He closed the door behind him and sat down in the settee, watching her intently when he asked, "I was wondering if you would like to have dinner after the meeting with Robert."

      “Harold, I am flattered, but you know I am married.”       

      "How about bringing Leo along? Let's go to Fung Lum, that Asian restaurant down the road you love."

      "Thank you, but I can't." After finishing the reports, she turned off her computer, and handed the folder back to him. "Here we go. In case you lose these, I sent a copy of the final results to your computer.” She retrieved her bag, standing up. “I have to get going. I promised Leo I would cook dinner tonight.”

       Harold got up as well. As she passed him to leave, he gently took her arm. "No problem, maybe next time.” He let go of her arm. “Good luck in finding Ellie. I'm sure she's fine."

      "I certainly hope so."

While she was an actress, Francesca had a fling with Harold, knowing that he had a soft spot for her. As if her unfaithfulness with the co-star, whom James caught her with, wasn't enough, Harold was also briefly present in the picture, which James wasn't aware of. Although she made it clear to him that it was a one-time thing, for some reason Francesca wasn't sure he understood, because he always showered her with gifts, ranging from weekly roses to a diamond bracelet, which she never accepted, and she was sure that Leo knew about it, but did not tell her.

At the time, Harold was also married, and when his wife found out about their brief affair, she literally took him to the cleaners during their divorce. She attempted to tell James about the affair, but didn't. She had, after all, broken up her family by herself due to her affair with her co-star.

Harold and his ex-wife had one child while they were married. She was named Annabelle. Although she was only five years old at the time, she grew to resent her father for splitting up their family. She rarely saw him, and when she did, she acted distant and cold towards him.

      After shopping at the local supermarket, Tresierras Supermarket, Francesca headed home. A citrus-marinated chicken leg, with freshly picked mangoes and cantaloupes, sounded delicious to her. For dessert, she thought chocolate-dipped candy apples with Merlot for herself and Leo. Zoe was staying over for the evening with a friend of hers, so they had the entire house to themselves.

      When Francesca arrived home, she was surprised to find Leo not home. She opened the bottle of Merlot after unpacking the few items she bought. After pouring some into a glass, she pulled her cell phone from her handbag and called him. Several rings later, he answered, "Hey."

      “Hello, where are you?" She heard some noise in the background.

      “I'm at work. I decided to come in quickly. Antonio had a bit of a crisis with one of his customers' meals."

      "Well, I'm at home now. I'll start dinner. It will be just me and you. Zoe is staying with Kylie tonight."

      "I won't be long, I promise," he replied. Leo arrived home well after nine, tired and beaten. The bottle of Merlot was finished and the food was cold as Francesca sat at the dining table. He went over to her, wanting to kiss her hello. "I'm so sorry for coming home now," he said.       She held up her hand, which made him halt. "Don't even try," she said, getting up.

      "I know I should've called, but at the restaurant things got chaotic."

      "Are you trying to get back at me for getting upset with you earlier today?"

“No. There was a crisis at work, and as Harold needed you, Antonio needed me too.”       "You've got to be kidding me!" she said, folding her arms.

      “What?" he asked, awestruck.

      "You're trying to get even with me."

      “If you don't believe me, you can call the restaurant. While I was angry with you earlier, as you were with me, I had to go in, and I am sorry I just got back now." He surveyed the food. "It looks absolutely delicious." he said. “I'll warm it up so we can have this lovely meal together, as planned." He came towards her, and this time she didn't back away, as he held her. "I've planned a lovely surprise for us this weekend."

      “What kind of surprise?”

      "I can't reveal anything or it won't be a surprise."

“It's impossible for us to leave while Ellie is missing."

“My guess is that she will be back by tomorrow. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if she walked in the door right now."

"If only," Francesca replied, her voice filled with sadness.

A gentle kiss was placed on her lips by him. As the kiss became more intense, she put her arms around his neck. They left the food behind and went upstairs to make love. Their lovemaking had always been intense, and it felt wonderful to be in each other's arms afterward.

      "I'm sorry about leaving without saying goodbye earlier."

He kissed her forehead. "It's fine. All is forgiven," he replied pleasantly, feeling satisfied.

