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“Of course, mine was adopted from East Africa so I guess that’s another difference, but in all seriousness, the biggest thing we have in common is that we both haven’t given ourselves time to come up for air.”
“Well, as I said, the likes of you can afford to do that. For people like me, taking a break is a terrible idea. You can probably never work again in your life if you don’t want to. Just drink bourbon and play golf every day, a different girlfriend each day if you want.”
He laughed, accepting the breakfast she offered him.
“And yet, as wonderful and exciting as playing golf every day sounds—not to mention with a live blow-up doll at my side—I’m not doing it. Strange, isn’t it?”
“My point is, I’m staying put. I’m not taking off with you, and I’m not moving back home, no matter how bad it gets. I might not have a job right now, but the taste I’ve gotten of this place is enough to keep me trying to make it here. You know, I’m actually glad my sister left now—I felt sort of resentful when she took off and didn’t look back, but I understand completely—she had to get out and make a life for herself, whatever the cost. I do still feel terrible about my parents being stuck there alone now, and I wish I could encourage them to move somewhere else—somewhere more open, diverse—but for some people, no matter what, home is home. I was born and raised there, but it’s not home to me—I’ve been looking forward to leaving it behind since I was a kid.”
She paused, smiling, then dumped her own omelet onto a plate.
She sat next to him and began to eat.
“I haven’t been here that long, but I really love New York. Everything is so different—the pace, the number of people per square inch…”
Jim chuckled, wolfing down his own food.
She truly had a knack for omelets.
“You know that’s only a slight exaggeration, Jim. I saw a stack of mimes the other day, riding a unicycle and, at first, I was all, look at that—another spectacle. But then I remembered, nope—you’ve got to carve out more space to move through one way or another. Usually by going up, hence all the high-risers.”
Jim laughed again.
“All right, that’s enough of that. Time to take you outside. Have you been to Greenwich Village yet?”
She shook her head, chewing.
“It’s a must. It’ll also take up a good part of the day.”
“What’s there?”
“It’s a nice, picturesque stroll. We’ll check out any of the little shops you want—and trust me, you’ll want to pop into quite a few. We’ll definitely stop by any of the cafés that interest you for lunch. We can maybe even head over to the Hudson, or check out the Freedom tower. Later, we can take in a show—a comedy, a musical…maybe Hamilton—whatever you’d like; I can get tickets to anything. Oh, and Washington Square Park is a must. There’s a lot to see there—chess players, jazz musicians. I’ll even take a pic of you under the arch for your Facebook if you want.”
“Oh, my gosh. I’m not one of those types.”
“When you see the Washington Square Arch, you will want a photo, trust me. Anyway, I hope it won’t be too overwhelming for you. We may or may not encounter art installations, magicians, yoga classes...possibly even a full performance of some Shakespearean play. We can watch Pigeon Man conduct the pigeons…”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“You heard correctly. We can listen to whatever Piano Man’s got on his schedule. There could be juggling, rats…”
“Wait, did you just say juggling rats as in rats that juggle?”
He laughed.
“I can’t even correct you because you never know. We could run into some rats juggling, or someone juggling actual rats. There could even be a protest today—I don’t know. You never know, and that’s what makes it amazing. It’s full of surprises. The best way I can describe it is that it’s like living in a cartoon. Birds are fluttering all around, squirrels darting… There might even be some chick in a pink bodysuit and one of those fluttery things from rhythmic gymnastics doing an interpretive dance. Something’s always going on there; the landscape is always changing. The characters, the shows, the events…you’re right, Mari—New York is probably one of the most dynamic places you’ll ever visit. You can’t get bored here and anyone who does has chosen to be.”
“You’re really excited about this—look at you,” she said, smiling at him with what he could only interpret as affection.
Warmth rushed through him.
