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A deep line formed between Grayson’s eyebrows.
“It’s okay though,” I added quickly. “I’ve been saving up to see the rest of it.”
“America?” he asked.
I grinned. “The world.”
The sun dipping below the trees was a gentle reminder of how long we had been lying there, talking about everything and nothing at all. I didn’t want it to end.
I let out a long sigh. “Look, I know I originally said no to dinner, but do you want to get some pizza or something?”
Grayson smirked. “I thought you said you were busy.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot. I better go.” I attempted to stand, but Grayson laughed and pulled me down into his lap.
He cupped my cheek with one hand, and pushed my hair behind my ear with the other. “Something.”
My voice caught in my throat as my heart hammered. We were so close.
“You said ‘pizza or something’,” he clarified.
A shiver of anticipation ran through my body before he leant in, moving closer to my lips.
Suddenly, his forehead slammed against mine with a thud, and we both jerked back in surprise. A soccer ball landed between us, and a sheepish child appeared at our side.
“I’m really sorry. May I have my ball back?”
I shifted myself off Grayson, embarrassed to be so intimate with a child present.
Grayson rubbed his head and threw back the ball with a smile. “With a kick like that, you’ll be the next Ronaldo.”
The kid’s eyes went round and a huge grin took over his face. “Wow, thanks! I sure hope so!”
I quickly texted Reed from my apartment building, and asked if he could check on Luci. For an old dog, he still possessed all the puppy traits that drove me mad and would’ve surely torn the place apart by now.
A few minutes later, he sent back a message stating he found a deceased pair of shoes, and asked if he could take him back to his apartment to hang out. Reed was a professional gamer and didn’t get out much, making Luci the perfect companion. I told him to keep Luci overnight as I didn’t know when I’d be coming home. Sometimes I thought Reed loved my dog more than I did.
I stood up and held my hand out to Grayson. “Come on, I’m going to shout you the best pizza in New York.”
“That’s a very big call.”
I shrugged. “Trust me. It’s the main reason I moved into this neighbourhood.”
***
8
As we walked through the front door of Lenny’s Pizzeria, a bell chimed out the back.
“Josie girl!” Lenny hollered through the serving window.
“Lenny!” I smiled and waved.
“Take a seat. I’ll be out in a minute.”
I turned to Grayson, but he had already wandered over to Lenny’s hall of fame. It was primarily photographs of celebrities who had eaten there, but also incorporated some of my original work.
As he was about to comment on one of my images, I ushered him to my usual table by the front window. “This is the best seat in the house. You can sit here and watch strangers walk by, and make judgement calls about their lives until your pizza is ready.”
