A Girl's Guide to Chicago

by Kelly Russell

  “Really! Oh wow! Thank you! Thank you so much. I really, really appreciate it.”

  “Well, you deserve it, and like I said, you work really hard and make all our lives so much easier.”

  I didn’t care that it just started to rain as I left the office. I’m thrilled. This extra money every month is going to help me so much. First things first though. I need to pay off a sizable chunk of my credit card. My city living is getting a little out of hand, and I need to get better at managing my going-out expenses. I put my umbrella up and head down Michigan Avenue toward The Peninsula.

  I should have rethought my decision to walk because I’m pretty soaked by the time I get to the hotel. My hair is frizzy from the rain, and it’s not the way I want to meet a group of new girls for the first time. I walk in and take a moment to figure out where I’m going. The concierge tells me to take the elevator up to the main lobby, so I do. When the doors open, I walk into a grand and beautiful hallway. The front desk is right in front of me and to the right is an elegant dining area. I ask an employee where I can find The Bar, and she directs me to around the corner.

  I walk into a somewhat dark but cozy bar. There is a small bar to the left with a few seats, and the rest of the room is filled with comfy-looking chairs and couches. There is a grand fireplace, and I think how inviting it would be during the winter. I see my new friend waving to me, and I head over to her.

  “Hi, Leah!” I look to the other girls sitting with her, and I give a smile.

  “Heya, let me introduce you to everyone,” I say hello and take a seat in the empty chair they saved for me.

  “Sorry, I’m such a mess. I didn’t realize how much it was really raining.”

  “You’re fine. Did you want to order a drink?” Leah hands me a cocktail menu.

  “Oh, yes, thanks.” A waitress quickly comes over and takes my order.

  I look around at the bar. “It’s so cozy in here. I really like this hotel. It’s beautiful.

  “Yep, it is. If it wasn’t raining, I wanted us to sit outside at Shanghai Terrace. It’s literally a garden terrace that overlooks Michigan Avenue, and it’s gorgeous. The drinks are really delicious too.”

  “Wow, that sounds so nice. I didn’t even know they had a terrace here. I will have to go.”

  “Yep. So. How’s the new apartment and the blog going?”

  “The blog is fun, I enjoy working on it. The apartment is great. I love the location, and I’m okay with living in a studio. It’s a nice size, and I have a big closet and bathroom. I didn’t even have a closet in my last place.”

  “Are you serious? Is that even legal?”

  “I’m not sure, but I was able to get out of my lease pretty easily. So, tell me about yourselves. I would love to hear more about you guys.”

  All the girls work in a variety of jobs from freelancing to PR and marketing. I find myself clicking with Leah and this girl Mary. All the girls are super nice and welcoming. Before we leave for the evening, we make plans to have cocktails at a few other places in the city. I want to try out new places, and I’m excited to meet up with them again.

  It’s not yet dark when we all leave The Peninsula Hotel. Since I live so close now, and it is still somewhat light outside, I decided to just walk home. Something I would have never done a few months ago. The rain has since stopped, and the sidewalks along Michigan Avenue have a pretty glow. It’s turned out to be a lovely summer evening. The tourists are enjoying an evening stroll with ice cream or a Starbucks frappe. On my walk home, I watch as couples holding hands are either heading to or from dinner. Some girls have been shopping after work and carry their shopping bags in the crook of their arms. As I enter through my apartment door to my new little home, Gracie comes to greet me. She seems just as happy as I am to be here.

  A few days later, I take a break from work to scroll through my social media feed. I see a post from a restaurant that I recently started to follow called Sunda. It’s an Asian fusion restaurant, super trendy, and the food looks amazing. The post simply says, Follow us, comment, and like this post for a chance to win a private dinner with our chef. Must be free to attend tonight. I’m free tonight so, of course, I enter the contest. I return to my work, and I don’t think much of it for the rest of the day.

