Hawaiian isn’t as terrible as I feared it would be. Actually, it’s good. The pineapple gives off a hint of sweetness, and doesn’t taste strange with the tomato sauce. Brett on the other hand, did have some difficulty with my spicy taste. He could only eat one slice.

After dinner, we head back to the hotel the rest of the team is staying at. I know that Brett will be expected to be on the field early tomorrow. He probably has an early morning flight and a late afternoon practice. But as we wait for a cab, he suggests something that surprises me. “Do you want to go to Cloud Gate?”

“What’s that?” I make a funny face. “And do you even have time?”

He rolls his eyes, “Believe it or not, the flight they got for us won’t leave till six a.m. Cloud Gate is that reflective silver bean they have in Millennium Park.”

I don’t know if it’s a good idea; there could be loads of fans asking for autographs. “That’s a little touristy. Why would you want to go there? I’m sure there will be tons of people to harass you. Maybe some disgruntled Chicagoans.”

“Like you said, it’s touristy.” He slips his arm around me as we continue down the street. “It’s not that far from our hotel. We’ll need to take a cab to the area anyway, we might as well. Besides, you and I visit cities all over North America but never have an opportunity to enjoy them.”

“I suppose it would be nice to do some sightseeing rather than always hear about these places.”

“Right. So, let’s go.”

We take a taxi cab to Millennium Park and spot it immediately. The sculpture dominates the park and would be difficult to miss. A bean is a strange shape, but it’s gorgeous. Its surface is an oversized reflection of Chicago’s skyline. Brett pays the driver then steps out of the cab and holds out his hand.

“That is cool.” I take his hand and step out of the car. “It’s almost like water. You know those beautiful photos of mountains by a lake with its reflection?”

“I know what you mean. There’s a lake near some mountains on my mother’s property in Ohio.”

“Suppose this is the city version.” I chuckle. “It can’t compare.”

Brett grabs his gym bag out of the cab trunk and we continue to walk toward the sculpture. I’m amazed that there is scarcely anyone around. Though it’s late, I would have expected it to be busier than what it is. We come across an information plaque that explains the artist and inspiration.

Brett begins to crack up and points down to the plaque. “Apparently, this is supposed to represent two testicles and a vagina. It says if you stand beneath it there’s a large hole.”

“Seriously? It’s not a bean?” I scan the part of the plaque he is pointing to. “Well, I’ve never been in a vagina before. Let’s go.”

We approach the bean and begin to walk beneath it. Noticing that no one is nearby, Brett puts his bag down as we walk beneath it. We stand in the center and look above us. “Is there a hole in there?” I ask, shifting on my feet. It’s almost difficult to tell, the mirror surface is making a bunch of multiple reflections.”

“Yeah,” Brett agrees. “I thought we would have looked bigger in here.”

“It’s cool, though, there’s a bunch of miniature reflections of us.”

“I’m going to take a picture.” Brett pats his jeans and his waffle shirt. “Huh, I think I left my phone in my gym bag. Do you have your phone on you?”

“Yeah, I do.” I rummage through my purse and pull out my phone. We take several photos of our reflections. We go outside the bean and take photos of each other touching the bean.

Brett smiles, “Make a shocked face, like you’re meeting your twin from the twilight zone.”

I reach my finger out to the reflection in front of me and drop my jaw. We switch, and I take a few photos of him. We wander about the rest of the park, but then I start to worry, “Brett, if you have an early flight, we should get going.”

“Yeah,” he mumbles disappointed. “I know.”

We begin to walk across the park, our exploring finished. As we do, Brett guides me by the small of my back. I blush. Once we reach the street, we see several groups of people. I can tell some people recognize Brett and I’m getting some envious stares.

“Driver, have you booked a room for the night?” Brett suddenly asks.

“I haven’t booked a room, yet. I figured I’d go to your hotel and see if I could get one after the game.” I shrug, feigning innocence.

He glances at me knowingly, “Or maybe you were hoping we could share a room?”

My lips quiver, trying to hold in my laughter and embarrassment. “No,” I say, trying to keep a straight face. “I didn’t have time before I went to the stadium today.”

“Right, Driver. Well, you can stay with me, but I haven’t got a special room. It’s pretty standard.”

“Nothing wrong with that.”

“Nah, let’s get a nice room.” He waves his arm, trying to hail a cab. “Whatever suits your fancy.”