5. Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Ryan
“This looks great,” Jenna said, as she handed back the list of dates and locations.
We had been able to work out a schedule where she would go and visit the other cities where we had offices. She would go and see the properties, and then write the descriptions and all of the information for us. I was so excited that we were going to be able to improve our listings, and I felt like we were lucky to have someone with her qualifications working for us.
I was still curious as to why she did not try for a higher-paying or more prestigious job, but I could see how well her job worked with her schedule.
Jenna’s eyes were sparkling, and I could sense that she was excited about all of the travel, and what she was going to be working on, even though she was trying to play cool.
“So, you start in Manhattan next weekend,” I said.
“I noticed that,” she said. “I haven’t been to New York in a couple years. And even then it was just for a specific event. I didn’t explore the city at all. I’m looking forward to going back and actually getting to see the city.”
“The hotel we chose for you is pretty close to Central Park. That’s my favorite place in the city, and I figured that Tyler would like it too. He will have to check out the ballfields there!”
Jenna smiled, and I was once again struck by how strong her bond was with her son. It was clear that he was the center of her life, and it was a beautiful thing to witness.
“He is so excited,” she said. “He said the main three things he wants to do here are see Central Park, ride the subway, and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.”
I smiled. “Well, that is an excellent itinerary. If anyone were to ask me the top three things to do in New York City, that would definitely be my list.”
I suddenly felt nervous as I was about to bring up the next idea to her. I was surprised that I felt so unsettled, since I was normally very calm and collected. But I knew this was more of a personal request, and although I was pretty sure she would like the idea, I still felt like I was putting myself out there a bit.
“Well,” I said. “I know we have you on a pretty packed itinerary during the day on Saturday and Sunday. But on Saturday night I had an idea for something that we could do if you are open to it.”
Jenna looked at me, confused. “You’ll be there, too?”
I nodded. “Yes. I will be working in the Manhattan office on that Friday, so I will be in town that weekend as well.”
“Oh, okay. What is your idea?”
“Well, the Yankees are in town that weekend, and I have two extra tickets to Saturday’s game. Would you and Tyler want to go with me?”
Jenna’s eyes immediately filled with tears, and I could see that she was shaking. She took a minute to gain her composure.
“Are you serious?” she asked softly.
“Yes,” I said.
“That would be amazing,” she said. “This is going to be a dream come true for Tyler. And if I’m being perfectly honest, for me as well. Getting to go to Yankee Stadium and getting to take my son to a game there? Oh my goodness. Thank you!”
“You are welcome,” I said. “The minute I heard how amazed he was that I had seen the Yankees play, I knew I had to try to work this out if we could.”
“Well, thank you again,” she said. She stood up, and headed towards the door of my office. “I’ll make sure I have everything taken care of.”
“Sounds good,” I said. I knew she would. I had only been there for a couple weeks, but I could see that she was very good at her job.
***
Three weeks later I stood at the entrance to the subway, waiting for Jenna and Tyler. We were going to ride the subway out to the Bronx, and then go to the game. Jenna had told me that Tyler was so excited when he heard he was going to get to see the Yankees play, and that he hadn’t stopped talking about it since.
I was really looking forward to it, too. He was a really fun kid, and I liked being around him. And I always enjoyed being around Jenna. She was smart and interesting, and undeniably beautiful.
As I waited for them I realized I was looking forward to seeing her a bit more than I should be. I could never forget the fact that she worked for me. It would be inappropriate to try and start any sort of dating relationship with her. Although, if she wasn’t my employee I would have asked her out immediately. I shook my head, and vowed to keep things as professional as I always had.
However, as I looked up and saw her walking towards me, it seemed like it was going to become more and more difficult. She looked absolutely fantastic. She was wearing a simple Yankees T-shirt and jeans, but she looked as if she could be a professional model. Tyler was walking next to her, wearing a brand new Yankees jersey.
I waved to them, and Tyler ran towards me.
“Hello sir,” he said, shaking my hand. “Thank you so much for taking me to this game. I can’t believe I actually get to see the Yankees play.”