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Six

Once back at the airport in the midst of the treacherous hail storm, Ellie went to the American Airlines counter, where she was told they were still grounded. A hurricane was even mentioned on the news.

      As she sat in the airport lounge reading a magazine, waiting for the next news report, Jason appeared from nowhere with his duffel bag. When she saw him, she was startled. “Do you realize how worried I have been?”

      “Why?” she asked curiously.

      “Does it matter?" he asked, sitting in an empty seat beside her and throwing the duffel bag to the ground. "When I got back to the room, you weren't there, and I panicked. I looked everywhere. I thought to myself, you were so determined to get out of this city that the only other place to check was the airport, and here you are."

      "Now that you've found me, you can go." She went back to reading. He took the magazine from her. "Hey, give it back," she said.

      "Ellie, what's going on? The only thing I get from you is rudeness, on top of insensitivity. I have been very nice to you since we met. I know you are eager to leave this place, but I am not responsible for the weather."

"I never said you should be nice to me or look for me."

"Yes, I realize that you didn't, but I think I am a decent guy." He stood up, and handed her the reading material back. "But I'll do what you ask, and I'll leave you alone." She stared at him as he grabbed his duffel bag about to leave, but he instead turned around and looked at her with contentment. “The reason I came and looked for you is that I wanted to tell you there is a way for

you and I to get to New York, but since you don't seem to be interested in what I have to say, I'll just let you sit here while I make my way to the Big Apple." She sat up straight at that.

      For a few seconds, the two stared at one another without saying a word, until Ellie broke the silence. “So you’re going to tell me then?”

      “Why don’t we take a bus to New York?" She seemed interested. “You know the Greyhound?" She sat up straighter now, very interested. "I don't know where their offices are, but we could always ask around here."

      It never occurred to her to think about the bus. As soon as she got up, she looked around to see if anyone knew where the offices were. With Jason by her side, she returned to the American Airlines desk, asking, “Sorry to bother you again, but do you know where the Greyhound Bus terminal is from here?”

      "I do, Miss. But you'll need to listen carefully. Follow the sign that says CTA/Trains to City. This will lead you to the Blue Line Train Station. At the Blue Line Train Station, go to the Ventra Vending Machines, where you will catch the next train to Clinton Station. After exiting Clinton Station, proceed to the street. You are now under a bridge on Clinton Street. The road is one way. You need to go in the same direction as the traffic for one block to Harrison Street. Turn right on Harrison Street and walk two blocks and you should see the Greyhound Bus terminal.” Both Ellie and Jason looked totally bewildered. “I could print out a map for you if that would help?”       “Yes, that will be very helpful, thank you so much,” Jason replied, feeling relieved.

The lady at the check-in desk printed out the map and highlighted the route, indicating a more straightforward route for them to find, and gave it to them.

Their journey took about an hour from the Blue Line Station to their destination. When they entered the bus terminal, soaked from the rain, there was a long line. As they waited for their turn, Ellie gazed at Jason beside her with delight. "I just wanted to thank you for this. I apologize for not

being nice to you earlier, but I have my reasons for it.”

“It's fine. Don't worry about it. Even though I knew there was an explanation, I didn't want to press you.”

At the front, they learned that all four remaining bus trips to New York were sold out. The only trip with some seats was five the following afternoon, so they bought two tickets for that trip.

      She felt that the universe was conspiring against her. It started with her mom not wanting her to go to New York, then the storm, causing them to land in Chicago, and now missing the bus.

      “Where to now?” Ellie asked, tucking her ticket safely into her handbag.

There were still torrential downpours. It seemed inevitable that they would leave the bus terminal without getting soaked again.

      “We can wait it out here for a bit, and see if the weather eases up. If not, we can head to Subways. I'm sure you're hungry now. I certainly am.”

      By then, Ellie was feeling hungry. The last time she ate was when she went out with Makayla and Missy to Westfield Fashion Square, where she had a salad and soda. "That sounds great. I am quite hungry," she said.

They grabbed their luggage, took a cab to Subway on W Harrison Street, which was a couple of blocks away. Ellie ordered a meatball marinara sandwich and a diet coke, and Jason ordered a sweet onion chicken teriyaki and a coke. Taking a seat in a corner booth, they ate their sandwiches in silence for a while. As soon as Jason had a chance to speak, he asked, “By the way, where are we going to sleep?”

