Guardian [Completed]

Four (Josh)

The lights of Downtown Chicago glittered outside my window as Devina expertly navigated the city streets. She pulled up to a Best Western and killed the engine. Silently, we got out of the SUV and went inside.

“Reservation for Friedmann,” Devina said in her smooth, accented voice.

The woman behind the counter typed on her keyboard then said, “Okay, Miss Friedmann. Need your photo ID, and have a credit card ready, please.”

I reached for my wallet and pulled out my credit card. Devina looked at it weirdly as I proffered it to her.

“I’m paying,” she said, looking up at me.

“Let me,” I offered.

“No. This vacation is on me, remember?”

Oh, right. Our vacation.  Actually, we hadn’t talked about this.

“I know, but I feel guilty,” I said.

“I greatly appreciate your chivalry, honey, but can we discuss this later?”

She put an odd emphasis on the word “honey” and it made me realize I wasn’t going to win. I put my AmEx back in my wallet.

The woman behind the counter was looking at us skeptically. Oh, shoot. Was I blowing our cover?

Devina put her own AmEx on the counter. The woman took it and went back to her computer.

I shimmied over to stand closer to Devina so I could put my arm around her waist, and whisper in her ear.

“Why won’t you let me pay? I really do feel guilty.”

She turned so she could whisper back.

“Because I’m not paying either. Corporate credit card,” she said slowly.

“Oh.”

Our faces were only inches apart. Being this close I could see just how clear and green her eyes were. They reminded me of the countryside back home in Kentucky.

She smelled of vanilla and amber, a combination I found I liked very much. I wondered if I should kiss her to make our cover more believable. She would kill me. But at the same time I wanted to.

“Ahem.”

We both turned to the woman at the desk.

“Sign here, please, Miss Friedmann,” she said, pointing to an “X” with her pen.

Devina took the pen and signed her name with a flourish.

“You’ll be in room 457. Have a great stay.”

“Thank you,” we said in unison.

We turned away and headed toward the elevator. I was surprised Devina didn’t say anything about my arm still around her waist.

“What is that American phrase?” Devina wondered aloud. “’Jinx, you owe me a Coke.’”

I laughed.

“I haven’t heard that one in a loooong time.”

“A little girl I used to babysit in DC taught it to me.”

“Aww that’s cute.”

“Speaking of owing… If you really want to pay for something, you can order me room service for carting your ass to Chicago.”

“Of course, honey.”

She looked at me in surprise as we waited for the elevator.

“Really?”