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Chapter 36

Guy

I actually made her get ice cream. It wasn’t like her ice cream question the night before.

We walked the High Line and chatted, stealing licks off each other’s cones. Kitty got strawberry and coffee flavor like an anarchist alien, and I got mint chocolate chip like a civilized person. It was hot as shit, and we saw a piragua guy, so we stopped for one of those, too. We shared a lime flavor. Kitty accused me of sucking all the juice out through that tiny little straw they give you.

Kitty had relaxed since our argument after lunch. In fact, she was downright lovey dovey. Despite the heat, she held my hand and leaned into me whenever she could. We wandered in and out of shops. We took silly pictures and just enjoyed each other. It was almost magical.

She stopped me and examined my face. “I think you’re starting to burn, Guy. I probably am, too.”

“Wanna go inside somewhere?”

“I’m kinda thinking I need a nap. I need to be sharp for my show. It’ll take us a while to get back to my hotel, so we’d better get going.”

“I’ve got a better plan,” I said. I pulled out my phone to look up a location. “Can you make it another .2 miles?”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” I said.

As we walked into the Ritz-Carlton, Kitty was confused. “Are you trying to use their bathroom or something?”

“No, I’m buying you a nap.”

“Guy!” she chided me as we walked to the front desk. I ignored her.

“Hi there,” I said sweetly to the woman behind the desk. “What’s your hourly rate?”

“Oh my God,” Kitty mumbled.

“Our what?” the woman tried to stay polite but was clearly struggling.

“Your hourly rate. My friend here needs a nap but we don’t need a whole night,” I said, smiling but not cracking like I wanted to.

“Sir, this is a five-star hotel. We don’t have an hourly rate,” the woman said in her best customer service voice.

“Okay, then I’ll get a night,” I said.

“No, he won’t. Sorry to waste your time, miss. Guy, let’s go,” Kitty hissed, dragging me away.

When we got outside, I finally lost it.

“I can’t fucking stand you, Frenchie,” Kitty said, trying not to laugh herself. She was already ordering a car back to her hotel.

“No, come on, we can stay here,” I said. “It’ll be the fanciest nap of your life.”

“I need my clothes! And that lady thinks I’m a sex worker now,” Kitty whined. “The rumor mill is really gonna be turning.”

“How does she know that I’m not the sex worker? I could show you a good time,” I said, putting a seductive hand on my hip.

Finally she laughed, doubling over. “You are the most ridiculous person I know, Guy Stelle.”

“But you love me,” I said, pulling her to me for a kiss.

“Yes, I do love you.”

In the car on the way to her hotel, I turned to her. “Hey, can I move in with you?”

Kitty snapped her head toward me. “What?”

“I mean, should I just check out of my hotel and come stay in yours? Then we don’t have to keep going back and forth.”

“Yours is nicer, though,” she argued.

“Okay, then check out of yours and come stay with me.”

She weighed that. “I’ll have to leave for the theater before you. How about I pack up my stuff and you take it to your hotel while I go get ready?”

I dropped a smooch on her cheek. “You always were the smart one. Did you go to an Ivy League?”

She laughed. “You are extra goofy today, Frenchie.”

I looked at her with a soft smile. “I’m happy.”

Kitty rested her head on the seat. “Me, too.”