I shook his hand, once again, impressed at his manners. I knew he was only seven, but he carried himself like someone who was much older.
“I’m looking forward to it too,” I said. “I always enjoy seeing the Yankees play.”
I turned my attention toward Tyler’s mother. “Hello Jenna,” I said.
“Hello Ryan,” she answered. “Thank you again for this. I know we have both been looking forward to it since we woke up this morning.”
“It’s absolutely my pleasure,” I said. “How was your morning and afternoon? I asked.
“Oh, it was wonderful. I was able to see all of the properties, and just get a feel for everything. I am so glad I was able to do that because now I already know some of what I want to say. The words have been going through my head all afternoon.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it,” I said. I looked down at Tyler as we headed down into the subway. “And what about you? Have you enjoyed your day?
“Yes!” he said. “We started by walking through Central Park. Then we got on a subway and rode down to Brooklyn and I was able to walk back over to Brooklyn Bridge. I was able to do everything I wanted to do in New York City in the first two hours that we were awake today. Everything else has been so great, and now we’re going to this game.”
“Excellent,” I replied. “I absolutely love the city.”
“Then why did you move away?” He asked.
“Tyler, make sure to mind your manners,” Jenna said. She looked at me apologetically. “Don’t feel that you have to answer. I’m sorry.”
“I apologize, Sir,” Tyler said.
“It’s a very legitimate question,” I said. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You know, I just needed to get away for a while. I’ve lived here for so long, and as you see, the city is so busy and active, and there’s always something going on. And as much as I love it, I need to have a rest for a little bit. I have been going nonstop for a really long time. In Oceanview I can relax and rest more. But I still get back here enough to enjoy the city.”
“I guess that makes sense," Tyler said.
I laughed. “So you walked across the Brooklyn Bridge this morning? You saw lower Manhattan in the daytime?”
“Yep,” Tyler said
“Yes,” Jenna said. “It was beautiful.”
“It really is, but if you want to see it at its absolute best, you need to go at night.”
“Oh, I bet it’s really cool at night,” Tyler said. “We got here really late last night and I could see all of the lights as we were flying in.”
“Yes, it is. And Times Square. Did you go there?”
Jenna shook her head. “No, but our flight doesn’t leave until tomorrow evening so we were going to go there tomorrow.”
“Hmmm…” I said “That’s also a place that’s better to see at night, because it’s amazing that it’s nighttime but it’s still bright as daytime.”
“Oh, that sounds really exciting,” Tyler said.
“It is. And one last New York experience: Have you been in a taxi? I know the company sent a driver for you last night from the airport.”
“No taxi yet,” Jenna said.
“Okay, well, how about this? After the game tonight, we take a taxi to Brooklyn? We can walk across the bridge at night, the way you’re really supposed to. Then we can hop on the subway, head to Times Square, spend a little bit of time there, and then I’ll see you guys back to your hotel.”
Jenna looked a bit surprised, but she didn’t refuse. I could see that she clearly liked the idea, and wanted to be able to enjoy more of New York with her son, but she also didn’t want to impose. Tyler’s face lit up, and I could see that he was clearly excited by the offer. He looked at his mother, hopefully.
“Can we, Mama?” He asked. “Can we do that?”
Jenna smiled as she looked down at him. “Absolutely,” she said. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. I think we have a lot of fun. Thank you, Ryan.”
“Again, it’s my pleasure. These are my favorite things to do in the city and I’m excited to share them with you guys.”
The train pulled into the station, and I could see that it was full of other Yankees fans. We pushed our way on, and I pulled both of them close to me as we held on to the poles. I always felt perfectly safe in New York, but I knew that a crowded subway meant that you had to be a little bit more vigilant. I felt the need to protect both of these two, to make sure that their New York experience was absolutely perfect. I was pleased that Jenna didn’t pull away, and it was clear she understood why I was holding them close to me.
