Page 96 of The Bro Date
“What?” I sniffle, wiping my nose and sitting up to face him.
“Are you inviting me to New York?” he asks again, staring at me with a blank expression I can’t read.
“Uh.Yeah?” It comes out like a question instead of an answer.
“I just got you; I’m not letting you go, Toby.You’re mine.I’m coming too.”
Tears of joy instantly well up, spilling over when I throw myself at him. “Oh, thank God! I didn’t want to do that alone!” I cry out, excitedly sharing more of the details. “They’ll provide the apartment, subway pass, and a living allowance. It’ll be a small studio, but we only need one bed anyway.”
“You could sleep on top of me, and I wouldn’t mind.”
I giggle, my mood instantly lifting and my mind running wild with all the possibilities this summer will bring, from new apartment décor to weekend getaways to the Jersey Shore. “What about your catering job?”
“Glenn will hold my position, no problem. He already told me I’ll always have a job with him. Besides, working at a restaurant in New York City for the summer would look incredible on my résumé.”
“Not to mention all the money we’ll save without having to pay rent,” I add.
“That too. We can delay our apartment move-in date to early August, before the semester starts.”
This plan is coming together and making more and more sense as we talk through it. Campus housing comes completely furnished, so we don’t have any furniture to pack up; it’ll just be a few boxes of belongings. I’m sure Jake and Spencer won’t mind if we store them at the house while we’re gone, so we don’t have to get a storage unit.
“I’m getting really excited. I’m going to call the scout back and let him know I accept.”
“And I’ll call Glenn. Then I’m going to get online and start looking for sous chef positions in Brooklyn.”
“I can’t believe we’re really doing this!” I squeal, squeezing his neck in a tight hug and smooshing our cheeks together.
Shane pulls back, kissing me passionately on the lips before cradling my face between his rough palms. “Every second we’re together, my love for you is carved deeper and deeper into the very core of who I am. Your outline is etched into my soul like a vinyl record stuck on repeat. I need you, Toby. And I can’t fucking live without you.”
Shane’s eloquent words do funny things to my insides, and I chew on my bottom lip.
“You deserve all the good things in this world, baby. And I’ll do everything in my power to give them to you.”
“But what doyouwant?” I ask hesitantly. I need to make sure that he’ll truly be happy in New York.
“I want a future with you, Toby. I want to build a life together. You’re my happy place, and you always have been. I’d follow you anywhere.”
I throw myself at him, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world to have such a kind and thoughtful boyfriend. “I love you. My sexy stalker.”
EPILOGUE
Toby
Our apartment in Brooklyn is seven hundred and fifty square feet with one bathroom and a cute little balcony. We have a tomato plant that’s thriving out there, too. Miss Edna, our next-door neighbor, gave it to us as a welcome-to-the-building gift. You should see her porch; it’s an urban garden like I’ve never seen before. Our bedroom, living room, and kitchen are all in the same area, so there really isn’t any privacy, but it’s perfect. It’s ours.
We’ve been in Brooklyn less than a week, and we both already love it, seeming to fit right in. The city is bustling and truly never sleeps, filled with artists hungry for work and amazing food joints on every block. Glenn set Shane up with a job at a swanky new French bistro on Fifth Street called La Belle.
I’m not talking to my parents right now, so as far as I know, they aren’t even aware I’m in New York. But they haven’t stopped the direct deposits into my account every month. Bo and Gran made it very clear that I could always reach out to them for help if my parents decide to take things further and cutme off financially. I’d only do that in a last-ditch effort because they’re retired, and I don’t want to take any of their hard-earned retirement money away from them when it has to last.
My phone buzzes while I organize the orchestra’s supply room. It’s not the most glamorous part of my internship, but if it’s what they need from me, then I will alphabetize the cleaning products and rearrange the toilet paper every day if it means I get a chance to practice on stage with them.
I check who’s calling before I answer and see that it’s Shane. “Hey, babe,” I say with a smile.
“Wanna meet in the park for lunch?” Shane asks, the sound of clinking dishes and people shouting in the background nearly overpowering his deep voice. “I miss you.”
Brooklyn Bridge Park is our go-to meet-up spot. Shane always packs the food, and we lie out on a blanket, enjoying the sun and a little slice of nature in the middle of the city. Afterward, we walk along the water and take in the expansive views of the Lower Manhattan skyline.
“I miss you too. That sounds great,” I say, setting the last roll on top of my toilet paper pyramid.
