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"Yes," I said and stepped inside. "I hope you're okay with it. Neither of us really think office romances are wise, given our histories, but life intervenes."
"That it does. Of course, I'm fine with it. Josh, your personal life is your personal life and so is Ella's. As long as it doesn't interfere with her productivity, I'm all for letting people leave their work at the office."
"Good," I said. "I don't want you to worry that you can't treat Ella the way you'd treat any intern. That's why I hired you and promoted you -- because I know you'll always be fair, and you have high expectations. My relationship with Ella doesn't change anything in my view and expectation."
"Message received." She gave me a quick salute and smile.
I smiled back and went down the hallway to Ella's office. I knocked on the door and slipped inside.
"Are you ready?" I asked, coming over and leaning down to give her a quick kiss.
"Always," she replied with a coy smile.
"Oh, what you do to me." We kissed again and finally, she shut off her computer and grabbed her bag.
"Let's go."
We stopped at the Security Office and Reg followed us out of the building and down the street. When we went inside, he remained outside the entrance, his hands folded, watching the pedestrians to see if there was anyone following us. I felt bad that it had come to hiring a bodyguard, but until we knew who the mystery man with the fedora was, I would rather be safe than sorry.
The Thai restaurant was cramped with patrons, enjoying the delicious aromatic food.
Our table was in a corner out of the way and gave us some privacy. We ordered Pad Thai and other delicacies and leaned into our food, both of us eating as if we hadn't eaten for hours.
Which I hadn't. I realized I only grabbed an apple for lunch, so this was the first food I'd eaten since noon.
"This is sooo good," Ella said, slurping down the noodles. "I love the lime."
"It is good," I replied. "I was over in Thailand for a vacation and really got into it. Now, it's a staple."
We spent the next hour trying various dishes and when we were finally full, I leaned back.
"What do you say about a ride around Central Park?"
"Oh, that sounds nice," Ella said with a smile.
"I promised I'd take you some night. If not now, when?"
"My thought exactly."
After I spoke with Reg about the carriage ride, he agreed to trail us on the trip in a second carriage. Then, we walked out into the evening as the sun was beginning to set. When we got to 7th Avenue and 57th Street, just outside Central Park, I hired two of the carriages for a tour. I paid for the longer tour, and we climbed in, pulled a blanket around us and sat beside each other and enjoyed the ride, with Reg trailing us a few dozen feet behind.
I slipped my arm around Ella's shoulder and pulled her closer. Together, we took in the beautiful scenery as the last of the leaves had turned and fallen. It was still beautiful, but the colors had already peaked but at least we could enjoy the crisp autumn air.
Of course, it also reminded me of my almost-wedding a year earlier. We even had plans to marry in the park and have our pictures taken on the bridge. All that planning came crashing down and although I was happy now, there was still a part of me that hurt from the betrayal.
I pulled Ella closer and kissed the top of her head, then kissed her lips. She was not at all like my ex, conniving and calculating. She was open and honest and more interested in doing something of value rather than being rich.
She was the kind of woman I could see myself spending the rest of my life with.
In fact, she was the woman I could see myself spending the rest of my life with.
It surprised me that I thought that, so soon after meeting her, but I did. I never grew bored with her company and there was always something to talk about. We both loved books, writing and reading. While my focus was on journalism and hers was fiction, we shared a love of the written word and could talk for hours about the latest book we read.
When the ride was finished, the three of us walked back to the building and the apartment, hand in hand, enjoying the sounds and sights of night in Mid-Town Manhattan.
"I always dreamed of being here," Ella said to me, swinging our arms as we walked up to the building.
"Really?" I said, still surprised at the mystique that Manhattan held for so many people who lived outside its borders. "I always dreamed of living somewhere with real scenery. Like Colorado or even Seattle. Mountains. The ocean. All I see around me here is concrete. Which reminds me, we still haven't gone to the house in Montauk. You have to come and see it. That's where I'd really love to live if I had the chance."
