Page 104 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 1

And there are those damn tight jeans I thought we burned on the beach one night at the bungalow. Burning her favorite pair was an accident. She didn’t forgive me until I tracked down another pair in Paris and had them shipped over.

Her pink lips and eyes with dark eye shadow have captivated me. I’m tempted to skip the evening affair and take her back upstairs. But the doors slide open, and we’re already walking.

Stopping shy of the revolving door, I glance at her. She’s already staring at me, and asks, “I say we do. What’s the worst that can happen? We get stuck for a few minutes?” She wraps her arm around mine, and says, “Come on. Time to conquer this fear.”

She steps right into it as if she has something to prove. Since I don’t want to squash her, I let the glass slide behind her and step into the next compartment. All is great and we’re moving.

Until we’re not, and I run into the glass, smacking my chin on it. “Damn it.”

Whipping around to find me, she’s like a mime stuck in a box, palming the glass looking to escape. “Nick?”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Stand in the middle.” I give the brass railing a hard shove. The door gives and then seems to lock back.

A security guard races over and tries to pull the next door. When he’s unsuccessful, I hold up my phone and point at it, not sure if he can hear me well or not. “Can you call maintenance, please?”

He runs to the desk and picks up the phone.

* * *

This is nothow I saw our night going. In the next compartment, Natalie sits on the ground leaning her back to the curved glass wall. We’ve been sending each other memes to pass the time until help arrives.It’s been over an hour.

I already canceled our reservation since they couldn’t hold it and had nothing else available.

Natalie’s gone to spelling things on the glass and having me guess. I say, “Will.”

She shakes her head and starts spelling another word. I guess, “You.”

Annoyed, she says, “Watch my fingers, Nick.”

I watch, but to her dismay, my next guess of marry doesn’t work for her. And she still doesn’t get it. I’ve given up trying for something unforgettable to ask for her hand in marriage. Being stuck in this damn revolving door is pretty unforgettable. “Me?” I ask.

“Nick, are you playing or not? You’re totally wrong.”

“Depends who you ask. It’s will you marry me, Natalie?”

“No, it’sSaved by the Bell, the TV show.” Covering her mouth, she stares at me through the glass. She raises her palm, and I press mine to hers, the glass between us. Tears fill her eyes, and she finally lowers her hand from her mouth. As her shoulders rock with her soft cries, I get up on one knee.

Those tears fall down her cheeks, and she presses both hands to the glass. “The stars realigned for us. We fought our destiny and made the mistake of walking away. But I’ve learned that every time we follow our hearts, we’re never led astray.” Holding the box open, the three-carat, Asher-cut diamond sparkles under the bright lights of the revolving door.

I take it out of the box and tuck it under the space between the glass wall and the door that separates us. She takes the ring and stares in awe. When her eyes return to me, I say, “I love you more than anything. Will you marry me, Natalie?”

Slipping the ring on her finger, she says, “Yes.”

EPILOGUE

Natalie

We’re notthe most traditional couple out there. We live by our own rules, and that’s what I love about us. Today, we humored our loved ones and had a ceremony for them to share in the day.

Sure, we could have jetted off to Timbuktu to get the perfect social media-worthy wedding photo, walked down a long aisle at an historical church in Manhattan, or followed in my parents’ footsteps and said ourI do’sat The Plaza.

Eloping would have been romantic, but every night, I go to bed next to this handsome, once-stranger, now husband is like living a fairy tale. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. So, returning to the scene of the crime on Catalina—the island, not the hotel room, though I wouldn’t have minded that if I can be frank with you—fit us best.

Standing beneath a pink Nick & Natalie neon sign, my husband caresses my face. It doesn’t matter that we’re surrounded by friends and family. He comes so close that I forget we’re not alone. I tilt my head up ready to be kissed by this incredible man. For only my ears, he whispers, “You were the best catch I ever made.”

Happiness isn’t a word that covers how I’m feeling. I smile, staring into the sunrise of his golden-brown eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

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