I'll Take New York

by Miranda Dickinson

Heart pounding wildly, Bea closed her eyes …

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  Kowalski’s, corner of West 68th and Columbus, Upper West Side

  She was beautiful. Jake couldn’t take his eyes off her as they stood in Kowalski’s, the sound of the building traffic jam drifting through the window that looked out on Columbus Avenue.

  Why won’t she look at me?

  She had when he arrived but now she kept her gaze resolutely away from him. Did she know that he knew the truth about her allegiance to their Pact?

  ‘Ed said I’d find you here. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me …’ Please look at me … ‘I heard about what happened last night. I’m so sorry, Bea.’

  ‘I made a mistake. It happens.’ She shrugged, snatching a glance in his direction then averting her eyes once more. ‘Of course, I wish my parents and grandma hadn’t flown over from England to witness it all fall to pieces. But I know I made the right decision.’

  ‘I think you did, too.’

  Now she was staring at him at last, her sea green eyes blazing with indignant fire. ‘You told me to marry him!’

  He could see the pain in her face and wanted so much to gather her into his arms, to kiss away every hurt. Instead, he inched closer, praying she wouldn’t back away. ‘I said to do it if he made you happy. For what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing. I think we both did, in our own way. Jess and I – we’re over.’

  Bea frowned as she took in the news. ‘But I thought you were calling off the divorce? Starting again?’

  Jake shrugged. ‘It wasn’t what I wanted. When the time came to say it, I couldn’t do it. There’s a reason I did that. An important reason …’

  ‘You have to be happy, too,’ Bea said. ‘I’m sorry things didn’t work out with Jess.’

  ‘I’m not,’ Jake confessed. ‘I’m glad you’re here, Bea, because …’

  Bea’s eyes widened and she held up a notebook. ‘I came back for this …’

  Unsure of everything except what his heart was telling him, Jake took another step towards her. ‘I came back for you …’

  CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

  Kowalski’s, corner of West 68th and Columbus, Upper West Side

  Was it true?

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  Jake took a breath. ‘I was about to halt the divorce when Ed’s note arrived. And when I read it, I had to know if there was a chance … If we had a chance.’

  What note? And was Jake really saying what Bea thought he was? ‘If we had a chance of what?’

  ‘Ed sent a message to the lawyer’s office saying that you weren’t engaged any more. That you were free. And I needed to tell you how I felt about you. Truth is, I haven’t believed in our Pact for some time.’

  Her heart skipped a beat. ‘Me neither. When did you change your mind?’

  ‘At the birthday party in your bookstore,’ he confessed. ‘At least, that’s where it started. You?’

  ‘When we were skating at the Wollman Rink.’

  He smiled. ‘That was an opportunity.’

  Suddenly weary from the flood of revelations, Bea sat on the arm of the leather sofa. ‘So where do we go from here?’

  Jake shook his head. ‘I don’t know.’

  Bea thought about all their conversations this year and the countless valid reasons they had found for not getting involved. ‘The thing is, a lot of what we said made sense. There are aspects of relationships I don’t want to experience again.’

  Jake raised his hand. ‘I hear ya. All the needless point-scoring and jostling for supremacy …’

  ‘The false expectations and unspoken laws …’

  ‘Not to mention the minefield of male-female differences to navigate.’

  ‘I don’t want another argument over who has control of the TV remote, or whose turn it is to put out the rubbish.’

  ‘Me either.’

  Bea stared back at Jake. ‘Then it’s hopeless?’

  He shook his head. ‘On the strength of that, perhaps it is.’ His eyes met hers and Bea felt her heart pulse. How was it possible to want someone so much and still not be able to express it? Even now, when both Jake and Bea knew the truth, they were still using The Pact as common ground. Something had to change …

  You wanted a second chance, Bea James. This is it …

  Slowly, she stood. ‘Unless …’

  ‘Yes?’

