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Huh. I never think about these things. But I remember the way she was upset when they wanted her to continue being an assistant after she contributed to the Coddle campaign. I thought she’d be ecstatic, and after she almost declined the opportunity, I realized how differently Jacobson and Earl makes decisions between her and me. After the first campaign I had a hand in landing, I was promoted to junior ad exec right away. Actually, I never even assisted. They called my job an apprenticeship, but I was paid.
Now, in 2019, there’s not one statue in this famous park of a woman who made a difference in the world?
“I think it’s sad for little girls, you know? Don’t get me wrong, Alice in Wonderland and Juliet are fine, but girls walk through this park and see statue after statue of men who, let’s be honest, probably had a hand in keeping the women below them down. Kids are smart, they see the difference.” She sits at a water fountain and pats the spot next to her then digs into her purse, grabs two pennies, and hands one to me. “I’m doing all the talking. Make a wish.”
She’s been rambling since we walked in, but I’m enjoying listening to her. I like that she’s sharing who she is with me. She has such a great head on her shoulders. No wonder it feels impossible not to be taken by her, even if she does work for me.
She closes her eyes, kisses the penny—which I’m not sure is a good idea—and tosses it in. We watch the penny swirl until it hits the bottom of the fountain.
She smiles before turning back to me and knocking me with her shoulder. “Come on.”
I make a wish in my head and toss my penny into the fountain.
“Don’t tell me,” she says.
“Okay.” Although if it does come true, it will benefit us both. Winning all the Coddle products would make sure everyone in advertising knows who we are.
“One last stop and then we can go back to the office, okay?” She has her hands up in front of her in a prayer pose as though she’s begging.
It’s funny that she thinks she’s easy to say no to.
I shove my hands into my pockets before I can give in to the temptation to take her hand and allow her to lead me wherever she wants. “Sure.”
A few minutes later, we arrive at the Romeo and Juliet statue.
“Funny, I was just talking to my brothers about Romeo and Juliet the other day,” I say.
“Really?” Her dreamy eyes say she won’t be in agreement with us.
“My brother Carm says it’s not a love story.”
She balks, her mouth hanging open. Then she must think on it because her expression changes. “I guess I can see why people might think that but… you know what I love about their story?” She stares at the statue. “I love that it was such a forbidden love. So many odds were stacked against them, but they had this pull to one another they couldn’t resist. Their love was too powerful to be ignored.”
“You do know it only happened over three days?”
She turns to me, tilting her head. “Do you not believe in love at first sight?”
“No.”
Her lips dip down. “You don’t think that one day you’ll be walking through, let’s say, Central Park and you might spot a woman. Your eyes connect, and bam, there’s that spark of electricity and suddenly the former bachelor known as Lorenzo Mancini is off the market.” She laughs.
“Not at all.” I lean in closer. “Want to hear another confession?” I whisper into her ear. “I don’t believe in soul mates either.”
She shakes her head then smiles and walks down the path, so I follow. “I don’t either. I mean, if there’s one guy out there for me, I’m never going to find him. I live in a city with almost nine million people. You’re telling me that one day Cupid is gonna come down with his arrow and shoot us both? Not likely. But love at first sight? I do believe in that. Well…” She giggles and damn if it’s not the cutest sound in the world. “I guess maybe it’s more intrigue than love, and the desire to find out what’s between you.”
“Hate to break it to you, but that’s not love at first sight.”
Her lips tip down, and I hate seeing that. “Yeah, I guess not. Who would have thought I’d agree with Lorenzo Mancini? Not me.”
“I’m curious, what did you think of me before we started working together?”
Her face flushes and she sucks on her top lip.
I cringe. “That bad?”
“No.” She waves me off. “I thought you were difficult to work for.”
“And now?” I stop us before we exit the park. It shouldn’t matter what she thinks, but I want to know so badly.
“I think you’re pretty great,” she says.
Our eyes lock for a moment and I step forward, my arm extending. Her tongue slides out of her mouth, licking her bottom lip, and I want so badly to bite that lip.
The air between us feels electric, and my heart rate picks up as I lean forward.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and she blinks, shakes her head, and steps back.
“I’ll let you get that.” She walks a few steps ahead, turning away from me.
Thank God for my phone, because I almost did the stupidest thing I could ever do. Kill my chances at making partner.
