“Thank you for the list you made for me of places to visit,” I continue.“I’m starting tomorrow!I’ll enjoy these two free days.”
“That’s great!You enjoy your alone time.You deserve it.Now go to that Italian place I told you about, the one close to your hotel.Then you can put on your fancy hotel robe after a relaxing bubble bath.”
Mira is already imagining the whole scenario as if it were hers.But honestly, it all sounds good to me too.The conference starts in two days, and I could use some relaxing moments before then.
“Let’s plan a trip here someday, just the two of us,” I suggest.The best scenario possible would be me and my sister walking the streets of New York, impersonating Carrie Bradshaw.Just us and the 8.3 million busy New Yorkers.
“Yes!Let’s!”she answers enthusiastically, like I’ve just given her something to dream about for the next 24 hours straight.“Enjoy your evening.And use your phone to take pictures!”
I stop my feet when we hang up our phone call.I look around, trying to place myself in this city that never sleeps.
“Left,” I murmur.“That’s definitely where I just came from.”
Chapter 34
Miles
December 27th, 2008
Saturday
Inspiration woke me up this morning.And inspiration grew while I was vacuuming my apartment.
I’m trying to compose a piano piece for a very romantic and very dramatic movie.My agent arranged a meeting with the producer and director so I can suggest some ideas and see if it’s what they’re looking for.
I think I got some really good melodies this morning.I imagined the movie scene and thought about how the music would unfold with it while I was cleaning the apartment, doing the chores meticulously assigned to me, not to Asher (my roommate).Our friend Finn used to joke that Asher and I communicate better than Finn and his fiancée.
There’s a tight deadline for this opportunity my agent got me, so as soon as I’m done with domestic chores — while imagining music chores — I’ll walk to the studio and try to record on our piano there.
The boys and I are not practicing this week.Elliot’s brother is getting married, so he’s back in his hometown, spending the week with his family.Finn’s fiancée is celebrating her 30thbirthday in three days, so he took her on a romantic vacation out of the city.No pianist, no drummer.Just Asher and me, the guitar players, for the rest of the week.We decided we would tour the city, live like winter tourists, buy tickets to the Empire State Building, visit the Christmas market, go to the comedy club the four of us have been wanting to go to, and email pictures to Elliot and Finn.
That was the idea, until Asher’s parents decided to book a trip to New York to visit him, forcing us to unbook our plans.
I walk to where Asher and his parents are, the Museum of Natural History.There’s no need to take the car, a short cut through the public garden and I’ll be there in a few minutes.
We started to rent the studio five years ago, shortly after Asher and I graduated from college, young and free, both fresh out of our Bachelor of Arts in Music Studies from Cadence University, ready to face this city.No long-term commitments, no certainty about what we wanted to do in the future.We met Finn and Elliot at a bar.It was a random night, Finn asked us if we wanted to join them for foosball and the rest is history.A friendship was born because of spinning wooden men and lots of flying balls.None of us is from New York or has any family here.We’ve slowly become each other’s family.
When we rented the space, Elliot made copies of the key the landlord gave us and bought four big keychains.Efficient and prepped, as always.
Asher lost his key a few days ago.He claims it’s somewhere around our apartment, but we know the missing key is a touchy subject since he slept at his last date’s place.We still joke that that’s where the key is, but Asher is not prepared to go back there.The two of us have been sharing my keys.
As I approach the front of the museum, I watch a girl.I guess she’s looking for something in her purse, just as the guy right behind her gets down on one knee, holding a little box in his trembling hand.I slow my pace.After all, I’m witnessing an important moment in their lives and, somehow, I feel that I shouldn’t pass by without knowing how the seconds between now and her answer unfold.
I watch as the guy’s face brightens while he waits for her eyes to land on him.I’m manifesting the yes, man.
And then, when her gaze finally finds him there, nervously shaking, holding a ring and a future in his hand, her face has thatyeswritten all over it.
Chapter35
Ella
December 27th, 2008
Saturday
My sister recommended an infinite list of places to go.
I felt like immersing myself in some natural history today.
