CHAPTER SIX
Next morning, when I woke, I remembered that Richard had to go to work first thing.
I called out his name but the apartment was silent. He must have already left.
He’d been quite apologetic about it the previous night, but I didn’t mind at all. I was still suffering a little jet lag, so I’d be able to take my time getting up and taking a long shower in the luxurious bathroom before making coffee (that machine was next-level amazing) and indulging in some of the delicious pastries we’d bought yesterday for breakfast.
As I stretched luxuriously, doing a starfish in the huge bed, I suddenly spotted a folded piece of paper on the bedside table.
Richard had left me a love note!
Sure enough, when I scrambled to a seating position and read it, my heart gave a little leap of excitement.
I’ve booked you a ticket for the Museum of Modern Art at 10am. Get a taxi there, then meet me at the top of the Empire State Building at midday. R xx P.S. Don’t be late!
I laughed out loud at that.
I’d told him I fancied going to the museum while he was busy at work, but meeting at the top of the Empire State Building was a complete surprise. So he really had watched Sleepless ! He must have known I’d love the idea of us enacting a scene from the movie, and I felt touched to think of him planning it all in honour of my visit.
It was only eight o’clock, but I’d need to get going if I wanted to arrive at the museum for 10am. But I had time for breakfast at the cute bistro table in the kitchen before taking another rainforest shower and deep conditioning my hair. I put my hair up and wore my newest jeans and top – and of course my beautiful new diamond stud earrings.
My hand was shaking a little as I applied my mascara. But I reasoned that the roses in my cheeks from the excitement of the morning would more than make up for slightly less than perfect make-up.
I put in my earrings last of all, making a ceremony of it, and I swept my make-up and bits and pieces into a drawer so the place looked ultra-tidy again.
Then I smiled at myself in the mirror, grabbed my coat and bag, and left to find a taxi.
I enjoyed the museum and afterwards, I found I had ample time to get to the Empire State Building. I was ten minutes early as I took the lift to the top. But it was better to be early than late.
I wandered around the deck, pausing at intervals to admire the incredible view and constantly checking for Richard’s arrival. A feeling of exhilaration was making me feel quite breathless. I was on top of the world – quite literally! It was so exciting to think that I was meeting Richard right here, where thousands of other pairs of lovers must have met before, acting out their romantic fantasies. How many couples had actually got engaged right where I was standing now?
For myself, I wouldn’t really want to say yes in front of the tourists milling around. I’d much prefer to be somewhere private and more intimate when the man I loved got down on one knee. And I knew Richard would feel the same.
But it was still so romantic to be here, nonetheless...
I caught the eye of a young woman standing nearby and we smiled at each other. It was a knowing kind of a smile, and I wondered if Sleepless was one of her favourite movies, too. Maybe she was also meeting her lover here today.
‘It’s so amazing up here, isn’t it?’ she said with a smile, walking over to stand beside me.
‘Incredible,’ I agreed, and we both gazed down at the view of Manhattan.
‘ Sleepless in Seattle is one of my favourite-ever movies. I watched it again for the zillionth time last week!’
‘It’s one of my favourites, too.’ I smiled at her. ‘You’ve got an English accent. Are you here on holiday?’
She shook her head. ‘I’ve come over to stay with my cousin. I’m a dancer and my dream has always been to work in musicals on Broadway so I decided to give it a shot... see if I can make it.’
‘Oh, wow. How amazing!’
She nodded happily. ‘I can’t believe I’m actually here. And even better, I’ve got my first audition tomorrow.’
‘Congratulations! Well done, you. I hope you get the job.’
‘Well, it’s a chance in a million, really,’ she said modestly.
I shook my head. ‘I really believe that if you want something enough, you can defy the odds and achieve it.’
She smiled. ‘That’s what my boyfriend always says. He’s so supportive. Whenever I’m feeling low because I have to take other work to keep my head above water, he always encourages me to keep going.’
‘That’s lovely. I’m Katja, by the way.’
‘Emily.’ She gave me a bright smile and I recalled how exciting it had been to be her age – late teens; twenty, maybe? – and have the whole of life and its apparently endless array of possible directions and opportunities spread out in front of you.
I smiled ruefully, admiring the way her glossy auburn hair fell in natural waves to her shoulders. And I felt a little pang of regret that, at thirty-two, some of my youthful zest for life had been drained away by the harsh realities of being human that everyone experienced from time to time.
‘Are you here on a city break?’ she was asking.
I nodded. ‘My boyfriend was transferred here a few months ago, so this visit is really special because we haven’t seen each other for ages.’
‘Oh, that’s so romantic ,’ she gushed. ‘And you’re meeting him here, like they do in Sleepless in Seattle ?’
‘Exactly.’ I grinned. ‘Corny or what?’
She shook her head. ‘Not at all. What time are you meeting?’
I glanced at my watch. ‘Erm... about now, actually.’
‘Right.’ She glanced behind her and squeaked, ‘Oh, here’s my fella now!’ She turned and beamed at me, pressed my arm, and then started hurrying over to where – along with a small crowd of other people – a dark-haired man had just emerged from the lift.
I watched, entranced, as they ran together and embraced.
Love’s young dream , I thought to myself with a knowing smile.
He was bundled in a winter coat, turned away from me, but I could see Emily very clearly. She was smiling broadly as she lifted her arms to embrace him.
But her boyfriend was pulling away... it was as if he was putting her at arm’s length. He was literally holding her arms, keeping her at bay, and I watched as her happy expression vanished and was replaced by a look of sheer puzzlement.
It hadn’t been the ecstatic reunion Emily had been expecting, and my heart went out to her. She’d been all excited to see him. But clearly something was wrong.
Life could be so cruel at times.
Where was Richard? He should be arriving any minute...
And just then, as that happy thought was still drifting through my mind, I saw something that made my heart lurch with shock.
Emily’s boyfriend was looking around now, turning this way and that as if he was trying to locate someone in the crowd of tourists. He spun right round in my direction. Our eyes met and held.
A cold hand gripped my insides.
Richard?