Big Apple Dreams (6 page)

“Do I need to bring anything?” I asked as I came back out into the living room.

“No, I’ll take care of everything.”

His smile made my knees go weak and my heart thud in my chest. If tonight was anything like our last date, he was definitely someone I wanted to keep around.

I opened the door and Lizzy jumped back in alarm on the other side, an embarrassed grin on her face.

“I didn’t want to interrupt,” she said sheepishly.

“I’m going out for the night. I hope that’s okay?” I said to her.

“It’s fine!” she said enthusiastically.

Chris passed by me, waiting in the hall as I grabbed my phone of the desk and slid it into the pocket of my jeans.

“I’ll see you later,” I said.

Lizzy’s head nodded furiously, a huge grin on her face as she shut the door behind me.

“She seems nice,” Chris laughed.

“She is,” I said confidently. “We work together, so I know her better than I would have a complete stranger.”

“You should have told me you were serious about the roommate, I could have helped.”

“I didn’t even think about it,” I said honestly.

“Maybe next time,” he said smoothly, holding the building door open for me.

“Maybe,” I said with a smile.

He waved a cab down for us and soon we were darting through the streets towards his house.

“So, I was thinking of something more intimate than last time, if you don’t mind,” he said casually.

“What do you mean?”

“I have a really nice penthouse I’m working with right now that’s completely vacant. It will be the perfect spot to watch the fireworks. I thought we could have dinner on the terrace. It’d be just the two of us.”

“That’s fine with me,” I said with a smile.

My phone buzzed and I looked down to a message from Lizzy. She was gushing over how cute Chris was. I laughed and put the device back in my pocket. It seemed certain that she would want to know everything as soon as I got home.

We pulled up to a majestic high rise and a doorman opened the car door for us, greeting Chris by name. 

I looked around in awe as we entered the building, feeling underdressed for such a fancy lobby.

Chris led me to an elevator and we rode several floors up before finally
stepping off.

“It’s down the hall,” he said, stepping out onto the velvet red carpet.

I followed behind him as he pulled his keys out, looking at the art on the wall in awe. Because I wasn’t paying attention, I ran right into him when he stopped in front of his door, causing him to drop his keys on the floor.

“I’m sorry,” I laughed.

“It’s fine,” he said, bending and picking them up.

He fiddled with the lock for a second before cracking the door open and turning to smile at me.

“Welcome to my humble abode.”

Chapter Six

I gasped as I walked through the entryway into an apartment that was anything but humble.
The white pallet made me feel like I was about to be in a carpet shampoo commercial.

Chris’s one
bedroom apartment was probably four times as large as mine. I couldn’t even imagine how much it cost. The living room, with its pristine couches, was where I stood now. In front of me was a very nice, upgraded kitchen with all chrome appliances, a dining area off to the right. A small wall with a fireplace separated the two areas, open on both sides. To my left was the open door to the bedroom, and what I assumed was a coat closet. The wall on the other side of me was made entirely of glass, New York smiling through from outside. Fantastic paintings hung everywhere there was space.

“I’ll only be a minute,” Chris said, brushing past me. “Please, have a seat.”

“I’m afraid I’ll stain something,” I laughed, looking at the snowy seats with their black pillows.

He laughed as he went into the bedroom, tossing his jacket over the corner of the comfy looking, dark bed I could see.

Instead of sitting, I walked over to the window, thinking of how nice it would be to wake up to a view like this every morning. I wanted a place like this in the future, where I could feel like I had space, but remained in the city.

“So, what do you want to eat?” Chris called.

“Uh,” I said, turning and catching a glimpse of his bare back as he crossed in front of the door again. “I’m good for anything, I guess.”

I moved my attention back to the outside, blushing slightly. Even just a second of looking was enough for me to tell that he was very well taken care of under his designer clothes.

“I’ll see what’s close and ask if they deliver,” he said.

“Sounds good.”

I stared out at the skyline for a few moments before he joined me.

“What do you think?” he asked with a smile.

“You look nice,” I said, appraising his jeans and white polo shirt.

“I meant the view,” he laughed. “But thank you for the compliment.”

“That one is a given,” I said, my face still burning red. “It’s fantastic.”

“I bought this place because of it,” he said, nodding.

“Did you ever think of moving somewhere else?” I asked, curious.

“What do you mean?”