      She thought for a moment and responded, "Good question."

In between sips of his coke, he said, "We might be able to find a motel somewhere around here. No point in staying at the Holiday Inn again. I checked us out.”

      “Thank you for doing that.” She paused. "Did you see anything along the way?”

      "No, I didn't really look, and you?"

      As she shook her head, she sighed. “We could ask someone here if they know of a cheap place to stay. My credit card is running low, and I haven’t even made it to New York yet,” she confessed with a smile.

      Jason replied, "Mine too." He took his last sip of coke then threw the contents in the trash can nearby.

      She was still busy with her sandwich. She put it aside. It was too much. “Would you like the rest?” She gestured to her half eaten sandwich.

"I would never turn down food." He finished the rest of her meatball sandwich dripping in marinara sauce. "This is so delicious," he said, "let's see if anyone knows where to get something cheap around here." The rain had eased a bit by that point, but thunder could still be heard in the distance.

One of the customers nearby recommended a reasonably priced motel a couple miles away, a place called Ohio House Motel in western downtown Chicago, which was convenient to the Greyhound Bus Terminal. They called a cab, which took them to the motel. There was something enjoyable about the Ohio House, distinguished by its funky diamond motif; it looked like a slice of retro Americana right in the middle of downtown Chicago. In addition to the diamond roofline, other points of interest included the mirrored suspended sign, which was held up by a geometric metal grid, which was itself mirrored in the pattern block fence that ran along Ohio Street. It’s distinctly Chicago Mid-Century design was characterized by rough-faced stone walls and a large stainless steel sign on the east facade.

On entering the reception area, they were greeted by a lady who appeared to be the owner's wife. Her name tag read Sarah. "Hello, we'd like to book a room for the night." Jason took out his

American Express card.

      “What sort of room are you looking for?" Before he had time to respond, she offered, “We have Deluxe King Beds, Deluxe Two Double Beds -"

      Ellie interrupted her by asking, “Are there any single beds available?”

"I'm afraid we only have king and double beds."

He pushed the credit card toward her, suggesting that they take two double beds.

As soon as the transaction was completed and cleared, she handed the keys to him. “Check-out is at 11 a.m. Have fun.”

      They were astonished by the size of the double beds when they opened the door, then realized Sarah had booked them into the deluxe suite. "So let's make the most of the room.” After placing his duffel bag on the bed, he lay down and turned on the TV. "I suggest we do a bit of sightseeing before getting on the bus tomorrow. Are you for that?”

"That sounds good, but I really need to take a shower." She headed to the bathroom, and closed the door, not locking it this time, because for some reason she trusted Jason, and believed that he was a decent man. She never saw any indication that he was anything other than what he seemed to be.

      While she washed her hair in the motel's large shower, she loved the jasmine scented shampoo and conditioner she used. This was her favorite flower. The plants were grown by her mother back home, and she often picked them, displaying them in vases in the dining room, and sometimes in her room.

After getting out of the shower, Ellie changed into her pajamas and ran a hairdryer through her hair in order to quickly dry it. Once she had finished, she opened the bathroom door to see Jason

fast asleep on the bed. Not wanting to disturb him, she searched the closets for a blanket to cover

him with. As she climbed into the second double bed, she opted to watch a bit of Miami Vice that was on NBC. After an hour, Ellie was tired of watching, so she grabbed her phone out of her handbag and turned it on again. After a few seconds, her mom sent her two more voice messages, but she once again deleted them without listening. The fact that her dad did not call or text her meant her mother had not figured out she was on her way to New York, which just satisfied Ellie to no end.

      The screen suddenly lit up with "Makayla." Initially unsure whether to answer, she went ahead and answered. Makayla shrieked before Ellie could respond, "Ellie, where are you? Everyone has been worried sick about you." Missy, in the background, sounded similarly distressed.

      Her response was, "Hello to you too," as she climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

      “Are you all right? When are you coming back?” Makayla questioned.

Missy snatched Makayla's phone. “Ellie, what’s happening?” she franticly asked.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Missy,” she whispered.