The ride went by quickly, and once we got to the stadium we followed everyone off the train. The crowd was very large, and I instinctively reached down and grabbed Jenna‘s hand, as she held onto Tyler. We didn’t interlock fingers, but I knew that I was clearly pushing against the boundary of what was appropriate as her boss.
“Is this okay?” I said, looking at her and glancing down at our hands.
She nodded. “This is necessary,” she said, laughing.
Her response helped me feel completely at ease. I led them along the walkway, and although we could have gone straight to the entrance, I knew where I wanted to take them. I led them across the street, and then had Tyler turn around so that he could see Yankee Stadium in all its glory.
“Wow,” he said, his eyes wide. “I can’t believe it.”
I glanced at Jenna and could see that she had tears in her eyes, and she was smiling. Let me take a picture, I said. Jenna and Tyler posed for the picture, with the stadium in the background.
A kind stranger came by and offered to take the photo so that I could pose with them. I started to refuse, but then Jenna said that it was a great idea. I handed the stranger my phone, and I went in and posed with Jenna and Tyler. I had to admit that it felt really nice, and it stirred something inside of me, but I knew I would have to ignore whatever I was feeling.
After the photos we went into the game. For the rest of the night, I spent more time watching Tyler’s reaction to everything and Jenna’s reaction to her son and enjoyment, and it was the best time I had ever had at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees won, and we left the stadium, celebrating with the crowd.
“Well,” I said as we waited for a taxi. “What did you think?”
“It was even better than I thought it was going to be," Tyler said.
“I am glad to hear that.”
“Yeah, it was just so cool. I can’t believe I was actually there! What did you think, Mama?”
“I had a wonderful time," she replied. “And I agree, it was even better than what I expected. I mean I knew we were going to have a great time, but I didn’t realize it was going to be as great as it was.”
“Excellent," I said, as a taxi pulled up to a stop. “Now onto the next adventure.”
I opened the door for them and ushered them inside.
Tyler was nestled in between the two of us. He leaned his head back against the seat and sighed. “And now I’m in a taxi,” he said. “I don’t think I can handle any more.”
Jenna and I both laughed.
As we rode along the highway Tyler kept leaning forward to see everything out the windows. At one point I glanced at Jenna and could see that she had the exact same expression as her son. I was so thankful that I got to be the one to help them see New York City like this.
We stopped by the bridge, and when we climbed out, I heard Tyler exclaim over and over again how amazing the view was.
Jenna turned to me, her eyes shining. “You’re right,” she said. “This is absolutely breathtaking.”
“I know,” I said. The skyline was absolutely magnificent, and it was all so peaceful.
“Are you ready to walk across?” I asked.
“Yes,” they both answered.
We walked across the bridge, stopping frequently for Jenna to take pictures. Tyler was in awe of everything he saw, and part of me felt as if I was experiencing this for the very first time
We reached the end of the bridge and Tyler turned towards me. “Thank you for letting us do that, Sir,” he said. “I really liked it this morning, but it was 10 times better tonight.”
“I’m glad you think so,” I said.
We passed by a hotdog cart, and I realized that I was hungry. “Are you guys hungry?” I asked,
“Yes!” Tyler said.
“I could eat a hotdog,” Jenna answered.
“Perfect.” I went and bought hotdogs and sodas for us, and we walked to the subway, eating as we went.
“Normally it’s easier to sit and eat,” I said. “But we want to get to Times Square within the next half hour or so. Right now it is fine for people of all ages to be there, but in an hour or so it’s not necessarily a place where you would want to have your son.”
“That makes sense,” Jenna said. “But you’re sure it’s fine now?”
“I mean, it’s Times Square. There will always be certain things there, no matter what time of day. But right now it will be nothing different than what he would see in the middle of the day. You were planning on taking him there tomorrow, right?”
Jenna nodded. “Yes,” she said. “I’ve done my research, and I know some of what he’ll be exposed to, but we’ve talked about it. So, as long as it’s nothing worse than that, we will be fine.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “Plus, I am tall enough to see way ahead of you guys, so if I notice there’s something that we should avoid, I will get us out of there.”
