by Nicki Night
“Listen. You go ahead and try to make it to your apartment before you get stuck,” she said again. “I’m going to head to one of these nearby hotels and get a room. I need to move quick before all these people start filling up the vacancies.”
“It’s fine. I want to make sure you’re okay,” he repeated.
The sincerity in his tone was touching. Despite her telling him she’d be fine on her own, she was glad he was staying with her. Not being able to get home was unsettling. She tried hard to keep it together.
A woman next to her was frantically crying into her cell phone about having no one to pick up her daughter from day care. It made Zoe want to cry with her. Poor woman. Poor child. Being stuck was bad enough. She couldn’t imagine being stuck and unable to get to her children. She wanted to help the woman but what could she possibly do? They were in the same position.
Though Zoe had never suffered from the condition, she now understood what claustrophobia felt like. The air felt thick. She had to get out of that station so she could breathe.
Ethan was still by her side.
“Let’s get out of here,” she told him at last. “I need to find a room.”
“Okay.” He immediately grabbed her hand and led the way through the dense crowd of people in Penn Station.
Outside, the rain came down in sheets. Zoe pulled her umbrella from her bag, but the moment she opened it, the wind took it away. She watched in disbelief as it tumbled down Thirty-Fourth Street. The forceful winds threatened to treat her the same way.
“Come on.” Ethan tugged, leading her by the arm.
The stoplight turned green and they headed across the street to the Hotel Pennsylvania. Cars lined up along Seventh Avenue as far as they could see. Windshield wipers swung rapidly, sending water into the air. Despite the short distance between the station and the hotel, Zoe and Ethan were drenched when they reached the lobby.
Zoe couldn’t believe her ears when the woman at the registration desk said they were already out of rooms. Between the conference they were hosting and the people who’d booked rooms because they couldn’t get out of the city, the hotel had no vacancies left.
“Let’s go over here.” Ethan led her across the lobby to a corner that wasn’t overcome with people trying to stay dry. “Let’s call some of the other hotels in the area. We can also try checking in online.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll call some and if you don’t mind, can you check others online?”
“Sure.” Ethan began swiping away at his cell phone.
Zoe was so grateful for his presence. She pulled up local hotels and began making calls. Each one said they were at capacity.
“This travel app seems to have a few vacancies.” Ethan turned his phone around so she could see the display.
Zoe pulled up the same app on her phone and booked a room a few blocks away. Ethan headed back outside to hail a taxi. It took at least twenty minutes for an empty one to pass by. The hotel was just a few blocks north on Eighth Avenue, but it took another half hour to make it there. Had it not been for the ball-size raindrops, they could have walked and gotten there faster.
They finally arrived at the hotel only to be told they didn’t have any rooms available.
“But I have a confirmation!” Zoe waved her phone in the air. Her last bit of patience departed. “What do you mean you can’t accept the reservation?”
The exhausted woman behind the counter explained that the app had somehow allowed the booking in error because there were absolutely no vacancies left. She explained how to request money back from the app.
Zoe couldn’t believe this was happening to her. Then she thought about all those people down in Penn Station, still hoping to make it home.
“Look, Zoe,” Ethan said at last. “This is not working out. Just come to my place. You’ll be safe there. We’ll grab something to eat and wait this out for a bit. Hopefully the trains will be back on track in a few more hours.”
“Thank you, Ethan, but I’d hate to impose.”
Imposing wasn’t the problem. While it was fun to secretly crush on him, being with him in his Manhattan bachelor pad was just too much.
“It’s not a problem. Let’s go.”
“I don’t know...”
“Then what are you going to do?” he asked. “If we stay out here any longer, we’ll both get sick.”
Zoe huffed. What was she going to do? She had been completely soaked from head to toe for a while now and had begun shivering. “Let me try a few more hotels.”
“Sure,” Ethan said. “Let’s try a few more.”
Zoe called hotels outside of the immediate area, hoping she would have a better chance booking a room. Some still didn’t have vacancies and others just weren’t able to promise her a room over the phone because of the volume of hopefuls filling their lobbies.
Reluctantly, Zoe turned to Ethan and threw her hands up. She felt defeated and wished she could blink and magically appear in her own living room. “I guess it’s your place.”
“Come on.” He took her by the hand again and maneuvered out of the crowded hotel back into the heavy rain. “Let’s hope we get a taxi faster this time.”
The rain pelted them like darts. After a long while, they were finally able to get a taxi. The ride to SoHo took forever through flooded streets. Water ran down the windshield like someone was on top of the car pouring buckets over the glass.
Finally, they made it to Ethan’s apartment building. Zoe was soaked down to her undergarments, her hair stuck to her face and her shoes squeaked when she walked across the lobby floor. But once she stepped inside his apartment, the beauty of it made her momentarily forget all she’d just waded through.
Ethan’s place was stunning with an airy vibe. Dark wood floors made a striking contrast against stark white walls adorned with huge canvases of beautifully framed art. The stylish yet masculine decor brought together strong, dark colors against warm and creamy hues. Navy blue sofas held ivory pillows on one end and gray pillows on the other. The space opened to a kitchen with all of the cabinets and appliances aligning one wall and a massive granite-topped island setting the space apart from the living room. Next to the kitchen sat a dining table with places for six.
