Oliver
One traffic-filled forty-five-minute cab ride later, and I’ve discovered my college crush has been living in my city for the last three years after completing her master’s degree and scoring a job at a corporate accounting firm.
I’ve also discovered that she’s moving back to California tomorrow morning. At five a.m., to be exact.
For being Cupid adjacent, I feel like the universe hates me.
God, she looks good. She always did. I used to see her around campus with her wacky friend, laughing and being irreverent.
I was mesmerized.
Rory is this impeccable mix of flawless beauty and sarcasm. I used to make sure we were at the campus coffeehouse at the same time so I could listen to her roast people while I enjoyed my proximity to her.
For four years I tried to muster the courage to ask her out, but it always felt like she’d eat me alive. It still does.
I pull my sweater over my head and run my hands through my hair before grabbing my spare key and some cash, since I left everything back at the restaurant. But there was no way I was saying no to leaving with her.
What kind of an idiot gets a second chance like that and fumbles the ball?
Not this one.
I lock up my apartment and head down the hall to get back downstairs to Patty’s, where I left her sipping an Irish coffee.
The moment I pull the door to Patty’s open, I spot her laughing with the owner/bartender and keeper of the spare key. She’s in good hands.
Patricia, a.k.a. Patty, smiles at me as I sidle up to the bar and sit on the stool next to Rory.
“Fancy seeing you here,” I tease.
She giggles, finishing off the sandwich she’d ordered. I like it.
Her hair falls over her shoulder as she grins at me. “I still can’t get over how crazy it is that we’ve run into each other. I was telling Patty I haven’t seen you in, like, what, five years?”
I nod and take a sip of the Guinness now in front of me before deciding to jump in with a full-court press of charm.
“Yeah, five years tomorrow. But I’m surprised you remember my face since you were too busy shoving your tongue down my throat.”
She almost chokes on her drink before laughing and slapping my arm. “Shut up. You kissed me.”
“Lies. I distinctly remember you listing reasons for us to kiss . . . your good grade being one of them. I tried to be a gentleman, but you were feral . . . It’s understandable, it was Valentine’s Day. Everybody wants some.”
Her mouth hangs open as she blushes. It makes me bite my bottom lip.
“Okay . . .” she draws out. “That’s enough from you. Were you always this full of yourself? Or is this a new personality trait?”
I wink and she rolls her eyes playfully.
“Although,” she adds, too chicken to look at me while she speaks, “I’m glad I made an impression. I was worried since you disappeared right after. To be honest, I kind of had a crush on you in college.”
It’s like the worst and best thing I’ve ever heard.
Now her eyes meet mine. “Cece, my best friend, will die when I tell her I saw you again. I can’t lie, we’ve wondered where you ended up over the years.”
I wince. “Yeah, today wasn’t the best representation.”
She chuckles. “So give me the headlines . . .”
I let out a whoosh of breath before saying it all aloud.
“Kid from a small town gets a dream audition, comes to the big city, and lands that once-in-a-lifetime job. He has a good run, secures a Broadway show—”
“Okay,” she cuts in. “This sounds amazing . . .”
I shrug. “Show gets canceled. He’s reminded that your last job could, in fact, be the last. Has an existential crisis, because maybe the dream isn’t what it’s been cracked up to be?”
She nods. “Ah . . . the starving artist part is only romantic in theory.”
I laugh. “Yeah, something like that. And possibly only romantic to the people it should belong to. I like acting. I’m good at it, but what I loved about it was the community, the collaboration . . .”
“You sound like our old professor,” she jokes, but the thought sticks with me.
I huff a laugh. Okay, universe. I get it.
“Enough about me . . .” I shoot out. “Let’s talk more about how you used to stay up late pasting my picture on your wall.”
She laughs, tossing her head back, showing off her incredible neck.
“Ugh,” she groans. “It sucks that I’m leaving tomorrow.
It would’ve been cool to run into you sooner.
” I tap her mug with my cup in agreement as she continues.
“At the very least, I have a feeling if we’d connected, I would’ve been able to have some more fun.
I feel like I never got the full New York experience. I was too busy working.”
Maybe it’s the sparkle in her eyes or the wistful way she talks about the city, but an idea springs to mind and falls from my lips before I think it through.
“So spend today with me . . . Let me help you say goodbye to New York.” She blinks back at me, not saying anything, so I add, “I’ll even let you revisit your crush. No strings attached.”
