The Pretend Girlfriend

Chapter Thirty~ Paparazzi

The movie ended. Aiden went to the front of the theater and thanked everyone for coming and donating. The audience applauded, then began filing out. In the general press, Gwen didn't bump into Beatrice or Liam. She didn't know whether to be happy at missing another possible awkward moment, or upset at losing another chance to set things right. She squinted and blinked against the harsh New York sun as she and Aiden stepped out of the theater. That daylight jarred her. It always felt strange to go to a matinee like that. You go and sit in a dark room for a while and come out into broad sunlight. Somehow, she always expected it to be just as dark outside. Normally, she might have found it rejuvenating after getting used to it. Going to see a movie you really got into takes a lot out of you emotionally, she always found. Except she hadn't really watched the movie at all. And a dull ache throbbed in the small of her back. And the air conditioning had been too cold inside. Really, she looked forward to going home (either to her place or Aiden's) and just spending more time alone with him. There was one thing they could do that might take her mind off her Beatrice problems.

"Will you give me a moment? There's a call I need to make," Aiden said, touching her shoulder.

She gave him the requested moment grudgingly, and he went back under the shade of the marquee as he dug his cell out of his pocket. Finally, he came back over and guided her to the waiting Town Car with a hand on her back. The warmth of his touch melted away some of that dull throb from the crappy theater seating.

"My place or yours?" Gwen said, smiling at Aiden while the driver signaled and pulled out into traffic.

"Actually, I thought something else might be a bit nicer," Aiden replied. She let her hand rest on his thigh, running the tip of her index finger slowly and sinuously against his slacks.

"You know, I really think we'd have more fun alone," Gwen said. Trying to make her point extra clear, she let her hand move a bit higher up his leg.

"That sounds nice—incredibly nice, even," Aiden said, "But I think you'll really appreciate this. I expect extra points." He put his hand on top of hers, arresting the stroking of her finger.

"You do know I mean..." Gwen started, giving the driver a glance, then leaning in close so she could whisper to Aiden, "You know I mean sex, right?"

There, she thought. I said it. Guys really could be so dense, no matter how great they seem. Sometimes, you just have to spell it out for them. Except Aiden didn't give her the expression of shocked realization she expected. He smiled warmly at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Yes, I know what you meant. I do understand subtext, you know. Harvard educated and all that."

"Then what could possibly be better than that right now?" Gwen said, exasperated.

Grinning at her, Aiden turned to the driver, "The Empire State Building, if you please."

"Yes, sir," the driver replied, switching lanes so he could make a left and bring them deeper into Manhattan.

***

Like many other classic New York adventures, the Empire State was another experience Gwen wanted to do but never quite got around to. From her experience watching various movies and shows, she expected a long wait to get onto the elevator and go up to the observation deck. Except when they got into the lobby, there was no line. And no one in the elevator aside from them. It was a long ride up, too. Gwen had never spent so long in an elevator. If Aiden hadn't been in there with her, she wasn't sure she could have made it to the top. She kept gripping his hand harder and harder, sure his fingers must be numb, telling herself to relax, but unable to. To his credit, Aiden didn't flinch, or tell her she needed to loosen up. Some of her anxiety stemmed from excitement, too. This was one of the most romantic spots in the whole city. Couples waited in line for hours for the chance to spend a few minutes up there looking across the skyline. It was a location in countless movies and shows. The elevator chimed and the door slid open, Gwen holding her breath as they did, revealing the observation deck. Gwen noticed the fences first, and the pay binoculars at regular intervals.