Chapter 13
The week flew by, and I was jittery with anticipation by Friday. Jack had sent funny good morning and good night gifs all week, letting me know he was looking forward to it, too.
Friday morning, I packed a bag with an extra chunky sweater, thick tights, jeans, thick socks, and boots. Diane, of course, noticed the bag sitting in the corner of my office. I hadn’t told her about my plans for the evening.
“Eve, what’s with the bag? Are you going camping this weekend?” As if.
“I’m going…on a date,” I said cautiously. Just as I’d expected, her face lit up.
“With Jack? Where are you going with Jack? Are you going away for the weekend together? A romantic getaway?” She looked like she was about to explode with excitement.
I smiled a bit. “I don’t know. He asked me out, then said to bring extra warm clothes. But I have no idea what his plan is.”
“Are you going to meet him somewhere after work?”
“No, actually, he said he’d pick me up from work when I was done.”
I saw the struggle on her face as she waged an internal battle. Finally, it came out in one breath.
“Eve, can I stay and meet him? Can I please? I promise not to be a pest or say anything to embarrass you. I promise! Please!!” She ended on a pleading note, hands clasped.
“Sure, Diane. I think he should definitely meet you. After all, you’re his number one cheerleader.”
She gave an excited squeal and a bounce as she walked to the door. “Yay! Five o’clock, right?”
“Yes, that’s what he said.”
“OK. I’ll make sure we get everything done on time.” And she went out the door, practically skipping. I chuckled, shaking my head. Jack had no idea what he was in for.
I was keeping an eye on the clock to make sure I had time to change and clean up my desk before five. I was ready to go at four fifty when Diane buzzed my office phone. I hit the speaker to answer, “Yes?”
“Miss Lambert, your five o’clock appointment is here.” I could hear the giddy note to her usually cool, professional tone.
“Please tell him I’ll be right out.” I clicked off the speaker, gathered my bags and headed to the outer office.
Jack was leaning against the wall outside my door, looking hotter than a man has a right to look wearing a chunky sweater and jeans.
“Hey, Eve, you ready?” he greeted me.
I nodded and hoisted my bags to show readiness. He took in my thick sweater and jeans and a slow smile crept across his face. “Damn, you look good, even in camping clothes.” I wanted to return the compliment, but I’m pretty sure he knew he looked good. He always looked good.
He took my biggest bag from me and kissed me on the cheek, sending shivers down my neck.
Then his free arm slid around my waist, and he walked me around the corner.
Diane was standing by her desk holding a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, looking like she was hyperventilating.
I raised my eyebrows at her, and she giggled.
As Jack helped me on with my coat Diane flashed me a grin and a thumbs up sign.
“Thanks for the flowers, Jack!” she called as we walked out the door.
In the elevator I turned to look at Jack. “Are you hitting on my PA?” I asked teasingly.
He grinned. “Not a chance, Eve. I just figure if she’s important to you, I should have her approval. Easiest way to get that is to bring her flowers or chocolate. And I knew you’d be pouty if I gave someone else chocolates.”
“You got that right! I’m glad you’ve been paying attention, Jack.” I smiled up at him and took his hand.
We walked out to the cab which had been patiently waiting for us and got in. Since Jack had already given him our destination, I had no clue where we were going. The sun was almost finished setting, and we sat in companionable silence, holding hands, watching the last shadows of twilight fly past.
“How much longer till we get there, Jack?”
“You sound like a cranky toddler. Are you always this impatient when it concerns a surprise?”
“I’m always this impatient when it involves dinner. I’m hungry!”
He chuckled and squeezed my hand. “Almost there. And if you don’t think you’ll be able to make it, I can ask the driver to pull over at a gas station for a hot dog that’s been under a heat lamp for a couple of weeks.”
“When you put it that way, I think I’ll be able to make it.” I smiled at him, loving the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled back at me.
A few minutes later we came to stop at what was, apparently, our destination. I had no idea what to make of a building in an industrial area. This was it? If this was a joke, Jack was going to find out just how cranky I could be.
