I woke up late and had intentions to not do a great deal today. The weather has been great, so warm although the humidity has been a real thorn in Sam's side; "it's like living in a swamp". When I asked if anything makes her happy I got a response, " well it's not so much happiness, more the lack of misery." it's all very amusing.
However the heat has been an issue to myself too. My leg sweats, even after the smallest of exertions and if left unchecked for long, can cause sores and tenderness. Something which, indeed, was occurring even after building time into our days to return to the hotel and wash and rest up. So I decided I would take a day off from New York. Sad really seeing as it was my last full day. Also being alone didn't help but that was out weighed by the fact I wanted to be able to walk the next week.
So the day was mostly full of lazing about, watching movies on HBO and sitting outside occasionally chatting on Skype and watching the world go by. I also figured out how the whirlpool actually worked, so a nice long soak in the bath was on the agenda.
Sam arrived back to the hotel a little before 5, seems it was a hard day and she was not happy. We were supposed to go and see the 9/11 memorial that evening. Our reservations were at 7 but the prospect of leaving the hotel room for the heat and bustle of the city seemed to fill poor Sam with dred. I told her it was fine and that we didn't have to go and join the swamp rat race and that she should just relax, take a bath and be cool. That cheered her up, or rather, removed some of the misery.
That evening, I was to meet a friend from Guild Wars. Nadira. I was also supposed to meet Elonzo but he couldn't make it that night, so it was just myself and Nadira. We were meeting in a bar called the Sly Fox, somewhere off of second avenue in the east village. I 'thought' I done my homework....
Turns out I hadn't. Sam was staying in that night so I was on my own in the city! I hailed a cab and arrived in st marks. I walked up and down the street looking for the bar but I couldn't find it. I did, however, find a street jam packed full of bars and restaurants with a vast array of different cultures and people. I drank in the diversity before I started to get a little frustrated. In the end I but the bullet and called Sam. This phone call wasn't gonna be cheap! Turns out, the bar wasn't ON st marks but on second avenue. Relieved as I finally I found it, I wished Sam good night and walked in.
It was a small place with a bar running the full length. I had to walk down a small ramp to get in and it was much like Cheers only a lot smaller. Nadira was at the bar already and getting a little concerned as to where I was. Nadira is a very pretty, petite Hispanic girl and, in her very own words, a full 4 inches too tall to be classified a midget. I swear, that's exactly what she told me. I was a little shy to begin with but after a little while we seemed to get on like a house on fire. The barmaid was also huge fun. A blonde girl from Eastern Europe but she'd been in New York long enough to have acquired the rather endearing New York energetic attitude.
I made sure Nadira didn't have to put her hand In her purse for nothing and we had a fantastic evening. The drinks kept coming and the time flew. We started to get a little hungry and decided to take a stroll to the 7-11 for some food. I opened the door for Nadira just as she opened it for me, that awkward moment when neither of us step through because we each want the other to go first. However I wasn't about to let this independent young lady stand in the way of me being a gentleman. So I stuck to my guns. It's when a guy already in the 7 - 11 got involved in the conversation did the endearing Hispanic attitude cause a rather entertaining conversation. The munchies were on me and we returned to the bar to eat them.
The night flew by and too soon it was closing time. Back in England, last orders is generally about 11:00 and closing time at 11:30, however, in the city that never sleeps, it's much much later. So my natural internal clock was a bit off. Turns out it was much much later.
Nadira knew the barmaid well, they were very good friends so she helped clear the bar out and we left when the barmaid did. After locking up, she bid us farewell and headed off. Poor girl had an exam in the morning and it was already really early, or late, which ever way you look at it, she wasn't going to get much sleep.
Nadira and I walked a couple of blocks and found a late night pizza bar. I bought her a huge slice of pizza and a water, I took a coke. Walking down the street a little further and found a set of steps to sit on. The night was still very warm and sitting on the steps didn't even bring on a chill but the fresh air, well as fresh as it gets in New York, was welcomed. We continued to talk and laugh while the streets and avenues still buzzed with taxis. The city doesn't seem to slow down. It just changes colour. It was soon 4am and as much as we didn't want it, we had to part ways to get home. A cab was hailed and I was packed off back to the hotel.
I haven't known Nadira long, she's a member of our guild in GW2 and that's the only place I knew her from. She has always been fun to play with and always a good laugh. After having met her for real, I am privileged to call her a friend. I am really glad we met and had a fantastic evening. Thank you Nadira.
I got back to the hotel and the front door was locked so I had to use my room key to get in. It didn't work. Again, nothing. I rang the bell and the night porter let me in. The intention was to sneak into the room while Sam slept, I didn't want to wake her and I knew she was a very heavy sleeper so sneaking in shouldn't be a problem. However, the room keys had been changed, unknown to me. So as I stood there trying to open door but again the key car didn't work, the door opened and there stood Sam. I felt like a kid being caught by his parents trying to sneak in the front door after a late night. I gulped.
Sam done her best grumble face and explained that the keys had to be changed but seeing as I was still out when this happened, Sam was gonna have to open the door for me. So it turns out, it wasn't my fault. But still I felt so bad for having to have kept Sam up. Turns out she was only up for an hour before I came in. She still wasn't happy but come the morning it turned out she was just teasing me as she realised it wasn't my fault either. Phew!
What a great night!
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