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And when the brunette reappeared, I didn’t know what to think. Because the sweats were enormous for sure, but nothing could hide her assets. Those big breasts pressed against the college logo, her hips wide in the soft grey cotton. Honestly, the girl didn’t look half bad. Really cute, actually, with her hair up in a ponytail, a bright smile on that beautiful face.
Was she really going to stroll around NYC wearing gray sweats? Was the female open to bucking the trend, prizing comfort over fashion? But the answer was clear.
“Come on silly,” she tossed over one shoulder, grabbing her purse. “Come on, last one to the elevator is a rotten egg.”
And I laughed then, a weight lifting from my shoulders. Because this girl had the right priorities. She didn’t need stilettos and make-up. She didn’t even need a pair of designer jeans, happy with my sweats. So I laughed for real then. It’d been a long time. There are a lot of grimaces, or even polite half-smiles. But laughing like we were kids? Only Joanie could do that.
Our tour of the city was magnificent. We just did the normal stuff. Strolling in the park, watching the electric boats sail in the fountain. Marveling at all the locations recognizable from multiple episodes of Law and Order. Stopping by Times Square, where Joanie squealed upon seeing the M&M store.
“Come on!” she gestured again. “I love Nerds and they’ve got giant-sized boxes.”
My eyes rolled. Really? Because giant was to put it mildly. These things were about two feet tall and one foot wide, filled with pink and orange sweet and crackly candy.
I was about to put my foot down. Absolutely not. There’s indulgence, and then there’s over the top. What the hell were we going to do with ten pounds of Nerds?
But Joanie threw one look my way, and I couldn’t resist. My wallet was out, the girl bouncing up and down with excitement.
“Thank you Nick,” she burbled, eyes bright. “Thank you, you won’t regret this.”
I groaned, watching that curvy figure exit the M&M store, a huge box of candy clutched in her arms. But it was refreshing to be honest. I felt like we were at the County Fair, and I’d just won my girl a huge teddy bear by slamming the hammer down on the scale. Worth every cent.
So we strolled through Times Square, bumping into strangers, that beautiful face lit with enjoyment, eyes taking in everything.
“Thanks for taking me around today,” she breathed, staring at the Jumbotrons advertising everything from Japanese alarm clocks to Italian merino wool sweaters. “I know I was supposed to be on a flight to Atlanta, but you let me catch my breath.”
I raised my brows.
“Any time sweetheart. You feel tired, just pipe up. There’s plenty of room for relaxation, we’re not taskmasters cracking the whip.”
That wasn’t exactly true. We are demanding motherfuckers because there was only one succulent female. Fighting for her time and body was paramount, the girl on call 24/7.
But Joanie didn’t have to know. She was too happy right now, and I didn’t want to burst her bubble. Besides we’d meandered all the way to the Empire State in Midtown, the brunette craning her head back to look skywards.
“Oh wow,” she breathed, hugging the box of Nerds to her chest. “Just like the movies.”
And again, I was struck by just how different this girl is from the rest. Here we were, at a tourist trap, Joanie dressed in gray sweats carrying a giant box of candy. Any other woman would have insisted that I buy her a designer wardrobe first, and then wobbled around town in stilettos, complaining about the heat, crowds and pollution. Not Joanie. Not my girl.
But even more amazing was the brunette’s sense of wonder. That’s something I haven’t seen in a long time. A lot of folks in my line of business are jaded as fuck, they feel like they’ve seen everything. Maybe it’s because I’m from New York. Maybe it’s because they’re just jaded people period. But Joanie’s sense of awe was eye-opening, making my heart pump with renewed life, energy flowing into my veins.
“The Empire State!” she exclaimed again, face lifted to the spire. “Amazing! Come on, let’s get a bite.”
I laughed then, pulled along in her tow. Because in the bottom floor of the Empire State Building is a microbrewery slash gastropub, and evidently my girl was hungry.
As the doors closed behind us, I grunted.
“Dark in here,” was my comment.
Joanie flashed a smile over her shoulder.
“Not that dark,” she pointed out. “It’s seven p.m. now.”
I nodded. Evidently we’d been traipsing around the city for hours, but they’d gone by quick. I haven’t had such a good time since I was ten years old and practicing skateboard moves at the local park.
My girl smiled again, pulling me deeper into the crowd.
“Come on silly,” she laughed again. “It’ll be fun.”
And with that, we found ourselves spots at the bar. Or more accurately, there was only one seat at the very edge in back. So I let the brunette take it, my bulk looming behind that curvy form.