As we hoisted our bags and walked toward the building, we were joined by another couple, also wearing cold weather gear, so I had some confidence that this wasn’t a total hoax.
Jack led the way to an elevator and the four of us, plus our bags, crammed into the space. Jack hit the button for the roof. The female of the other couple, who was standing next to me, turned to me and said, “Have you been here before? I’m super excited. This is our second time, and I can’t wait!”
“Uh, no, I haven’t been here before,” I answered. “Can you tell me what it is?”
As she was about to answer, Jack cut her off with, “Please, don’t spoil the surprise for her!” She laughed, zipping her lips shut, delighted to be in on the secret.
When the elevator slid open, I was expecting an empty, dirty rooftop with HVAC equipment.
Instead, I gasped with surprise. It was a garden, a lush garden in the middle of a barren landscape, like an oasis in an urban desert.
The elevator opened onto an area of flagstone pavers with moss growing between them.
On the far side of the flagstone area was an enclosed structure, and surrounding the open area were raised beds thick with green plants.
There were strings of Edison lights with red bulbs connecting the elevator housing and the enclosed area and there were several other couples wandering around.
“Jack, what is this place? It’s amazing!”
Laughing, he pulled me forward toward the structure. He beamed with excitement. “I hope you like it, Eve.”
“Like it? You knocked my warm, wooly socks off, Jack! This is incredible! I never even knew something like this existed. How did you find it?”
“The band practices a couple of blocks from here and I ran into a guy at Famous Vinnie’s Pizza who works here, and we got to talking.
He told me all about this place and I knew I had to bring you here.
” He looked at me with intensity. “You’re not easy to impress, Eve, so I knew I had to find something really special for our third date. ”
He leaned down and kissed the side of my neck. I sucked in a breath. Oh wow, oh wow. I wasn’t going to last long if he was going to be doing that kind of stuff.
“So where do we put our bags?” I asked, sounding a bit breathy.
Just then a bearded man in a parka raised his voice and called out, “Welcome to the See The Stars event here at the Brooklyn Grange. I’m your host, Justin Nichols.
This is the Brooklyn Grange Farm. Or,” he corrected, “one of them. The Brooklyn Grange has the world’s largest rooftop soil farms, hidden away in unexpected places.
In addition to growing food, they help people to connect with nature and provide locally grown produce for the surrounding communities.
They also host events. Like tonight. We’re going to feast on food they’ve grown and cooked, then you get to star gaze with an astronomer—me!
This is the last stargazing event of the season, and it’s going to be chilly.
I hope you all brought bedrolls or blankets!
To get started, pick a spot on the roof where you have a good overhead view.
You can drop your bags there. Then come to the rooftop Pavilion and grab one of the laminated star charts.
They glow in the dark so you can use them to help you spot constellations. ”
We all set down our loads, grabbed a star chart, and then clustered around Justin, our breath coming out in little clouds of steam. Jack put an arm around me and drew me close. I snuggled into his warmth and peeked up at him with a smile. He smiled back as we listened to Justin.
“Because this is New York City, there is always going to be light pollution that makes it harder to see the stars. But we are a little removed from Manhattan and we’ve illuminated our space with only red lights to preserve your night vision.
Also, having it be a chilly night is an advantage.
The air is clearer. If you’ll look at your charts, you’ll see the basic constellations we’ll be looking for outlined.
Once your eyes get accustomed to starlight, you’ll find it easier and easier to spot them.
I also brought a telescope, if you’d like to have a closer look at any of the planets or the moon.
“So how about we start with the buffet, then you can take your food to your blankets and enjoy a picnic under the stars!”
The Pavilion was lined with serving tables that had trays of food and a giant soup pot over a heating element.
We waited in line and then grabbed silverware and dishes, placed them on a tray, and served ourselves.
There was a basket of hot dinner rolls, butter, a spinach salad, and a beautiful soup that smelled like butternut squash.
There was also an electric urn that had hot apple cider in it.
Jack and I took our trays over to our spot. He had laid down a mat, upon which he’d put a sleeping bag and topped it with a blanket. I sat down with my tray in my lap, and he sat next to me and draped the blanket over our shoulders.