by Lorin Grace
“I checked out of the inn. I guess I can go up there and see if I still smell gas.”
“If the oven is leaking, with the windows open, you might not smell the danger. And don’t roll your eyes at me. Tessa will kill me if I let you die while they are on their honeymoon.”
“She wouldn’t do that.”
“Well, I am not risking it. She now has enough money to take out a hefty contract on my head.”
Zoe laughed. “She isn’t like that.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Has she had a friend die before due to negligence?”
Zoe shrugged. “I doubt it.”
“Then I am not taking a chance.” They walked around a dog walker. A little fluffy one strained at her leash, trying to greet them. A larger one watered a tree. A third dog eyed them as if trying to decide whether they were worthy of being barked at. It was the same look Zoe had used with Nick half the night. Whether or not she liked it, he was her only acquaintance in the city. Too bad she was so prickly. He had a feeling they could be friends if she’d pull in her quills.
“Do you often spend your Saturday nights rescuing random damsels in distress?”
“No. But you aren’t random either. You are the woman I am taking on my next date.”
Zoe didn’t answer for a minute. In the shadows cast by the buildings, he couldn’t tell what her reaction was. He was sure he’d received another eye roll. “So once we go get ice cream, you will no longer need to rush to my aid.”
Nick turned and walked backward so he faced her. “I hope by then we will be acquainted enough you will call me a friend.”
Zoe looked him in the eye and nodded.
Nick turned back around. A truck with the logo of a familiar contractor was double-parked in front of the brownstone. “Our help has arrived.”
“You’ll stay while they fix it?”
“Of course.”
Zoe took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders before taking out her key and letting them in the building. Nick wondered if it was the gas or something else bothering her.
six
Zoe sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone. She pulled up Candace’s number and sent the text.
I’m sorry.
The reply was immediate.
—Me too.
The tune “Lean on Me” played. Zoe answered her phone.
Candace started without preamble. “I was going to call when you texted. I’m sorry I went there.”
“Me too. You may be partially right. I realized tonight that I am too scared to find out. It is easier to ignore things, you know?” Zoe lay back and studied the ceiling. It needed painting too.
“How did you come to that conclusion?”
“Nick Gooding said something about becoming friends, and I didn’t know how to answer. I used to have straight guy friends, but now—”
“I understand. From everything Tessa and Sean have said about Nick, he is a good guy. If you choose to risk letting a guy into your life, he wouldn’t be a bad one.”
“What if—” Zoe let the sentence die.
“It is scary, isn’t it? Colin left early for some reason. I’m wondering if you are not right about me. It has been ten years and two months since I made my ten-year plan. Maybe I should make one for another ten years.”
“Could you include Colin in it?”
“Maybe, but only as a friend.”
Zoe wanted to slap some sense into her cousin, but she kept her voice neutral. “How much does he know?”
“Enough. More than most men who have not been part of my medical team. I told him about my mom. He knows I volunteer with pediatric cancer patients, but he doesn’t know specifics.”
Urging Candace to tell Colin about her past would probably lead to another round of silence. Zoe changed the subject. “So, Nick bought me all new appliances tonight.”
“What? Why?”
“I didn’t check the pilot light when I tried to use the oven. Didn’t know I needed to. A seal had disintegrated, and the unit was so old the part wasn’t available. Somehow that led to the old refrigerator not matching and the fact that there was no microwave, which is why I used the oven. I didn’t think anyone could purchase new appliances after seven on a Saturday. He says he’ll send the bill to Sean.”
“So you had a man in your apartment alone?”
“We were never alone. There was a contractor and his helpers. Then the super came up, and I met three of my neighbors. There is this nice grandma type, Mrs. Clark, who lives below me. I think she was upset about the noise until we told her the oven was leaking gas. Then she offered us cookies. The super was a bit unhappy we were changing the appliances, until Nick handed him a business card, and the super left.”
Candace sighed. “After all the roommates and Colin, you’d think I would get used to how much a name or money can accomplish, but I never do. I sure do appreciate it, though.”
“When do you fly out?” Zoe went to check the lock on the apartment door again.
“Tomorrow morning. We would have left today, but Preston owed Abbie the show they missed in Boston, so they saw the one playing on Broadway. I was going to go with Colin. I don’t understand why he left.”
Zoe didn’t comment. “I hope you have a good flight.”
“Preston’s plane. How could we not?”
The luxury jet had a bedroom and a bathroom with a walk-in shower. The seats were heaven. Having a lousy flight in his plane would be hard. “I think I am getting spoiled with all the private jets this year. I don’t know what to do when I come back in December and have to fly commercial.”
Candace laughed. “I know the feeling. Good night, cuz. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
The clunk of ice dropping in the ice maker startled Zoe. In the galley kitchen, she admired the new appliances again. Nick would have purchased some high-tech refrigerator that sent a grocery list to the delivery service, but she had pointed out it would be a waste of Sean’s money since she would only be here for four months. The one he purchased was still beyond what he should have.
