Page 74 of The Amazing Date

“Then you are stupider than I thought,” she shouts. “Now you’ll have to split the prize money four ways. Why…” She can’t fathom a world in which teams would work together, cooperatively, so much so she can’t even complete her sentence.

Wilma claps her hands together. “Well, actually…” she starts, and all three teams pivot in her direction. “If you read the rule book, it states each member of the first-place team will be awarded $50,000. All four of you finished in first place, and therefore each member—meaning all four of you—will receive fifty thousand dollars. Each. Congratulations.”

I stop breathing. We won. All of it.

Roberto pulls me into a hug and whispers into my ear, “I’m giving it all to Gabby. She should be the one to stand here.”

“We’re only here because of you, Roberto. I’ll give Gabby my share. Take your share and take time off from that awful job. Go chase your passion and draw the things that matter to you. Go to Europe or wherever. I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more.” My voice cracks with emotion as I fight to ignore the surrounding noise.

Roberto looks over my shoulder and shouts in Wilma’s direction, “Did we win a five-star hotel for tonight with our first-place finish?”

She shouts back, “I think with fifty thousand dollars you may be okay finding your own accommodations in the city. It’s an expensive city, but you can afford it now.”

I squeeze Roberto’s hand. “Don’t worry about it. I have us covered.”

“You have a place in mind?” Roberto asks, and I smirk. I know he’s not this clueless, and it’s cute as hell.

“Yeah, and it’s pretty familiar to me. Almost like home.” We turn to enjoy the rest of this victory with Ronnie and Thelma. An unforgettable connection that will bond us for the rest of our lives.

As we share laughs and joke about the challenges of the race, my mind races ahead to the remainder of the evening. I joked that I have a place in mind that feels like home because it is. New York is my home, and for the first time, Roberto will get to see it. One more piece of me I can’t wait to share.

Chapter 43

Roberto

We wave goodbye to Ronnie and Thelma two hours later as they step into their cab outside the State Bar and Grill. A celebration of the winning teams. We’ve exchanged contact information along with sincere promises to keep in touch and visit one another.

It’s past midnight when we enter the lobby of Rylee’s building near NYU in the Village. The lobby is being renovated, a dark brown tarp and cones covering the work area. A small scaffolding, buckets, and heavy equipment peek out from a corner.

“It’s an old building, but it has its charm,” Rylee says, noticing me taking it all in.

The ride up to the elevator to the seventh floor is comfortably quiet, the buzz from the evening beginning to settle in me in anticipation of what comes next.

“I wasn’t expecting company.” The jingle of her keys gives away her nervousness. “I packed in a rush.”

I place my hand on the small of her lower back. “I’m sure it’s perfect.”

She shoots me a soft smile and opens the door. “It’s small because, well, it’s New York City. And there’s not much of a view on this side of the building,” she rambles on as we step into her immaculate one-bedroom apartment.

Off to the left is a small railroad-style kitchen, a counter on one side with shelves above and below. Opposite it is a four-burner white stove with a matching refrigerator. The kitchen barely has enough space for one person to turn around and no room for a table.

Sitting on top of the refrigerator is a small basket stuffed with takeout menus.

“Did you want to shower first?” Rylee’s nervous question pulls my attention to the main room: a long couch, coffee table, large TV mounted on the wall, and small desk. A laptop with tabletop speakers and a well-worn ergonomic chair make it clear that this is her favorite place in the apartment.

“You can go first. I have to call Gabby back.” We called Gabby from the bar and told her about the win. I could tell by her voice she was shocked we won. We couldn’t talk long, not with the music and the noise from the bar behind us. She sent me a text a few minutes ago asking to call her back.

Rylee’s feet halt in the doorway, her fingers digging into the frame, a strange look on her face.

“Go. Your place is lovely. I’m good. I’m not going anywhere.” It must be the final words that ease her concerns. Her bright smile returns as she blows me a kiss, turns, and disappears down the hall toward the bathroom.

I slip onto the couch and kick off my sneakers. A yawn escapes my mouth as I realize we’ve been up for almost twenty hours. I open my phone, happy to finally have unfettered access to it. I press the special icon on my home screen for Gabby and wait for the ring.

The line clicks and fills with background noise. “Good, you called right back.” Gabby’s voice is strained and breathless, and I immediately push up from the couch.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yes,” she returns, but I’m not convinced.

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