      “Why are you whispering? Are you being held captive somewhere?” She started to panic.       "I'm fine. Don't tell my mom or Leo that we spoke."

      “They are worried about you, though. Police were even called to find you," Missy answered, tears streaming down her cheeks. “At least let us know where you are.”

      “I can't do that. Sorry."

“We are your best friends, Ellie. Why can't you trust us?”

"I wish I could, but I can't at this point. I have to go. I will call you soon though okay?“ Before Missy could respond, she disconnected the call and switched her phone off, knowing that they would call her again without hesitation. As she curled up under the covers straight after the call, she dreamed about New York.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seven

 

Francesca startled Leo with a sudden jolt. It was two in the morning.

      "What is it, Francesca?"

She jumped out of bed after turning on the light beside her. "Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?" she asked. “I know exactly where Ellie is.” She searched for her cell phone on her vanity table and found it. A speed dial to her ex-husband in New York followed. Several rings later, a woman answered. “Jessie, please put James on the line.”

      “Francesca, it’s five o’clock in the morning,” she replied sleepily.

"I don't care," she replied. “It's important."       

She heard mumbling on the phone. In a few seconds, James was on the line. “Francesca, can this possibly wait for later?”

“No, it cannot. Be honest with me. Is Ellie there?”

“What?” he asked in confusion.

"Yes, you heard me. Is Ellie with you in New York?”

“Why would she be here? You told her not to come anymore. Remember?” Francesca bit her nails when she was under stress. Now Leo was standing next to her. “Francesca, I asked you a question? Why would she be here?” he asked again. “Has anything happened that I should be aware of?” He sat straight up in bed.

After hesitating, she replied, "Ellie has been gone for two days, and we have no idea where she is."

“She is what?” he shouted. Jessie was equally frightened, and attempted to calm him down despite not understanding what was going on, but could only assume it had something to do

with Ellie. She repeated what she said. “And you only told me this now because?” He got up from the bed. She remained silent. “I asked you a question,” he said.

“We had a fight, and I was expecting her to return once she had calmed down.”

      “It all happened because you didn't want her to live with me anymore, I guess?”

“Yes.”

Following a few more unpleasant exchanges between them, James decided to go to Los Angeles to help search for Ellie. Despite her best efforts, Francesca could not convince him to stay. Packing his bags, he departed on the next flight. Jessie remained behind.

       "Well, there goes my surprise for the weekend," Leo sighed.

Francesca glared at him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eight

 

The morning sun streamed through the window as Ellie awoke with a smile on her face. Since Jason wasn't in the double bed next to her, she thought he might be in the bathroom taking a shower, but the door was open. Frowning, she got up. She was relieved to find his duffel bag still there. While he was out, she dressed in a floral summer dress and Greek sandals. The moment Jason returned to the room with food, Ellie was ready to venture out.

      “Good morning,” he said as he closed the door.

      “Good morning," she replied with a smile.

Her beauty impressed him. “You look lovely.” He set the food down.

"Thanks." She went to stand next to him. “So what did you get this time?” He offered her a strawberry smoothie, pumpkin cream cheese muffin, and ham and cheese croissant. The meal he had consisted of a turkey pesto Panini, oatmeal cookies, and iced pumpkin spiced latte.

The conversation flowed as they enjoyed their meal. After finishing their meal, Jason commented, "I asked Sarah at the front desk about some attractions in the area."

      “So what did she say?”       

"Well, she mentioned The Adler Planetarium, Buckingham Fountain, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago Bulls, but I'm not sure if she was referring to watching one of their games, and I think she also mentioned China Town."

"That sounds interesting, and I'm ready, and we don't have much time left before we must check out." It was after ten when she said this.

"I just have to take a quick shower, then we'll be on our way."

While Jason was showering, Ellie was flicking through the TV channels when his cell phone started ringing. Although she didn't want to pry, she couldn't resist looking to see who it was. The word "Unknown" appeared on the screen. She replied casually, assuming it was American Airlines telling him they would be flying today. “Hello.”

Another female voice responded from the other side. “Who is this?”

