I can’t see myself falling in love anytime soon, but I know New York has a bevy of beauties, and I’m going to make sure I meet them all. With a grin on my face and my excitement slowly climbing, I pull out the suitcase that has taken me all over the world.
Call it intuition, but this thing has brought me good luck all my life, and it’s going with me all the way across the pond. Who knows what it will bring me when I arrive?
1
Colton
Since the plane landed an hour ago, I’ve been whisked into a town car, and we’re heading down the busy streets of New York to the Manhattan penthouse suite they’ve secured for my stay in the city.
The bustling sidewalks of the Big Apple are alive. Tourists, people racing to get to work, and bicycles weaving through the traffic, which is packed with yellow cabs trying to collect passengers.
I take it all in, noticing how different the energy of New York is to the craziness of London. The June heat is suffocating outside, but in the car, I’m kept cool with the welcome air conditioning.
“Here we are, sir,” the driver informs me as we pull up to a fancy-looking hotel. Flags wave in the breeze. Countries like United Kingdom, Germany, and even Australia represent themselves on the exterior of the cracking-looking building, and I look forward to my new home for the next few months. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, but it doesn’t hurt living in the lap of luxury.
“Thank you.” I smile at him before exiting the car. The trunk is opened, and the bell boy is already working on getting the luggage onto a gilded trolley. I head inside, making a beeline for the reception desk.
“Good morning, sir. How can I help you?” A smile from a gorgeous woman is always appreciated, especially after an eight-hour flight.
“Hello, darling.” I offer her a grin. “I’m Colton King, checking into the penthouse suite.”
Her eyes widen. Recognition flits in her pretty green eyes before she nods with another bright smile. “Of course, sir,” she replies as she taps on the keyboard. “Can I have your passport, please?”
I slide the deep red little booklet over to her, and I watch as she plugs away at the computer. Her bright-red nails match the pouty lips that purse as she inserts the information into the system.
It doesn’t take long for her to hand over the key card and explain how to get up to the top floor. She calls over one of the staff to escort me and my luggage up, and I’m tempted to leave my private number for her, but I don’t.
Focus, Colton.
The ride to the top of the skyscraper takes longer than I expect, but the moment I step out of the elevator, I’m standing outside the door to my apartment. The place that will be my home for the next few months.
I unlock it, step inside, and I’m caught up in the spacious room that greets me. My apartment in London has nothing on this. The living room is minimally furnished, all clean lines and modern touches of glass and silver.
There’s not much in the room besides two large sofas, a glass coffee table, and a black shag carpet.
The floor-to-ceiling windows offer up a million-dollar view of the city below, and the sleek curtains that hang on either side of the panes are glinting in the low lights.
“Thank you, sir,” the bell boy says, causing me to turn around. I pull out my wallet and hand him a hundred, to which he grins like a happy fool. Once I’m alone, I head for the kitchen, pulling open the sleek, silver fridge to find it stocked with juice, bottles of wine, beer, and fresh fruit and vegetables. When they asked me what I’d like in the house, I offered up a small list, and it seems that the agency took note of my demands.
I pull out a beer and twist the cap, taking a long swig of the cool liquid before I head deeper into the apartment. The hallway leads down to the back of the residence, where I find two bedrooms. One is smaller than the other, so I make my way into the bigger one, which is mine.
The California King bed sits against a black accent wall with dark gray bedding and white pillows. The soft carpet underfoot is a muted shade of charcoal, and the windows are also floor-to-ceiling, gifting me a view of Central Park.
New York is a city of dreams. The last time I was here, I only spent time at the Hilton, where I was chauffeured back and forth to the shoots I was booked for. It was a whirlwind two weeks where I didn’t get to tour the city. Now, I’m here for much longer, and I intend to explore more of the Big Apple.