City Love(7)

A bunch of people huddle into the elevator with me. Some of them are probably other interns. Some of them are older professional types. Most of them watch the elevator numbers light up as we ascend. I feel very grown-up with my coffee cup and sleek new Kate Spade tote. My worn-out ginormous bag simply would not do.

The elevator opens to the third floor with a bright ding. I get out with a few other probable interns. The open-plan office is all white with pops of color. The entire space is flooded with natural light. The two far office walls are dotted with massive round porthole-style windows. I’ve never seen round windows that big. Cubicles are gathered in sections separated by architects’ tables, glossy white filing cabinets, and walls sprayed with whiteboard or blackboard paint. The cubicles have personal enhancements like bamboo plants, stuffed animals, and Koosh balls sitting along the top of their walls. This is clearly going to be a fun place to work.

“Welcome, interns!” the cheerful receptionist says. I was so sucked in by the main office floor that I didn’t even notice her desk across from the elevators. “Please make your way to conference room one, first door on your left.”

I hustle around the corner. The big round clock above her desk said it was 8:58. There’s no way I’m going to be late on my first day.

Conference room one is just as gorgeous as the main floor. Long glass conference table. White leather desk chairs. More porthole windows. Oversize screen for presentations on the wall at one end of the table. There’s even a counter with packaged snacks and a sink. A sign above the faucet says that the water is triple-filtered and we can help ourselves to a reusable bottle. But then I notice that there’s a bottle on the table in front of every chair, along with glossy white folders and pens in rainbow colors. Baskets of Sharpies, Post-its, and highlighters sit at the center of the table. I grab the closest empty chair.

“Welcome to the best internship of your life!” a guy in his mid-20s declares as we sign in. He’s Parker, our internship supervisor. I recognize him from my online interview. Same tousled wavy brown hair. Same John Lennon glasses. But now I can see more of his Brooklyn hipster style. Parker is rocking a plaid button-down and rust-colored skinny cords. “Or at least what I hope will be. Good to see all of you in person. We have an outstanding group of talented, intelligent, creative people at this table. I hope you’re as excited to be here as I am to work with you.”

Parker goes on to explain what we already know from the email he sent us: juniors and seniors majoring in urban planning will be giving us ten-minute presentations on their fields of study. First up is a guy studying structural engineering. A girl who wants to be a natural resources planner goes after him.

Then he walks in.

I’ve never seen him before. But he’s exactly my type. My heart skips a beat.

“Hey, everyone,” he says, “I’m Austin. I’m a senior planning to pursue a masters in urban design. Urban designers combine aspects of planning with architecture . . .” He looks at me. And kind of forgets what he was saying.

Our eyes lock.

“I’m particularly interested,” Austin continues, ripping his eyes off mine, “in the ways in which design relates to environmental science and holistic wellness. Let me show you some examples.” Austin dims the lights. The first slide is of a beautiful living room labeled DELOS BUILDING WELLNESS. “Delos Living places health and wellness at the center of design decisions. This is one of their residences at Sixty-Six East Eleventh Street. They also design libraries, schools, and other indoor public environments with improved living conditions. Better water, better air, better light . . . everything a building can do to provide healthier living standards for its workers and residents.”

He looks at me again.

He keeps looking at me.

As Austin goes to the next slide to discuss LEED-certified new construction, I am in total and complete awe of him. Not just because he’s the most gorgeous boy I’ve ever seen. He’s about six feet tall, average build. I watch his arm muscles flex as he gestures toward a LEED rating systems chart. His toned arms tell me that he works out, but he doesn’t hit the weights too hard. Love that. It’s such a turnoff when guys are huge. Austin has brown hair that’s short on the sides and a bit longer on top. The most gorgeous thing about him is his eyes. Austin’s eyes are the perfect shade of sky blue. Even sexier? His eye color changes with the light. When he dimmed the lights, his eyes looked almost violet. But when light from the computer screen hit his eyes, they were more like a baby blue.

This boy is beyond adorbs.

I’m not only riveted by the way he looks. Everything he’s saying is resonating with me so strongly I swear everyone in the room can see me vibrating. I practically jump out of my seat when he gives a shout-out to the High Line.

Austin finishes his presentation and turns the lights back up. His eyes lighten from twilight to early afternoon.

“We have”—he checks the time—“one minute for a quick question. Anyone?”

No one has a quick question.

“Okay, well I’m upstairs on five if you want to find me.” He smiles right at me with such genuine warmth, butterflies bust out flapping like crazy in my stomach. Is love at first sight a real thing?

The rest of the day goes by in a blur of paperwork and ID cards and getting-to-know-you activities and cubicle assignments. I keep looking around for Austin, but I don’t see him anywhere. He must have to stay up on the fifth floor. I’m emotionally exhausted by the end of the day. But in a good way.