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27
Autumn
After a long day of shooting portraits for a family of eight, four of whom are under the age of five, I need a break. A hot shower followed by a long stretching session, and I feel like a person again. But when I make a cup of chamomile, the whistle of the kettle brings back the screeching of the children, and I’m back in my head again.
That’s when, thankfully, Rowan knocks.
How do I know it’s him? He has a distinctive knock. I always know it’s him by the pair of double knocks. When I open the door, he smiles before looking down at my loungewear and frowning.
I grin, surprised. “I thought you had to work late.”
“I deserve a break, and so do you. Get dressed.”
“I am dressed perfectly for my cup of tea.”
But he breezes past me into my apartment. “You’re not having tea.”
“I’m not?”
“You’re having Riesling at The Plaza with me in an hour. Get dressed.”
I laugh. “The Plaza? In the city?”
“Yes, now go put something on.” He pats my ass, directing me to my bedroom.
I laugh again. “You’re serious?”
“My bags are in the helicopter, waiting for us right now.”
“That’s serious. Um, how long are we going to be gone?”
“The weekend.”
“The kids?”
He smiles and puts his arms around me. “They’re staying with their grandparents. Just you and me and a hot tub and in-room massages and room service. Or dinner someplace nice if you like, but really, I’m leaning toward feeding you grapes in the hot tub.”
“I will pack for a variety of activities, then.” Stuffing a few dresses and other things into my bag, I hurry through my place like a madwoman.
He laughs. “The helicopter isn’t going to leave without its pilot. You don’t have to rush—
“The sooner I’m done, the sooner we’re in that hot tub.”
“Good point.” He grabs a pair of heels he likes on me and tosses them into my bag.
“Lucky for you that those go with two of the dresses I’m bringing.”
The helicopter belongs to the Cargill family, and Rowan is the best pilot among the brothers. Riding in it is still terrifying, though, but I try to think of it more asthrillingrather than scary. When we land, a limo takes us to The Plaza.
“I still remember the first time my parents took me to see The Nutcracker, and when we drove past this place, I thought it looked like a—
“City castle for a fairy princess,” Rowan says, finishing my thought. “I remember.”
“What do you mean? You weren’t there.”
He smiles. “You told me about it. That’s why we’re here.”
“We were twelve! How do you remember that?”
