From Me To You

Chapter 40 - Tourist

A week later I find myself making my own way to JFK to pick him up.

As soon as James spots me, and I him, I run up to him as he lets go of his one bag and pulls me into a tight embrace.

"Miss me?" I smile at him.

"Now that you mention it," he decides to get witty.

We get to my car and head straight home.

"How was the flight?" I ask.

"Great, good everything went fine," he says as he looks out the window intently.

"This is Queens," I begin to speak. "I grew up not too far from here and my parents still live here."

"It's nice," he says as he turns to me making me laugh.

"Please, we've barely even left JFK, this place is huge."

Once we finally make it to Manhattan, James can't take his eyes off the view.

"These buildings are-"

"Oh God," I say. "I've got a total tourist on my hands."

"Excuse you," James says. "I've never been here."

"Yeah, but you would think you'd try to keep it cool around an actual New Yorker. We don't like you guys, okay? We tolerate you and act nice and all because we're not all horrible, but the simple truth is that you all walk way too slow, take too many pictures and sometimes can't read a map."

"That's not very nice," he begins to chuckle.

"We spit nothing but the truth," I add. "Just stay calm around me, don't ask stupid questions and most importantly do not ask me why a certain building looks the way it does or why it exists. Honestly, I did not build it."

"I should've just gotten on a double decker," James says.

"Being the kind person that I am," I turn to face him for a quick second. "I made a list of places to go for the next couple of days."

"So, so, so nice," he mocks me.

We finally arrive at my place and no one is home.

"I've seen all my family and have spent enough time with all my friends, so like you said," I say as I tell him to come in. "I'm getting my James fix and my week belongs to you."

"You're the best," he says before giving me a tight hug.

"What do you wanna drink?" I ask.

"I'm good for now, thanks," he says. "Bathroom?"

"Straight down the hall," I tell him.

He comes back a minute later and I give him a quick tour of the loft before we sit down in the living room.

"Chelsea is?" he asks one more time.

"The blonde one," I tell him again.

"Got it," he smirks and I kick him for messing with me.

"How's everything going?" I ask.

"Good," he smiles.

"Everything?" I tilt my head.

"So nosy," he begins to laugh before I kick him one more time. "I'm joking. Everything's fine, I'm on speaking terms with Daniela, although I never get a smiley face from her."

"I wonder why?" I add sarcastically. "How are the guys?"

"Fantastic, they all miss you and they send their best," he smiles and sits up a bit more.

"Same, everyone you know from Barça sends their best, Neymar and Piqué, everyone."

"What's first on that list of yours?" James inquires.

"Fifth avenue," I tell him.

Just then the door unlocks and the three of them happen to come in at once. I look back to face them as James just looks up.

"Ladies," he smiles and waves at them as they all look a bit flushed.

We make our way out Central Park after exploring the south for a bit and commence our walk down sixth ave, since we walked up fifth already.

"How do people walk in this city with heels on?" James asks as a woman dressed up for work passes by us.

"We adapt," I tell him.

"How far are we from your place?"

"A bit far if we walk, not far by train," I explain.

I see him struggle a bit to make it past all these people and to keep up with me so I slow down a bit, but he doesn't notice since it's his normal speed.

We walk past Radio City Hall, the "Love" sculpture, and we get some cupcakes at Magnolia's before we arrive to Times Square as it begins to get dark.

I roll down my sleeves a bit as the temperature gets cooler and I follow an excited James to the center of it all.

I reach for his phone and he smiles as I tell him to look pretty for a photo I'm about to take.

We sit down at the TKTS steps since we managed to find a little hole in the crowd filled area and James begins to go through the photos.

I call up Vivian and ask her to order some take out so there's food for us all when we arrive and James takes the opportunity to call back home.

"How's your family doing?" I ask once I hang up, referring to the ones in Colombia.

"Good, good, thanks for asking," he says as he turns to face me. "They still ask about you."

"Same with my family," I let out a chuckle.

"Call Daniela," I shove him, making the slight smile disappear.

"I just texted her," he says.

"Is she in Spain?" I ask.

"She doesn't want to move in with me," James utters.

"What's going on?" I ask concerned.

"We are both super unhappy-"

"It sounds like you're separated, James," I interrupt him. "When and why?"

"You always knew I was a bit unhappy, but now it's gotten to the point where I want to quit but the only thing holding me back is Salomé and my job."

"What's she saying?" I turn fully and lean against the glass.

"I know she hates- resents me for never letting her finish her studies or for having Salomé so young and for moving her from place to place. We were both so young and at the time it seemed like the right thing to do, but we didn't think any of this would ever happen."

I part my lips to say something, but then I look to my right as a flash catches my eye. Everyone, everywhere was taking photos but this one was of us and I make eye contact with the guy before he walks up to us cheering James' name.

"James," he smiles. "How are you? What are you doing here? Can I get a photo with you please?"

James puts on his cheerful mask and takes a photo with the guy after saying hello. The fan takes one last look at me before leaving after thanking James.

"Let's go home," I say before James puts his hand out to help me up.

I leave my keys on the kitchen counter and James shuts the door before we walk over to the dining room where the three girls are sat.

"Freshly delivered," Vivian assures us as we sit down across from one another.

"I'm starving," James says as he grabs a carton and passes Naomi one.

We all eat and have a good time before James and I head to bed since we've been up super early and have walked all day.

I turn off the light coming from my lamp on my night stand and the room is almost pitch black.

"Let's talk some more," I say and James complies.