City Love(31)

“What did you think of me when you first saw me?” I ask.

“You were so gorgeous I couldn’t take my eyes off you,” Austin says. No uncertainty. Only clarity.

“Really?”

“Absolutely. You’re amazing.”

I smile so big I cover my mouth to hide it. Not that I could ever hide this much happiness.

“What did you think of me?” he asks.

“I hoped we would run into each other again. And we did.” Holy crap. We’re doing that thing where enough time has passed that you can finally find out what he thought of you when you first met. Except we first saw each other two days ago. It’s all happening so fast.

Right around the corner . . .

Austin puts his hands on my waist, moving closer to me. I look up at him. His eyes are a different blue in the glow of the streetlights. Almost like he’s a different person.

“Do I get to see you again?” he asks.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t you?”

“Just making sure.” He brushes a wisp of hair behind my ear. “I miss you already.”

“I miss you already, too.”

“I can’t wait to see you again.”

These lines don’t have to be written in Gelly Roll pen on special stationery to be the best warm fuzzies I’ve ever gotten.

“I have to kiss you,” Austin says.

And then he does. A perfect kiss from a perfect boy on a perfect summer night.

It doesn’t get any better than this.





FOURTEEN

DARCY


NEW YORKERS CRACK ME UP. They’re such characters. This city has a local flavor you can’t taste anywhere else. I’ve only been here three days and I’ve already seen two old guys toting exotic animals around like it constitutes normal behavior. There’s the guy with the parrot on his head. That’s how he walks down the street—with a freaking parrot on his head. At first I didn’t think I was seeing that right. I had a moment of awesomeness when I realized I was. Tourists flocked around him to take pictures. He didn’t look bothered at all. Then there’s the big guy with the snake. This ginormous snake was wrapped around his neck like a scarf. I heard he’s another Village regular. I also heard there’s a guy who walks his cat on a leash.

Only in New York. I love it.

These wildlife encounters have sparked some questions. When did those guys decide their lives would be defined by specific pets? What inspired them to let their faunal freak flags fly? You can be as anonymous here as you want. You can walk down the street passing thousands of people and never be seen. Even when you are seen, no one cares how crazy you are. But these guys decided that people were going to take note. The parrot guy can’t even go get a coffee without a swarm of tourists flocking him. How incredible is it that you can choose to live your life any way you want? And if the way you want is by proudly flapping your freak flag, you instantly become a neighborhood institution. Yeah, you stand out, but not in the way you would most other places. People smile when they see you. They respect your originality. You’re different and you have no desire to fit in and that’s badass.

From my window table at Chat ’n Chew, I can watch a steady stream of people walking by. People watching never ceases to amaze me. Especially here. Everyone in New York is so well-dressed. All I have to do is walk out the door to be inspired by tons of original styles and fun DIY spins. Now that I’ve discovered accessorizing with exotic animals is a thing, I’m on the lookout for more. Come on, eccentric old lady rocking a muskrat as a belt. I know you’re out there.

Sadie rushes over and plunges into the chair across from me. “Sorry I’m late! We were in the zone finishing up a group project. I didn’t want to break our stride.”

“No worries at all. I’m on the lookout for a muskrat belt, anyway.”

“Huh?” Sadie gulps down her water.

“Hey, really. It’s no big deal. Breathe.”

Sadie exhales. “I hate being late.”

“Aren’t New Yorkers notoriously fifteen minutes late for everything?”

“Not this New Yorker. I don’t like keeping people waiting.”

“Well, I enjoyed my chill time. Kicking back for a few minutes has therapeutic benefits.”

Sadie passes me one of the menus that were on the table. “You’re going to love this place,” she says. “It’s good and cheap. That’s why it’s been here forever.”

“You’re getting your usual?”


“Grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. Seriously, you have to try these fries. They’re so good.”

“On it.” I quickly decide what I want and slam the menu shut.

“How sweet is it that we have the same lunch break?”

“I know, right? I’m not a big lunch person. Scarfing down a soft pretzel between classes works for me. But sitting down to lunch with you is fun.”

“Doing lunch like grownups.”

“Oh god, please tell me we don’t have to be grownups. How boring.”

“Seriously? I am completely down with my grownup status. Freedom couldn’t come fast enough.”

“I hear you on the freedom. But if I ever assimilate to a typical adult lifestyle and box myself into mind-numbing suburban hell, you have my permission to kill me.”