  Toward the end of the day, I receive a private message, still not thinking much about the contest, and open to see it is from Sunda. I’ve won two seats for the dinner tonight. They ask if I’m able to attend tonight and I can only bring one guest. I sit back in my chair, staring at my phone for a second because I can’t believe that I have won. I check to make sure this is from the actual Sunda account and not a joke or spam. It’s not. I’ve never won anything like this before.

  Okay, so now, who should I bring? I can bring one of the girls, but how do I choose? I don’t want anyone to feel left out. Maybe James? However, I know deep down inside who I want to ask, but should I? I would obviously talk about this experience on my blog. It would be a fun post. Would people ask who I took as my guest? No, probably not. Who’s going to ask that, and why do I even care? Maybe someone in the office would ask, but I think only Jillian reads my blog. Okay, yep, I’m going to ask him.

  I walk over to Vin’s office. I see that he is busy. His door is open, so I just knock and stand in the doorway. He looks up.

  “What’s up?”

  “Oh, nothing too much. Well, I’m wondering if you have plans tonight? I just won this really cool free dinner at Sunda. I’m wondering if you want to come with me?”

  I can tell he’s thinking about it. “What time?”

  “I think it starts at seven.”

  “Okay, so how did you win this?”

  “Sunda had a post to like, follow, and comment and so I did. I wasn’t thinking much about it, so I just checked my account, and there was a private message from them.”

  “Wow, that’s pretty cool.”

  “Yeah, it is, it sounds fun, and it’s a free dinner. I’ve heard of Sunda, and I’ve wanted to check it out.”

  “I’ve never been either. I’m free, I’ll go with you.”

  I give him a wide smile. “Cool.”

  “Well, I’ve got to get some work done then.”

  “Okay, I will go home and get ready, and I will meet you just before seven at Sunda.”

  “Yeah. Cool. I have a lot of work to do, so I will just meet you there.”

  “Okay, see you later then.”

  I stop by a few stores on my way home to find something cute to wear for tonight’s dinner. I might want to take photos for my blog, so I want to make sure I look nice. I pop into Forever 21 to see what they have. They usually have cute dresses and for super cheap, so it’s worth taking a look.

  I leave the store with a simple blue dress after trying on half a dozen things. I look at my phone, and it’s almost six. Yikes! I better walk home fast. I don’t have much time to get ready and walk all the way over to Sunda. It’s hot outside, so I don’t want to rush and be all sweaty for dinner. I walk into my apartment at six-ten. I have about thirty minutes to freshen up, fix my hair, touch up makeup, and leave again. At least I have something to wear. I rush around, and at six forty-five, I’m ready to go. I give Gracie a treat, grab my key card, and run out of my apartment.

  I end up having to walk fast, and I make it to Sunda right at seven. I check with the host and tell her I have won the dinner for tonight, and I give her my name. Then Vin walks up behind me. The host leads us through the restaurant and up the stairs to an open room. There is a long table, and in front of it, a chef is prepping it for dinner. We are in a private area of the restaurant. I had no idea it was going to be like this. I also notice that Vin and I are right now the only ones up here.

  The host tells us someone will be by shortly to get our drink order and the rest of the parties should be joining us in a few minutes. Within a few minutes, another couple joins us and sits down across from us. They are an older couple and are friendly. By the questions they are asking, th
ey think that Vin and I are a couple.

  A server approaches and asks if we would like to start with a drink. He suggests a few cocktails, and I order something with mango. Vin orders a Jack and Coke. Our drinks arrive, however, no one else has joined our table. The four of us start some small talk as we wait for the server to return. He returns again with the chef who has finished prepping.

  “Hello. Good evening guys. Thanks for coming. I’m Chef Jesse. We were going to have another larger party join us this evening, however, they have just canceled with us. So, it’s just going to be the four of you this evening. This will give you a chance to have an intimate dinner and explore our menu here at Sunda.”

  Wow. This is a private dinner, in a private room, and now everything is going to be prepared just for us.

