Roger and Cherise made it to the Stratosphere just in time to see the space elevator being used. Roger remembered seeing the inaugural launch while he was a junior in high school. It struck him then that spoiled and rich celebrities were able to do something that NASA said was impossible. Those same celebrities send tiny robotic ships up the ladder to take pictures of the moon. Real estate, like taxes, is inevitable.
As they stepped out of the limo, their waiter met them with wet handcloths and a mint. “Welcome to the Stratosphere, your suite is ready.” The waiter stepped to whisper in Roger’s ear, “No video, sir, I hope you enjoy it.”
“I’ll remember that,” said Roger trying to mentally juggle his finances in order to tip the waiter appropriately. “Thank you for arranging it.” Roger was also upset that he’d have to tell Grah that the gig was off. They were going to hack the feed to their suite in order to turn the monitors off. The Stratosphere was the most challenging and Grah always complained about not having a challenge. Touching the dialer just below his temple, he said, “Quick Note, No Deal. End.”
“Were you and Grah up to something?” asked Cherise.
“Maybe,” he grinned, “but I don’t need it now. I have you.”
“That’s sweet of you to say, thanks..” Cherise replied. She thought it was cute when he said what he thought she wanted to hear. It’s not that she wanted him to stop. It’s just that he was trying and she appreciated the effort. She was afraid that if she let on, he would stop trying. She thought that it was good for him to say what he thought she wanted to hear – it keeps him focused.
Once in the suite, the waiter presented a choice of chefs for the evening. Without video, the automatic selections for drinks, appetizers, and entrees weren’t available. The waiter was ready with menus after Roger and Cherise made their selections for chefs. Before leaving, the waiter provided his personal IP and said to call if they needed anything.
At last, Roger and Cherise had time alone. As they chatted about various topics, the discussion moved into the topic of their relationship. Cherise was hoping that Roger would talk about something moving it to the next level. She wanted more time that wasn’t arranged around conferences. The two weeks a year, one in California, the other in Arkansas were great. With only two weeks, though, it was hard to be close. Their relationship needed something that wasn’t video files and airport schedules. She wanted to have some sense of familiarity that her parents talked about when they started living together. They remembered a stair that creaked and a small lake within walking distance of their apartment. They placed so many memories in tangible, familiar objects. She wanted what they have. When she thought about it, she just wanted to come home to him, not a video file.
Roger was thinking about what he wanted in the relationship. He had not thought about many of the details, but he knew that he wanted to be with her. He thought about the changes in his life whenever the next step comes, if the next step comes. Thinking about the next step made him afraid that they may not work out. He thought, “what if we move to the same city only to have things fall apart?” He considered that their relationship was doing well for right now and he didn’t want to mess it up somehow.
As they talked, Roger was beginning to think that she wanted the next step to be right now. He wasn’t ready to think about the next step happening this soon. He was thinking about the new studio condo he wanted next month and the season tickets he wrangling for center court. He felt guilty that he was thinking the wrong things and he cursed himself for being stupid.
In mid-sentence, Roger heard a ring and sat upright from being startled by it. After a second, Tom’s voice came in saying that he had to fly to Alexandria tonight. He asked to stay thought the end of the conference, but Tom responded by becoming more agitated.
“Get you tail on a flight to Virginia, now!”
“Fine, call you when I land.”
Cherise felt crushed by the call, but her own call came as Roger was finishing his. Tom had ordered her to cover the rest of the conference alone. He added that if she wanted to spend her own money to go the Virginia, that was her choice. The last sentence felt like a lash as Tom snarled and sneered the words, “that was her choice.”
Upset at the lost chance to discuss their future, Cherise began to have watery eyes and allowed a small tear to escape. At this moment, she hated their separate lives more than anything else, but fought hard to hold herself together. Her and Roger argued briefly over the last thing that were talking about before they were interrupted by Tom. She was upset that Roger immediately called the waiter while she was talking to Tom instead of waiting until they finished their last thought. As they grew more upset, Roger placed both hands on her shoulders and kissed her.
“I love you, but I have to go.”
The waiter arrived and whisked Roger to the airport. Cherise took some time before she moved.
“He said, ‘I love you’,” she thought, “and he kissed me.”