Page 41 of Just Joshing
"Of course you do, baby. You're transparent. You lay it all out. It's what I like most about you."
Elena's reply got lost in the noise of the bar as Josh and I shuffled towards the exit. He reached the door, holding it open, chuckling at our escape.
"Well that was the weirdest evening I've had in a while." I laughed, pulling on my coat. My breath misted in the cool night air and I shivered, pulling mittens from my pocket.
"Really? It's not that cold."
I shushed Josh, grinning as I pulled them on. "You know I'm really a cold-blooded lizard person. I think there was a movie you once made that examined my origins."
He groaned, slinging an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. We began to walk, where I had no idea.
"I completely forgot about those home movies. I wonder if we still have them around somewhere."
I tilted my head back, looking up at him. "We should dig them out. Bess and Pete are in a few of those. We could do a montage for their wedding."
"Good idea. They're probably all at the summer house."
"I could spare a weekend away." I grinned. "This lizard wouldn't mind warming up on the beach."
"I'm sure I could find you a bedroom somewhere."
We both grinned. The Greenfeld summer house held prime beach-front position on Palm Beach. I'd spent many fabulous days vacationing in the eight bedroom "modest" home. The yard held a swimming pool, manicured lawns, and a tennis court. The grounds were perfectly manicured and the beach always warm. Josh and Sam had roped us in from a young age, Pete and myself starring along with the neighborhood kids in whatever new adventure movie they'd written.
"When do you want to go?" He asked, steering us around a pile of trash.
"I'll check my calendar. Can I call you tomorrow?"
He nodded, guiding me down an alleyway.
I glanced around, frowning. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
I arched an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned? This is how scary movies start."
Josh chuckled, "with speed dating followed by a quick escape?"
"With a hot guy leading a young, innocent to her death."
"I'm a hot guy, hey?"
I dug my elbow into his stomach, laughing at his exaggerated reaction. "Hot guys can be serial killers."
"You watch too much true crime."
"True. But at least I know how to stay sexy and not get murdered."
The alleyway exited onto another street. We walked a few blocks before reaching the end of a row of brownstones not far from Central Park.
"Where are we?" I asked, laughing.
Josh dropped his arm, shooting me a wink as he opened a little metal gate, gesturing for me to follow him up a small curved set of stairs to the stoop. He opened the double doors, holding them open. I entered the building blinking at the beauty before me.
The entrance opened to 13-ft ceilings and ornate plaster moldings, a parlor sat on one side of the entry, a small coat room under a set of stairs took up half the hall. He led me through the rooms, pointing out the cherry wood flooring, tile inlays, the wainscoting, the original stain glassed windows.
"Do you like it?"
My heart warmed and I felt a strange sense of contentment as we walked through the home.
