Page 14 of Small Town CEO Grump

“Yes,” Jenna said. “It was beautiful.”

“It really is, but if you want to see it at its absolute best, you need to go at night.”

“Oh, I bet it’s really cool at night,” Tyler said. “We got here really late last night and I could see all of the lights as we were flying in.”

“Yes, it is. And Times Square. Did you go there?”

Jenna shook her head. “No, but our flight doesn’t leave until tomorrow evening so we were going to go there tomorrow.”

“Hmmm…” I said “That’s also a place that’s better to see at night, because it’s amazing that it’s nighttime but it’s still bright as daytime.”

“Oh, that sounds really exciting,” Tyler said.

“It is. And one last New York experience: Have you been in a taxi? I know the company sent a driver for you last night from the airport.”

“No taxi yet,” Jenna said.

“Okay, well, how about this? After the game tonight, we take a taxi to Brooklyn? We can walk across the bridge at night, the way you’re really supposed to. Then we can hop on the subway, head to Times Square, spend a little bit of time there, and then I’ll see you guys back to your hotel.”

Jenna looked a bit surprised, but she didn’t refuse. I could see that she clearly liked the idea, and wanted to be able to enjoy more of New York with her son, but she also didn’t want to impose. Tyler’s face lit up, and I could see that he was clearly excited by the offer. He looked at his mother, hopefully.

“Can we, Mama?” He asked. “Can we do that?”

Jenna smiled as she looked down at him. “Absolutely,” she said. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. I think we have a lot of fun. Thank you, Ryan.”

“Again, it’s my pleasure. These are my favorite things to do in the city and I’m excited to share them with you guys.”

The train pulled into the station, and I could see that it was full of other Yankees fans. We pushed our way on, and I pulled both of them close to me as we held on to the poles. I always felt perfectly safe in New York, but I knew that a crowded subway meant that you had to be a little bit more vigilant. I felt the need to protect both of these two, to make sure that their New York experience was absolutely perfect. I was pleased that Jenna didn’t pull away, and it was clear she understood why I was holding them close to me.

The ride went by quickly, and once we got to the stadium we followed everyone off the train. The crowd was very large, and I instinctively reached down and grabbed Jenna‘s hand, as she held onto Tyler. We didn’t interlock fingers, but I knew that I was clearly pushing against the boundary of what was appropriate as her boss.

“Is this okay?” I said, looking at her and glancing down at our hands.

She nodded. “This is necessary,” she said, laughing.

Her response helped me feel completely at ease. I led them along the walkway, and although we could have gone straight to the entrance, I knew where I wanted to take them. I led them across the street, and then had Tyler turn around so that he could see Yankee Stadium in all its glory.

“Wow,” he said, his eyes wide. “I can’t believe it.”

I glanced at Jenna and could see that she had tears in her eyes, and she was smiling. Let me take a picture, I said. Jenna and Tyler posed for the picture, with the stadium in the background.

A kind stranger came by and offered to take the photo so that I could pose with them. I started to refuse, but then Jenna said that it was a great idea. I handed the stranger my phone, and I went in and posed with Jenna and Tyler. I had to admit that it felt really nice, and it stirred something inside of me, but I knew I would have to ignore whatever I was feeling.

After the photos we went into the game. For the rest of the night, I spent more time watching Tyler’s reaction to everything and Jenna’s reaction to her son and enjoyment, and it was the best time I had ever had at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees won, and we left the stadium, celebrating with the crowd.

“Well,” I said as we waited for a taxi. “What did you think?”

“It was even better than I thought it was going to be," Tyler said.

“I am glad to hear that.”

“Yeah, it was just so cool. I can’t believe I was actually there! What did you think, Mama?”

“I had a wonderful time," she replied. “And I agree, it was even better than what I expected. I mean I knew we were going to have a great time, but I didn’t realize it was going to be as great as it was.”

“Excellent," I said, as a taxi pulled up to a stop. “Now onto the next adventure.”

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