Only Him
Page 11
When the doors closed, Aiden stuck his key into the number panel, turned it, and hit a button. The elevator began to ascend.
“So,” he said. “I’ll tell you a little bit about the building history. When the hotel was completed in 1924, it was the tallest building in Detroit as well as the tallest hotel in the world. For decades, it was the city’s most luxurious hotel, its twelve hundred rooms, three ballrooms, restaurants, lounges, and shops catering to affluent visitors from all over the world. In 1939, the hotel became part of baseball history. On May second, New York Yankee Lou Gehrig collapsed on the grand staircase. In the hotel bar, he told his manager he was taking himself out of the starting lineup against the Tigers, breaking his string of two thousand one hundred thirty consecutive games played.”
“God, I haven’t been to a Tigers game in forever,” I said.
Maren looked up at me with a sympathetic smile. “Too bad your trip is so short.”
“Yeah.” For a crazy second, I thought about saying it didn’t have to be that short and asking her to come to a game with me tomorrow. Thankfully, Aidan spoke up again before I opened my mouth.
“The hotel also appeared in the 1947 movie State of the Union, starring Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, and they stayed at the hotel, as did Martin Luther King Jr., the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, among others. The hotel closed in 1984, was in danger of being demolished for years, was robbed of its copper piping and chandeliers, vandalized, spray-painted, and left to rot.”
“So sad,” Maren said, shaking her head. “How could something so beautiful be abandoned that way?”
“Luckily, it was given a second chance.” The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Aiden placed a hand over them to keep them open, and I followed Maren into a dimly lit hallway.
When the doors closed, Aiden motioned for us to follow him. “Once again, it’s one of the most opulent, romantic places in the city.” At the end of the hallway, he pushed open a door that led to a stairwell. “Up we go.”
Maren glanced back at me, more puzzled than ever, but she started up the cement stairs. I couldn’t take my eyes off her legs in front of me. Her calf muscles were insane from all the ballet training. I remembered how flexible she’d been and felt my dick start perking up.
“In addition to all the history I just gave you,” Aiden said, his voice echoing off the walls, “this hotel was also the site of a certain prom a few years back.”
All of a sudden, Maren stopped moving and looked down over her shoulder at me. “No way.” The stunned, joyful expression on her face was worth every penny I had to pay to make this happen.
Goose bumps rippled down my arms inside my jacket. I smiled at her.
Her jaw dropped, and she continued up the stairs. At the top, Aiden moved ahead and opened the door to the rooftop. “Ballrooms were not available tonight, but when Dallas asked if you could have the roof to yourselves, I had to admit no one had booked it. In fact, no one has ever even asked to book it.” He laughed.
Maren stepped over the threshold onto the rooftop. “Dallas is definitely one of a kind.”
The three of us moved away from the door, and I saw the table that had been set for us, complete with white linens, flower centerpiece, and candlelight. Luckily, the air was warm, and the wind was soft. The sun was still setting beyond the skyline to the west, and to the east the Detroit River was visible; a little to the south was the Ambassador Bridge, and beyond the river, Canada. The view was breathtaking on all sides.
After turning around in a full circle, Maren looked at me with shining eyes. “Dallas. This is incredible.”
“You’ll have your own server for the night, and he should be up shortly,” Aiden said, checking his watch. “I should get back downstairs. Dallas, you have my cell if you need anything. Maren, good seeing you again, and I hope you enjoy your evening.” He gave us a smile before heading back to the stairwell door.
As soon as he was gone, Maren turned to me. “I cannot believe you did this.”
I shrugged. “I felt pretty bad when you said you’d missed the prom because of me. I figured I owed it to you.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes, which were filled with tears. “You didn’t, but whatever. I’ll take it.” Opening her purse, she hunted around in it for something. “God, I don’t even have tissues. I didn’t know you were going to make me cry.”
“No crying allowed at the prom. And I hope it’s okay I’m wearing jeans.”
“It’s fine.” She sniffed and closed her purse. “I’m not that dressed up either.”
“You’re perfect.” Our eyes met, and the air between us suddenly felt full of hope and possibility. In any other circumstance, I’d have kissed her.
But I couldn’t do that tonight.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Reaching into the inside pocket of my jacket, I pulled out a wrist corsage. “Sorry if it’s a little smashed. I had to get rid of the plastic container to hide it from you.”
She giggled and held out her arm. “That’s okay. It’s beautiful.”
“Good.” I slid the elastic band with three deep red roses attached to it along with some other green stuff onto her wrist. “I told the lady at the florist to make it a prom corsage. Pretty sure she thought I was crazy. Or creepy.”
