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Josie sat with her thoughts for company in the back seat of James' sedan while Tom Jones crooned, "What's new pussycat, whoa, ho, ho, whoa, what's new pussycat?" Anita had turned up the stereo volume as the song came on and she and James sang to it loudly. Josie rolled her eyes. She had distaste for both Tom Jones and this particular song, which kids had used to torment her with when she was in school. But, of course, Anita had no way of knowing that, so�
After the song ended, Anita played with the radio dial (yet again) until she lit on a station where the disc jockey announced the next song as "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
This song always caught Josie's attention; the words were perfect and the movie was a soul healer. Sam had taken Josie to see the movie, and Josie was sure he had enjoyed it, as well.
"Josie, did you see this movie?" James asked, looking in the rearview mirror at her and smiled.
Josie smiled back and replied, "Actually, yes, I have. I really loved it."
Anita chirped in, "Well, I found the movie stupid. It had no action, and well� I can't really see anything romantic about it."
"All right Anita, tell me� What is your favorite movie?" Josie asked, flashing a knowing grin.
Anita tapped her cheek in thought. "Well, I would have to say� Wild Things. Now, that was a movie!"
Josie aimed a droll look at Anita. "I was actually aiming towards a movie with a little love and compassion� not betrayal and murder."
"Oh," Anita said in a small voice. James was looking at her strangely and she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of him. "Something with love� Well then, I would have to pick ET� That had love," Anita defended.
"I don't remember that movie as a love story�" Josie said, confused.
"Oh contraire!" Anita crowed triumphantly. "The boy loved the alien, remember?"
"Anita, if that is your idea of romantic love, then you need to see a psychologist," Josie answered, shaking her head. "I don't know what were going to do with you!"
"I have to see a psychologist?" Anita snorted. "What about you?"
"Why would I have to see one? I'm just fine," Josie said, irritated.
Forgetting momentarily that James was there, even though he was driving the car, Anita hooted, "Fine?" She laughed with delight. "Oh come on, Josie. Who's the one that has been keeping that gorgeous hunk of a man of yours dying in suspense while you make him wait? Sounds like a fear of intimacy to me," she concluded, trying to sound philosophical.
As Anita's words registered, Josie stole a desperate glance at James, praying that maybe he wasn't listening, or possibly that he had not understand what Anita meant by 'intimacy'. But it was obvious by James' surprised and speculative look that had heard and he understood exactly what Anita had meant.
Josie turned beet red and whispered furiously at Anita, "Can we please finish this discussion later?" God, she could just kill Anita for bringing up that issue in front of James. Now he probably thought she was some kind of weirdo. Ugh. How embarrassing!
Anita could see that Josie wanted to strangle her. "Good idea, Josie," she answered meekly, and then put her head back to lie on the headrest, closing her eyes.
After that, the rest of the ride to the airport was very quiet, with Anita trying to doze in the passenger seat, Josie trying to not think of James and his probable opinion of her, and James alternately watching Josie's expression in the rearview mirror and pondering what Anita had said about her.
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When they arrived at the airport, Josie was pleasantly surprised to find that their seats were in first class.
"Great! Nice big seats�" Anita sighed, walking to the plane.
The disappointment was evident on Anita's face when she discovered Josie, and not herself, would be sitting next to James. However, once Anita was situated across the aisle, she found her seatmate to be a rather handsome, blond 30ish guy in a three-piece suit. She looked at Josie and waggled her eyebrows a la Groucho Marx, and then proceeded to hang on the man's every word (and his arm�).
Josie smiled to herself and shook her head at Anita's antics. She never failed to amaze her with new lows in the pursuit of the 'perfect man'. As for Josie's company, James was kind and gentlemanly, and even relinquished his window seat so that Josie could watch the flight. Josie loved to watch the buildings as they got smaller and smaller, and until the cars looked like tiny crawling ants, and then disappeared altogether.
Once the plane reached cruising altitude, a friendly looking stewardess stopped at James' elbow and asked them, "Would you like something to drink?"
Josie was staring off into space, thinking of how much she already missed Sam, so she did not hear the question. James, who had been watching her, poked her lightly in the ribs with his elbow. Turning, she looked at him and asked, "Huh?"
When James motioned to the attendant and she repeated her question, Josie answered, "Oh. No, thank you. I'm fine."
