Chapter 8
Chapter 8
W e walked back through the length of the park and at one point, Blake gently reached for my hand.
When we came to the other side and exited back onto the street, I felt like we had entered a different world.
I’d almost forgotten that I was in the city because the park had once again made me feel like I was in a fairy tale.
We finally got to Sarah’s condo and stepped under the long red awning that covered the path in an archway to the front door.
“This is it,” I said.
“Are you free tomorrow night?” Blake asked then. “I’d like to take you to dinner.”
“Yes, I would love that,” I said, hardly daring to believe it.
“Great. Pick you up here at 7?” Then he looked down at me and continued,
“Madeline, what is happening here? This is so unreal. I’ve never connected with anyone this instantly.”
“I …I’m not sure.”
Then he leaned in and hugged me. A soft gentle hug, because the doorman was watching.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow, OK?” he whispered.
Then we parted ways. He stood there watching until I went inside, feeling like I was walking on air.
Upstairs, I opened the door to the apartment to find Sarah at the kitchen table, piles of paperwork spread out before her. She looked exhausted.
I must have been glowing because as soon as she looked up at me she raised an eyebrow.
“What happened to you? You look almost…hypnotised,” she said.
I skipped over to her. “I met someone … a guy.”
“What? You’ve been in New York less than 24 hours and it’s the holidays. How?”
We both laughed. Then I told her everything. Of how I had sat in front of the museum at lunchtime and met Blake. I explained the rest without leaving out any details. Sarah was astounded.
“Wait stop,” she said. “Let’s move onto the couch. I need to get away from this workspace.” Then she went into the kitchen and opened a bottle of red wine and brought two glasses to the couch. “Is this guy for real? I almost feel like you made him up. No one is that perfect.”
“Yes, he does seem too good to be true, so much in fact that there’s a problem.”
“Well, that’s a relief at least,” Sarah laughed.
“I can’t help but think he’s pulling some kind of trick or something. Maybe he’s just trying to get me into bed. He’s so romantic and seems so honest. Every time he says something about his feelings for me, I can’t enjoy it because I feel like there’s some sort of ulterior motive.”
Sarah sighed and rolled her eyes. “When you said there was a problem, I thought you meant with your perfect man. But there’s no problem there. Just an issue you made up in your head.”
I sighed. “Maybe you’re right.”
“I know I am. Trust me. So, what are you going to wear to dinner tomorrow night?”
My eyes grew wide. I hadn’t even thought that far ahead.
“I have no idea.”
“Come on, let’s see what you brought,” Sarah stood up and went into the guest bedroom where I had my stuff.
We threw open the closet and I tried on every outfit I owned. It was a complete fashion show because with it being cold outside, I had to put on every outfit and then put on my coat and boots to see if everything went together.
“I don’t like anything I have. I just don’t have the right clothes for freezing weather,” I groaned.
“Come on, I do,” Sarah grabbed the wine and glasses and led me to her room.
We went through the whole thing all over again with her clothes. I tried on every dress she owned. I found a festive red one in a fitted style that went to just above my knees.
It was off the shoulder, with quarter-length sleeves and made of pure silk. This made it elegant, but not over the top; the perfect balance.
Sarah clapped her hands in delight. “That’s the one. It’s perfect.”