“You might be crazy. But I love it. Thank you for this.” Then she rose up on tiptoe and pecked my cheek. When she lowered her heels, she stood there for a moment, her hand on my arm, her mouth so close I could have simply tipped my head down and my lips would be resting on hers.
My heart stumbled over its next few beats. I wanted to do it so badly, but I’d promised her I’d behave. I’d promised myself I’d behave. There were so many reasons why I shouldn’t be here tonight, standing so close to the only girl I’d ever loved, tempted beyond reason by her legs and her lips and her laugh and her eyes and her ability to make me feel like I fucking mattered in the universe.
What was the right thing to do?
If only—
The door from the stairwell opened, and we moved apart.
Five
Maren
The server, whose name was Jason, pulled out my chair, and I sat down across from Dallas. Then I listened to Jason go over the menu, but he might as well have been speaking another language. I didn’t comprehend one word he said.
My heart was still hammering—Dallas and I had almost kissed. And I’d wanted to. Like really, really wanted to. I thought he’d wanted it too, but we’d been interrupted before I could tell for sure.
Was the thing between us back? Or was I imagining it?
Maybe this whole “old times’ sake” business was getting to me. But it sure did feel nice.
“Maren?” Dallas’s voice pulled me into the moment. “Something to drink?”
“Oh. A glass of wine, please.” I looked up at Jason. “A sauvignon blanc maybe?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. One sauvignon blanc and one old fashioned. I’ll be right back, and I apologize that service might be a little bit slower than usual tonight. We’re quite a ways from the kitchen and bar.”
“That’s okay,” said Dallas. “We’re not in a rush.”
“Very good.” Jason headed for the stairwell door, leaving us alone again.
“Good thing he’s young and looks in good shape. He’s going to be up and down the stairs all night.” Dallas picked up his water and took a sip.
I shook my head. “I still can’t wrap my brain around this.”
He shrugged and sat back in his chair, looking smug and mischievous and way too handsome. “Don’t think. Just enjoy yourself. Pretend you’re in high school.”
“This totally reminds me of something you would have pulled back then.”
He laughed. “You’re right. Although this is more romantic than the pigs.”
I groaned. At the beginning of our senior year, Dallas and his football buddies had been suspended for letting three pigs loose in the halls at school. They’d spray-painted numbers on the pigs: one, two, and four. It had taken hours for school officials to realize there were only three pigs. “Where did you guys even get those pigs?”
“So,” he said. “I’ll tell you a little bit about the building history. When the hotel was completed in 1924, it was the tallest building in Detroit as well as the tallest hotel in the world. For decades, it was the city’s most luxurious hotel, its twelve hundred rooms, three ballrooms, restaurants, lounges, and shops catering to affluent visitors from all over the world. In 1939, the hotel became part of baseball history. On May second, New York Yankee Lou Gehrig collapsed on the grand staircase. In the hotel bar, he told his manager he was taking himself out of the starting lineup against the Tigers, breaking his string of two thousand one hundred thirty consecutive games played.”
“God, I haven’t been to a Tigers game in forever,” I said.
Maren looked up at me with a sympathetic smile. “Too bad your trip is so short.”
“Yeah.” For a crazy second, I thought about saying it didn’t have to be that short and asking her to come to a game with me tomorrow. Thankfully, Aidan spoke up again before I opened my mouth.
“The hotel also appeared in the 1947 movie State of the Union, starring Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, and they stayed at the hotel, as did Martin Luther King Jr., the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, among others. The hotel closed in 1984, was in danger of being demolished for years, was robbed of its copper piping and chandeliers, vandalized, spray-painted, and left to rot.”
“So sad,” Maren said, shaking her head. “How could something so beautiful be abandoned that way?”
“Luckily, it was given a second chance.” The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Aiden placed a hand over them to keep them open, and I followed Maren into a dimly lit hallway.
When the doors closed, Aiden motioned for us to follow him. “Once again, it’s one of the most opulent, romantic places in the city.” At the end of the hallway, he pushed open a door that led to a stairwell. “Up we go.”
Maren glanced back at me, more puzzled than ever, but she started up the cement stairs. I couldn’t take my eyes off her legs in front of me. Her calf muscles were insane from all the ballet training. I remembered how flexible she’d been and felt my dick start perking up.
“In addition to all the history I just gave you,” Aiden said, his voice echoing off the walls, “this hotel was also the site of a certain prom a few years back.”
All of a sudden, Maren stopped moving and looked down over her shoulder at me. “No way.” The stunned, joyful expression on her face was worth every penny I had to pay to make this happen.
Goose bumps rippled down my arms inside my jacket. I smiled at her.
