3

When the cold and the rain finally got to her, Emma pulled out the cell phone that Skinner had given to her and she began to walk. She dialed his number and while waiting for him to pick up wondered how long it would take for her to get sick from being underdressed in this weather. "What?"

"Where are you?" Emma sighed into the phone at the sound of Skinner’s voice.

"I’m at the club, where the hell are you?"

"Skin, you said you’d pick me up… told me to wait on the bridge down by the Wrigley Building and you’d pick me up on the way from the interview to the club."

"Oh yeah…" he said and laughed. "I forgot."

"Thanks…"

"Hey, I’m a busy guy okay? They had us do six different interviews this afternoon, it slipped my mind. Just get in a cab and come over here."

"Were you even concerned about me, Skinner? Did it even pop into your head for just a split second to wonder where I was?"

"You’re a big girl, Em… I figured that wherever you were you were fine."

"Yeah, I’m just peachy… Standing out in the cold, soaked through with rain, walking through a city I’ve never been in. I’m great."

Skinner sighed, "Get in a damn cab…"

"There aren’t any fucking cabs around right now!" Emma yelled not realizing how upset she was until she yelled at him.

"What the fuck is your deal? You’re yelling at me now? Jesus… I made a mistake Emma. So sue me! Did I tell you to stand in the rain like an idiot? Do what you want… get a cab and come over here, or don’t. But I’m not going to sit here in the middle of a club getting into a screaming match with you…"

The line went dead before she could say anything else and she thought about hurling the small silver phone into the river, but then thought better of it. Instead she slid it back into her small purse and began walking back to the hotel that they were staying at, the cold raindrops hiding the warm tears that were sliding down her face.

By the time Emma reached the lobby of the hotel she was a mess. Soaked through with rain, frozen solid by the wind, and her eyes were swollen from the combination of the two. She ignored the looks that were sent her way as she walked through the lobby to the elevators and wondered how long it would take her to get warm again once she was back to the room.

Relieved to get an elevator all to herself she pushed the number for the floor they were staying on and leaned against the wall of the small moving room. She closed her eyes and thought about her life and what she’d become in a year. Before she let her mind wander to the things that she knew she didn’t want to think about, the doors of the elevator opened up to her floor. She imagined the warmth of a hot shower and her favorite pair of pajamas and decided that she would order up the biggest decadent Godiva Hot Chocolate that room service would deliver, it was her birthday after all.

She reached the door of the room that she and Skinner were sharing and noticed her fingers were slightly numb as she fumbled about in her purse trying to find her plastic room key. It wasn’t until she’d dumped the contents of her purse on the floor that she let herself fully understand that her key to the room was not in her purse.

"Shit… shit… shit…" she looked through the mess on the floor again hoping that maybe the cold had affected her eyes and she’d just overlooked the key. "Fuck…" She sat down on the floor to pick up her things, her legs too cold and weak to hold her upright much longer.

She noticed two sets of feet walk past her when she was filling up her purse but didn’t bother to look up. After her purse was back together she leaned her head against the door and dialed Skinner’s cell phone again. It rang until the voice mail picked up and she let out a frustrated sigh as she closed her eyes and waited to leave a message. "Skin, it’s Emma… I’m back at the hotel but I must have lost my key or left it in the room and I don't have my ID with me that proves I'm with the tour so no one is going to give me another key. If you get this message any time soon will you please call me? Or send someone over with your key? I’m soaked through and freezing…" She paused for a second and sighed again, "Anyway… call me, please? Bye…"