“Thank you,” Jenna said, once again, giving me that beautiful smile of hers.
“Of course,” I responded.
I led them out of the subway, and then again watched as they took everything in. They both were in awe, with huge smiles spreading across their faces.
“You were right,” Tyler said, turning to me. “You said it would be bright as day even at night, and you’re right!”
“I know,” I said, nodding. “It’s the magic of Times Square!”
Jenna shook her head. “I can’t believe it,” she said. “This is one of those things that you just can’t believe until you have seen it in person. I have seen so many photos of Times Square and people have told me about it, but being here and seeing it - it’s unbelievable!”
I couldn’t help but smile. She was so excited, and Tyler was looking all around, not sure of where to focus his attention.
We walked up and down 7th Avenue, 42nd Street, and Broadway. Once we had seen everything, I knew it was time to get them out of there. The crowd was starting to change, and in just about twenty minutes it would not be at all appropriate to have Tyler in that environment, and I would have felt strange even having Jenna there.
I led them down near the Police Station, took out my phone, and requested an Uber.
“It’s only about a 15 minute walk to your hotel,” I said. “But let’s Uber.”
“Thank you,” Jenna said. “But where do you live? I hate to have you go out of your way!”
“I live down near Little Italy, but don’t worry about it. At this time of night it will only be a short ride there. I am happy to see you two back to your hotel first.”
“Well, thank you, again,” Jenna said.
“Don’t mention it. So what are your plans tomorrow? What time is your flight?”
“We fly out at six tomorrow night,” Jenna answered.
At this point Tyler yawned loudly, and I could see that he was exhausted. Our ride would be there in 10 minutes, so I motioned to a bench across the street.
“Let’s go sit,” I said.
We crossed the street and sat down, and Tyler learned up against Jenna, his eyes growing heavy.
“So your flight leaves at six. What are you doing before that?” I asked.
“We are going to head to Staten Island. There are a couple of properties there that I need to see, and we’re going to take the ferry over so we can see the Statue of Liberty. For lunch we are going to get pizza in Little Italy, and then we will get our things and head to the airport,” Jenna said.
“That sounds like a great plan,” I said. “Is the hotel letting you store your bags there for the day?”
“Yes,” Jenna said. “I was hoping they would. We packed everything in backpacks in case we had to carry them around on Sunday, but it will be nice to not have to worry about it.”
“Okay, good,” I said. “I was going to offer to let you leave your things at my place. It would have been a bit complicated since I’m flying out at seven tomorrow morning, but we could have made it work.”
“You’re leaving at seven?!” Jenna exclaimed, glancing at her watch. “It’s nearly one in the morning. You are going to be exhausted! You should have told me!”
I chuckled as I shook my head. “What do you mean? I am the one who suggested all of these activities, remember? I will be fine. No matter how tired I might be tomorrow, it’s all worth it! I have had more fun today than I have had in years. Years and years.”
Jenna smiled. “That’s good to hear! I have had a wonderful time too. And I know this guy has, too.”
I looked down at Tyler who was now sound asleep.
“He’s worn out,” I said. “But it makes sense. He has experienced so much, and with so much energy!”
“I know,” Jenna said. “He is always a bundle of energy, but he could hardly contain himself today.”
Our car pulled up and Jenna tried to wake Tyler, but he was too exhausted. Jenna leaned down to pick him up, but I lifted him up into my arms.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“I insist,” I said.
We rode the short ride to the hotel, and when we arrived I asked the driver to wait for me while I helped them inside. I gave him an extra tip, and I knew he was happy to oblige. Once again I picked Tyler up and carried him into the lobby of the hotel.
We rode up the elevator, Jenna opened the room for me, and I carried him inside and laid him down on the bed. He hardly stirred, and Jenna mouthed a thank you to me. I nodded, and quietly left the room.
I rode back to my apartment, and I could not stop thinking about how wonderful the evening had been. I loved being around them, and I knew that I wanted to spend more time with both of them.