Mike was glad he gave Teddy the window seat in first class. Teddy had never been on a plane before, and was mystified and a bit jumpy. The trip to New York wasn’t long, about two hours. They had hardly nothing to carry on, so went through the TSA line quickly. Teddy watched them land and held on tight to the armrests – tight enough to crack them. They hit the pavement and the roar of the plane slowing down made Teddy close his eyes and hold his breath. Mike smiled. “You’ll get used to it,” he said.
After gathering their baggage, they found themselves surrounded by people outside. It was hot, but not humid – yet, Mike figured. He checked his phone for the weather as a man reached down for his bag. Mike grabbed it. “Pardon me,” he said, giving the man an angry glare.
“You go to your hotel, I bring you to your hotel,” the man said with a heavy Indian accent.
“Fine, but I carry the bags,” Mike said.
After loading the bags into the trunk of the car, Mike and Teddy settled into the well-worn, ripped up back seat. The man, named Ahmed according to his ID that he had taped to the back window, jumped into the driver’s seat and bolted out into traffic, getting a nasty beep from someone behind him.
“Oh, Jesus,” Mike muttered, as they went on the ride of their lives. Barely missing pedestrians, bikers, and other cars, they arrived at the Biltmore rattled and high-strung. Mike gave him forty dollars for a thirty dollar fare and told him, “I never want to see you again.”
The Biltmore was a high class hotel, a block from Times Square. Mike, still shaking, glanced at Teddy who was looking all around the hotel. “I need a drink,” Mike said.
Teddy looked at him strangely. “You don’t drink.”
“After that ride, I do.” He approached the desk, and could see the bar from there, to his left.
He got the room key, gave it to Teddy who watched as a bellboy took the bags for him. “I can do that,” Teddy said, but Mike shook his head. They went to their room, a beautiful suite that consisted of a living room, dining room, and a bedroom. Mike gave the man a tip and said, “Can you get us some room service? A bottle of champagne and maybe some sandwiches.”
“Of course, sir,” he said, and left the room. Teddy wandered around the place. “This is huge,” he said.
Mike was starting to settle down, as he went to the curtains and yanked them open. They overlooked Times Square, where people were like ants from their perspective. “This jacuzzi’s gigantic!” yelled Teddy from the bathroom.
“Made for two?” Mike asked, as he walked around the apartment, heading over to the bathroom.
Teddy picked up the tiny shampoo bottles and examined them. “We get to keep these?”
“Mmmhmm,” said Mike, going over to him. “We’ll see how they smell on you later.”
