Page 268 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 1

He starts collecting the candy into bags again but looks up at me with a grin. “You never cease to surprise me.”

“What do I cease doing?”

“Apparently helping, but I’ll let it slide.”

I finish straightening the skirt of my dress and then bend to help him. He’s already standing back up. “Oops. My bad.”

“It’s okay. That skirt’s too short to be bending over in anyway.”

My gaze darts down to my legs. “What are you talking about? It hits mid-thigh. The one I wore to the concert was shorter.”

“That was too short, too.” He starts for the front of the store like he didn’t just judge me.

Following him, I say, “Good thing you’re not my dad then.”

“I’d be more worried being your boyfriend.”

I stop between the giant lollipop stand and a large display of Necco Wafers. Does anyone even eat Neccos? I grab one package because now I’m curious what the hell they are. Walking up behind him, I tap him on the back with the roll of colorful wafers. “Ah. I see,” I start when he turns around. “Worried because other guys would be looking at me?”

Snatching the Neccos from me, he adds it to the pile he’s buying, and tells the clerk, “Add that to my order.”

I lean my back against the counter, eyeing him. I let my smile carry on. “You know, Decker, you kind of sound like you might be jealous.”

“Pfft. What or whom would I be jealous of?”

“That’s what I can’t figure out, but give me some time and I will.”

He hands over his card to pay for the candy and then angles my way. “Listen, Devreux, I’m not jealous.”

The funny thing is he doesn’t sound mad, not even a little perturbed. Maybe a little defensive, but he’s volleying the banter right back just fine. He takes the bag from the clerk, and we head toward the door, which he holds open for me.

Despite the eight million people in the city, as soon as it closes and we’re alone, it feels private. Out on the sidewalk, he stops in front of the Ring Pop proposal, and as he looks around, he smiles again. “Why do you care if I get jealous?”

“Just wondering why you would. That’s all.”

I turn to lean, but he catches my arm. “You may have forgotten about how good we are together, but I haven’t.”

As we stand in front of the perfection of the confectionary display, our conversation hasn’t taken a turn for the worst but traveled down a much more intriguing path. I hold my purse strap in my hand and shift on my heels. “What made you think of that?”

“I don’t know,” he replies, tapping the window. “Maybe it’s the magic.”

“What magic?”

“The magic you spoke of. You said magic can be found around any corner, but you have to be looking for it. Maybe we didn’t. Maybe it found us.”

Denying my heart beating rapidly in my chest is impossible. By how it feels inside, it’s probably louder than the traffic. I turn to face the street, thinking it’s best before I start letting crazy notions fill my head, like kissing him right here. I look down at my shoes, trying to get lost in the details instead of staring at the man next to me. “Maybe we should go.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

We start walking again, and I think changing the topic is a good idea. “What do you have planned for the rest of the day?”

“Thinking about seeing what you’re up to.”

Grabbing his shirt by the sleeve, I tug him down the street. “Come on. I’ll let you tag along.”

“First stop?”

“The lingerie store.”

---