  I look over at Vin. “How fun is this going to be!”

  “Pretty cool. I’m impressed. I’ve never done anything like this.”

  I literally can’t go over each course we have. There are so many, and each one is better than the last. Everything we try is amazing. Chef Jesse takes his time with everything he cooks and prepares for us. Along with personally serving each course to us, while we eat, he explains how everything is cooked and prepared. You can tell he’s passionate about his food. Throughout the evening, he laughs and jokes and is having fun right along with us. It’s time for dessert, which must have been at least our eighth course. I’m so full. I’ve surprised myself, because I actually try everything Chef Jesse has served, including things that were raw and somewhat slimy.

  “So good right?” I give a Vin nod.

  “So good. I can’t believe that we got to do all this. Such an amazing night.”

  “I know! I really had no idea it would be like this. I just figured we would get a free meal or try a tasting menu or something.”

  After our dessert course, we thank Chef Jesse over and over for such an amazing meal and a memorable night. We leave both Chef Jesse and our server a gracious tip, say goodbye to the older couple. We walk out into a warm summer night.

  “I absolutely love when the weather is like this. It’s a perfect summer night.”

  “I can walk you home if you would like?”

  “Okay, yeah, thank you. Let’s definitely walk since it’s such a nice evening.”

  We head in the direction of my apartment chatting the whole time about the evening. Although, I’ve had a great night with Vin something is brewing inside me. I just can’t let it go. I need to ask him. Not letting go of what’s on my mind is something I often do, and I think it can sometimes be one of my worst qualities.

  I don’t have much time to ask since we are about five minutes from my apartment building. While Vin is talking about something else, I just let it come pouring out.

  “What happened with you and Natalie on Memorial Day weekend?”

  He doesn’t say anything at first. I can tell he is trying to think about what happened that night.

  “You know, the night we all met at RPM.”

  “Oh, that night. Oh, I think we just went to Leg Room, had a few drinks, and that was about it.”

  “So, nothing happened between you and her.”

  “No, nothing happened. Why are you asking this now? Why do you want to know?” Vin stops abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk and looks at me.

  “I don’t know. I just know that she likes you, you know.”

  “So, I’ve heard. But you seem to bring her up way more than I do. She’s a very nice girl, but I’m just not into dating anyone right now. I think I’ve told you this already. I was dating my last girlfriend for a long time, and it’s just not something I’m looking for right now.”

  I look down at the ground. “Oh right. Of course. I’m sorry for bringing it up to you again. I know, it’s not my business who you date. It’s just that I enjoy your company. You’ve helped me so much, and you have helped me become more comfortable with being on my own in the city. I’m not sure I’m ready for that to change just yet.”

  “Well, I have fun with you too. Like tonight. Tonight, was so much fun. When I like someone, I promise you, you will be one of the first to know.”

  I feel better hearing that. “Okay. That’s a deal then. I did have a lot of fun tonight, thank you for going with me.”

  “Thanks for asking me. It was an amazing dinner.”

  At this point, we are in front of my building, and I give him a quick hug.

  “Also, thank you for walking me home.”

  “Always.”

  “Okay. Well, see you in the morning.”

  I look back at him as I open the door to my building. He gives me a quick wave and starts walking away.

  Twenty-One

  July is hot. The city is sizzling. The air doesn’t move. I’m sticky every morning when I walk to work. I have switched from a hot coffee to an iced coffee most mornings. Feeling hot from my walk this morning, I sit down at my desk and take a few sips of my iced coffee, waiting to cool off a bit. Mark comes busting through the front glass doors. He’s here early this morning. I wonder what could be going on? However, instead of walking into the model side, he comes right over to my desk. Oh geez, what could he possibly want from me?

  “Kelly. My publicist called me today with good news.” Really? He has a publicist?

