WALK WITH YOU: CHAPTER 4

Completely abandoning my poor pizza craving, we begin the long walk back to my hotel. I can't help but sideways glance at the glorious being beside me. Trying not to blush like a nervous wreck I try for small talk hoping my shaky voice doesn't give me away. "So you live in New York?"

"No, L.A. actually! I'm here for work." What a coincidence.

"Me too." He stares at me like I'm one of those girls who likes the same music as each person they date.

"No seriously, I'm here on business from L.A. too."

Raising his eyebrow at me he asks, "Really, what do you do?" "I'm a nurse at children's hospital there. We're here to talk about developing some of our units so that

when new technology comes in we are ready for it."

"That's impressive!"

"I know!" I say with a wink, and he bursts into a laugh that I melt into. I'm about to ask what he does for a living too when he cuts me off with, "So you here all by yourself?

No family? Friends? Boyfriend?"

Ah, the old fishing for information trick. Better keep him on his toes then.

"No I left my boyfriend back in the hotel room. Had to tie him up in order to go out by myself for the day." Trying desperately hard not to laugh, his face falls and a small scowl crosses his face. It's unbelievably adorable and again I find myself pondering why he seems so familiar to me. Still pouting, I decide I should let him off the hook. "I'm kidding, nobody is tied up in my room, my friends are back in L.A. Man, you should've seen your face!" I burst into laughter and watch as I see a big smile as he shakes his head at me, mixed with another unknown emotion. Relief?

"You like to think you're funny don't you?"

Why yes I do, random handsome guy who's walking me back to my hotel. Wait why is he walking me all the way? Is he expecting something? "This isn't some scenario where you walk me back and now you think I owe you, do you?" Looking genuinely insulted he stops walking and stares down at me. I really hadn't noticed just how tall he is until now. Of course I'm a short ass and can barely see over people in the seat in front of me at theaters so in my reality everyone is taller than me.

"No, why would you say that?"

Uh oh, dig yourself out of the hole Isabelle and dig fast.

"I'm sorry, I was only joking. Bad joke apparently. See not always funny, even though I think so." Looking up, I flash my best I'm-adorable-please-don't-be-mad-at-me smile and he seems to relax.

He starts walking again and I follow his step even though his longs legs make me walk a lot faster than I normally would on my own. We fall into a comfortable silence while I look around the busy streets. I start to notice just how many people, mainly woman, are staring at my escort for the day. Apparently he notices too and pulls his hat down lower so his eyes are now in complete shadow. I'm not sure why he's still wearing it considering the sun has gone down, but if I was wearing a hat I'd have hat hair so maybe he's just as vain as I am and that's what he's trying to avoid. He has to know how good looking he is, I mean how could you not with that face, that body, those arms… Focus Isabelle!

Trying to ease his weird discomfort I steer the conversation in a different direction.

"So what about you? Are you here all alone in the big city all by yourself?"

"Not technically, everyone I'm working on this production with is here. Our days are usually really long so I just wanted to get away for the day and sink into the city for a while." Production?

I begin to ask "What is it you do…?" but he cuts me off with, "Hey look!"

Spinning my head to see the sign he's pointing at. "We can cut through Prospect Park." Well at least we'll have some decent scenery around us so that I won't stare at his ridiculously handsome face the whole time, like I am right now. My cheeks feel like they're glowing red as he catches my stare once again and gives me a quick wink. This is going to be one long walk.