City Love(32)

“Yeah, I don’t see you as a suburban soccer mom.”

“What about you?”

“New York will always be my home. This is the greatest city in the world. Why would I want to live anywhere else?”

“Testify.” I’m absorbing Sadie’s positive energy like a sponge. She is so full of life and kindness and joy. She’s the kind of New Yorker who feeds off the vibrant dynamic of the city. Being an eternal optimist, Sadie could move away and be happy. But she wouldn’t shine with the same brightness. I can’t imagine her being as happy anywhere else.

“Yesterday was crazy,” Sadie says. “Did I even see you?”

“I don’t think so.”

“How was your hot date Wednesday night? Who is he? What did you guys do? When are you seeing him again? Tell me everything.”

“Excuse me, but I’m pretty sure you were the one on our stoop with the cutest boy ever. Who is he?”

Sadie’s smile radiates so much happiness the people at the next table are probably getting a contact high. Her eyes are sparkling with joy. Even her gold highlights look brighter. She is absolutely glowing.

“Austin,” she gushes.

“Tell me about him. Other than his indisputable hotness factor.”

“He’s . . . how much time do we have?”

“Enough.”

“He’s amazing. Beyond amazing. He’s the kind of boy I’ve always wanted to be with.”

“How long have you guys been together?”

“We just met this week. When you saw us, he was walking me home from our first date.”

“Seriously? It seemed like you’d been together for a while.”

“I know! That’s exactly how it feels. Like we’ve known each other for so long.”

“How did you meet?”

As Sadie fills me in on her whirlwind romance, it’s obvious that Austin is all she can think about. So of course he’s all she wants to talk about. Fine by me. I am totally down with indulging her. I remember what it was like when I first started going out with the ex. I couldn’t think about anything else. I didn’t want to talk about anything else. I listen as our lunches are placed in front of us and Sadie ignores her food. She can’t stop talking long enough to even taste the fries she was raving about. Been there. I remember having no appetite when I was falling in love.

“Then he said, ‘I have to kiss you.’ How romantic is that?”

“How was the kiss?”

“Perfect. Just like I knew it would be.”

Sadie is clearly a diehard romantic. That was apparent from day one. I’m happy for her. I really am. Austin is taking her for the ride of her life. The thing is, I’m worried about when their relationship or whatever will come to an end, because relationships always end. Sadie is going to crash and burn hard. But I’m happy that she’s happy right now. She’s living in the moment like the wild and free girl I want each of us to be this summer.

“That all sounds fantastic,” I say.

“It really is. So what about you? Who did you go out with?”

“No one I’ll see again.”

“Why not?”

“Oh, did you not get the memo? New York City is my official summer playground. Getting tied down to any one boy in particular is prohibited.”

“By who?”

“By me. The one who’s making the rules. This summer is all about boy adventures. That’s why I’m so happy for you. You’re having the time of your life and summer just started.”

“But I want to be tied down to one boy. Not tied down. Permanently connected.”

“And that’s awesome. If it’s making you happy, go for it. What’s making me happy is having the freedom to hook up with any boy I want. How exciting is it to be in a city with millions of men? Anything could happen. Doing the free agent thing means I can take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself. Basically, I’m taking ownership of what men have been getting away with forever. I’m the one in control. And let me just say it is the shiznit.”

“Could your boy confidence be more impressive?”

“Not so much, no.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

Memory clips flash behind my eyes. The ex telling me it’s over. Throwing that drink in his face. Ripping up pictures of us as I packed for New York. None of this is anything I want to talk about. Telling Sadie about the ex would expose the raw nerves I want to keep covered so they’ll heal faster. All she needs to know is who I am now. Not who I was then.

“Yeah,” I admit, “but it’s in the past. Looking back isn’t my thing. Right now I’m focused on having the best summer ever. The other night was fun, but it’s already in the past.”

“You’re so adventurous. I wish I could be more like you.”

“You’re a long-term-relationship kind of girl. Am I right?”

“Totally. I’m in love with love.”

“Austin is a lucky guy.”

“So are all the guys you’ll be hooking up with this summer!”

“I don’t know about that. But there was this cute street performer yesterday. . . .”

“Spill.”

As I tell Sadie about flirting with Jude, she smiles and laughs and encourages me to share more. But I can tell she’s internally judging me. That’s okay. Sadie will understand why I’m this way when Austin leaves her in the dust.