NYC
part 2
Not wanting to place any undue pressure on the other, they had agreed to book their own places. He opted for a hotel in midtown while she found an Airbnb just off the subway in Brooklyn. She had driven from PA to Newark, NJ and taken a succession of trains and subways to the quaint neighborhood. When she had checked in earlier, she was touched to see that the owners had stocked the fridge in the modern kitchen with a few basic breakfast items and had left a handwritten note of their favorite places to get the best take out. A glass bowl on the sleek granite counter was full of fruit: bananas, small tangerines and, ironically, two peaches. She smiled and reached out to gently squeeze one of the peaches. Perfect, she thought. She selected a banana and peeled it, leaning against the counter to eat it, deep in thought.
~~~
He had flown from Detroit into JFK and navigated through the terminal to the ride-share area to meet his uber driver, who turned out to be a stout man with a happy disposition and a thick, middle eastern accent, who chattered on as he drove. The driver asked a few questions and responded positively to the answers. What brought him to the City? “I’m meeting an old friend.”
What kind of old friend? He didn’t hesitate- “Someone I might have loved years ago that I’m now crazy about.”
Is she beautiful? “Yes she’s amazing…”
Woah, my friend! You are going to have the best weekend, I just know it!
The driver dropped him off in front of the hotel and gave him a toothy grin and a hearty slap on the back before getting back into his car and driving away.
Standing on the crowded street in front of the doors to the hotel, he wondered for a brief moment what he was doing here, secretly hundreds of miles from home. He knew he was risking everything. And then he remembered her… all the things he loved about her, almost desperately, and the amazing way that she made him feel, just by loving him back. With that, he turned toward the doors and pushed through them into the hotel lobby.
~~~
She wandered through the rooms of the classically styled Brooklyn brownstone. The whole interior was painted white, with well maintained hardwood floors, stained a rich dark color, and scattered oriental rugs. She ran her finger along the smooth wooden handrail as she lightly ascended the stairs, to check out the bedroom. It was filled with soft filtered sunlight that puddled on the bed, which was piled high with gleaming white pillows and fluffy bedding. Extending from under the bed was a thick, white, shaggy rug. Slipping her shoes off, she stepped on the rug, feeling the thickness under her feet and squishing her toes in the soft fibers, and then climbed onto the poofy featherbed and laid there, lost in the bedding and her thoughts. What was she doing here? She thought for a moment… She was here to find out, finally, after over 30 years, if she had actually been right when she fell for him the first time. Though this time it hadn’t happened as quickly, she knew that she had fallen hard for him again. Years ago, everyone thought she was just smitten but somehow she simply knew. And today, the thought of him gave her butterflies and made her heart pound, just like it did back then. If she closed her eyes, she could picture his handsome face and gentle eyes… but realizing that in a minute she could be asleep and dreaming of him, she got up instead, climbed out of the luxurious bed, and went to finish exploring the house.
Although not adjoined to the bedroom, the bathroom was just as impressive. There was a white porcelain pedestal sink and small black and white hexagonal tile created a pattern on the floor. A large, glass-enclosed, shower with subway tile and a rainfall shower-head was in one corner. A modern soaker tub was situated against the wall, under a window which was high enough to filter natural light but not allow a view. After a brief search, she found the toilet, concealed in its own water closet. There were gleaming white towels and washcloths rolled up on a shelf near the shower and a simple glass bowl filled with smooth river rocks on the windowsill.
The spa-like atmosphere of the bathroom was too much to resist; she hurried down the stairs to the hallway to grab her bag and in a moment she was back, starting the shower then peeling off her clothes. In no time, the glass shower walls had begun to steam up. Hanging a towel on the hook nearby and grabbing the body wash from her bag, she opened the glass door and stepped into the shower. The tile on the floor of the shower matched the rest of the bathroom and the warm water was pouring straight down from the showerhead above.
Stepping under the shower, she tilted her head back and allowed the warm water to run over her face and hair, down her body, which was surprisingly fit for being 50, although not without the wear and tear that comes with having carried and nursed four babies. She let herself wonder for a moment what he would think. She had been careful about what she posted online, sharing glimpses into her life, but not too much. Since this weekend wasn’t about knowing everything about each other, she didn’t want to get ahead of herself and pushed those thoughts away.
But dang. She knew she had grabbed 50 by the horns and was kicking its teeth in, walking or doing yoga early in the morning, pushing herself in the gym for just the right amount of time, and then resting, riding her bike on the trail by the river and dancing on the weekends. She felt incredible in every way, strong, like she could do anything. While there would always be progress to be made, and also unrelenting stretch marks, for the most part she was satisfied. At least with myself, she thought, creating a rich lather with body wash on one of the brilliantly white washcloths. In no time, her body was enveloped in suds, from her strong shoulders to her pink polished toenails. The rainfall shower was rinsing the soap down her back, and over her firm glutes, legs and sculpted calves. She turned her face up to the shower again, allowing the water to rinse the front of her body, run down her chest, over her belly and then down the front of her legs, before splashing on the shower floor. She stretched, enjoying the warmth of the water on her body, then finally sighed. Glancing up at the fogged glass, she smiled and drew a heart with one finger before turning the water off and reaching out the shower door for the towel.