  “I entered into a contest for Esquire Magazine’s “Best Dressed Man of the Year,” and I’m going to be on The Today Show next week. You’re looking at the next Best Dressed Man of the Year. You can tell all your girlfriends that you work for me.”

  “Wow! That’s really . . . great! We’ll have to watch when you’re on.”

  “Cool. Well, I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor?” Oh no.

  “Okay, what’s that?” I look up and give him a big smile.

  “I would like you, as my favorite assistant, to send over some flowers to Kathie Lee.”

  “Kathie Lee Gifford? Whatever for?”

  “Hoda and Kathie are hosting the contest on the show. I met her a few years ago in New York. I want to send her some flowers to let her know I’m one of the contestants. I’m sure she’ll remember me. I’ll email you the details.”

  I roll my eyes as Mark heads back to his office. He is unreal. I wish he would spend more time helping the models than working on his fame. Later in the afternoon, he sends me all the details. I spend most of the afternoon looking for the perfect flowers for Kathie Lee. At least he gave me his credit card. Never a dull moment with Mark. Of course, I tell the whole office that Mark is going to be on The Today Show, and honestly, we can’t wait to watch it. I can only imagine what his segment will be like.

  It’s still so hot by the weekend. Kourtney has a pool and has invited Amy and me over to lay out and swim for a few hours. Her building is right next to an exclusive club, East Bank Club, where Oprah used to go. Anytime you hear about East Bank Club, someone will always say, did you know that’s where Oprah hung out? Chicago is very proud to have had Oprah for so long and really who wouldn’t be?

  Kourtney’s place is beautiful. Everything looks brand new, and the rooftop is vast with a huge pool, plenty of lounge chairs to lay out on, and a large garden area. There are fire pits with groups of couches surrounding them and a few grills scattered nearby.

  “Wow! Kourt, this place is amazing! It’s so nice up here. I can’t believe you live here.”

  “I know! It’s a million times nicer than our old place in New York. Did I already tell you that?”

  Kourtney talks a lot about New York City. She compares everything to New York. She loves New York, and I can tell she misses it.

  “Yep. Do you think you’ll go back to New York?”

  “I think eventually. But right now, my fiancé has such a good job here so we will be here for a while I guess.”

  “Well, at least you get to live in this really amazing place!”

  We grab three chairs together right next to the pool and spread out our towels. This is seriously so nice. I could literally do t
his every weekend. We lay out for the next few hours. I love feeling the sunshine, even when it’s hot. The pool is perfect. We enjoy a few mimosas, then take a quick dip to cool off, and lay out again to get more sun.

  “So, what are your plans for this evening? I think Amy and I are going with the guys to a sushi spot that’s kind of a hidden gem. It’s in the Belden Stratford. I think it’s called Naoki. Have you heard of it?”

  “No, but I looked at apartments there. That sounds cool. I had no idea that was even in there.”

  “Yeah, you’re welcome to come with us. See, you need to start dating someone so you can come on dates with us all the time.”

  “Well, thank you. I would go, but I’m meeting Vin and James at a BBQ place in Wicker Park called Smoke Daddy. I haven’t really been over to that area, so I think we will walk around for a bit and then go eat.”

  “So, do you hang out with them a lot?”

  “Well, I’ve hung out James quite a bit, and sometimes Vin joins us.”

  “What do you think of Vin?”

  “I enjoy spending time with him. He’s fun to hang with, and he has helped me to become way more comfortable with living in the city.”

  “Oh, so you guys are pretty close then, huh? Well, I still think that you should let me hook you up with one of my fiancé’s coworkers. You definitely don’t want to get involved like that with your boss. What if you guys break up? That could totally ruin your job.”

  “Well, it’s really not like that, we’re just good friends.”

  “Oh, okay” She gives me a questioning look.

  “Well, if you want to meet some of my fiancé friends, let me know. I think it would be great.”

  “I will for sure. I just feel like I want to have fun right now. I’m still pretty new to the city, and I’m enjoying just exploring and figuring things out.”