Her jaw dropped, and she continued up the stairs. At the top, Aiden moved ahead and opened the door to the rooftop. “Ballrooms were not available tonight, but when Dallas asked if you could have the roof to yourselves, I had to admit no one had booked it. In fact, no one has ever even asked to book it.” He laughed.
Maren stepped over the threshold onto the rooftop. “Dallas is definitely one of a kind.”
The three of us moved away from the door, and I saw the table that had been set for us, complete with white linens, flower centerpiece, and candlelight. Luckily, the air was warm, and the wind was soft. The sun was still setting beyond the skyline to the west, and to the east the Detroit River was visible; a little to the south was the Ambassador Bridge, and beyond the river, Canada. The view was breathtaking on all sides.
After turning around in a full circle, Maren looked at me with shining eyes. “Dallas. This is incredible.”
“You’ll have your own server for the night, and he should be up shortly,” Aiden said, checking his watch. “I should get back downstairs. Dallas, you have my cell if you need anything. Maren, good seeing you again, and I hope you enjoy your evening.” He gave us a smile before heading back to the stairwell door.
As soon as he was gone, Maren turned to me. “I cannot believe you did this.”
I shrugged. “I felt pretty bad when you said you’d missed the prom because of me. I figured I owed it to you.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes, which were filled with tears. “You didn’t, but whatever. I’ll take it.” Opening her purse, she hunted around in it for something. “God, I don’t even have tissues. I didn’t know you were going to make me cry.”
“No crying allowed at the prom. And I hope it’s okay I’m wearing jeans.”
“It’s fine.” She sniffed and closed her purse. “I’m not that dressed up either.”
“You’re perfect.” Our eyes met, and the air between us suddenly felt full of hope and possibility. In any other circumstance, I’d have kissed her.
But I couldn’t do that tonight.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Reaching into the inside pocket of my jacket, I pulled out a wrist corsage. “Sorry if it’s a little smashed. I had to get rid of the plastic container to hide it from you.”
She giggled and held out her arm. “That’s okay. It’s beautiful.”
“Good.” I slid the elastic band with three deep red roses attached to it along with some other green stuff onto her wrist. “I told the lady at the florist to make it a prom corsage. Pretty sure she thought I was crazy. Or creepy.”
“You might be crazy. But I love it. Thank you for this.” Then she rose up on tiptoe and pecked my cheek. When she lowered her heels, she stood there for a moment, her hand on my arm, her mouth so close I could have simply tipped my head down and my lips would be resting on hers.
My heart stumbled over its next few beats. I wanted to do it so badly, but I’d promised her I’d behave. I’d promised myself I’d behave. There were so many reasons why I shouldn’t be here tonight, standing so close to the only girl I’d ever loved, tempted beyond reason by her legs and her lips and her laugh and her eyes and her ability to make me feel like I fucking mattered in the universe.
What was the right thing to do?
If only—
The door from the stairwell opened, and we moved apart.
Five
Maren
The server, whose name was Jason, pulled out my chair, and I sat down across from Dallas. Then I listened to Jason go over the menu, but he might as well have been speaking another language. I didn’t comprehend one word he said.
My heart was still hammering—Dallas and I had almost kissed. And I’d wanted to. Like really, really wanted to. I thought he’d wanted it too, but we’d been interrupted before I could tell for sure.
Was the thing between us back? Or was I imagining it?
Maybe this whole “old times’ sake” business was getting to me. But it sure did feel nice.
“Maren?” Dallas’s voice pulled me into the moment. “Something to drink?”
“Oh. A glass of wine, please.” I looked up at Jason. “A sauvignon blanc maybe?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. One sauvignon blanc and one old fashioned. I’ll be right back, and I apologize that service might be a little bit slower than usual tonight. We’re quite a ways from the kitchen and bar.”
“That’s okay,” said Dallas. “We’re not in a rush.”
“Very good.” Jason headed for the stairwell door, leaving us alone again.
“Good thing he’s young and looks in good shape. He’s going to be up and down the stairs all night.” Dallas picked up his water and took a sip.
I shook my head. “I still can’t wrap my brain around this.”
He shrugged and sat back in his chair, looking smug and mischievous and way too handsome. “Don’t think. Just enjoy yourself. Pretend you’re in high school.”
“This totally reminds me of something you would have pulled back then.”
He laughed. “You’re right. Although this is more romantic than the pigs.”
I groaned. At the beginning of our senior year, Dallas and his football buddies had been suspended for letting three pigs loose in the halls at school. They’d spray-painted numbers on the pigs: one, two, and four. It had taken hours for school officials to realize there were only three pigs. “Where did you guys even get those pigs?”