“Here. Let me take your coat,” Ethan offered.
Zoe peeled it off and handed it to him. She felt a rush of coolness and hugged herself to ward off the chill. She looked up at the lofty exposed ceilings. Through the fully windowed wall, the storm looked like a beautiful but unsettling work of art. She took off her soggy shoes and walked around slowly.
“It’s beautiful in here,” she said finally.
“Thanks. I’ll see if I can find you something dry to put on or at least get you some blankets. Then I’ll see what I have in the freezer that I can defrost. There’s probably not much more than water and butter in the fridge. I’m sure I have pasta and a few jars of sauce somewhere.”
“Okay.” Zoe heard him but never took her focus off of admiring the space.
Moments later, he emerged with a hoodie and sweats that were sure to be too large for her.
“You can change in that bedroom or the bathroom down there on the right.” Ethan pointed.
Zoe released a heavy sigh. “Thanks, Ethan.” She went into the bathroom, which was clad in marble from the ceiling to the floor. A floating vanity with a stone sink boasted contemporary faucets, making the small bathroom look like something straight out of a fancy hotel. She peeled off her wet clothes, leaving just her underwear, and put on the oversize sweats Ethan had given her. They were big, soft and dry and for that she was grateful.
She put her belongings in the spare room he’d offered, then headed back to the living area and found Ethan already changed.
She was used to him looking handsome in tailored suits, but Zoe wasn’t ready for how rugged and sexy Ethan would be in simp
le sweats and a college T-shirt. His taut chest strained against the university’s logo. The short sleeves exposed muscular arms wrapped in smooth brown skin. She watched his muscles shift and flex as he pulled food from the freezer. Not knowing what to do with herself, Zoe joined him in the kitchen.
“Can I help?” she asked pensively, not wanting to get too close. The pressure of being alone with him at his place was both stimulating and nerve-racking. Still, she’d had no choice, she reasoned.
“You like burgers and fries?” he asked. “I found some ground turkey in the freezer.”
“Turkey works for me”
“Cool. No help needed. Why don’t you find something on TV? I’ll whip up one of my gourmet burgers for you. I found some good bread in the fridge.”
Again she thought about how grateful she was that Ethan had waited with her. What would she have done if he’d gone home and left her alone at Penn Station? She might have ended up sleeping on a bench.
Zoe called her mother and sister to let them know she was safe and had gone to a “friend’s” house in the city to ride out the storm. They were glad to hear that she was okay.
She pointed the remote at the television and found a news station to get more updates on the weather. Hopefully she’d be able to head home in a few hours.
She glanced back at Ethan in the kitchen. He was humming as he patted out the burgers. She’d never been in an apartment like this before or with a man like him, and for just a moment, she allowed her imagination to roam. What would it be like to actually be the girlfriend of Ethan Blackwell?
Ten
“What did you do to that burger?” Zoe asked, popping the last fry in her mouth. “That was amazing.”
“Can’t tell you.” Ethan kept his eyes on the television with his feet comfortably propped on an ottoman.
Zoe gave him a sideways glance. Ethan laughed. She looked beautiful even when she shot him sketchy looks.
“I have to give you credit,” she said. “It was great. I didn’t peg you for a cook.”
“You figured I was spoiled.” He let the assumption hang in the air.
Zoe remained quiet. After several moments ticked away in silence, she offered up a puppy dog look. “Guilty as charged,” she finally admitted.
“You do karate and change tires. I cook—among other things—and change tires.”
Zoe shrugged. “I misjudged you.”
“Yep. You did. Consider us even, though. I misjudged you, too. I was surprised you knew so much about cars.”
“Surprise!” Zoe chuckled. It was like a soft melody.
He smiled. Not because of the funny way she’d said surprise, but because the sound of her laughter gave him a sense of joy.
Her perfectly plump lips made Ethan want to reach over and kiss her. Instead, he got up, took her empty plate, placed it on top of his and headed to the kitchen. “Want a refill on your iced tea?”
“Sure.”
Ethan stayed in the kitchen longer than necessary. He had to put some distance between Zoe and himself. Being close to her was wreaking havoc on his will. Having her all to himself like this when she was completely off-limits was taking a toll on him.
He studied her for a quick moment as she took in the news. Her hair had dried some. Even his oversize clothing looked good on her. Her frizzy tresses and the sight of his clothes on her shapely body made his imagination run wild. Zoe looked a sexy mess.
After a while, he returned with the jug of iced tea and poured more in her cup, set the jug down and turned up the volume on the television. Updates on the train system would be a safe distraction.
“I need to—” Zoe turned to him to speak but stopped abruptly when she noticed him studying her. She cleared her throat “—let my mom know I’ll be home later than I thought.”
He smiled. “Sure.” Then sat back and returned his focus to the news.
