Chapter Twenty-Five Ella #2
I followed behind, taking in the extensive winding queue system that was entirely empty. We passed through a huge foyer and headed straight towards a bank of elevators. The young woman pressed a button, and one of the elevator doors slid open. A man was standing by the controls.
‘Welcome to Summit One Vanderbilt, please come in,’ he said, inviting us into the mirrored elevator.
I stepped in and turned to Jimmy with a massive grin on my face. He seemed amused by my excitement.
‘How many floors do we go up?’ I asked.
‘We’re about to go over a thousand feet, ma’am. The observatory decks are floors ninety-one through to ninety-three,’ the young man replied.
Jimmy stepped in and joined me. ‘Are you ready, Ella?’ He nudged me jokingly.
‘Eh, yes! Let’s go!’ I laughed, completely bowled over, as the doors shut.
The elevator lights dimmed into darkness, and I turned to Jimmy, who smiled back at me.
I felt pressure all over me as we soared into the sky.
Brightly lit special effects played around the elevator walls as if we were flying through space.
I grabbed hold of Jimmy’s arm, feeling my ears pop on the way up.
Then, within only a few seconds, the lift came to a gentle stop.
‘Enjoy your evening,’ the elevator man said.
The doors parted and bursts of orange and pink immediately greeted us. I stepped out to find that the floor was entirely wrapped in glass, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. The sun was setting, sending streaks of deep colour across the sky. It seemed like the city went on forever.
I suddenly realised I was still grasping Jimmy’s arm and let go.
‘Remarkable, huh?’ He held back, allowing me to wander up to the enormous glass walls.
‘This is absolutely unbelievable.’ I laughed, feeling a whole intensity of emotions creep up on me. It was beautiful, calm and quiet. It was the first time I wasn’t hearing background noise ploughing through my brain since leaving Glasgow.
‘Wait. Is that the Empire State Building?’ I pointed over to a tower so tall that its needle point seemed to pierce the sky.
I felt Jimmy’s body press against me, peering over my shoulder. ‘Sure is, and the Chrysler Building is just there.’ He pointed to the beautiful, layered Art Deco spire, almost at eye level with us. ‘And Central Park, of course, is just over there.’
I laughed incredulously and took out my phone, snapping videos of the iconic skyline.
I wanted to capture exactly how the city looked in this instant, because it was breathtaking.
We had this entire building to ourselves.
How was that even possible? I felt so free.
I slipped off my shoes and felt the cool glass floor on my feet.
A childlike joy bubbled up in me and I turned to run around the vast space.
‘This is so amazing, Jimmy!’ I called out. ‘Thank you!’
He stood laughing, arms folded, in complete agreement as I explored. I soaked up every inch of this incredible space, picking out as many landmarks as I could through the windows.
‘Are you brave enough for the complete experience?’ Jimmy said eventually, as my initial zoomies settled.
Oh God. Maybe he did have the wrong idea. My carefree happiness was being brought back down to reality. The complete experience? Did he want to finish this off with a shag against the glass of one of the tallest buildings in New York?
‘What do you mean?’ I asked, sounding sceptical.
Jimmy burst out laughing. ‘Damn,’ he blurted. ‘Don’t worry, it’s just a fancy glass box, Ella.’
He grinned, heading towards the far end of the room. I followed behind like a puppy, then noticed the entirely glass cube that stuck out of the side of the building, suspended impossibly high above the street below, with nothing in between.
‘When you look down, it’s completely glass; it can be daunting,’ Jimmy warned. ‘Scary even.’
I gulped. ‘Will you do it with me?’ I asked.
‘Of course.’ Jimmy stepped forward, taking my hand. ‘Ready?’ His voice was cool and calm, betraying no hint of fear.
He made me feel more confident. I smiled and stepped into the box, my hand squeezing his.
‘Look down,’ he whispered. ‘You’re safe, Ella.’
I slowly began to glance down as we levitated above the bustling street at over a thousand feet.
Wow.
I felt my heart skip a thousand beats. Like I was flying. My stomach twisted, but I felt alive, like I’d completely escaped the everyday drama that always seemed to surround me. It all seemed so insignificant from way up here.
I walked to the edge of the box, still holding his hand with a firm grip, and peered over. ‘Everyone seems so small,’ I said, watching the people rushing around Madison Avenue far below.
‘Problems seem small up here, too,’ Jimmy replied, as engrossed in the view as I was. It was like he had read my mind.
I turned back to him. ‘I don’t want to leave,’ I admitted. ‘Ever!’
Jimmy grinned. ‘Here in particular, or New York in general?’
I thought about that question for a few seconds.
New York was unbelievable, almost certainly the best place I’d ever been, and I’d barely scratched its surface.
And now Philip and I had split, it really felt like there was too much baggage back home.
Maybe I needed a fresh start, a new adventure. Maybe I needed this.
‘Well, right now – here. I could stay up here forever.’ I pressed my head against the glass, feeling less nervous about taking in the view while being suspended in space than I had a few moments ago.
I brought my phone out of my bag again, dropping his hand, wanting to capture this moment for the girls to see.
I turned to Jimmy just as he stepped back, allowing me to snap a few photos.
‘Come back.’ I smiled. ‘Enjoy it with me.’ I held out my hand, and he stepped back into the glass box as we pointed and giggled at the world going by us.
Eventually, Jimmy ushered me back to the main observation deck. The bright sunset had faded and the night sky seemed to envelop us. The city’s bright lights took over our view, and everything glittered. I peered out at Manhattan, New Jersey, as far as I could, taking it all in.
Then I noticed Jimmy sitting at a small round table, which I could’ve sworn wasn’t there when we arrived.
‘Hungry?’ he asked, standing up and offering me a seat.
‘Is it a restaurant too?’ I asked, looking around curiously.
Jimmy shook his head. ‘No, not normally, but I’ve pulled some strings. What would you like to eat?’
I could feel my face scrunching up, completely bewildered at the lengths this man had gone to. It was unbelievably sweet yet didn’t feel cheesy. It felt kind and genuine, like I was enjoying my time with a friend – a very good-looking and extraordinarily wealthy friend.
‘What are the options?’ I asked. ‘Is there a menu?’
Jimmy let out a laugh. ‘Just pick your favourite and I’ll order it for you.’ He smiled, looking like he was enjoying my confusion.
‘What do you fancy?’ I asked, feeling the task of choosing from the endless food dishes of the world to be far too great.
‘It’s your choice. What do you feel like eating?
’ He sat in the seat so elegantly, one leg crossed over the other.
I couldn’t remember the last time Philip let me pick our meal; he always chose.
He acted like he knew the best dish on every menu at every restaurant, and I was happy to go along. At least, I’d thought I was.
‘C’mon, Ella. What do you like?’ Jimmy grinned. ‘You don’t have to pick small to be polite. Be outrageous!’ His eyes twinkled, as if it were a challenge.
‘Honestly, if I were being that outrageous, I’d pick a Big Mac and fries. I’ve been dying to try it over here. The portions seem humongous!’ I laughed. ‘Basic, I know!’
‘A McDonald’s!’ he blurted, laughing hard, then rummaged through his pocket and brought out his phone. ‘What drink?’
‘Are you Just Eating this?’ I giggled.
Jimmy peered up from his phone. ‘No, I’m messaging one of my staff your order, and she’ll go collect it and bring it here.’
‘Are you having one?’ I smiled, wondering if his personal trainer would allow him a night off.
‘Hell, yes I am!’ Jimmy replied, placing his phone back in his pocket. ‘Extra-extra-large and all the cheese!’