Page 193 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 1

“No. Have you checked the rooftop?”

Holding the elevator door open with my hand, it tries to close three times before it rings in alarm. “What’s on the roof?”

“She planted a community garden up there, and sometimes that’s where she takes Rascal.”

“Thanks, Mike.” Letting the elevator have its way, I punch the top floor button when the door closes.

I vaguely remember something about the roof when I was reading the amenities guide sitting on the bar when I first arrived. I’ve taken advantage of a few of them—the gym, the on-call barber, shoe shining, and the dry-cleaning service but I don’t remember anything about a community garden.

The elevator arrives, and I walk down the hall to the glass door and push it open. I stop just outside to take it in—the lights strung like personal stars for our building, the garden to the right that’s large enough to spend some time in, and the potted trees that give the feel of being in a park.

The woman beyond the garden holding a leash is the most beautiful feature of it all. “It’s amazing,” I say, not sure if she can hear from there.

She looks up, and I see a heavy breath wash through her body. “How’d you find me?”

“Mike.”

“Never could trust him.” I can’t see her smile as I work my way across the rooftop, but I hear the teasing in her tone.

“What about me?”

She’s dressed the same as earlier but is wearing black flip-flops instead of heels. “Remains to be seen, Mr. Christiansen.”

“I much prefer Drew from you.”

“Me too,” she adds, sounding resigned to the notion.

Rascal doesn’t notice me until I get closer, and then he yaps before tugging on his leash to reach me. I squat down, letting him jump up on my knee. “He’s got good balance.”

She sits on a bench, allowing the wind to sweep her hair from her shoulders. “He’s little enough.”

I pet him as he leans his front paws on my shoulder and tries to get a few licks in around my neck. Setting him back on the grass again, I move to sit next to Juni. “I screwed up, and I’m starting to wonder if that’s all I know how to do with you.”

“Maybe, but instead of going down that path, have you wondered if I’m worth the effort?”

“You are.”

“No, Drew. I don’t need your confirmation to build my self-esteem. I’m good in that department. What I mean is am I,are we, worth fixing misunderstandings, worth fighting to get to a resolution, worth trying harder to understand each other instead of jumping to conclusions? I don’t want an automatic answer. I want you to consider each one and come up with your own thoughts on the matter.” Juni’s a straight shooter. But right now, I don’t know if that means she doesn’t think it’s worth the while to resolve whatever I did wrong.

“Have you?”

“Yeah,” she replies, her smile coming easy. “Too much and I’m not mad at you. Well . . .” Reaching over, she slips her hand in mine. “Not anymore anyway.”Thank God.Because I’m realizing that I want this. Her.Us.And I think I finally understand what went wrong tonight.

“I know I let you down. I’m not a romantic guy. I’m numbers and facts, and don’t run my life off hunches, emotions, or notions.” I hold her hand between both of mine. “If you can have patience with me, I’m learning.”

“I don’t want you changing for me.”

“But I’m willing to.”

“Why?”

“Because the last two weeks have been the best I’ve felt in years, and I owe that to you. It doesn’t matter how this job or Seattle or even New York wears me down because you make me feel alive. You make me feel likemeagain.” She wants romance and she deserves it, so I step out of my comfort zone and stand before her. “May I have this dance?”

She looks around. “There’s no music.”

Taking her hand, she stands before me, shorter than ever. I place her hand on my chest, and say, “There is. It’s just in here.”

We begin to sway to the music inside us when she says, “This is so spontaneous, Drew.” A smile cracks her expression. “And I freaking love it.”

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