“You grew up here. Did you ever want to go somewhere else?”

“No,” he said firmly. “I know this isn’t the place for everyone, but it’s my home. I don’t think I’d be happy anywhere else.”

“I wish I would have grown up here,” I said with a smile of my own. “I’d probably already be working as an actress. I wasted so much time trying to get here.”

“It will happen,” he said reassuringly.

“When?” I laughed, turning back to the glass.

“That I don’t know,” he chuckled. “Perhaps it will come to me on the way to the loft.”

“If you say so.”

He tipped his head towards the door and we went to it, leaving his beautiful home behind.

I remained silent through our cab ride, listening to him call around to a few restaurants and ask what they served and if they delivered. By the time we pulled up to another high rise, he’d placed an order and given instructions on where to deliver it.

“Will we get in trouble for being here?” I asked, feeling like we were about to break into someone’s house.

“No,” he said, grinning. “The owner lives in Spain now. He told me to take good care of it until it was bought. I take that to mean I can lounge around and enjoy it before someone else snatches it up.”

“Do you think it will sell
quickly?” I wanted to know more about how he worked. He seemed to really enjoy it, which was a good enough reason for me to familiarize myself.

“Absolutely,” he said with a nod. “I’m showing it to someone tomorrow
, actually. I imagine it will be taken by the end of next week.”

“How long has it been on the market?” I asked in surprise.

“About two days,” he laughed. “No one’s lived here for several months. The owner finally decided he wanted to let it go.”

“Don’t places like these cost millions of dollars?”

“They do. That’s why he held onto it. If they ever decide to come back, they’ll have to pay for another apartment.”

“So if he’s selling then he’s probably decided not to come back,” I mused.

“Exactly.”

By that time we were already riding in the elevator to almost the top floor. I was excited to see this piece of prime, New York real estate. It was unlikely I’d ever get to again, unless I miraculously became a multi-millionaire.

The elevator doors finally dinged and opened, revealing a hall with only three doors. We walked down the royal blue carpet to the farthest one, Chris pulling a key out of his pocket.

He opened the entry and I gasped, looking into a true beauty of a living space. I walked through, almost able to see my face in the pristine wooden floors. There were no interior walls except for the one we’d just come though, the rest of them showing panoramic views of the city.

“I can see the Statue of Liberty!” I laughed, making a beeline for the glass. “This is amazing.”

“The upstairs is where all the bedroom and kitchen are. I think this floor was used for parties and general meetings
, or relaxing.”

I turned around and saw a staircase next to him and the door he leaned on.

“I can’t even imagine living somewhere like this.” I looked out the window again, the sunset shining gloriously.

“The terrace is upstairs as well,” Chris laughed.

“Right,” I said, blushing and turning to him again. “Lead the way.”

I returned to his side, and he took my hand, pulling me in the right direction. Butterflies erupted once more at his touch and I bit my lip, lowering my head so he wouldn’t see.

“There’s a living area up here as well,” he said as we reached the pinnacle. “This was probably two separate apartments that were redone.”

There was more wood flooring and huge windows, but I noticed the door to the outside like he’d mentioned. There was also a hall leading away to the rest of the house.

“Whoever gets this place is lucky,” I said appreciatively. “I understand why you think it will sell so fast.”

Chris tightened his grip on my hand, pulling me towards the glass door on the right. I could see a wrought iron table and chairs through it, several overgrown plants creating a closed in effect. 
  

Within seconds, I was seated across from him, wishing he was still holding my hand.

“So I take it you like the place,” he said with a grin.

“I do, I laughed
.

“I’ll be sad when I don’t get to come look at it anymore,” he said, leaning back and folding his arms.

The phone in his pocket rang and he excused himself to answer it, stepping back inside. I pulled my own out of my pocket, snapping a quick picture and sending it to Lizzy.

A picture of her and Evan returned. It looked like they had gone out for pizza and were smashed in with lots of tourists.

“Our food will be up momentarily,” Chris said, coming back outside.

“What are we having?” I asked as I slid the device back into my pocket.

“I didn’t get anything too fancy,” he said defensively.

“That’s fine,” I giggled, blushing as he scooted his chair right next to mine and took my hand.

“There’s a burger joint a few blocks away. I figured, what’s more American than a good burger and soda?”

“A hot dog and
a baseball game,” I laughed. “But I’ll take it.”