  Her confidence was growing as he held her gaze. ‘Unless we choose to ignore how awful, embarrassing and downright frustrating relationships can be and just take our chances with each other? Because I really want to take my chances with you, Jake. And I’m sorry I wasn’t brave enough to tell you until now.’

  He was moving closer, his eyes telling her everything she needed to know. ‘I think we have a chance to be happy. Sure, it might all go wrong and we may end up hating the sight of one another. But I’m willing to take the risk if you are.’

  Bea had never been more certainly uncertain about anything in her life, but her decision was the easiest she’d ever made. Bravely, she held out her hand.

  ‘Then let’s shake on it.’ Smiling, she lifted her little finger. ‘Pinky shake.’

  Laughing, Jake locked his little finger with hers – then pulled her into his arms. The last few inches of distance closed between them as their lips met at last, their arms encircling one another as they drew closer still.

  And there, in the middle of Kowalski’s flower store, another two souls were reunited with their dream …

  Dearest Bea,

  This will be the last package from the Book Mice for a while. They tell me their mission has been accomplished. And I am inclined to agree with them.

  There was really only one choice the mice and I could make – another nod to the great Bard himself. If ever there was a couple that endured the ups and downs of life, Romeo and Juliet fit the bill. (Needless to say, please don’t follow their example for the end of the story: your family heartily approves of this union. Deadly poison and daggers will not be necessary!)

  Love each other like the verse the Book Mice have chosen suggests, and you won’t go far wrong.

  Fondest love to you both,

  Grandma Dot xxxx

  The yellow Severnside Book Emporium bookmark lay against a verse from Act 2, Scene 2 of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Two Book Mice had been sketched in the margin, their tails entwined into a heart, gazing up at the lines:

  My bounty is as boundless as the sea,

  My love as deep; the more I give to thee,

  The more I have, for both are infinite.

  THE END

  Miranda’s five must-see films set in New York

  New York has been the setting of so many amazing films it’s difficult to only choose five. But, for me, these are the five films that have inspired me most and kindled my love of the Big Apple …

  You’ve Got Mail (1998) – Tom Hanks. Meg Ryan. Nora Ephron. Practically the holy trinity of romantic comedy, set in the City That Never Sleeps. It was this film that inspired me to start writing my first novel, Fairytale of New York. And here’s a fact that links this amazingly witty, feel-good movie with my first book: Kowalski’s is set one block up from the film location used for The Shop Around the Corner. This film made me fall in love with the Upper West Side of New York and led me to set my story there. So really, it’s all Nora Ephron’s fault that I’m an author …

  When Harry Met Sally (1989) – from Meg Ryan’s famous faked orgasm scene in Katz’s Diner to Billy Crystal’s Harry running to find Sally before the ball drops in Time Square, this film is as much a love letter to New York as it is a tale about two people trying not to fall in love with each other. A perfect movie and perfect story in a perfect location.

  Serendipity (2001) – John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale trust fate to bring them back together after meeting in New York at Christmas. In I’ll Take New York there is an unapologetic nod to this brilliant romantic comedy, as Bea has always wanted to
skate on Central Park’s Wollman Rink after ‘too many hours spent watching Serendipity’.

  Miracle on 34th Street (1947 and 1994) – I really can’t choose between the original classic and the feel-good Nineties’ remake, so I’m naming both. Christmas in New York is famous the world over and features in so many films, television programmes, books and music that whether you’ve experienced the season in the city or not, it feels familiar. The Santa ringing his bell on the corner oppo-site Otis Greene’s apartment is my nod to this film.

  Definitely, Maybe (2008) – When I pictured Jake Steinmann in his new apartment, surrounded by unpacked boxes and facing an ominous brown envelope from his estranged wife’s lawyer, I was inevitably reminded of Ryan Reynolds as Will Hayes, trying to make sense of his disastrous history of relationships for his eleven year-old daughter (Abigail Breslin). New York through the decades provides the backdrop to this bittersweet story, and April’s (Isla Fisher) apartment in Brooklyn inspired Bea’s apartment in I’ll Take New York.

