Page 29 of Big Nick Energy

“Oh wow,” I reacted, my eyes widening.

He checked his watch and then placed his hand on the small of my back. “I guess everyone is heading to the tailgate.”

“Whassup Nick!” a couple men greeted him as we were moving toward the door.

“Oh, hey Nick!” a woman said as he opened the backdoor of the car waiting for us.

He spoke to everyone who called out to him, but much like he’d done the night before, he kept moving forward. He never really stopped to chat. He just smiled, said hello, and dapped them up as he continued moving. When we were buckled into the backseat, he exhaled, looking relaxed.

I smiled at his comfortability.

We talked about our friendship and how he hadn’t been doing a very good job of keeping up with his people throughout the ten-minute ride to our destination. I was so entuned with our conversation that I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.

I looked around. “I’m actually very excited because I have no idea where we’re going,” I said as Nick helped me out of the car.

“Good.”

He tucked me into him and led me to the end of the block.

“Oh, this looks cute!” I exclaimed as we entered a wine bar called The Cask.

The stylish American bistro and wine bar had sleek décor, contemporary art adorning the walls, and a wall of wine bottles showcasing the assortment.

“Welcome to The Cask,” a woman with long braids greeted us. “I’m Ebony! How can I help you?”

“We’re here for the art show on the roof,” Nick told her as he presented passes on his phone.

Her face lit up. “Wonderful!” She turned to a college aged girl. “Liannah, please escort them to the roof.”

We followed her out the way we came in and went next door. As soon as we entered, there was a long staircase.

“Head on up,” she said in a chipper voice. “When you get to the top, go through the door, show your passes, and enjoy yourself!”

So, we did.

“Okay!” I exclaimed as we were immediately thrust into a cool rooftop experience.

There were maybe about forty people milling around, checking out art, tasting samples of wine, or just vibing to the woman performing on a platform in the corner. It was such an eclectic mix of artistic expression and a cool thing to do on a beautiful autumn afternoon.

“It’s a lot going on, but it’s chill.” Nick placed his hand on my lower back as we made our way to the railing. “I thought this would be a cool spot for us to talk and get to know each other better.” We made it to the ledge, and he pointed down below. “And I thought you’d appreciate the view.”

I gasped giddily. “Oh wow!”

The view of a farmer’s market happening down below was such a cool array of colors. There were so many people milling about the blocked off part of the street.

“You said you liked a bird’s-eye view,” he explained, leaning against the railing and looking down below.

Warmth flooded my system as I stared at his profile. “I told you that?”

“At the library.”

I stared at him in awe. “And just that fast you found a spot for us to come to?”

He turned his head toward me. “I told my assistant that I needed to find a daytime event on a rooftop with a view. She sent me a few options and I picked this one.”

“Oh wow! Is that how you always plan your dates?”

“No. But I wanted to impress you.”

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