Panicking Ellie cut the call short. As soon as the woman answered back, she knew it couldn't be American Airlines. Soon after, it began ringing again, but she ignored it. Following that, it rang several more times, and she continued to ignore it.

After Jason finished his shower, he got dressed, they thanked Sarah, and returned the keys to her. The missed calls hadn't been noticed on his phone until it rang again outside The Adler Planetarium. “Sorry I have to take this,” Jason said, stepping away from Ellie.

As he spoke, she watched him closely, but she was unable to hear what he said. She expected him to ask her why she answered his phone at the Motel, but he never did, which led her to wonder who that might have been? Did he have something to hide? His girlfriend perhaps? But then again, maybe it wasn't even the girl from the Motel who called. For all she knew, it could have been a guy friend. It was not her place to ask him or wonder, but she was curious to learn who it was.

At school, Ellie never felt a particular attraction toward anyone, but for whatever reason she felt an attraction towards Jason, and had from the moment she first saw him on the plane, but other distractions, like getting to New York, made her not notice it until that moment. Chocolate brown hair and emerald green eyes characterized his height and handsome appearance. From what she could see, he also had an athletic physique, with broad shoulders and muscular legs. From their earlier conversation, she learned that he was three years older than her. August was his birthday and July was hers.

      As he approached her, she asked, "Is everything okay?"

      “Everything is fine. Let's see what The Adler Planetarium has to offer."

The Adler Planetarium was a public museum devoted to astronomy and astrophysics. Chicago entrepreneur Max Adler founded the museum in 1930. Among the Adler's features were three full-size theaters, extensive space science exhibitions, and a significant collection of antique scientific instruments and print materials. Only the lakeside observatory in Chicago provided a unique opportunity for the public to see planets, stars, and galaxies up close.

      Although she had no interest in the Solar System, Ellie went because Jason wanted to. Ellie noticed he seemed distant since the phone call. The two of them were leaving Adler Planetarium's Rainbow Lobby when Ellie asked again, "You have been awfully quiet since the phone call. Are you sure everything is okay?”

He looked at her. “I told you everything was fine, Ellie. Can you stop asking?" he replied abruptly. The way he answered offended her, but she didn't speak further.

Next, they visited Buckingham Fountain, an iconic Chicago landmark located in Grant Park. It was one of the largest fountains in the world when it was dedicated in 1927. Based on the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, it was built in the rococo style of a wedding cake and was meant to represent Lake Michigan with regular water shows and colorful illuminations. The fountain was decorated with festival lights during the winter.

Before heading to the Cadillac Palace Theatre, they caught one of the hourly water shows.

The Cadillac Palace Theatre was originally known as the New Palace Theatre, a Broadway in Chicago. The interior included large decorative mirrors, breche violet and white marble. Inside, the walls were decorated with gold leaf and wood decorations, along with a series of intricate arches

and brass ornamentations. When they toured the theatre, they were absolutely amazed. As she

imagined herself on stage as the leading actress, she became even more excited. 

      They hadn't spoken much since Jason's outburst earlier, but as they left the Theatre, Jason pulled her aside. "Ellie, I just wanted to apologize for how I spoke earlier. That was rude of me."

"Don't worry about it." But how could she not worry? 

As soon as she realized what was happening, he grabbed her by the arm, drew her to him, and kissed her on the lips. As their tongues entwined, the kiss seemed to linger forever. His hands moved from her face to her back as he pulled her closer to him, their bodies touching. It was like he was touching her from the inside out. Her heart pounded and she felt him close. Two hearts beating together. Ellie didn't care who was watching, she just enjoyed what was happening right then. 

      Having no idea what he was doing, he backed away. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that." She was too stunned to say anything, and almost fell over from the shock of the kiss. “We should get going.” Picking up his duffel bag he started walking towards the direction of the bus terminal. Ellie grabbed her suitcase and followed him.

      The pleasure of walking in the sunshine and fresh air led Jason to mention that they walk to the terminal, which was 1.2 miles away, taking them twenty five minutes to reach.

At that point, it was after four p.m. and the Greyhound had arrived.

As they entered the bus, their names were ticked off and they sat in the middle of the bus, Ellie taking the window seat once again, just like on the airplane. They departed for New York at 5:05 p.m.