Her phone pinged.
Nick’s text flashed across the screen. How is 2:00 for our ice cream outing?
Okay, where should we meet?
—I’ll pick you up. This is a date, remember?
How could she forget the date? It was the first one she’d had in over two years. See you at two.
—Good night.
Thanks for the help, and good night to you too.
It wasn’t until Zoe climbed into the new bed that the realization that this was the first night of her life she would be in a house or apartment alone hit her full force.
Feeling uneasy, she opened her phone to the ebook app and read until her eyelids closed.
Sometime after midnight, a cat screamed.
At 1:27, several sirens wailed.
Around four-thirty, her old nightmare returned after a fourteen-month hiatus.
Zoe opened the app again and read until her alarm went off.
The mirror told the story of her sleepless night. She hoped Nick wouldn’t notice the extra layer of makeup.
Nick parked the car.
“This doesn’t look like a place that sells ice cream.” Zoe reached for her door handle.
He stopped her with a touch on the arm. “Let me get your door. Date, remember? And don’t roll your eyes while I am walking around the car.”
She rolled her eyes before he got out.
Nick smiled as he opened the car door. “This is the tour of the city I promised.”
“It is a helicopter.”
“The fastest way to see all five boroughs.”
Zoe’s steps slowed. “This isn’t what I agreed to.”
/> “Ice cream and a tour of the city?”
“It’s over the top. Literally.”
Nick stopped and studied her. “You don’t like me spending money on you, do you?”
She squinted up at him. “Not really. Well, not at all.”
“Well, I booked the tour for an hour. It doesn’t matter if you get in or not, the helicopter is paid for an hour tour. Does that change your mind?”
“I’ll go this time, but, Nick, if we are going to be friends, the relationship needs to be equal, split bill and all that.”
“Fair enough. Nothing extravagant.”
“Thanks.” Zoe preceded him to the helicopter.
Nick couldn’t help smiling. At least he hadn’t taken her to Vermont to see how one of New England’s more famous ice creams was made like he’d originally planned. Being Zoe’s friend was going to be harder than he thought.
They buckled in, and the pilot gave them instructions. Nick spent most of the tour watching Zoe’s reactions from the corner of his eye because whenever she caught him looking at her, she would point out the window to redirect his attention. The pilot hovered over the south end of Central Park for a moment while Nick pointed out the building he lived in and the location of Sean’s apartment. When they flew farther south, he also showed her the building where Scott & Ricks was located.
“Have you figured out how to get there tomorrow?”
“Last week Tessa helped me get a metro card and we all took a field trip to the office from the apartment. My sense of direction isn’t the best, so they wanted to be sure I wouldn’t get lost. As long as I remember to change lines at the right place, I should be fine.”
“If you ever get lost, give me a call.”
“Thanks.”
The flight concluded with a view of the Statue of Liberty. Zoe took a photo with her phone. “Thank you for the tour. The city is amazing from above. I am sure I will never forget it.”
After they got their ice cream cones, Nick took her on a walking tour around the south end of Central Park.
He stopped in front of the Plaza Hotel. “Do you want to come up and see where Eloise lived?”
Zoe bit her lip and shook her head.
“Then at least come in the building. The Plaza is one of the city’s treasures.”
She stopped in the lobby and did a slow turn. “Wow, I officially feel like the country mouse.”
“I felt the same way I when I moved in. But when I saw the condo penthouse for sale, there was no way I could pass the place up. What kid doesn’t dream of living in a hotel after reading the books?”
“I watched the movie over and over again. I was sad for her because even though it was a fun adventure, she didn’t have a real family, at least not much of one.” Zoe followed him, peeking inside the restaurants and shops.
“Do you have a large family?”
“I am the second of five children, so some people call seven large. Dad is a farmer, so that should cement my place as a country mouse.”
“Brothers? Sisters?”
“All brothers. I have one older brother and three younger. That is probably why I am so close to Candace, even though she is four years older than I am. I always wanted to be like her. I suffered through years of ballet lessons or, rather, my teachers did, because she was a ballerina. Then, when she quit and turned to art, I did too. Eventually, she stopped treating me like a little pain of a shadow, and we became friends. She convinced me to find my own niche. Thankfully, I discovered graphic design. It’s a much better fit for me.” They browsed through the shops.
Zoe picked up a doll, checked the tag, set it back down, then did the same to a smaller version.
Nick picked up the larger one and took the doll to the register.
Zoe left the shop while he made his purchase. Nick located her outside the window of the next store. He handed her the bag.
She peeked inside and handed the bag back. “You just don’t get it, do you?” She turned in the direction of the lobby and hurried away.
Sighing, Nick thought about returning the doll but didn’t want to deal with it. Besides, he could put the doll in the room with the Eloise painting.
