“Are you sure you don’t want to include Strangelove on your list of romantic places?”Nick asks.“At least it has love in the title.”
“I’d be afraid to send anyone there.”I shudder.“But now I wonder if Sarah thought we’d actually gone on a date there.”I think again of my list for the next article.“I can’t believe that the bumper cars on ice are also no longer available, but at least I now have renting an igloo at Bryant Park, Drag Me to Joanne’s, the Pink Pier, a picnic in Central Park, sharing an electric blanket, Love Pong—which sounds pretty cool with the Ping-Pong and tarot card readings—visiting the Reliquary Arm of St.Valentine’s at the Met 5th Avenue Galleries—”
“That one is definitely a little odd,” Nick interrupts.
“True, but a trip to the Metropolitan Museum is always a good date,” I say.
“Is it?”Nick says.
“You disagree?”
“No, I like visiting the Met.My favorite rooms are the Armor Room, the Egyptian tomb, and the Japanese garden.Oh, and you can’t beat the view from the rooftop garden.”
“Still, it seems on point for Valentine’s Day, given that it’s his holiday, even if it does seem a little macabre if it used to hold his arm bone, but you know, it’s original.”
“It’s definitely original,” he says.“I’ve never seen that on a Valentine’s Day top ten list.”
I laugh.“Hayden gives me the impression of liking more conventional ideas.I need five more ideas.Don’t you have any?”
“I’m not sharing my best ideas with your readers.I’m saving them.”
“That makes sense.That’s always the toughest part.Sometimes I don’t want everyone else to find my favorite places too.”We pass by the back of Beacon Theatre, where they’ve roped off part of the street as they load band equipment in through the wide doors.Nick looks over as if he wants to figure out who’s performing tonight.His desire to be the band playing there radiates off his body.But then his walls come up, and he focuses on the taco restaurant across the street.
“Do you ever feel like you don’t want to share your emotions so publicly?”I ask.“Your songs can be so raw.”
He glances at me, his gaze narrowing.When he does that, he looks so cute.“Off the record, right?”
“Always,” I say.
“Sometimes I write a song, but I’m not ready to share it because it makes me feel too exposed, so I wait until it feels right.Do you ever have that when writing articles?”
“Not yet.I do try to convey emotion in my stories because I want people to feel moved when reading them.I want people to be upset when they read about what happened to Dulce with her bathroom or this mom with the newborn and to feel it is wrong.”I pause.“I haven’t had to write an article about myself where I share my feelings publicly.I don’t know if I could do that.I would feel exposed.”A target for bullies.
“I’m not the story,” Nick says.
“Exactly,” I say.
“But I’m definitely invested in your story,” Nick says.
As I turn to look at him to figure out ifthatmeans something more than friends, I hear my name being called.
It’s Jing and Iris, coming up the block.We wait outside Banter & Books for them to join us.Bella’s latest romantic comedy book is displayed in the window.I hug them hello.
I open the bookstore’s door, immediately enveloped by warmth.Hanging plants and shelves filled with books line the whitewashed walls.Bright book covers and green plants give such a cheerful, welcoming vibe.It feels like a cross between a café in Provence and a greenhouse.French-blue settees and armchairs scattered around form little nooks for private conversations or reading.Around each cluster of chairs is a mass cane, an Areca palm, or a peace lily, providing some additional seclusion.At the back is a conservatory with a small, free library, where people can exchange books.
We grab a table by the side and place an order for four salads.
I catch up with Iris and Jing while Nick leaves to order four hot drinks.I’m tempted to tell them immediately what Nick just said, but he’ll probably be back too soon before we can discuss it.Plus, Iris wouldn’t approve.I need to ask Jing later if she thinks it could mean anything.
“Nick looks like he likes you,” Iris says.“When you guys were walking ahead, we watched for a while, and he seemed so intent on whatever you were saying.”
“He did?”I ask.
“Yes,” Iris says.“I’m sorry I was biased because of my whole ex experience.I shouldn’t tarnish Nick with the same brush because he’s also a musician.Nick has certainly demonstrated over the past few years that he’s a good person.Lily reminded me about Nick playing at the Oasis Garden Concert.I remembered how I’d asked my ex to play there that day, and he told me he had to prioritize paying gigs.I should have known then.”
“I understand.”I rub Iris’s back.She’s much happier now.Now I can discuss Nick’s remark!“As we were walking up here, we were talking about writing and conveying emotion, and I said I don’t write about myself, and he said he was ‘definitely invested’ in my story.But maybe that’s a friend thing to say.”
“That seems more than a friend thing,” Jing says.“I mean, he said ‘invested.’”
