Page 84 of Last First Date

We laughed again. “Looking back, I might have decided to be a little more selective with the jobs I took. I was young, dumb, and cocky.”

“Cocky is one way to describe it,” she said, laughing. “But it wasn’t dumb. You made a living doing what others have wanted to do. There’s no shame in it. It’s good, honest money.”

“But that’s not what you always thought, is it?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe not.”

“But you’ve changed your mind?” I asked.

“I guess so,” she finally said, her gaze not breaking from mine. “You’re far more than just an underwear model. And after having my own turn in my skivvies on the runway, I get it. Somebody has to do it, right?”

At that, we both laughed again. A cold wind swept through us, and I felt her shiver slightly beside me.

“Do you want to see the Empire State Building?”

“Duh!” she said, laughing.

We made our way to the top of the Empire State Building. From there, surrounded by twinkling lights stretching out into infinity, New York looked like something out of fairy tale. She was standing next to me, her eyes wide with wonder as she soaked it all in. I remembered my first visit to the top of the building. I had that same wide-eyed wonder. Even though I had seen the view more than a dozen times, it was still awe inspiring.

Taking in the glorious view, I found a new appreciation for the city that had given me so much.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she whispered, her voice barely audible above the wind.

“It is,” I admitted, my eyes on her instead of the skyline.

“I can see why you want to stay here. It certainly looks very different than the skyline in Utah.”

“Do you want to grab some dinner?” I asked.

“Yes, take me somewhere that you love,” she said. “Not somewhere fancy. I’m not dressed for fancy, and I have no desire to change.”

“Alright then,” I said, offering my arm, which she took without hesitation. “I know just the place.”

We made our way to an old acquaintance’s nook, tucked away in one of those side streets that you’d miss if you blinked. The neon sign outside simply read “Joe’s,” and the interior was every bit as unpretentious. There were wooden tables scattered throughout the small room, red checkered tablecloths draped over each of them. An array of black and white photographs from different eras adorned the rustic brick walls, showing everything from vintage cars to old Hollywood celebrities.

As soon as we stepped inside, a middle-aged man with silver hair and a bushy mustache greeted us. “Ah, the prodigal son returns,” he cheered in a thick Bronx accent, a wide grin on his face. He rushed over, enveloping me in a warm hug.

“You remember me then, Joe?” I chuckled, patting his back softly.

“With that face? How could I forget?” he quipped. Noticing her for the first time, he turned to Waverly and extended his hand. “And who might this lovely lady be?”

“This is Waverly,” I introduced her.

“I’ll get you the best table in the house.” He chuckled and led us to a table.

As we sipped wine and relaxed after a busy day, I felt a strange melancholy. The places that once held significance now felt different. I thought being back in New York would feel like coming home, but with Waverly by my side, I felt strangely out of place.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. I wondered if maybe this wasn’t my home after all.

We spent the rest of the night in Joe’s, devouring the best seafood linguini I’ve ever tasted. For some reason, I felt like this was probably the last time I was going to be eating at Joe’s. Maybe it was time to put my apartment on the market.

35

WAVERLY

It was my first time exploring the city, and I couldn’t contain my excitement. Knox had agreed to take the day off to show me around, and the prospect of seeing the city through his eyes filled me with anticipation. I dressed in jeans and tennis shoes, expecting to be spending a lot of time on my feet.

As we ventured into a quiet café, away from the touristy chaos, I could see a different side of Knox emerging. He ordered our coffees and we sat down at a table next to a window. I liked being able to people-watch. That was half the excitement of being in the city. He looked a little sad. I wondered if it was the lingering grumpiness from last night.