Page 79 of Not in My Book

“No one evencaresabout Rockefeller Center. All the tourists care about Times Square and Broadway. Who cares about some dumb tree?”

“Exactly. It’s a dumb tree so we don’t have to go.”

I gasped, slapping his arm. “It’s notdumb.It’s the Christmas tree of New York. Take some pride in your city.”

We had spentwaytoo much time at Macy’s, but it was nearly impossible to walk in the store of wall-to-wall people. I settled for just looking at the window display outside. Every year it featured Tiptoe the Reindeer and a cute little inspirational story. I couldn’t get enough of it. Aiden walked through the displaytwicewith me.

But now I really wanted to go to Rockefeller Center to see the tree. I figured once we were there I could convince Aiden to go ice skating, but he was flat out refusing to go to that part of the city, claiming it would be “too busy.”

He leveled his gaze with me and said, “I take pride in New York. I just don’t think the epitome of Christmas in New York isRockefeller Center.It’ll be at least ten times the people here.”

I pouted. “I warned you I wanted to do touristy stuff.”

We were standing in the middle of Herald Square. Busy, last minute shoppers were rushing around us as the sun began to set. I shivered slightly, and Aiden didn’t say anything as he unwrapped his scarf from his neck and pulled it snug around mine.

“You’re shaking so hard your earrings are ringing.” He smiled down at me.

“I don’t need your scarf.”

“Me either.” His nose and cheeks were adorably red from the cold. “We need to decide what we’re going to do.”

“Okay. Rockefeller Center. Times Square. Central Park—”

He covered my mouth with his hand laughing. “I’m not doing any of that. It won’t even be fun. With your luck, you’ll probably get mugged. I have an idea. It’s going to get dark soon. We head somewhere on the Upper East Side, if you’re up for it.”

I furrowed my brow. “What’s uptown?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Ididwant to go to Rockefeller Center, but Aiden was right. It was an overwhelming crowd here, I couldn’t imagine what kind of hell there would be around the plaza. And if Aiden had a surprise for me, there was no way I was saying no.

“Fine, fine let’s go,” I agreed.

We took the train uptown, heading toward Aiden’s surprise.

“I think you’ll really like this place, but it’s okay if you don’t. We can leave if you don’t want to,” Aiden insisted as we walked down the block.

“I’m sure I’ll like it,” I assured him.

We stopped at a restaurant I’d never been to before, Serendipity Three. There were people waiting in the cold, sitting on a bench outside.

“C’mon, we’ve got a reservation,” Aiden said.

Before he could pull the door open, I placed a hand on his arm stopping him. “Aiden, not if you had to call your father. Not if you traded this for a dinner with him, it’s not worth it.”

“It would’ve been worth it, Rosie, just so we’re clear,” he said, firmly, his gaze locking with mine. “But no, I didn’t call him. I made this reservation that night we got burgers on the off chance you’d want to spend today together.”

How was I expected tonotfall for this man? All day he’d been nothing but thoughtful and to know he’d made a reservation so far in advance on the off chance I’d like this place? I was feeling more certain that wherever he went, I’d go, too.

When I stepped inside, I gasped, wide eyed. The restaurant was a lot bigger on the inside than I had expected. It was pure camp—pink everywhere, with unique art lining the walls. A stained glass chandelier hung from above. There were giant bells and garland covering every inch of the store. I turned in a slow circle, trying to take in every detail and stow it away for later. It wasglamorous.

The waitress seated us at a small table upstairs and placed two giant menus before us. It was impossible to take everything in at once. My eyes would snag on a different decoration every second. The table was small, and my knees kept brushing with Aiden’s, but I didn’t mind.

“How’d you find this place?” I asked.

Aiden opened the menu and said, “My mom liked to celebrate here. Whenever something big in our lives would happen—she’d sella book or I’d make a good grade—she’d tow us all the way up here and order a big sundae to split.”

My heart burst in my chest. I pushed his menu down so he’d meet me gaze. “Aiden, this made my Christmas.”

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