Page 30 of Mr Best Friend's Brother Grump

“Yes, let’s,” she says taking it. And we make our way to the exit.

Chapter 25

Rosa

Outside the Hilton, Saturday night is in full swing. It’s only when I’m out on the street that I notice how claustrophobic I feel. It’s a funny thing to think of New York air being fresh, but here I am breathing in a lung full. The banner with the logos has been put away. The red carpet rolled up for the next event and the lobby shows no sign of the earlier media excitement. Nathan and I face each other on the sidewalk, close together, as pedestrians flow around us.

“Okay, now what?” Nathan says, smiling at me.

“Well, it’s your night. You choose.”

“Alright, then. Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

Nathan steps into the street of honking restless traffic and flags down a taxi. We get in and he tells the driver the address.

“I hope you like French food,” Nathan says, settling back in the seat. “This place is kind of special. I think it will suit your dress.”

We ride a few blocks south, leave the cab, and enter an older building through a decorative wooden double door with etched glass windows, which allow welcoming rectangles of yellow light to spill onto the ground outside. The wood-paneled interior of the lobby suggests an elegant Art Deco era with a tall cuboid, glass pendant central light. Small square black and white marble tiles cover the floor. Nathan steers me to the elevator at the far end and presses the call button on the brass panel at the side where an engraved sign reads, La Belle Nuit. Apart from the street sounds outside, it’s quiet. There’s no one else around.

The elevator doors slide open with a resounding ting. I step inside and Nathan follows.

“The story goes that this place was a speakeasy, way back when,” Nathan says as he presses the button for the top floor. “In a time of prohibition when having a good time was deemed detrimental to the nation…” The door closes. “…when certain pleasurable pastimes were banned… illegal…” We stand side by side facing the door. “You could be put in jail for having a beer with your buddies… Or a glass of Champagne with a beautiful woman.”

“Imagine that,” I say, my voice barely a whisper, although I’m imagining something else pleasurable that is out of bounds, but tantalizingly within reach. Nathan and I watch, above the door, as the needle slowly tracks our progress up through each level. We are so close my upper arm lightly brushes the fabric of Nathan’s jacket sending a shiver through me. I concentrate on the circles of lights illuminating one by one on the arc of the indicator panel. I inhale Nathan’s scent and breathe deeply, swept away by his manly presence, so, so close. In the next moment, unexpectedly, I turn towards him, my hand slowly reaching up, barely touching the black satin lapel of his jacket.

“Nathan, I…” I don’t know how to ask, or what his reaction will be. For a moment, time stands still until, looking deep into his eyes, which are soft and searching, I say, “Kiss me.”

“Oh, Rosa,” he murmurs, as he wraps his arms around me, pulling me gently to him, slowly bending to where his lips meet mine.

My arms extend around his neck, pulling him closer, and I press my body against his. We are lost in the kiss that I have imagined for the longest time. But the reality is so much better. I am transported to another place. We’re flying to the moon on a magic carpet. Shooting stars whizz overhead. Then, ting, the elevator stops with a bump, and the doors slide open to the sounds of loungey jazz music and chatter of La Belle Nuit. Our kiss is interrupted. We both look out of the open door. I prepare myself to leave the elevator. But instead of releasing me, Nathan reaches over to hit the button for the ground floor, and the doors slide shut again. I don’t think anyone noticed. And I don’t care because I am kissing the most beautiful man I have ever met, in my slinky black dress, in an elevator. This is the best night of my life.

When the elevator tings open at the ground floor, Nathan pauses our kiss, pulling me closer as if he will never let me go.

“How about we go up and get that glass of Champagne, beautiful woman?”

“Yes please… and maybe some French fries?”

We share one more lavish, luxurious kiss on the way back up and I can’t stop smiling. I’m tingly all over and have an overwhelming urge to shout out, ‘Yipeeee’. Soulful piano music meets us when the elevator door opens again at the top-floor restaurant. We saunter, hand in hand, towards the soft amber light surrounding the bar. Glass bottles on the back wall glow like jewels.

A smartly dressed young man approaches and says, “Welcome to La Belle Nuit, monsieur, madam. Are you here to eat?” Nathan nods. “Table for two?” He looks down at his iPad screen. “Do you have a reservation?” When Nathan tells him no, the man sucks in his cheeks, shakes his head, and furrows his brow. “One minute, please. Take a seat at the bar and I’ll get your table ready.” He moves off and says something to a waiter.

I perch on one of the bar stools and Nathan sits beside me, entwining his fingers in mine.

“That was quite a kiss,” he says, looking at me, smiling shyly. “I could have happily kept hitting that elevator button a few more times.”

I laugh, and squeeze Nathan’s hand. “Oh my! Such a nice kiss.” It was up there with the one from 'The Notebook', for sure. The barman comes over to take our order. “Champagne? Of course. We’re celebrating.”

“Congratulations,” says the barman. “And what’s the happy occasion, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“The best kiss ever,” says Nathan without missing a beat. “It’s official.”

“Well then, that is truly something to celebrate,” the barman says as he prepares the ice bucket for our Champagne. He moves away to get the glasses.

“I have to admit that I have wanted to kiss you for a while now,” Nathan says, suddenly serious, still holding my hand.

“Well, Nathan Ellis, I have been patiently waiting for you to do so.”

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