Rory’s eyes search mine, and I take another sip of liquid courage because I’m so far out of my depth with this girl. She reaches for a bar napkin, stealing a pen as well, and starts scribbling on it.
I can’t make out what she’s writing. My brows draw together, full of curiosity, before our eyes meet again.
She slaps the napkin down in front of me. “Okay, Romeo. Here’s a list of all the things I’ve wanted to do or see but never did. Take a look and see if you’re up to it.”
I chuckle and look down.
In serial killer handwriting, it says:
Empire State Building. Ice-skating in Central Park. See a pizza rat. The Rockettes. Stardust Diner . . . maybe Oliver.
I grin, nodding my head, and look back at her. “In order?”
“Yeah, give or take one or two . . . we’ll see how the day goes.”
We stand at the same time, staring at each other as I yell to Patty to put the drinks on my tab.
Rory bats those long lashes at me, and I sigh. “Man . . .”
“What?” she whispers back innocently.
“Nothing. I just always knew you’d eat me alive . . .”
The tip of her tongue is captured between her canines as she grins, then says, “Like I said, Ollie, we’ll have to see how the day goes.”
I’m all smiles as she passes me, heading toward the front door. Because all I know for sure is that this girl will go down as my favorite memory of all time.
1 p.m.: Empire State Building
My heart’s beating out of my chest. Like full-on racing. Why did I say yes to this? What am I saying . . . I know why, because I was trying to impress her, that’s why. But now I feel like I’m going to pass out.
I hate heights. Always have.
“Do you have to get so close to the edge?” I shoot out, and wave her back from the metal enclosure.
She laughs, taking a step toward the wall. “Come on, ya big chicken. There’s a whole barrier here to stop us from falling over. We’re completely safe.”
Both my hands jump out because I swear I can feel us sway. I let out a shaky breath, standing on what feels like noodle legs.
This is not the way I was hoping to solidify my place in her list lineup. I look like a moron.
She laughs again, walking back over to me, grabbing my hand, and dragging me behind her.
“Wait, wait, wait . . . slow down . . .” I whisper before I’m planted next to her, my palms sweating.
She doesn’t seem to mind, though, because she doesn’t let go as we look out over the city. If I could stop internally freaking out, I might actually enjoy the skyline.
The city stretches out for days. It’s incredible.
And we’re at the very top, where you can’t hear the horns or all the people.
“God, it’s beautiful.” She sighs. “I totally get how people fall in love with this city.”
I know she’s talking, but I can’t help but stare at her. She really hasn’t changed since college, the only difference over five years is that her wardrobe’s improved. No more VD pajamas.
“Look at this,” she blurts out, sweeping her arm. “I can’t believe I never visited before today. It’s kind of perfect, though, because what better time to come than when love is in the air.”
She smiles at all the couples snuggling, taking advantage of the discounted day-before prices.
“You sure you wanna leave it?” I joke, but when she looks at me, I think the question might be laced with truthful intent.
I hate not having known her, here, sooner.
“Honestly,” she breathes out. “No . . . and yes. I’m excited to be closer to my family, specifically my sister and niece. And it does feel like I got what I needed from this city . . . especially now that we’re on this goodbye tour. But . . .”
She doesn’t elaborate. Still, I get it. I feel her hand finally slip from mine as she pushes to her tiptoes, her delicate fingers wrapped around the metal enclosure.
It’s cute the way she wants to see it all. I chuckle, looking out at the scenery, only glancing back to notice a few strands of her hair blowing in the cold wind or the tip of her nose turning pinker.
“I bet you’ve seen the whole city,” she says, looking over at me.
“Yeah. I’m an outside person . . . I never want to be home. I like getting into it everywhere I go.”
She grins, repeating outside person to herself.
“Would you ever leave New York?”
I shrug. “I don’t know.” And that’s the truth. I’ve never thought far enough away from the dream to consider it. “We’ve been in a pretty committed relationship. It would take something extraordinary to make me consider it.”
Rory and I stand in silence, staring out at the city, surrounded by couples taking kissing selfies while we soak it all in. I feel her middle finger brush mine before it hooks around it.
“Hey,” she says only loud enough for me to hear. “Just in case I forget at the end of the night. I had the best time today. I’m glad we met again.”
I smile, still staring out, before I answer, “Me too.”