“No,” I say, shaking my head, trying to blink away the tears. I’m angry he won’t kiss me; angry I’m literally throwing myself at him, and he wants nothing to do with me. I turn on the actress inside me and twist to face him with a huge smile on my face. “Don’t worry about it, Brian. It was the alcohol talking.”
He tries to reach out for me, but his phone rings in his pocket. When he sees it’s Cori, he hands it to me. “This is for you.”
“Hello,” I say into the phone, trying not to let my voice crack or for her to know something is bothering me.
“Hello, yourself,” she says. “Where are you? We just got to the hotel.”
“I am sitting in a bar that is not the Alibi.” I try to make a joke out of it. “Brian took me around Chicago all day.”
“Really?” she says with a snicker. “That’s interesting.”
“Listen, we are on our way back now,” I tell her. “They messed up our room. Can you see if you can have them fix it?”
“What’s wrong with the room?” she asks me, and then I see Brian get up and settle the tab with the bartender.
“There is only one bed and a pull-out couch,” I tell her, and she shrieks.
“Did you share a bed with Brian?”
“Negative,” I say to her and then smile and shake my head when the bartender asks if I want another shot. “But see if they have either a two-room suite or an adjoining room if anything.”
“I’m on it,” she says. “You sound different.”
“I just had a shot of moonshine,” I tell her, then whisper, “I think it was just gasoline.” She laughs into the phone. “Can you also see if maybe they have a massage therapist who can come up and work on my back?”
“I’m on it,” she says. “Do you want a couple’s massage or just one?”
“Just the one,” I tell her, and then I click end. “They are at the hotel, so we should start heading back.” I hand him back his phone.
“Let’s see if we can grab a cab. It might be faster,” he says, getting up. “Thank you.”
The bartender looks up at us and waves. We walk out into the night, and I make sure to hold my hands in front of me and not give him anything. I watch him walk to the curb and flag down a cab. “Good job, Brian,” I say, getting into the cab when he holds the door open for me. He gets in after me and gives the driver our address. I look outside when Brian’s phone dings.
“She got us another room. They are moving us to a one-bedroom suite, then putting in a queen bed for me.”
“How many bathrooms?” I ask him, never taking my eyes away from outside.
“You don’t like sharing a bathroom with me?” he jokes, and I just shrug.
“Two,” he says, and we finally pull up in front of the hotel. He pays the driver, and I get out and then look back at him. “Same floor.”
I turn and walk into the lobby with him at my back, so very different from how we left. When we get on our floor, Cori is there waiting for us. “Welcome home, guys.”
I smile at her and walk into her outstretched arms. “I’m starving.”
“I can order something in,” she says to me, and I just nod. “I need a bubble bath and a nice relaxing night watching movies.”
“We can make that happen.” She smiles and then looks over my shoulder at Brian. “So how did it feel to be in the city all day? Did you guys have extra security?”
“No,” Brian says, his voice coming out gruffly, “it was just us two.”
Cori stops walking and then looks at the two of us. “She went the whole day walking around the city and nothing happened?” Her face shocked.
“The whole day,” I tell her, “and we went to see where the Gallaghers live.” I look at her now. “Can you get in touch with someone and see if I can tour the lot once I’m home and see if maybe I can go in the house they have here.”
Cori just starts to laugh. “I’ll get right on that.” I watch her hand a card to Brian and then slide one in front of the black circle thing. We walk into the new room that almost looks like the last one except there is a bathroom as soon as you walk in. “The only thing is that there is one bathtub.”
“It’s fine,” he huffs out and then grabs his bag. “Are you guys staying in this room?”
“Yes,” I tell him, “why?”
“I want to go get a run in, and if you are going to stay in, I’ll go to the hotel gym,” he says, grabbing his bag and going to the bathroom.
“What is going on that I don’t know?” Cori asks quietly. “You are you and then him.” She points at the bathroom. “He’s like one second from exploding”—she looks at the bathroom door, then at me again—“and not in a good way.”
“I have no idea what to tell you.” I shrug and then take off my jacket. The bathroom door opens, and he comes out wearing shorts and a white T-shirt.
“I’ll be back in an hour tops. If there is anything, I want you guys to call me. You are not, under any circumstances, allowed to leave this room. No answering the door for any deliveries either.” He tosses his bag on the bed and then walks to the door. “Did you guys get that?”
“We will be fine,” Cori answers for us, and I just walk into my bedroom, listening to the door slam. “Okay, what is going on?”
“Nothing.” I peel off my shirt, walking to the bathroom and starting the bath. “We went out and walked around all day.” I walk out and kick off my shoes. Looking over at Cori, I watch as she gets on the bed, sitting on the side with one foot on, one foot off.
“I need a little bit more than that.” She watches me like a hawk. I know this, and I suddenly feel as if I’m on stage and I have to be someone else, or she will know. I avoid her eyes while I unbutton my pants.
“Cori, there isn’t anything more to say. I woke up, and he wanted to show me around Chicago, and well, that is what he did.” I fold my pants and put them on the end of the bed. “Do you know if they have a robe?” I ask, walking to the closet and opening it, finding a plush terry cloth robe hanging on a silk hanger. “We went to the bean, and then we visited a couple of landmarks and then came back.”
“That sounds amazing. Now look at me,” she orders, and I look up. “What happened?”
I roll my eyes. “Nothing.”
“You can fool just about anyone but me,” she points out, getting up and coming to me. “Now, it’s easier if you just let it out and tell me, or I will sit on the side of the bathtub and harass you until you do.” I fold my arms, knowing she won’t let up.
“I had a shot of moonshine, and it was such an amazing day, and I was maybe feeling buzzed, but he was so close to me.” I look at her and then look down, getting the courage to say the rest. “And then I asked him to kiss me.” She gasps, putting her hand to her mouth. “Yeah, well, you can stop the celebration. He said he can’t.”
“What do you mean?” she asks, confused.
I throw up my hands in the air. “Fuck if I know, but I am done throwing myself at him. I am done doing this hot and cold shit. I am going to get in the tub, then when I come out, I’m ordering the biggest plate of french fries, and I’m going to finish watching season one of Shameless.”