The doorbell sounded inside
. Chris rose again, squeezing my hand quickly before letting go. I could smell the food before he returned, my mouth watering over the delectable fumes wafting through the house.

“So, the fireworks should start a little after the sun has finished setting,” he said, setting the bag on the table and sitting down again. “I actually thought we’d watch those from inside. The view is better, if you ask me.”

“I agree.” I couldn’t get the smile off my face. It was nice to feel like I’d finally met someone who knew how to treat a lady.

A carton was pulled out of the bag and set in front of me. Chris smiled huge as he opened it and watched my eyes bug out of my head.

“It’s huge! I won’t even be able to fit my mouth around it!”

“That’s part of the fun,” he laughed.

“I can’t eat all of that,” I laughed. “I couldn’t do it even if I wanted to.”

The burger looked delectable and like it could feed a village for a week. My mouth watered just thinking about how yummy it probably tasted. I was positive I would be taking leftovers home. Maybe Lizzy liked burgers, too?

Chris pulled his own carton out of the bag and popped it open, making the delicious fumes even stronger. In the time it took me to figure out how to pick up my food without it falling apart, he had already devoured half of what was in front of him.

“So, how have you been since we last saw each other?” I asked after I’d swallowed my first bite.

“The same,” he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I work a lot.” He laughed easily, his eyes twinkling as he smiled at me.

“At least you like your job. It could be a lot worse,” I mused.

“Do you not like yours?”

“Well, obviously I’d rather be working as an actress, but you have to do what you can to survive. I don’t mind being a waitress. It pays the bills, but that’s all it is really.”

“What would you do if you didn’t want to be an actress?”

“Um . . .” I took another bite as I thought about it, trying to settle on one specific thing. “You know, acting is such a huge part of who I am. I don’t even know what I would do. I don’t think I’d be the same person at all.”

Chris nodded as he looked at his watch, chewing his last bite. A quick look at the sky seemed to confirm his thoughts.

“The show will be starting soon. Are you ready to move this party inside?”

“Absolutely,” I laughed.

I wrapped my food back up, placing it in the carton and sliding it back into the takeout bag.

Following him inside, I marveled as I took in the view once more. The lights of the city were like stars in space, glittering out their own stories and lives.

Chris opened a closet I hadn’t noticed before and pulled out a blanket, along with a bottle of wine and some glasses.

“I stopped by earlier to drop this off,” he laughed. “I was hoping you’d agree to go out on such short notice.”

He laid the cover on the floor, close to the window, and sat on it, motioning for me to join him.

A bright explosion took over the sky in front of us as I did, the fireworks beginning.

“This is beautiful,” I said, excepting the glass of wine he’d poured for me.

“It is,” he agreed. “I always feel so patriotic, watching them with Lady Liberty in the frame.”

“In all of the time I spent wanting to live here, I never even thought of things like this. It was always about the theatres and the music. I somehow managed to let other special and important things slip by.”

“You went on that sight-seeing weekend,” he said, defending me. “I think you have your eye on the prize, that’s all. There’s nothing wrong with running right for your dreams.”

“Thanks,” I laughed.

The display in front of us continued on majestically, the very picture of an American celebration. We both fell silent as we watched, only commenting on the colors occasionally.

“You know,” Chris said after a long pause. “I’ve never asked a girl out for a second date so quickly before.”

“Really?” I turned to look at him, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Why not?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged, his gaze noticeably falling to my lips. “There’s something about you that I really like and want to know more about. I can’t seem to pinpoint it, though.”

“Oh.”

My breath caught, my body guessing at what was about to happen and waiting eagerly to be proven right. 

Chris set his glass down and scooted closer to me, taking my own
glass and setting it next to his. I couldn’t read any emotion on his face as his eyes flicked from my mouth back up to my eyes, searching for something in my own face.

Butterflies filled my stomach as his hand raised and caressed my face, his thumb rubbing the corner of my mouth. I leaned in instinctively, melting under his touch as his hot breath washed over my face.

When our lips touched, it was hesitant, scared almost. As we both realized the other really wanted this level of intimacy, it seemed our walls crumbled around us, leaving the emotions free to be expressed.

I scooted myself closer, laying my hand over the top of his
where it held my face. He broke away for a second, a smile on his features, before moving back in and kissing me with more strength.