James smiled softly at Josie for a moment before turning toward the stewardess and saying, "I second that."
Although James did attempt to keep Josie entertained with dialogue for a while, the last half of their three-hour trip was spent mostly in silence, each of them with their thoughts for company.
Once they landed at LaGuardia airport, James insisted on rounding up the bags and picking up their rental car, allowing Josie and Anita to wait at the entrance of the airport until he arrived.
When James arrived with the upscale sedan, Anita asked him, "So, where will we be staying?"
James smiled and replied, "Well, that's the best part� Our rooms are at The Plaza�only one of the best five-star hotels in the world." While both Josie and Anita stood staring with their mouths hanging open, James continued, "Hey, don't look so surprised� That's where they're holding the awards ceremony. All the nominees are staying there."
Anita recovered from her surprise quickly. "Well now, I'd think that the best place to pick up guys would be a five star hotel, don't you agree Josie?"
"Actually, I don't agree. For you, okay, maybe. But as for me, I have all I need, thanks," Josie said, while pulling Sam's picture out of her purse for at least the fifteenth time that day.
Anita sulked prettily and joked, "Fine, be like that, I don't care, you big party pooper." She leaned over the seat and looked at the face of Sam Coulson in Josie's hand. "You know, with a bod like Sam's, I'd keep a topless photo in there�" Anita suggested.
Josie gave her a disgusted look, and then pulled her hand back to place Sam's picture safely back in her wallet.
Soon, James pulled to a stop under a canopy before a huge, Victorian building. He announced, "Well, here we are folks�the famed Plaza Hotel."
Josie looked up in awe. It was as intimidating as it was beautiful, situated right on ritzy 5th Avenue and across from the southeast corner of Central Park. Footmen opened both Josie and Anita's doors for them while the valet relieved James of the keys to their car.
Josie and Anita wandered around the incredible lobby while James booked them in. After a moment, he returned to them to give them a bit of bad news. "Well, it looks as if someone back at the home office forgot to call and book a third room for us. Looks like some people are going to have to share�and it's not going to be me," James smiled as he awaited their response.
Josie said nothing, but Anita placed her hands on her hips and teased, "Hey, how come you rate your own room?"
James simply raised an eyebrow and replied, "Because I'm not about to sleep in the car and I can't share with either of you�"
As Josie and Anita shook their heads, James handed them each a set of keys. "Here you go, girls. You're in Room 452 and I am across the hall in room 453, if you need anything. I don't know about you kids, but I'd like to get on to bed. See you both in the morning." And with that, James left their company, his bellboy trailing behind him with his bag.
After spending a few more moments staring at the beautiful d�cor and elegant furnishings, Anita and Josie also went up to their room, tipped the bellboy and closed the door.
Josie turned in a circle, looking at the room. The room was decorated with cloth wallpaper with yellow rose bouquets tied with ribbons. There was a fireplace with a marble and gilded mantle and a huge gilded mirror above it. On the writing desk, there was a bouquet of real yellow roses to match the wallpaper. The carved headboards for the two queen sized beds were whitewashed with baroque carvings touched with gilt. Bedspreads that exactly matched the wallpaper covered the beds. Sunny yellow drapes framed the window, which looked out over Central Park. Josie had never been surrounded by such splendor in all her life. It nearly rendered her speechless. She walked over to the window to peer out across Central Park and to the light posts spotting the edge of a small lake. She sighed peacefully.
Anita came out of the bathroom wearing one of the complimentary terrycloth robes and called, "Uh, Josie?"
Josie turned to look at her, almost in a daze.
"You better call Sam. You asked me to remind you�" Anita said, motioning towards the telephone between their beds.
"Oh, yes! I almost forgot, thanks!" Josie crossed the room and picked up the telephone receiver. "Yes, I would like an outside number please." She paused for a moment, listening, and then replied, "The number is 312-555-0102."
Anita laid herself across the other bed, facing Josie. "Why'd you give them your number? Aren't you trying to reach Sam?"
"Sam has to feed my tortoises, so he's staying at my place while I'm gone�now be quiet, it's ringing," Josie replied.
Josie listened as her answering machine clicked on. She waited for the beep and then called out, "Sam, it's me, Josie. Come pick up the phone."
Almost immediately, she heard the beep of the machine being switched off and the click signaling Sam had picked up the receiver.
