Chim - Traffic

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I wake early the next morning, before everyone else and go into the study, which is lined with thousands of books. Retrieving the first Harry Potter book I go back into the living room, raising the temperature of the room before curling into a chair and beginning to read. Shortly after Nicola joins me, turning on the stereo in the corner quietly. Cheryl appears next, already showered and dressed, a towel bearing the Plaza logo wrapped around her head. Nicola goes to wake the other two while I order breakfast up to the room for us. An hour later and miraculously we are all fed, watered, showered and dressed, descending the hotel in our elevator, Franklin accompanying us to the main doors of the hotel. We say goodbye to him and cross the street, rounding the corner and heading into Central Park. We walk quickly, but slow enough to enjoy the surrounding view, stopping only to take pictures near the Alice in Wonderland statue, the lake and outside the Central Park zoo. We reach the gift shop and each buy a keychain there, before continuing on.

       It takes us a good two hours to circle back to the Plaza, all of us quite tired when we get back outside the hotel, asking the front desk to call us a taxi to Battery Park, where we will board the ferry to take us to Ellis Island, which houses the State of Liberty. Within minutes we are in the cab, weaving our way through New York traffic. Eventually, we arrive, retrieving the pre-paid passes for the ferry and statue tour, before boarding the ferry. The November air is quite chilly, and being on the water doesn't help matters. I pull Cheryl into me as she shivers, rubbing my gloved hands up and down her arms, trying to create some heat. I kiss her red nose, drawing a smile from her and a few lingering looks from some other passengers. Not too long after we're stood in Liberty's crown, gasping at the amazing view.

       "Wow. This is just... Wow." Nicola says, and we agree with her statement.

       "I feel like I'm on top of the world." Cheryl states as I wrap an arm around her waist. After taking pictures we descend, the air up here colder than on the ferry.

       "Ok, we need to get a move on if we're going to get back to the hotel, change, have lunch, get to Times Square, see the show and up the Empire State Building." I say as we pay for our drinks at the small cafe at the base of the statue.

***

Amazingly, we arrive in Times Square just after two o'clock, and with the show not starting until six, we have plenty of time to shop.

       "Ooh, Disney store!" Cheryl shouts, pointing across the street.

       She and Nicola cross the street first, Sarah, Nadine and I following. One hour and one giant stuffed Mickey Mouse toy later we emerge, Cheryl holding Mickey on her hip like a child.

       "I cannot believe we're going to see a Broadway show with that thing." I say, and Cheryl covers his ears, our friends in hysterics.

       "Well, you shouldn't have brought us here first then."

       Nadine distracts us from our playful discussion, dragging us into a shoe shop, and I swear she tries on every pair in the store, before settling on a final three.

       Pretty soon, the five of us are all laden with bags, heading to the theatre where we will see the show. When we arrive, the woman at the front desk looks at us understandingly, offering to store our purchases there for us to pick up when we leave. We thank her, dropping our things off before proceeding to the auditorium.

***

"I've had the best day." Cheryl says, taking a sip of champagne as we stand on the viewing deck of the Empire State Building. I murmur my agreement, dragging my eyes from the stunning view, to find her staring back at me, her eyes glistening. I pull her towards me, kissing her deeply, not caring who bothers to waste their time looking at us. We linger out there for as long as we can stand the cold, until all five of us are frozen, before descending the tower, returning to the hotel.