Page 105 of Break the Ice

Phoebe pauses for a moment, then hits me with her clutch. ‘You moron.’

‘Two seconds!’ I shout. ‘Before I told her where to go and that I’d moved on.’

‘Really?’ Phoebe asks, still a little disapproving.

‘A wise person once warned me about women like her who bench the good ones to try out new players,’ I tell her.

‘She sounds really bloody wise. More than wise,’ she says, frowning.

‘Right? But I really put an end to all of it. It was very cathartic,’ I say, exhaling and looking into the sky.

She smiles reluctantly. ‘That’s good. But you know, as penance you have to wear the Statue of Liberty hat,’ she says, getting it out of its bag. I put it on. She also puts on some New Year’s sparkly glasses and then takes a picture. ‘Now tell me. Where we headed to next, because I’m kinda cold,’ she goes on, pulling her fur coat around her.

‘Just up here,’ I say, trying to get her to keep walking.

‘Are we going to Applebee’s?’ she says, clocking the sign, again looking more excited than a person should.

‘No. Why are you so obsessed with mid-price restaurants? I’m also not taking you to that store where you can buy three I Love NYC t-shirts for ten dollars.’

‘Wouldn’t matter anyway because I got one this morning,’ she tells me. We get to the end of the street and stand on the corner. I look up at a skyscraper opposite the Winter Garden Theatre. Some of the windows are lit up but it stands like a black boring box against the sky, maybe not as impressive as some of the architecture we’ve seen. I sense her following my gaze. ‘Is this from a film or something?’ she asks.

‘Nah. It’s my dad’s office.’

She looks at me as if she’s not really sure what’s going on. But I do.

Because after I saw Avery at the party, my parents came to find me to tell me everything. To apologise for not seeing through the Pattons, for making me come to this party, for thinking that Avery dumping me was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. And so they conspired; they told me to get the hell out of that party. Find Phoebe because that girl is magic, she cares about you, Joshua, in ways I always hoped a girl would, my mom told me. And then what do I do? I asked. You show her how magic this city can really be. You tell her how you feel about her. You must.

FORTY-NINE

PHOEBE

‘Young Master Abelman, it’s been a long time, kid,’ a voice says as we enter the foyer of the Paramount Plaza on Broadway. According to my Google Maps, there are six major New York landmarks in the immediate vicinity that would be ideal for celebrating the impending New Year. We could go to Times Square and join in the pile-on but I guess after the trauma of today Josh might need some quiet, some peace from all that noise. Damn you, Avery. Today she has made a lifelong enemy. The sausage-roll-slinging was just the start. She tried to reel in Josh. If I’d known I would have thrown something harder. Like a pineapple. I’m also not sure if what I said before worked or meant anything. It felt heartfelt if a little manic. I then choked on my Manhattan, which I’m not sure gave off the sexy vibe I was hoping to maintain.

‘Ignacio, is that you?’ Josh says into the dimly lit reception area as a security guard appears in the foyer. The man has a limp, and is wearing a white shirt, black tie and crisp black trousers. He has the hairiest nostrils I think I’ve ever seen on a man. Josh goes up to him and gives him a hug.

‘How the young man has grown. Good to see you, kid.’

‘Ignacio, this is my…’ Joshua says and hesitates.

‘Phoebe,’ I say, stepping forward and shaking his hand animatedly. ‘Happy New Year, Ignacio.’

He seems surprised by the gesture, and looks me up and down. ‘Joshua, you got a girl.’

I laugh.

‘Ignacio,’ Joshua warns him, but he winks quite blatantly. He goes back to his desk and retrieves a big brown paper bag. ‘Someone dropped this off for you,’ he tells Joshua. The big question is whether it’s a takeaway from Chipotle.

‘And we’re all good to go up?’ Josh asks him.

‘Joshy, we got all night. Happy New Year, kids.’

Joshua looks at me and puts an arm out towards the lifts, and I walk on curiously. This place looks empty. Is it like the Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard? Is the party happening on another floor? We get in the lift and he presses the button to the top floor. I try to peek inside the bag, but he holds it close.

‘Hey…’ I say.

‘Hey…’ he replies.

‘What’s the deal?’ I ask him, trying not to smile.