  Miranda’s playlist while writing I’ll Take New York

  For every book I write, I put together a playlist to inspire me. For I’ll Take New York, these are the songs I listened to:

  World Spins Madly On – The Weepies

  Tourist – Athlete

  Fall for You (Single Mix) – The Whitlams

  Sing – Travis

  Amsterdam – Imagine Dragons

  Every Little Thing – Delirious?

  My Waltz – Bailey Tzuke

  U + Me = – Dan Black

  Stars – Dubstar

  Pulling Teeth – Newton Faulkner

  Audience of Souls – Emily Smith

  Caught Up In Circles – Chesney Hawkes

  Loud and Clear – Olly Murs

  Umbrella – Scott Simons

  Where to Go from Here – Teddy Thompson

  You Can Close Your Eyes – Carole King & James Taylor

  Someone You Need – Howard Jones

  Panic Cord – Gabrielle Aplin

  Ashes On Your Eyes – Deb Talan

  The Last Song (Acoustic) – Ben Carrigan

  Interview with Miranda

  Is I’ll Take New York a sequel to your debut novel, Fairytale of New York?

  It’s the closest to a sequel I could get without breaking up the characters who spent so long trying to find each other in Fairytale, or killing someone off! I’m calling it an almost-sequel because it answers many of the questions I’ve been asked over the last six years by readers who loved Fairytale, but in a brand new story that can be read as a standalone novel. I wanted Ed and Rosie to be continuing their love story while also supporting Ed’s brother Jake and Celia’s partner Stewart’s sister Bea in their own story.

  In the past, you said you didn’t think you would write sequels. Why now?

  Fairytale of New York was my very first novel and for many years nobody knew I was writing it. By the time it was published in 2009, the Kowalski’s gang had been in my life for the best part of ten years – so they have always been special characters to me. I wrote the story (which I originally called Coffee At Kowalski’s) to indulge my long distance love affair with New York – I couldn’t afford to go there, so I bought a guide book and researched the city, setting the story around places I wanted to visit. It meant hundreds of hours of research (thank goodness for Google Earth!) to make the settings as authentic as possible, but I was very relieved when people asked me how long I’d lived in New York!

  For the past couple of years, I’ve had a hankering to write about New York again and the idea came about making Kowalski’s the setting for a brand new story, weaving in the stories of my much-loved characters. After six years of writing professionally, it felt like the right time.

  How have you found the experience?

  I’ve loved it. Every minute. It has been so much fun to find out what Rosie, Ed, Celia, Marnie and others have been up to and wonderful to write about Kowalski’s flower store again. After spending so many years dreaming up the characters and settings for Fairytale, I had a really strong mental picture of what Kowalski’s and Rosie’s neighbourhood looked like – going back there for I’ll Take New York has felt a little like coming home. These characters and locations started my entire published writing journey and it’s been wonderful to go back.

  This is the first book you have written from a male and female perspective. Why did you choose to tell the story in this way?

  Every book I’ve written has been different from the last in terms of perspective, generally alternating between first and third person, with my second novel, Welcome to My World using both present and past tenses. I use whatever feels right for the story. For I’ll Take New York, I felt very strongly that Jake needed to have as much a voice as Bea; I liked the idea of seeing a friendship from two simultaneous perspectives. Jake has been an incredibly fun character to get into the head of and his voice was very strong from the beginning.

  You wrote I’ll Take New York while expecting your first child. Did being pregnant alter the way you wrote?

  Yes! I had to write very quickly because I was determined to get the book written and edited before I had my daughter Flo. But being pregnant seemed to focus my mind and I certainly had a greater drive to complete the novel than I’ve experienced before. It did mean that writing was far more tiring than before I was pregnant, but I discovered the joy of afternoon naps, which helped a lot!

  Why has New York inspired so many authors, artists and musicians?

