Page 61 of A Lot to Unpack
I grab my bag, following him into his room, leaving together through his door. I glance back at his desk. It’s tidy. No sign of any papers.
‘I’ve got an idea,’ he says mysteriously. ‘A few, actually. We’ve only got a couple of days left, so let’s see how much we can fit into one night. I’m working on something – I’ll figure it out as we go.’
‘Sounds exciting!’ I reply – it really does. I know, I have a job to do, but… you can’t blame me for being giddy about this.
Is it weird that I’m excited? And so, so nervous. I know why though; it’s because suddenly my objective feels blurry. I know what I should be doing, what my goal is supposed to be. But now I’m not so sure why I’m going on this date – is it business or pleasure?
25
Jordan’s dating game is just… unreal. No one can say this man doesn’t know how to show a girl a good time. Who knew running a dating app could make you so good at it? It’s almost like he’s taken tips from the best of the best (and ignored what not to do by the worst of the worst).
We’re currently in what he’s calling act one of our evening. He’s showing me the sights of New York, taking me to see iconic locations like Central Park, the New York Public Library, the Church of the Holy Communion, Columbus Circle – everything feels so familiar, even though I’ve never been here before. It’s strange, isn’t it, how movies and TV shows can make you feel like you know a place when you don’t.
We’re strolling down a residential street when Jordan stops, all of a sudden.
‘Okay, where are we now?’ I ask.
He looks at his phone for a moment.
‘So, this is Perry Street,’ he tells me. He puts his hands on my shoulders, to turn my body. ‘And that, if I’m not mistaken, is Carrie’s apartment, inSex and the City.’
I gasp.
‘Oh my God, it is,’ I blurt. ‘How did you… why… you…’
He laughs at me.
‘I wanted to show you the sights,’ he tells me. ‘And I remember you talking aboutSex and the Cityso I found a list of iconic tourist locations that had featured in the show.’
‘That’s why everywhere seemed so familiar,’ I say.
‘It’s also why we’re looking from across the street now,’ he replies. ‘The article I read said that the people who live in the neighbourhood are driven mad by fans of the show. So, I wanted you to see it, but I didn’t want to piss anyone off.’
‘I love it,’ I blurt. ‘I don’t need to get closer – I can see it perfectly from here. What a fun angle for a tour.’
‘Thanks,’ he says. ‘I’m taking that as a compliment.’
‘It really is,’ I insist. ‘You can’t know how iconic those steps are.’
‘Well, I thought you’d get a kick out of it,’ he replies.
‘I can’t believe you researched it,’ I say.
‘I can’t believe that, while I was on the website in the cab, I considered taking a quiz that was apparently going to tell me if I was a Big or an Aiden – does that mean anything to you?’
‘It does – and now I really want to know what your answer would have been,’ I practically cackle.
‘Some things are best left unknown,’ he replies. ‘Okay, so, now the tour is over, we can move on to act two. The food – it’s only a quick cab away, if you’ve seen all you need to see here?’
‘I have,’ I tell him. ‘This, for me, it’s practically a spiritual experience. I want to make so many jokes, but you won’t get any of them.’
‘Geez, I’m such a Big,’ he jokes, clearly having no idea what he’s saying. ‘Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving.’
‘Me too,’ I reply. ‘And I don’t even know where we’re going.’
Once we’re out of the cab, we don’t have to walk far before we’re at our destination.
‘This is Giorgio’s,’ he tells me.
