PRINCE CHARMING: A Stepbrother Secret Baby Romance(75)

“Gross,” I said, pulling my cardigan closer to myself.

I kept my head up, trying to look like a proud New Yorker. I’d read somewhere that you wouldn’t get harassed as much in the city if you looked like you knew where you were going, so I tried to. It didn’t seem to work. Everywhere I went, eyes followed me greedily. I must have looked like a lost puppy in a big, scary town.

I pulled up a navigational app in my phone, one that Gary had recommended to me for traveling throughout the city. I wanted to go to Times Square, for sure, but I would have to take the shuttle. I looked around for signs and found one that said ‘S, Shuttle to Times Square.’

“Bingo!” I cried excitedly. I took a picture of the sign and posted it to my social media profile, writing, Heading to Times Square for a good time! My first trip ever!

I hurried down the corridor to see a few waiting subways. People sat there, a lot of them dressed for nightlife. Some looked miserable, wearing work clothes. The excitement in the air was evident, and I was so looking forward to the night ahead. I almost forgot about Ash, but thoughts of him kept creeping up in the back of my mind.

The train ride was shorter than I expected. I got out, looking for the exit to Times Square. I followed a bunch of rushed tourists up the steps, trying to keep up with the fast New York City pace.

The lights of Times Square hit me head on. I squealed excitedly, trying to take in everything all at once. It was nearly impossible. There were animated signs flashing in neon lights and tall buildings draped in light and sound. I took a deep breath of the cool night air, feeling comforted by the mixture of heated wind rising from the subway and the cool splash of air in contrast.

Where to go? There were an endless number of places. I looked around, feeling so much like a tourist. I settled on a gift shop with tons of New York trinkets. Guiltily, I looked at Gary’s credit card. He did say he wanted me to be comfortable. I might as well reap some of the benefits of becoming a part of his family if I had to deal with all of the confusion, too.

I looked around the store, busy with tourists. I settled on an ‘I Love NYC’ mug since I drank a lot of coffee. I waited in line—a line that seemed endless—before paying for it and stashing it in my big, pink purse.

Sneaking into a bar here should be easy enough. I mean, I didn’t intend on getting trashed or anything. I didn’t like getting drunk, but I liked a small buzz. I could easily find a guy to get me a drink, and no one would be the wiser.

I settled on a low-key bar that looked not the least bit intimidating. It was out of the way, down one of the side streets. The bar was somewhat packed when I walked in, but it wasn’t a moment before I found a friendly man sitting by himself at one of the side tables near the bar. We made eye contact, and I waved at him. He looked around before waving back, inviting me to sit. This was almost too easy.

He was cute. Kinda older. Maybe late twenties? He smiled at me, revealing shining white teeth. He wore a dark blue suit… or was it black? I couldn’t really tell in the dim light in the bar. I could tell he had light blue eyes and dark hair. I didn’t normally go for older guys, but he was pretty dreamy. He’d be a fun guy to flirt with for the night, and perhaps he would buy me a drink.

I felt so grown up and important. Take that, Ash, I thought. I ignored the part of my brain that told me I had people his age as professors and that he might not be safe. The wild side of me always won over, and my resolve was dissolving because of my hurt.

I sat down and posted a status on my social media page, checking in to this exact location. I wanted everyone to know I was at a cool, trendy NYC bar. I made sure my mom and Gary couldn’t see the post. Only my other friends could. Even Ash could. I grinned mischievously to myself, imagining how jealous he would get.

I looked back at the bartenders, who were so busy getting people drinks that they didn’t notice me. There were no bouncers, which shocked me. Didn’t all NYC bars have bouncers? All the clichés about the city were being proven and disproven all at once.

I looked at the man who had smiled at me. “Hello,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Robert.”

I smiled back at him and shook his hand. “Amy,” I said. “This is my first time here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m from San Fran.”

“Nice. Off from school, I’m presuming?” Robert asked with a wink.

I giggled. “Yeah. Luckily. The semester was dragging, and I’m excited to be here.”

He took a sip of his beer and paused before saying, “You should be. Greatest city in the world. I mean, it loses some of the charm when you’re working here, but it’s still great.”

I gasped. “You work here? That’s so cool!”

“Would you like a drink?”

I blushed, looking down and smiling. “Well, yeah. As long as you don’t mind that I’m only twenty. Soon to be twenty-one,” I informed him proudly.

“How scandalous. Hold on, there’s a way around this,” he said with a smile.

He got up and strutted over to the bar. My phone began ringing. My heart thudded in my chest as I saw the name: Ashton. I sent the call to voicemail, trying not to get too emotional again. The last thing I wanted to do was lose my composure in front of my new—and very cool—older friend.

He returned with a pink drink. The ice cubes bounced up and down, already melting a bit from the heat of the bar.