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“No, no.” I stepped sideways, almost bumping into him. “Vacation rule. No work emails. It’s a rabbit hole. You open one email, then you start thinking about it....”
Reid looked utterly perplexed. I gnawed at my lower lip. The light buzz had relaxed me on the plane, made me a little less worried that I might have twisted his arm into offering to join me. But now, my head was clear. I knew my Type-A personality drove some people crazy. Sure, Reid had told me he liked it... but that had been back before we spent so much time together.
I didn’t want to be obnoxious. Crap, was I pushing it?
“Okay. You’re in charge,” he said, and I felt my muscles relax. He handed me his phone. “You keep this.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Trust me, if I have it on me, I won’t be able to help myself.”
I dropped the phone in my tote. “Okay. Temptation safely out of the way.”
“What’s next?”
“You’re putting yourself in my hands?”
He nodded. “Completely.”
“Ah, that’s... inadvisable. You haven’t even seen the itineraries I’ve planned.”
“You gave me a detailed rundown on the plane.”
“Clueless man. Those were just highlights.”
He chuckled, stroking the back of his neck. “Well, I’ve never been to Chicago, so I need a guide anyway.”
“I stand corrected. Not clueless. Brave. Extremely brave. You can still change your mind until we leave the airport. Then I get into tourist mode and you won’t be able to reason with me.”
“I won’t change my mind.”
“Then, Mr. Davenport, you’re going to get intimately acquainted with the Hailey Connor way of experiencing a city. You’ve been warned.”
***
Reid
We’d been walking for five hours, but Hailey was an endless well of energy. Surprisingly, I wanted to keep going too.
“You were right. The city is great. Can’t believe I’ve never been here before.”
“Right? It’s just so alive, and there’s something here for everyone. But early May was maybe not the best time to visit. Still a bit cold,” she said after we left Millennium Park and took pictures in front of the metal structure dubbed the Bean. It was a clever construction that reflected its surroundings, and it was a hell of a lot of work to elbow our way to take a selfie.
“Our river cruise starts in about half an hour,” Hailey said, bouncing back and forth on her feet.
“Someone’s starting to get tired?” I teased.
“Well, I know I’m eager, but I’m not superhuman. But... I can still talk. Ready to hear some more random facts? Like why it’s actually named the Windy City?”
“Come on, give me more credit. Everyone knows that. Not because of the winds, but because of the politics.”
“Bravo.”
She went on to share other tidbits, like how the Chicago River is painted green for St. Patrick’s Day every year. I loved hearing her opinion on everything from current affairs to which shop in town served the best deep-dish pizza.
When we arrived at the embankment spot, it was so crowded that we backtracked a few feet and waited there.
“So, on a scale from one to ten, how happy are you that you’re here?” she asked.
