She linked her arm with his. “Look at you. You’re already a pro at this ‘being famous’ thing.”
“Heaven forbid.” Stone gave a mock shudder to make her laugh, just because he liked the sound.
He was in too deep, but too tired to care. It was easier to like her, easier to enjoy her company and focus on pleasing her.
When she smiled, he forgot why he was fighting so hard.
Outside, the weather was cool and sunny, the perfect spring day. The air was as clear as it got in Manhattan, but it had nothing on Alaska. After being there, Gina was spoiled for life.
They were still deep in Times Square territory, which meant hordes of tourists and people trying to make money off tourists—hawkers for Broadway shows, street salespeople with tables taking up sidewalk space, and creepy costume characters who’d pose for pictures at five bucks a pop. Or was it ten now?
“Where are we going?” Stone asked.
“Let’s take the train to Central Park,” she said. “You’re too conspicuous, and the people walking around here have their eyes peeled for celebrities.” They’d lost his hat somewhere in theMorning Mixbuilding and had to buy a baseball hat for him in one of the many souvenir shops. Still, the sunglasses and hat did nothing to disguise him. He was massive, with a blond-streaked ponytail and full beard. It was like trying to hide a time-traveling Viking in a kindergarten class.
He shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
They were close to Bryant Park, which would be populated with slightly more businesspeople than tourists, so Gina hustled them over to the subway station there and led the way underground.
In the station, Gina bought a MetroCard from one of the machines and swiped them both in. The B train waited at the platform, and she shoved Stone onto it before the doors closed.
“Hold on,” she warned. He had good balance, but she didn’t want him to bust his ass on the train. It was full, and at the next stop they moved farther in to make room for the people coming and going.
Stone removed his glasses and shoved them into his back pocket. “Too dark in here,” he muttered. He sent a restrained glare around them and hunched his shoulders inward, as if trying to take up less space. “And crowded.”
The stop at Fifty-Ninth Street–Columbus Circle arrived faster than Gina anticipated. She headed for the doors, shouldering through the people in her way until the crowd spat her onto the platform. She moved aside to get out of the flow of people.
“The park is right upstairs,” she said.
No answer.
When she turned around, Stone wasn’t there. She whipped off her sunglasses and stood on tiptoe, searching for him over the heads of everyone else on the platform.
Shit. He was still on the train.
She rushed back to the doors, yelling his name, and was caught between the currents of people exiting and entering the train. Inside the subway car, his head snapped up. They made eye contact, and he started to edge his way through the crowd.
It was no use. The guy was built like a fucking linebacker, but hewas so worried about hurting people with his size that he wouldn’t knock them aside. Before Gina could get back on, the doors slid closed right between them.
“No!” Gina pounded a fist on the glass. She raised her voice and rushed to give him instructions as the train prepared to move. “Get off at the next stop and wait for me there!”
He nodded as the train sped up and pulled out of the station.
“That sucks,” the woman standing next to her said. “You should call him, just to make sure.”
“Yeah, I… thanks.” Gina stood by a steel column and tried to catch her breath.
Shit. She’d just lost her celebrity dance partner on the subway, a guy who had never been to New York City before and whodidn’t carry his phone.
She’d teased him about the way he left it places or didn’t charge it, but it hadn’t been a problem because he was always either at his hotel or at the rehearsal studio with her. Now, it seemed dangerous. How did you walk around without a phone? In New York City of all places?
Her own phone buzzed in her pocket with an incoming text. For a brief, elated second, she thought it might be Stone. A glance at the screen showed it was her mother, Benita, wanting to know when Gina would be coming up to the Bronx to visit and if she’d be bringing “Rock” for dinner. Of course her family had watched theMorning Mixreveal.
She’d answer her mom later. For now, she tried calling Stone’s phone anyway, just in case.
It went straight to voicemail.
Gina’s heart leaped when the telltale rush of air swept along her side of the platform, along with the rumble of an approaching train. Excellent, another B. She’d be at the next station in under two minutes. She rushed to stand by the doors when the train came to a stop. Inside, she squashed herself into a corner by the empty conductor’s booth and fanned her face while a slightly garbled announcement blasted from the overhead speaker.
