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The driver arrives at the door to take my bags for me.
I give Sky one more hug.
“Those dreams, by the way,” Sky calls after me, “include balance. I’ll look forward to hearing all about the dating scene in New York City.”
“Sure thing.” I never ended up telling Sky about Ace. Everything has been so busy, I haven’t had the chance. And there was really no point. Ace is gone.
But she’s right, of course. My love life—aside from that one crazy, beautiful night where I totally lost my sanity and self-control and loved every minute of it—might as well have tumbleweeds rolling through it.
Once I get to New York I’ll forget all about Ace.
No, you won’t.
I’ll meet someone even more perfect.
Impossible.
And I’ll get on with the rest of my life without him in it.
14
Even though I told Emma I was being picked up from the airport by a company driver, the first thing I see when I walk through the arrivals gate is her bright, beaming face. In one hand she’s holding a gigantic bunch of flowers and, in the other, a glittery sign with WELCOME TO NEW YORK, DUSTY ROSE!!! emblazoned across it.
It’s actually exactly what I need. It helps tone down the nerves fluttering through my stomach. I haven’t been able to eat much in days. I’m too nervous and too excited. Turns out that moving away from the one city you’ve ever known is, in every way, a big deal.
She gives me a huge hug and then I notice another, much more subdued DUSTY ROSE sign, being held by a man in a black suit who’s standing next to Emma.
“This is Joe,” Emma tells me. “We’ve bonded over our Dusty Rose signs. Joe said I can ride with you guys to make sure you get settled into your new apartment without a hint of loneliness or overwhelm that goes along with leaving your entire life behind and moving to one of the most bustling metropolises in the world.”
“Hi, Joe.” I can’t help but smile at my best friend’s enthusiasm. “You really shouldn’t have,” I tell her. “But I’m glad you did.”
“Ms. Rose,” says Joe. “I’m here to help you retrieve your bags. And your limo is parked right outside.”
“Limo?” Emma squeals. “Joe, you didn’t tell me that!”
“Invested Enterprises likes to welcome their new employees in style,” Joe says.
There’s even champagne chilling in the back of the limo, which Emma insists on popping.
On the ride in from the airport, New York looks different than in did only a few weeks ago. It’s mine now. My new home. It looks better, somehow. More shiny and exciting and impressive.
It’s not long before we’re pulling up outside the doors of my new apartment building, slightly tipsy.
“You have a doorman,” Emma whisper-shrieks as a man in a red jacket opens the door for us. “And a concierge!”
And then there’s the apartment itself. I open the door with my new key card and Emma walks in with me. She’s still clutching the bottle of champagne in one hand. We’re sort of leaning our shoulders against each other for support and in anticipation. We both gasp when we see the sun-drenched space.
The apartment is a one-bedroom, so I’d sort of imagined something like Emma’s, but smaller. The similarities begin and end with the fact the apartment is located on the island of Manhattan.
“You get sun,” Emma exclaims, and by now I know that this is a lucky score in New York apartments. “God, there’s so much natural light. Holy shit, look at your view, Dusty.”
It’s not a huge space, but the entire wall of windows makes it look much larger. The view over the surrounding buildings is expansive. I can even see a sliver of the river in the distance.
The apartment is open plan and very modern. There’s a small kitchen made of granite and blond wood, a compact living area with two comfortable-looking cream couches and a large flat-screen TV mounted on one wall. It’s sparsely furnished but all the furnishings are stylish and high end.
Down a hallway, there’s a walk-in closet, a small but luxurious bathroom and a roomy bedroom with a king-sized bed and that same wall of windows and floor-to-ceiling cream velvet curtains. Emma pulls on one, marveling at the lush fabric, and it completely blocks the light. Which might come in handy for sleeping in and for privacy from the next building’s windows.
“Plenty of room here for your bestie to bunk with you on a regular basis,” Emma says.