He needed advice. How was he supposed to impress a woman who didn’t want things?
seven
“And here is your cubicle. The computer is a thousand years old, so if it gives you any problems, hit it. The bottom drawer locks. The key should be in the top drawer. Though we haven’t had many problems with theft in the office, the pranking can get pretty bad if there is a deadline. And cell phones are not allowed on the floor.” James shook his head. His bleached, blue-tipped hair didn’t move. “My cubicle is next to yours. Until IT gets up here to give you your passwords, you can pull in a chair and I will catch you up on a couple of the projects we are working on. For now, you will be doing stock-photo research for them anyway. If you want to impress Gina and get to some real design work, the faster you can find the thing she imagines, the better.”
“How do you do that?”
“It helps to be part psychic.” James led her into his own space. Various prints were pinned to the cloth walls. Zoe guessed he was about a year or two older. He spoke with a slight accent. “I tried to find out as much as I could about the projects before I researched, especially if they had done any concepts. Some clients have color preferences and style guides. When you get your computer, you will find you have access to most of them. Make sure you read the guides.”
Zoe nodded. The lights overhead flashed twice, and a chime on James’s computer dinged. Other computers on the floor echoed the same sound. “What is that?”
“Call to the Monday morning meeting, which is being held on Tuesday due to Labor Day. Oh, and the lights flash because April is deaf. She reads lips. Since she isn’t always at her computer, the lights are set to notify her. She has a couple of signals we all find useful.”
Zoe followed James back to a central area lined with couches and chairs. People shook her hand and introduced themselves. Names flew too fast to memorize. The woman who introduced herself as Gina welcomed Zoe to the team and started the meeting.
Zoe attempted to take notes.
James leaned over and whispered, “Don’t bother. Everything with a deadline will be in the follow-up memo. Just listen and learn.”
Projects were discussed and assigned. Teams were formed for two new projects. Zoe was put on one for a new food line with Gina and James.
Gina consulted a tablet. “Zoe, I want you to spend an hour or so shadowing each of us. Seeing what we are working on will help you get to know us and our projects, our working habits, etc. Everyone should have signed up for a time slot, which you will find on your calendar. Has IT been up here yet?”
“Not yet,” answered Zoe.
“Well, you will be with me after the meeting. If we still haven’t seen them, I’ll send another message. You need a tablet as well as your passwords.” Gina made eye contact with every team member. “Anything else?”
There were a few head shakes.
“Then, remember, this is a four-day work week, so it will feel like six. And Wayne will not be back until next Monday, so Adrian or Shayne may come down and visit us to see how we are doing without our beloved art director.”
A shift in the atmosphere caused Zoe to study the faces around her. Something in Gina’s last sentence had thrown everyone off kilter. Obviously, Scott & Ricks was not immune to office politics.
Zoe shook a few more hands as the meeting ended before following Gina to her office. “I wish you had your tablet. I sent another message to IT. Anyway, let’s begin.”
By lunchtime, Zoe’s head was swimming. And it was a beautiful thing.
Tuesdays after holidays always put Nick in an odd mood. He rechecked the calendar before signing
the last of the papers his lawyer had sent over. There were a couple of events at the 9/11 memorial, including the Tribute in Light, he needed to go to. Sean and Tessa would be back on the morning of the tenth. On the eleventh, he needed to be in Blue Pines for the dedication of the 9/11 room at the museum featuring the artwork of Sean’s father, Cameron, who had given his life as a firefighter rescuing people from the towers. The museum board directed visitors to the other art from first responders or their families that would be part of the permanent exhibit. Tessa had created a stained-glass window that was being installed today so Sean wouldn’t see it until the dedication. Nick needed to get to Blue Pines so he could check on it. He’d even had to reassure her during their short dance at her wedding reception that the window would be taken care of while they were on their honeymoon. Brides should not have to worry about such things. He made notes for himself and his assistant.
He added a memo to make sure Reverend Cavanagh and Sean’s mom, as well as his family, arranged things so they would be in attendance. Zoe. He had forgotten to ask her to come. Would she even be able to get the time off since she was an intern? He could call Adrian and pull some strings, although Zoe might refuse to go if she knew he had. He had never met someone so determined to be stubborn. She was Tessa’s former roommate . . . maybe the museum board could invite her.
Nick climbed into the back of the town car, glad his driver, Sebastian, had the responsibility for getting them through the afternoon traffic to his next meeting. Not for the first time he wondered what a different life would be like. Zoe’s reaction to the doll still bothered him. His sister had been no help. To her, a date without a gift wasn’t a date. Was his life so different from the rest of the world? He ate and slept too. He loved. Well, not recently, outside of his family. He laughed. Not since Sunday afternoon, but he did. There had to be thousands of women in the city who were of marriageable age. Judging by the letters his PA had round filed, more than a few were willing to go on a date with him at the very least. And then there was Zoe.