"Josie! I was hoping you would call� Don't worry, I fed the turtles," Sam said with a smile evident in his voice.
"Good. I don't want to come home to two turtle graves," Josie laughed. Then she rolled over onto her back on the bed and exclaimed excitedly, "Sam, you'll never guess where I am!"
"Hmmm�let me see�is it possible you're in� New York?" he teased.
"Sam!" Josie sighed impatiently. "Really! Guess!"
"I don't know�Where are you?" Sam asked, amused. Josie was obviously excited about her news.
"I am in my�well actually, Anita's and my�room in�The Plaza Hotel!" she practically squealed.
Sam was taken aback. The Plaza? Wow, this award must be a really big deal if her boss was springing for The Plaza. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "That's great. What's it like?"
"You've never been here?" she inquired. After all, she knew that Lara was from New York City, and he'd been out to visit her here several times.
"Well, I went with Lara once to a charity event in one of the ballrooms, but I've never been off the main floor�"
Josie enthused, "Oh, Sam�it is so beautiful. I wish you could be here with me. My room overlooks Central Park and everything. The city looks so beautiful at night," she sighed.
Josie sounded so happy that Sam could not help but be happy for her, even though he already missed her terribly. "Yes, it really does, doesn't it?" After a moment, Sam continued, "So, how was the flight?"
"Oh, it was just fine," then, glancing over at Anita, who was lying on her bed, using the remote to change channels on the television, "Anita found some poor guy on the plane to flirt with, so she was happy, too�"
Josie heard Sam's deep laugh as Anita turned to give her a droll look. "I really miss you� Can't wait to be back. Don't forget� tomorrow you call me. Do you still have the number I gave you?"
Sam said, "Yes, of course," and then read off her cellular phone number.
Josie continued, "We'll probably do our sightseeing tomorrow, so I have no idea where we'll be until tomorrow night. You could call me here then, but�" Josie sat up and searched the bedside table for something that might have the phone number to the hotel on it. Grabbing a small writing pad, she read, "Okay, its 212- 759-3000 and I'm in Room 452."
Sam reread, "Seven five nine, three thousand. Okay, got it. Room 452."
"Sam?"
"Yes, Josie?"
"If you could pick one place that I definitely should go in New York before I leave, where would it be?"
Sam smiled at the question and thought for a moment. "Well, if you've only got one day, then the Statue of Liberty is out. That trip would take you most of the day. Hmmm� okay, I'd have to say to go to Times Square just after dark. You know, that's where they 'drop the ball' on New Year's Eve? It looks so amazing on television, but in real life, its much more imposing and impressive. All those huge neon billboards towering hundreds of feet in the air all around you." He laughed. "Even the Burger King has a neon sign there�"
Josie smiled. Leave it to Sam to come up with something like that instead of the more expected 'Empire State Building' or 'Radio City Music Hall'. He thought of something original that he knew would make an impression on Josie for the rest of her life. That was one of the things she so loved about him: his ability to understand her.
"Thanks, Sam," she said warmly.
"No problem. Ok, Josie, I will call tomorrow night. Take care; I love you," Sam said.
"I love you too, Sam," Josie said, and then hung up the phone.
"God! That was so cute!" Anita said in a saccharine voice. "You guys are so cute, it's sick!"
"Anita, please!" Josie answered, but was smiling at her friend. Josie was used to Anita's teasing when in came to Sam. Josie made her way to the bathroom and prepared herself for bed, putting on a pair of plaid flannel shorts and a matching sleeveless button-up top.
Padding back out into the sleeping area, Josie walked over to the bed closest to the window where she had been and then turned to Anita and asked, "Are you ready for bed?"
"Hey, I'm always ready for bed, hon," she replied with a laugh. Then, more seriously, she replied, "Yeah, I could use some shuteye, actually. It's been sort of a long day�" Anita got up off the bed and took off the robe, which revealed a red silk camisole. At Josie's stare, Anita said meekly, "Sorry, I didn't really consider the company when I packed�"
Josie laughed and then Anita joined her as well. Josie said, "Or maybe you considered the company too much and thought you'd have a different roommate?"
Anita looked a little guilty. "Okay, you got me�" She pulled down the coverlet and the blankets and crawled inside. "Good night, Josie."
"Good night to you, too. See you in the morning!" Josie said. Then she climbed into her bed, plumped her pillow, and then reached over to flip off the light.
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