"Hi," Robbie greeted her, bending down and resting on his heels to be at her eye level. "I am supposed to take a princess to dinner tonight. You look ready to go."
Avery beamed up at him, twirling her iridescent princess skirt at her feet. It was supposed to be her Halloween costume, but she refused to wear anything else. It was a struggle in the mornings to convince her to wear her school uniform, and she only changed when Grace promised she could wear her princess costume as soon as she got home. Halloween was still over a month away, but she wasn't showing any signs of getting bored with it.
"Aunt Sam, there's a man at the door for you," Avery called out, her eyes never leaving Robbie. I could tell she was smitten, and given how handsome he looked in that suit, I couldn't blame her.
"Thank you, Avery," I said, walking over to the open door. Robbie's jaw dropped slightly.
"Wow... you look amazing..."
Heat flared through my cheeks, and I put my hands on Avery's shoulders just so they had something to do. "Thank you."
"Avery, come here and let your aunt get out the door," Grace's soft voice came from inside the house. She stepped into the hallway with a disapproving look. I wasn't sure if it was meant for Avery or Robbie.
"Grace, it's always nice to see you." Robbie nodded politely at my older sister. "You and your mom have a nice night, okay, Princess?"
Avery grinned up at him, and slowly turned back toward her mother. I picked up my purse by the door, and stepped out into the cooling evening air. I waved to Avery and shut the door firmly behind me. Robbie's hand reached for mine as soon as I released the handle. His skin was warm and rough with calluses, but it fit in mine like it had been designed to go there.
"Did I mention you look amazing?" Robbie asked, guiding me out of the driveway and toward the park near our house. I realized that there wasn't a car parked nearby, but I let him lead the way.
"Yes, thank you. You look pretty good yourself." I squeezed his hand, and he chuckled.
"I wanted to make this evening special. I wanted to look my best for you," he said, turning to glance at me. His green eyes caught the light and sparkled. His smile was beaming and meant only for me. The butterflies in my stomach flapped harder as he smiled at me, and I felt like giggling. The leaves rustled gently, as the moon started her graceful rise. The oncoming night hummed with magic, the dancing leaves and the glow of the moon promising an evening to remember.
"Where are we going? Did you bring a car?" I asked, glancing around. We were almost to the end of our short block, but there wasn't a car in sight.
Robbie laughed and tugged gently on my hand. "We're almost there."
He led confidently as we rounded the corner, heading toward the small park that Avery liked to play in. As we turned, I could see a helicopter waiting in the middle of the soccer field. I had a sneaking suspicion that we weren't taking the train.
"Is that yours?" I asked as we came closer.
"No, it's my brother's, but he said I could use it for the night." He laughed when I gave him a doubting look. "No, I really did ask! It's all ours for the evening."
A wave of excitement washed over me as Robbie led me to the door and helped me inside. I had never been on a helicopter before. Robbie handed me a set of headphones, placing a matching set on his ears as he sat down next to me. The whir of the blades thundered above us as the pilot began to take off.
I gripped Robbie's hand, peering out the window as the ground floated away. There were no jumps or a speeding sensation like there was with a plane, just the ground disappearing below us. I grinned at Robbie, mesmerized by the way the trees shrank and the world suddenly stretched out before me. I liked flying in a helicopter.
The time flew by quicker than I thought it would and before I knew it, we were coming in for a landing on the top of the DS Oil and Gas building. I pressed my nose to the glass, seeing the city for the first time. Despite being so close, I hadn't had a reason to visit New York City yet. I couldn't believe how big it was!
We landed with a simple thump, and Robbie grinned, helping me out of the helicopter, his hand warm in mine. I was glad he didn't let go as he ushered me quickly across the rooftop and down into the building.
"That was spectacular! I could see the whole world from up there," I said in amazement. We stepped into a gold-plated elevator. Robbie pushed the button for the garage, and I leaned back against the shiny cage. I still held onto Robbie's hand, though.
Robbie grinned. "If you liked that, then you'll love dinner."
"Where are we going for dinner?" Curiosity bubbled up inside of me. There were so many fabulous places to eat in New York City, but something that related to a helicopter ride?
"You'll see when we get there," Robbie said with a smug smile.
"You aren't going to tell me?" I gave him my best pout.
"Nope. I like being able to surprise you," he said, his tall frame coming in close to mine. I could smell his cologne and the clean scent of his shampoo. The aroma was intoxicating and wonderful. His lips were so close, all I had to do was rise up on my toes just a little, and I could kiss him. I started to lift up, my mouth inching ever closer to his, when the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Robbie gave me a wicked smile and pulled away, grabbing my hand and tugging me out the elevator doors.
A sleek, black sedan was ready for us, a driver waiting with open doors at the curb. I followed Robbie, my heels clicking on the cement. The interior was warm and spacious and smelled of leather and new car. As soon as we were situated, the car pulled out smoothly into the New York evening.
Buildings rose up into the night sky, their lights twinkling like stars. It was as if each skyscraper were its own universe, full of twinkling galaxies of light, and together they created heaven. Robbie leaned back in his seat, a small smile on his lips as he watched me take in the city. I couldn't look away from the towering buildings and the people hurrying in mass numbers across the busy sidewalks. I had never seen so many people at once, especially in the evening. I could easily see why New York was called the city that never sleeps.
The car came to a gentle stop in front of a spectacular building and Robbie helped me out and onto the curb. The air was colder than I had expected, and I shivered slightly. Robbie's brow creased for a moment, and he quickly shrugged out of his jacket, draping it around my shoulders. It was warm from his body and surrounded me with a scent that was only his. With quick confident steps, he hurried me out of Times Square and into a hotel. I gave him a concerned look, as I wasn't quite ready to just hop into a hotel room at that point. I wanted to kiss him again like crazy, but my sister would kill me if she found out we went straight up to a hotel room. He just grinned and pulled me into an elevator and hit the forty-eighth floor button.