“Now, go have fun. Zoë and I will be perfectly fine.”
When I got back to my apartment, I found Nikki cleaning the kitchen. She was wearing baggy tracksuit pants and an oversize t-shirt.
“I think maybe you want to change,” I said.
“Why? Where’s Zoë?”
“You and I are having a little adventure,” I said.
She stared at me.
“There is no conference,” I said, speaking slowly as I walked towards her. Then I put my arms around her.
“You and I are going away for the weekend.”
“The weekend?”
“To a five-star hotel with hot tubs and silk robes and…”
“Buffet breakfasts??” she asked, her eyes shining.
I laughed, “Yes, there is a breakfast buffet.”
She started jumping up and down, super excited.
“I can’t believe it! I’ve never been to a hotel that fancy!”
I loved seeing her like this.
“Go and get changed,” I laughed. “And pack something nice for tonight.”
My own bag was already packed. As I waited for Nikki, I listened to her singing happy songs in the background, and I had to grin at her excitement.
Years ago, when my family had to go to a wedding in Hampstead, Simone asked if I wouldn’t fly us up there in a private charter. I said no.
“Why not?” she wanted to know. “You’ve got the money and it will save us so much time.”
I tried to explain to her that I didn’t like to waste money.
“But this isn’t wasting money! What is the point of all that loot if you can’t spend it making life easier and spoiling the people you love?”
Her words had been a wake-up call. Why was I holding on to all the money, investing it and moving it around but never actually spending it. Who was it for? I’d bought the apartment and spared no expense renovating it but that was it. No smart cars or luxury vacations, I never took time off.
When Nikki had accidentally said she loved me, I had known that was not what she’d meant. My response, to say I love her, had been intended as a joke. But by the expression on her face, sheer terror, I knew that this had been the wrong thing to say. It would scare her off. Our relationship, as good as it was, had become too serious too quickly. I needed for us to be more fun.
I would have loved to take her away a bit further, to some idyllic, far-flung location, but we didn’t have the time to organize all that and besides, I couldn’t get away from work that long. I figured that Nikki would not have been exposed to much luxury in her life and one of New York’s top hotels would surely qualify as a treat.
I was right.
As we pulled up in front of the hotel and the porters came rushing to carry our bags and park the car and basically carry us up to our rooms, she was quivering with excitement.
“Look at the lobby,” she whispered to me, her voice shaking.
“Act cool,” I said to her, but it was hard not to laugh. She was enjoying herself as much as a little kid.
At home, she’d changed into a sleeveless summer dress with high-heeled sandals and combed her hair loosely over her shoulders, with a touch of make-up. The effect was startling. She had turned from a girl-next-door into a ravishing young woman, and I couldn’t wait to lay my hands on her but I could see that would have to wait.
As soon as she saw our room, she almost had a fit.