Zoe stood, grabbed her cell phone and called her mother. She paced the kitchen as she talked. From what Ethan overheard, her family seemed to be fine.
While she spoke to them, he reached for his phone and dialed 311, New York City’s service line. He asked about transportation updates in an attempt to get more information for Zoe. To his surprise, Manhattan was completely cut off from the other boroughs. The bridges were shut down because of strong winds, and tunnels, stations and streets were flooded all over the metropolitan area. Sporadic power and out-of-order streetlights caused traffic debacles. Trees were down everywhere.
Ethan ended his call and turned up the volume on the TV. The mayor was declaring a state of emergency, and authorities encouraged everyone to stay inside until the storm passed. Soggy newscasters, out on location and covered by ineffective raincoats, reported on the extreme weather conditions as they were pelted by large raindrops and jostled by the wind. Their cameras showed scenes of people taking shelter inside restaurants and stores. Stranded commuters were packed in bus and train stations across the city.
Ethan looked out his lofty windows. A brooding darkness loomed across the sky. As if on cue, lightning flashed and thunder rolled, making Zoe flinch where she stood in the kitchen. Ethan wished he could hold her in his arms.
This storm didn’t look like it was passing anytime soon. Even if it did, how soon would transportation get back up and running? Maybe the bridges would open first. He could drive Zoe home with the car he kept in the garage below the apartment building. But what about those flooded streets?
Zoe ended her call and came back to sit on the couch.
“I have good news and not so good news,” Ethan began.
“Okay.” She stretched the word with curiosity.
“Which do you want first?”
“Hit me with the bad news,” she said, throwing up her hands. “It can’t get much worse than it already is, can it?”
“Well...” Ethan sighed. “I don’t think you’re going to get home tonight.”
She groaned. He shared the information he’d gathered from 311 and the news.
“This is horrible,” she grumbled. “I never thought I’d see anything like this in New York again.”
“I know. Me, too.” A few moments of silence passed as they absorbed this reality.
“So what’s the good news?” Zoe finally asked.
“You’re welcome to say here for the night.”
Zoe stiffened at once.
“If you’re okay with it,” he rushed. “I’m concerned that you won’t get a room anywhere at this point.” He sensed how uncomfortable this made her. As her boss, he understood. “You can sleep in the spare room. If the trains still aren’t running in the morning, I can drive you home. I keep one of my cars here for when I stay over.”
“You...” Zoe cleared her throat. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Do you have a better option?”
Zoe looked around as if she’d find a better option right there in the room. “I guess not.”
“Besides food, we have Netflix, a deck of cards and a DVD player.”
“Wait! A what? Who still has a DVD player?” Zoe’s eyes widened and she chuckled.
“I do!” Ethan said confidently. “It’s Blu-ray with Wi-Fi, Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube. Sometimes I want to watch movies that aren’t on Netflix or Prime. I have a few old favorites that I can watch whenever I want to.”
“Okay.” She nodded approvingly. “Now that I think of it, that’s not such a bad idea. I can’t stand it when I want to watch something and can’t find it on any of those services. You’re a smart guy after all, Ethan.”
“I am pretty smart.” He stood, puffed his chest and strutted over to his bookshelf.
“You’re hilarious, too.”
He laughed, relaxed his posture and picked up a few DVDs, shuffling through them. “Come see if there’s anything you want to watch.”
Zoe ho
pped up from the couch and joined him as he sifted through his movie collection. She seemed more comfortable now. A bit cheery, even. He was glad. He didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. She might be off-limits, but he’d never deny enjoying her company. The fact that he was going to be able to continue enjoying her presence tonight made him smile. But misbehaving wasn’t an option, no matter how kissable her lips looked.
“You have so many older movies,” she commented.
Ethan reached for the movie she held, the first in the Fast & Furious franchise. “There’s a new Fast & Furious movie coming this year. I can watch the entire series and get ready for the latest installment.”
“I love that franchise,” she confessed. “That’s actually what I did before the latest Avengers movie came out. And you’re right, I had to get creative in order to find some of the earlier movies.” She paused a moment, tilting her head. “I think it might be time to buy myself a DVD player.”
“See what I mean?” Ethan nodded.
They fell silent for a bit while Zoe went through the movie collection.
“So, did you decide on anything you’d like to watch?” he asked after she’d put a few aside.
“A few things. Let me narrow down my choices. Oh!” Her sudden excitement caught Ethan’s attention. “Avatar! I loved that movie. Wanna watch that?”
He shrugged. “Let’s do it.”
Zoe handed him the movie, and he inserted it into the player, then made his way back to the couch with the remote.
“Something to drink before the movie starts?” he asked. “Truthfully, I don’t have much more than some soda and several choice bottles of wine.” Ethan thought for a moment. “Not sure if you’re a scotch drinker. I do have some choice scotch and a nice bourbon.”
Zoe chuckled. “I had a former boss who drank scotch. She said her father taught her to appreciate it and that resulted in her being respected by some of the most prominent businessmen in the world.”
“It sounds crazy but it’s true. A woman who knows and can handle a good scotch is one to be reckoned with.”
