An Hour Ahead

Chapter 15: Touring Around Downtown (Toronto - Day 3 [PART TWO])

Alex scribbled his name on the receipt and tucked it under the flap inside the checkbook. He placed it at the center of the table and looked up at me. I gave him a smile as his eyes caught mine, and he broke the silence that sung in my ears like a peaceful song. 

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"Alrighty. Let's head out," he said, rising from his seat and taking a step to my side of the table, reaching out a hand for me to hold.

I laid my palm on his and he helped me up. "Such a gentleman," I admitted.

"I've been told," he winked.

We walked side by side out of Terroni and to his car. He drove a red Jeep Wrangler that was well taken care of. I'm guessing it was fairly new. He walked to the passenger's side and opened the door for me, before walking around and sitting in the driver's seat.

"I'm mobile too, yknow," I smirked. 

"I know, I just don't want you to worry about anything," he said.

"It's cool. I can open doors," I shrugged. "But, thank you." 

"You're welcome," he whispered, his eyes gleaming in the sun.

Was this boy real? Seriously? He's been catering to my every need in the sweetest ways possible. I bet if I brought him back home to Chicago, Elly and my other friends would fall in love. He's just so great. I felt my heart racing. I looked outside the windows and observed the new city I was in. It was clean, different, but good. I pointed to a tall tower, the tallest one I could pick out, and asked, "Alex, what's that skyscraper thing right there?"

"Which one?" he replied, ducking his head under the visor in front of him.

I pointed again, and described my observations in more detail, realizing that to him, I was probably pointing out every single building. "That one. Look. The one with the pod looking thing around it, near the tip of the building. The tip looks sorta like a needle, that one." 

"Oh, that's the CN Tower," he said. 

"Oooo," I said, amused. "It's almost as big as the Sears Tower back home. Well, Willis Tower now, but everyone in our generation who knew it as the Sears Tower still calls it the Sears Tower. But look at it, it's really cool," I pointed again.

"It is pretty sweet, eh?" he mumbled.

"Oh yeah, it's awesome, eh. Can we go see it, eh? It's aboot as cool as that time when the Blackhawks beat the Red Wings in the hoockey game, eh!" I joked. I always made fun of him for his Canadian accent. It wasn't bad at all. I just thought it was really funny.

"Makin' fun of my accent, again?" he chuckled. "That's fine, go ahead. At least I don't say Chicago funny. You say it like Chicaaaaaaahgo, all nasally and ugly and stuff!"

"Do not! Chicago!" I giggled, trying to prove myself.

"There you go again! I guess we're even!" he said proudly. "But for real, about the CN Tower... I'm taking you there today. All the way to the top, actually --"

"-- what!? I don't do heights, Alex!" I exclaimed, my brown eyes bulging in a mix of fear and confused excitement.

"Mmhmm," he said, keeping a hand on the wheel and both eyes on the road, refusing to look at me. "We're doing the Edge Walk."

"What... what's the Edge Walk?" I murmured.

"They take you all the way to that pod looking thing you described, and you walk around it. Basically," he smirked mischievously. "Don't worry, it's not that bad."