Tae smiled at her as she beamed up at him. “Well, let’s see if this knight can help you solve the mystery.”
They walked into the Willis Tower.
Tae looked down at her. “Do you want to ride to the top?”
She nodded, quite eager to view the city from such great heights. “I’ve never been to the top before!” She paused, puzzled. “At least, I don’t think I have.”
But then she remembered the sketch in her pad. She flipped through the pages until she found it. She – or someone – had sketched the city of Chicago from a great height. Tae glanced down at her drawing.
“That does look like the view from upstairs. We can double check it when we get up there, but I think the artist was looking down on Chicago from the top of the Willis Tower.”
As they stood in line, Tae began to draw her out. “So…are you an artist?”
She shrugged. “I like to draw.”
“You’re quite good at it. By the looks of it, I’d say it’s more than a passing fancy with you. You have a gift. What are you doing with it?”
“What do you mean?” She squinted up at him in the cutest way.
“Who do you share your artwork with?”
“No one really.”
“Hmm. Would you consider sharing it?”
“How?”
“I’m working on some children’s books, and I need an illustrator. Would you like to help me?” He was looking down at her in the most endearing manner. Earnestness stretched across his features.
She nodded. “If it means that much to you. But…”
“What?” He furrowed his brow.
“I’m not sure I’m that good of an artist.”
“Oh, trust me. You are. Let’s do a test. My stories are a series of children’s books about a little bear. I call him Winter Bear.”
She gasped.
“What?” Tae eyed her quizzically.
“You wrote a song called Winter Bear!”
Tae raised his right eyebrow. “Did I really? Well, I suppose that makes sense. If I were a musician, I would write a song about a winter bear instead of writing a children’s book about one.”
“Well, the song was really about his true love and how she reminded him of a hibernating bear when she slept.”
Tae laughed. “That reminds me of a movie I love to watch. It’s called About Time. It…” Tae stopped speaking as Anna began to laugh. “What?”
“That’s the movie that inspired you to write the song!”
Tae revealed his boxy smile. “Of course.” He was gazing affectionately down at her. “Sketch your concept of Winter Bear.” He looked around. “Can you draw it while we stand here, or do you need to sit down?”
“I can do a rough sketch while we stand in line if you can hold my colored pencils.”
“Sure.” He accepted the box and watched, fascinated, as she drew a beautiful sketch of a little winter bear. It took his breath away.
“That is perfect! I knew you were the right woman for the job!”
“You really like it that much?”
“I do. Can I tell you what the stories are about, so that you can sketch the illustrations?”
“Sure.”
Just then the line moved, and they approached the elevator. Soon they were traveling the one hundred and three stories to the top of the Willis Tower, still known by the locals as the Sears Tower. They stepped out of the elevator to be greeted by a miniature world laid out below them. Anna walked over to the glass and stared down at the ground. Tiny cars were making their way slowly down the minuscule streets. The buildings appeared like doll houses, so much smaller than Anna knew they really were. She gazed in wonder at the whole scene, taking in Chicago from her birds-eye view. “Surely I would remember this!”
Tae knew for certain that he would remember this. He gazed in rapt attention at the awe on her face. Her countenance held an enchanting, child-like wonder that made him feel blissfully happy. Once again he was seized by a sudden impulse to kiss her.
Suddenly, she turned towards him. “I know I have never been here! I would remember this!” She opened her sketch book and studied the drawing of Chicago. “But this sketch was definitely done from this vantage point. And it does look like my work.” She looked up at him as she shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
Tae studied the sketch. “Wait a minute. There’s something strange about this drawing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look. The artist has sketched numbers into it.” Tae touched several different points on the paper. There were numbers hidden within the lines of the buildings and cars. “Could it be some kind of code?”
“Code? No. That’s absurd. Why would I sketch a code into my picture?”