Part Nine

Stuart throws his food wrappers in the trash can and drinks the last drop of coffee, then tosses it in the trash can too. Harry and Stuart make their way to the airport’s front entrance, rolling their suitcases behind them.

A black SUV pulls up to the curb, and the driver asks, “Are you Harry Parker?”

“Yes, Sir. My buddy and I need a ride to our hotel?” Harry says through the passenger’s window.

A Latino gentleman in his late forties wearing a New York Giants baseball cap gets out of the driver’s seat to open the trunk of the vehicle to place Harry and Stuart’s luggage in the car.

 “What hotel are you going to?” says the driver while closing the trunk.

“The Four Seasons Hotel on Barclay Street?”

 “Oh, I know exactly where that is,” the driver says with a smile on his face.

“That’s great. Do you know how long it will take us to get there?” Stuarts asks, then yawns.

“About twenty minutes, Sir,” The driver says with his lips pursed.

Stuart and his buddy hop into the back seat of the SUV and put their seatbelts on. Harry starts to feel warm, and his cheeks begin to turn pinkish-red.

“Excuse me, Sir. Could you please roll down the window a smidge for me? I’m feeling a bit overheated. I guess I shouldn’t have worn a heavy sweater underneath my coat,” says Harry.

“No problem. I completely understand. The weather has been crazy. One day it’s below twenty degrees and snowy, and now it’s breezy and almost sixty degrees.”

“Yea. I guess that’s the weather of Western New York.”

The driver chuckles, and Harry gazes out the window, taking in the view. “Even though the sun hasn’t risen yet, the city looks beautiful.”

“I am sure it is, bro. My eyes are so heavy right now. I’m too tired to look out the window.”

“Well, I see the tall trees and flowers in the park and the natural stone on some buildings.”

“It sounds lovely. Maybe we can take a tour later after work,” Stuart says groggily.

“I didn’t mean to listen to your conversation, but I have a friend who is a tour guide that can show you Central Park and the Zoo.”

“Oh. That would be very nice.”

“You’re welcome. I will give you Ricky’s business card when we arrive at your destination.”

“How much longer? My buddy is falling asleep.”

“We are almost there, Sir.”

Harry stares out the window with his mouth wide open, taking in his surroundings. He has always wanted to visit New York City and see all the landmarks and Times Square but never had the opportunity to do so. Suddenly, the driver slams his foot on the break, and both Harry and Stuart hit their heads against the car window.

“What happened?” Harry and Stuart say simultaneously, holding their head.

“I don’t know. A yellow taxi came out of nowhere when I was about to make a left turn on to Barclay street,” shouts the driver as he waves his hands in the air.

“Harry, do you think that was a sign?”

“No, just probably a person was trying to get somewhere in a hurry,” says Harry, shrugging his shoulders.

“I’m so sorry. Are you guys alright?” says the driver with a concerned look on his face.

“We’re okay. I don’t think we hit our heads very hard, just a minor headache. Nothing Tylenol and a good night’s sleep won’t fix.”

“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital or urgent care?”

“Yes, we are sure. We are not bleeding or anything. We want to get check in to our hotel. It’s going to be a long day for us.”

“Okay, I understand. Do you have something exciting planned?”

“Unfortunately, we are here for work.”

“Oh, I see. Where do you guys work?”

“I am a detective, and my friend Harry is a special agent who works in the cyber-crime division at the Buffalo precinct.”

“Try to have some fun while you’re here in New York City.”

“We will try. I definitely would like to try some classic New York-style pizza?”

“Go check out Joe’s Pizza on Fulton St.”

“Thanks for the recommendation. How much do we owe you for the ride?”

“You don’t owe me anything—this one is on me due to the incident that happened earlier.”

“Really? That’s so nice of you.”

“My pleasure. Let me help you with your bags.”

The driver puts the vehicle in park and carries their luggage to the Four Seasons hotel’s check-in desk.

“Thank you so much. Please take twenty dollars as a tip; you have done so much for us.”

The gentleman shakes his hands and says, “Thank you. Here’s Ricky’s business card as promised.”

Stuart waves goodbye and says, “Thanks again.”

Harry stands still in front of the revolving door in amazement. Italian inspired travertine tile on the floor, crisp white crown moldings, and a beautiful large chandelier with jewels hang in the center of the hotel’s entrance.

“Come on, Harry, I have our hotel key,” Stuarts calls out.

“I’m coming. Sorry, I got distracted by the beauty of the hotel. I feel like I walked into one of the mansions Tamara Day renovates on her show, Bargain Mansions.”

“It’s charming, and it fits with the city’s crowd,” says Stuart with a grin on his face as he looks around the hotel.

“Not to be nosey, but can we afford to stay here?”

“Don’t worry; I got the room covered. I had some money saved.”

“Okay. Thank you. I’ll pitch in for food and whatever else we may need.”

“Sounds good. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have enough energy to climb up the spiral staircase with metal railings, so I’m going over by the elevators.”

“Let’s go to the elevator.”

They roll their suitcases across the tile floor over to the elevators and patiently wait for the doors to open. With a blink of an eye, the doors open after it made a chime noise. Stuart pressed the button for the fifth floor, and away they went. A large hotel room with two queen-size beds, an entertainment center with a mini-fridge stocked with candy and drinks. A spa-like bathroom with a walk-in shower with marble spread all over the walls and floors.

Stuart places his bags over by the window. He looks down below and watches the city come to life as people walk to work, chat on the phone, and hold their Starbucks coffee. He takes off his shoes, unbuttons his jeans, and jumps into bed.

“I’m going to use the bathroom. Do you need to go first?” Harry asks.

He turns around and sees Stuart already asleep—his head against two fluffy pillows and covered in a plush tan blanket. Harry sets the alarm on his cell phone for one o’clock, then places it on a charger.

 “Good thing, we made an afternoon appointment because the sun is already rising,” says Harry in a low voice while walking into the bathroom.