.

"Hey, Kay!" Someone shook her.

Kayla startled upright. She'd been sleeping? What time was it?

The van was moving again, having left behind the busy highway for the more compact city streets. Kayla glanced at the dashboard clock. It was only two P.M. She'd passed out for roughly an hour.

"Sorry," she muttered, clearing the sleep from her throat. "Are we going to the hotel now?" She glanced in the backseat at Tom and frowned. "You changed your clothes and... where's your hat?"

Instead of his usual leather pants and a flashy jacket, he wore a pair of dark washed jeans that fit him nicely and a black button-up shirt with the first five buttons undone.

"You're staring at me," he said, a grin quirking the corner of his mouth. "Do i have something on my face?" He gave his chin a cursory swipe.

"No." Kayla blinked and looked away. "You just... look good."

A car horn blared behind the van. Jeff mumbled something about impatient tax drivers. He turned left at an intersection.

"So," Tom began, turning sideways in his seat. "I have a surprise for you."

Kayla tensed. She suspected Tom's kind of surprise was not a coffee, or a nice good luck card.

"Really?" she said cautiously.

"Yeah. I wouldn't have changed otherwise."

"You didn't have to."

"I know. But this is pretty special, and i think you'll like it."

"But we're still going to the hotel? Right? So i can catch Fred?"

He grinned.

"Tom?"

"Well... sort of..."

Kayla widened her eyes. "Tom! i have to get to the hotel! Otherwise this whole trip has been a waste!"

"Chill." He put his hand on her forearm. Goose bumps popped on her skin despite his warm touch. "The surprise will be worth it. Okay?"

She stared at him again for several long seconds. Instead of admiration, she was annoyed this time. "If i don't get to the hotel in time..."

"You will."

"Fine," she grumbled and turned back in her seat. She had less than four hours to make sure she was in the hotel. And Tom better get her to that hotel.

Less than twenty-minutes later, Jeff pulled up in front of a hotel that said THE CARLYLE in cursive gold lettering on a black awning. A doorman in one of those silly hats stood near a topiary that had been trimmed to look like a poodle's tail.

"What are we doing here so early?" Kayla asked after she'd removed her sunglasses.

"You're surprise is here."

Kayla turned on him and gritted her teeth, hoping to get the point across. "What are we going to do here for three-and-a-half hours? Tom!"

"Tell her, Tom," Jeff said, "before she pops a blood vessel."

Tom sighed. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"All right." Tom pushed the hair off his forehead. "I called the producer i was supposed to meet and changed restaurants. I thought the five of us could have dinner here. I heard it was nice..."

Kayla frowned. "You what?" This wasn't a good idea. What was she supposed to tell Fred? She wouldn't even have the time to explain the situation to him. How can Tom expect to have a business dinner with a producer with the awkwardness they have been feeling toward their "relationship". Bad idea.

"Well, if this works out and she agrees to produce our record, we would be recording it here and then leaving for a tour. So, this would sort of be the last time i see you. You don't have to come to dinner if you don't want to..."

"I don't know," Kayla said.

"Well, it's too late." Tom opened his door. "They're expecting us."

He came around to Kayla's side and opened her door. "Come on."

"But... what? Fred is in there?"

"Come on." He grabbed her hand and dragged her out. "I'll call you when we're done, Jeff."

Jeff nodded. "I'm going in search of Krispy Kremes." He sighed, then, "Have fun, dude."

"Later."

Tom set his hand on the small of Kayla's back and guided her over the gold C in the pavement in front of The Carlyle. The doorman tipped his hat and said good morning.

"What's up, dude," Tom said before pushing Kayla into the revolving door. She went in. Tom took the next open slot and followed.

The lobby of The Carlyle felt like a different world entirely, which made Kayla feel extremely out of place. The floors were black, maybe marble, or something else equally expensive. They were polished to the point that Kayla could see her reflection when she looked down. It was as if she were walking on water.

There were orange sofas diagonal from the reception area with big mirrors behind them.

Whenever she looked, Kayla could see her reflection. It was unnerving, especially when her eyes looked too puffy from sleep and her lips dry and her eye shadow too dark.

"Good morning, sir," the man behind the desk said, "How can i help you?"

"Where is the hotel restaurant?"

"Go to the tenth floor. Someone will meet you at the elevators."

"Thanks."

"This is all so... elegant," Kayla muttered as they crossed the lobby to the elevator banks. The floor inside the elevator was black, too, the trim gold.

Tom pushed in the button for floor ten, and the doors dinged shut.

"This place is official," he said. "You don't get better than this."

Why was Fred staying in a place like this? He lived in a studio apartment back in Birch Falls and worked at a coffee shop in town. There was no way he could afford to vacation in a hotel this extravagant.

"Have you ever stayed here?"

Tom laughed. "Hell, no. i can't afford this place."

The screen above the elevator doors counted the floors. A bell dinged again when they reached the tenth floor and the doors slid open. A woman in a black suit and sunny yellow heels greeted Tom and Kayla.

"I'm Wendy," she said. "It's nice to meet you, Tom."

"Hi. Nice to meet you, too." He smiled as he shook her hand.

The woman headed down the hallway, her hands clasped in front of her. She stopped at a door and waited for the servant to open it.

This was such a bad idea.

They entered the restaurant where they were greeted by a waiter who lead them to their table near the back.

Fred was seated at the table, his eyes set on Kayla as he sipped from a wine glass.

"Hi," she said, waggling her fingers and taking the seat beside him.

Kayla tried to focus on Fred but there was so much else to admire in the room. The decor was expensive, with an Old World feeling, the furniture plush and lined with throw pillows. Candles flickered on the tables and overhead in the chandeliers.

Fred was younger than Kayla, but she couldn't help but feel like the youngest. It didn't help that Fred look stunning in his maroon, silk button up shirt and a pair of tight-fitting black jeans. His hair hung around his shoulders in tight curls. And he had flawless skin.

♥♥♥

Kayla clasped her hands together and shrieked as the elevator doors closed. "That was so nice! Did you see how beautiful the restaurant was?"

Tom grinned. "Yeah. Beyond beautiful."

"How did it go with the producer?" She asked. During dinner she couldn't focus on anything but Fred and her surroundings. The whole environment was just overwhelming and breath taking.

"I think it went pretty good. I don't think i like her as much as i thought i would. But, we'll see how it goes."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Tom, thank you for dinner. It was really nice." she said to Tom. She bounced over and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Tiny wisps of his hair tickled her face. He smelled like cinnamon gum and sweet cologne.

Tom wrapped his arms tentatively around her waist. "It's no big deal."

"It's a huge deal." She pulled back to kiss his cheek, but he moved his head at the same time and they ended up locking lips.

Kayla was surprised at first and she tensed up instantly.

Until Tom's hands slid up her hips and the breath shuddered out of her lungs. He pressed into her more, and she leaned into the corner of the elevator, the kiss having gone from accidental to fierce in two seconds.

Tom ran his tongue along her lips and a chill breezed through her spine.

It was like she'd been waiting for that kiss the entire summer. Every thought disappeared from her mind until Tom pulled away.

"Kayla," he said, his voice husky, "we can't."

She knew that, but she didn't want to listen to reason right now. Not with her heart thundering in her chest or the butterflies dancing in her stomach.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened on the first floor. An older couple peered inside at Kayla and Tom still pressed into the corner of the elevator.

Tom pushed off the wall and hurried through the lobby, leaving Kayla still warring with the pleasure and guilt mixing in her gut.