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“Such a pretty day,” he says, taking in the surroundings, his free arm around my shoulders.
“Perfect day,” I concur.
“What do you want to do about dinner this evening?” He looks over at me, his head cocked to the side in that very sexy way.
“I think I want to stay in. Maybe cook out on the terrace.”
“Okay, I think I can accommodate your request,” he says placing a soft kiss on my temple. His response makes me smile.
We finish our sandwiches and head over to one of the many bicycle stations around the city. There is a long rack with bicycles funded by CitiBank called Citi Bike. Citi Bike is a bike share system that provides an option for short, quick trips around NYC. Before we ride, we have to purchase a pass to the system.
After the kiosk spits out a receipt, the machine unlocks two bicycles. We walk over to the end of the rack, pull out the bicycles, and head into the park.
We start out on East Drive, and I lead us south towards my most cherished part of the park. Located just north of Conservatory Water at East 74th Street is one of my favorite bronze statues—Alice in Wonderland. Alice in Wonderland is surrounded by the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, and a few of her other friends. Unlike most sculptures, children are encouraged to climb, touch, and crawl on everything. The amount of children filling this section of the park is stunning. We make a large loop to see all of the amazing statues.
Once back onto East Drive, we head west along the reservoir. It eventually turns into West Drive by Lenox Avenue. We pass the Discovery Center and Lenox Avenue Playground. On our right is Great Hill, the third highest point in the park.
Pedaling on, we head over toward 79th Street, which cuts through the park. Located on the corner is Shakespeare Gardens. The garden encompasses four acres of plants that change according to season. Included among these are plants such as rosemary and pansies, alluded to by Ophelia in Hamlet, thistle, mentioned in the play Much Ado About Nothing, and even a white mulberry tree that is said to have grown from a graft of a tree planted by Shakespeare himself in 1602. Bronze plaques with corresponding quotations from Shakespeare’s plays have been placed along the path. This is where the famed Shakespeare in the Park plays are performed. It’s beautiful, and when I am in the park, I always try to stop by this area.
Moving on, we head toward Strawberry Fields. Chase stops to read one of the many informational plaques found all around the park. “John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono lived in the Dakota Apartments adjacently located to this area of the park. It was here, walking into his home on December 8th, 1980, that John Lennon was murdered and shot dead.”
“He was killed right here?” I ask curiously. “Wow, I didn’t know that.”
“I love the mosaic tiles here in the center,” he points out. I ride over to the center of the walk, which has a huge round circle made up of black and white mosaic tiles. In the center reads the word ‘Imagine’. Chase scoots over to me. He takes out his iPhone and holds it up in the air. “Look up. I’m taking a picture of us with the tiles in the background.” I get as close as I can get on a bicycle and look up and smile. He shows me the photo when it’s done. Wow, he is so handsome.
I look down at my watch; it’s almost five. I think it’s time to go home. “I’m getting tired, you ready to head back home?”
“Not yet. Just a little more?” he asks.
“Okay.” He jumps back on his bike and takes off down the walk. I hurry after him.
He races toward Conservatory Garden. This is such a tranquil part of the park. The garden is comprised of six acres of beautiful seasonal plants that are arranged into three styles: English, French, and Italian. This area is also separated from bicyclists and runners. We park our bicycles and take a leisurely stroll. Once we’ve seen enough, we get back on our bicycles and head toward one of the many park entrances.
It’s now six, and I’m exhausted. I want to go back to my apartment, open up a bottle of wine, and relax. We bring the bikes back to another Citi Bike rack, and they lock once we put them into place. We wind up at the end of the park, where we entered the first time by Columbus Circle. Chase directs me toward the subway, and we walk downstairs to head back downtown.
Luck is on our side; we enter the tunnel just as a subway train approaches. We quickly get on and find a seat. Chase sits protectively next to me, his hand holding on to my shoulder, like he is staking his claim. It’s very sweet. A quick fifteen minutes later, we are back near our apartments. We start to walk over toward my apartment when Chase’s phone beeps. He must have gotten a text. He pulls it out of his pocket and reads it. He looks over at me. “Olivia, I need to answer this. Give me a minute, okay?”
“Sure.” He types something back then mutters to himself.
“I need to go back to my apartment for a minute. I need some information on my desk. Walk with me?” he asks.
“Um, okay.” We walk past my building towards his and head up the elevator to his apartment. Chase goes in and heads for his desk, while I wait in the living room. He comes back in texting again.
“I just need to wait for a response,” he murmurs. “Should be just a few minutes.” He looks back down at his phone again and sends another text. A minute later, his phone beeps. He reads the text and nods his head. “Good,” he breathes. “We can go now.” That was strange.
Back down the elevator we go, back to my apartment. Paul opens the door for us, and we walk toward my elevator bank. I place my card in the slot, and the doors open up. I look over at Chase, he appears anxious. Really strange.
We reach the top floor, and I stroll toward my apartment, Chase behind me. I open the door and hit the light switch, walking
through the hallway, and into the kitchen. I turn on those lights as well.
“Surprise!”
Holy crap!
There are at least two dozen people in my living room and more outside on the terrace. I turn toward Chase and glare at him. He gives me that shy boy smile. My mom comes over. “Olivia, this place is gorgeous,” she says in amazement. I told you so. “I think it’s wonderful how Chase organized an impromptu house warming for you.”
I glance over at him. “Barbeque on the terrace, huh?”
