Life, Love, & Lies

Thirty-Six

"One iced flat white." LoLo rolls her eyes as she takes the drink being held out to her.

"You know, they say you shouldn't take anything from random people at the airport." She chuckles, swirling the straw in her cup before taking a sip.

"Good thing I'm not a random stranger then." Zach laughs, "I needed a coffee after I got in, and I had a bit to wait for your flight." He shrugs, falling into step beside her with his own carry on bag dragging behind him.

"Sorry, Chicago said I couldn't land until about half an hour after you did."

"Don't worry about it, I didn't mind waiting forty minutes for you."

"Thanks. And welcome to New York. You're about to see it in a whole new light." She laughs.

"I'm kind of excited actually. I didn't grow up poor by any means, but I have a feeling that your childhood is well beyond what I could imagine."

"It definitely is, but I am anxiously excited about the idea of diving in and getting to try and find some closure."

"I'd be worried if you were trying to convince me you weren't a little bit nervous about all of this, I'm nervous too, of how much it's going to hit me differently while we are here. But I think that reality check, of seeing it all and seeing you in this environment will be a huge asset to writing this story."

"I agree. I think you're meeting me here and being the nicest human ever by giving up your break for this, will benefit the book. There are things about the life I lived growing up that you will never fully grasp unless you actually see it."

"Well then show me this life." He grins, glancing at the screen of his phone before confirming with the Uber driver that it is the car he ordered.

"Did you have the address?" LoLo asks as their suitcases are loaded into the back of the vehicle.

"You told me the intersection you grew up at." He nods, sliding into the backseat of the car after she does.

"And you remembered it?"

"I did." He laughs.

"I'm impressed, Thompson."

"I'm so glad I could impress you." Zach rolls his eyes with amusement before their conversation turns fairly safe, discussing the things they had done over their week at home and things they are looking forward to once they are back on tour, not wanting to discuss their reason for being in Manhattan in front of their driver, just in case the man is a blabber mouth or true crime fanatic.

"There it is." LoLo sighs as the car pulls to a stop along the curb of Park Avenue just before the intersection with 81st street.

"That is a really big building." Zach comments as he peers out the window over her shoulder.

"Ya, it is." She sighs, reaching to open the door and step out onto the curb, pulling their bags from the back as Zach pays the driver.

"Well, shall we?" He asks after he emerges from the car, motioning for her to go ahead of him.

"Ya. Let's do this." She nods, digging through her purse for a second to find the access card, scanning it once she finds it and leading him into the ornate gold and marble decorated lobby.

"Ma'am." The doorman nods at her, making no other move to stop them as they head for the elevator, scanning her card again once inside so they can access the penthouse.

"You have to use a keycard twice to access the penthouse? This really is some shit right out of Gossip Girl isn't it?"

"You know Gossip Girl?" She smirks, turning to face him as they ascend.