  I think it’s the personality of the city. It has a definite character that sets it apart from other American cities. New Yorkers are a unique breed; their unapologetic drive, opinions and sense of humour give the city its colour and vibrancy. The idea of the American Dream is a bit of a cliché, but in New York I think it’s most evident. New York is a magnet to people from all over the world, which gives it a sense of romanticism because of the hope invested in the city – whether people find their dreams or not.

  Books play an important part in I’ll Take New York. Why did you choose to make Bea a bookshop owner?

  I always try to give my characters ‘real’ jobs – I’ve written about florists, travel agents, radio station jingle writers, wedding singers, café workers and even council planners before! I want readers to identify with my characters and for them to have real-life concerns, work and working environments. I adore bookshops and believe very strongly in the need for great independent booksellers. There is something magical about walking into a shop filled from floor to ceiling with books – the possibilities contained within the pages of those books are endless. One thing I noticed when I visited America was how many wonderful bookshops there were and what a community they harbour. Brooklyn – where Hudson River Books is located – seemed the perfect place to have a really funky, independent bookstore. I discovered a fantastic bookshop in Brooklyn, called Powerhouse on 8th (http://powerhouseon8th.com) I loved the look and feel of it, so set Bea’s bookstore there.

  Why did you decide to make Jake a Doctor of Psychiatry in I’ll Take New York?

  Jake had to be a psychiatrist because of the story I’d established for Ed in Fairytale of New York. The Steinmann family have been psychiatrists for several generations, but Ed broke the mould (and his father’s heart) when he decided to pursue a career in floristry. Jake and eldest brother Daniel followed their father into what Ed calls ‘the family business’. In I’ll Take New York, Jake is rebuilding his practice in the city following his wife Jessica’s shock decision to file for divorce. I liked the idea of seeing some of the neuroses of New York residents as Jake works his way through his unwanted new situation. Also, by making Jake an expert in the human mind, it allowed me a much deeper insight into his thoughts and emotions, because he is more likely to analyse how he is feeling.

  Do you have plans for sequels of any of your other books?

  Not at the moment. I think it would have to be another standalone story that incorporates some of the original characters for i
t to work – unless you set out to write a series, I think trying to do a sequel when you’ve resolved so much in the original novel can be tricky. Having said that, in I’ll Take New York I do mention what happened next for Harri and Auntie Rosemary from Welcome to My World, as an extra gift for the lovely readers who have read all my books. As for my future plans, I’ll never say never …

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Dear Reader

  Since I wrote Fairytale of New York, I have harboured a secret longing to return to the City That Never Sleeps and set another story there. For the many lovely people around the world who fell in love with Kowalski’s, Rosie, Ed, Marnie and Celia, I hope this book brings back happy memories and gives you new ones. If you’re new to my New York stories, I hope this book steals your heart.

  I am beyond blessed to be able to tell stories for a living and work with some incredible people to turn my tales into books. Massive thanks to my wonderful agent, Hannah Ferguson, for her eternal faith in me; Sammia Hamer and Katy Loftus – my editors at Avon – for their enthusiasm and hard work; and Caroline Ridding, Eli Dryden, Helen Bolton and the lovely Avon team. Huge thanks to Rhian McKay for awesome copy edits.

  My heartfelt thanks go to fabulous writer friends Kim Curran, Julie Cohen, Rowan Coleman, Cally Taylor, Tamsyn Murray, Kate Harrison and A.G. Smith for their constant cheerleading and inspiration. Thanks too, as ever, to the Peppermint Massive and my brilliant friends and family for their support.

  Big love and thanks to my Twitter and Facebook collaborators for their great suggestions for this book:

  Cheesecake café at Grand Central suggested by Joanne Harris;

  Gracie the cat named by Jill Mansell;

  Snowglobe in Jake’s apartment chosen by Lara Williamson;

  Imelda named by Sarah Dixon;

  Beads’n’Beans named by Dymphna Brennan;

  Grandma Dot’s book selections suggested by Julie Cohen and Rowan Coleman;