“I don’t get a chance to go there often with a date since most prefer seclusion rather than public outings. But this village and the park—I love the energy, the open air, the natural environment. At any moment, a pigeon could poop on you—although, I suppose that could happen almost anywhere. Anyway, the park is my favorite—strange yet peaceful all at once. People of all ages and backgrounds, students, performing artists… Once, I witnessed a jazz band come together, starting with a solo guy on a sax. Next thing you know, he’s joined by other random musicians, and maybe they set it all up beforehand, but it seemed like it just happened to all come together and it was awesome. And it didn’t stop there—some artist showed up, set up his easel, etc., and in no time, he’s drawing this newly formed, perfectly in-sync band. A truly magical moment.”
“You’re adorably boyish right now, Jim Craig.”
“We’ll see about boyish when I bring you back home.”
Her cheeks flushed as she looked away, looking terribly embarrassed.
“Which reminds me—I should probably stock up while we’re out there,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her as she finally looked back at him.
She looked away again, making him chuckle.
“About last night,” she began, “I saw your face when I whipped that package out, and I just want you to know that my best friend advised me to always have at least two condoms on me—which she provided me with when she bought a box for herself—because you never know, and one should always be prepared. Never thought it would come in handy since I don’t do casual relationships, but there you go.”
“You carried that thing around for years?”
“Well, one year—she gave me the advice about a year ago.”
He shook his head.
“I’m glad to break your dry spell, Mari. And I assure you that what I feel for you is not casual, so you don’t have to feel bad about breaking whatever deal you had with yourself. I’m happy to prove how much you mean to me, beginning with our date today.”
He extended his arm to her and she took it, and once he again, he was flooded with the feeling that stars had aligned; everything just felt right.
They belonged together.
Chapter 11
Maribel
“I truly love this place,” Jim said as they walked down Bleecker Street. “No one knows my face, so I come here dressed down, dressed up, with shades or without, and I take in everything in peace. Probably the only moments of peace I get. Well, outside of…”
She shoved him, silencing him.
“Where do you go to clear your mind, Mari? Before moving here—where was your ‘village?’”
“I definitely didn’t have a place like this. There’s nothing like this,” she said as she looked all around her.
“Not even in college?”
“My own dorm room, I suppose, away from everybody. But that’s behind me. And it’s nowhere near as peaceful as this place because the stress was constant. It ebbed and flowed, but there was always some paper due, some test coming up, some book I was waiting for the bookstore to restock. Sure, I had friends I’d hang out with, but whatever we did, wherever we went didn’t matter—just that we had all decided to take a break, so there was no specific pl
ace—only the space made with certain people.”
“But before you came here, what were you up to? You graduated months ago, correct?”
“Well, I worked over the summer, saving up money to come here and pursue my dreams.”
“And why New York?”
She looked at him like he was a little crazy.
“Is it not the concrete jungle where dreams are made?”
He laughed.
“Yes, something like that, I suppose.”
“Besides, it seems more integrated here. More…advanced in a number of ways. I know New York has its own problems, but let’s remember I’m coming from the deep south. I’ve heard people say it feels they’ve traveled back in time a few decades when they come to visit. It’s still pretty shamelessly segregated in parts. You and me doing what we’re doing right now in parts there? Boy, the stink eyes we’d get. And more.”
“It’s hard to believe it’s still like that,” he said, shaking his head.
“Believe it. That social segregation permeates pretty much all aspects—whether you’re filling your tank at the gas station and the cashier decides to help the white person who came in after you first, or you boldly get watched and followed in a department store. Like, in additional to institutionalized racism, people actually still yell the N-word from their cars.
“I remember one time seeing my mom crack up at something on screen—something as simple as a genuine interracial friendship being represented or a white customer service type treating a black customer respectfully or something. That was like comedy gold to her; she was practically in stitches. Anyway, where I lived, because some parts really keep to themselves, I wasn’t directly affected so much. I pretty much got the worst of it when I went to the state college. There were several incidents during my time there I’d rather not get into while we’re on this lovely date.”
She paused to smile at him but he didn’t smile back.
“Mari, I’m dating you now. I want to hear about all aspects of your life. You don’t need to spare me any sordid details—we are here together to have fun, but also to learn more about each other. So lay it on me, partner; I can take it.”
