out how to pick up my food without it falling apart, he had already devoured half of what was in front of him.
“So, how have you been since we last saw each other?” I asked after I’d swallowed my first bite.
“The same,” he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I work a lot.” He laughed easily, his eyes twinkling as he smiled at me.
“At least you like your job. It could be a lot worse,” I mused.
“Do you not like yours?”
“Well, obviously I’d rather be working as an actress, but you have to do what you can to survive. I don’t mind being a waitress. It pays the bills, but that’s all it is really.”
“What would you do if you didn’t want to be an actress?”
“Um . . .” I took another bite as I thought about it, trying to settle on one specific thing. “You know, acting is such a huge part of who I am. I don’t even know what I would do. I don’t think I’d be the same person at all.”
Chris nodded as he looked at his watch, chewing his last bite. A quick look at the sky seemed to confirm his thoughts.
“The show will be starting soon. Are you ready to move this party inside?”
“Absolutely,” I laughed.
I wrapped my food back up, placing it in the carton and sliding it back into the takeout bag.
Following him inside, I marveled as I took in the view once more. The lights of the city were like stars in space, glittering out their own stories and lives.
Chris opened a closet I hadn’t noticed before and pulled out a blanket, along with a bottle of wine and some glasses.
“I stopped by earlier to drop this off,” he laughed. “I was hoping you’d agree to go out on such short notice.”
He laid the cover on the floor, close to the window, and sat on it, motioning for me to join him.
A bright explosion took over the sky in front of us as I did, the fireworks beginning.
“This is beautiful,” I said, excepting the glass of wine he’d poured for me.
“It is,” he agreed. “I always feel so patriotic, watching them with Lady Liberty in the frame.”
“In all of the time I spent wanting to live here, I never even thought of things like this. It was always about the theatres and the music. I somehow managed to let other special and important things slip by.”
“You went on that sight-seeing weekend,” he said, defending me. “I think you have your eye on the prize, that’s all. There’s nothing wrong with running right for your dreams.”
“Thanks,” I laughed.
The display in front of us continued on majestically, the very picture of an American celebration. We both fell silent as we watched, only commenting on the colors occasionally.
“You know,” Chris said after a long pause. “I’ve never asked a girl out for a second date so quickly before.”
“Really?” I turned to look at him, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Why not?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, his gaze noticeably falling to my lips. “There’s something about you that I really like and want to know more about. I can’t seem to pinpoint it, though.”
“Oh.”
My breath caught, my body guessing at what was about to happen and waiting eagerly to be proven right.
Chris set his glass down and scooted closer to me, taking my own glass and setting it next to his. I couldn’t read any emotion on his face as his eyes flicked from my mouth back up to my eyes, searching for something in my own face.
Butterflies filled my stomach as his hand raised and caressed my face, his thumb rubbing the corner of my mouth. I leaned in instinctively, melting under his touch as his hot breath washed over my face.
When our lips touched, it was hesitant, scared almost. As we both realized the other really wanted this level of intimacy, it seemed our walls crumbled around us, leaving the emotions free to be expressed.
I scooted myself closer, laying my hand over the top of his where it held my face. He broke away for a second, a smile on his features, before moving back in
“So, how have you been since we last saw each other?” I asked after I’d swallowed my first bite.
“The same,” he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I work a lot.” He laughed easily, his eyes twinkling as he smiled at me.
“At least you like your job. It could be a lot worse,” I mused.
“Do you not like yours?”
“Well, obviously I’d rather be working as an actress, but you have to do what you can to survive. I don’t mind being a waitress. It pays the bills, but that’s all it is really.”
“What would you do if you didn’t want to be an actress?”
“Um . . .” I took another bite as I thought about it, trying to settle on one specific thing. “You know, acting is such a huge part of who I am. I don’t even know what I would do. I don’t think I’d be the same person at all.”
Chris nodded as he looked at his watch, chewing his last bite. A quick look at the sky seemed to confirm his thoughts.
“The show will be starting soon. Are you ready to move this party inside?”
“Absolutely,” I laughed.
I wrapped my food back up, placing it in the carton and sliding it back into the takeout bag.
Following him inside, I marveled as I took in the view once more. The lights of the city were like stars in space, glittering out their own stories and lives.
Chris opened a closet I hadn’t noticed before and pulled out a blanket, along with a bottle of wine and some glasses.
“I stopped by earlier to drop this off,” he laughed. “I was hoping you’d agree to go out on such short notice.”
He laid the cover on the floor, close to the window, and sat on it, motioning for me to join him.
A bright explosion took over the sky in front of us as I did, the fireworks beginning.
“This is beautiful,” I said, excepting the glass of wine he’d poured for me.
“It is,” he agreed. “I always feel so patriotic, watching them with Lady Liberty in the frame.”
“In all of the time I spent wanting to live here, I never even thought of things like this. It was always about the theatres and the music. I somehow managed to let other special and important things slip by.”
“You went on that sight-seeing weekend,” he said, defending me. “I think you have your eye on the prize, that’s all. There’s nothing wrong with running right for your dreams.”
“Thanks,” I laughed.
The display in front of us continued on majestically, the very picture of an American celebration. We both fell silent as we watched, only commenting on the colors occasionally.
“You know,” Chris said after a long pause. “I’ve never asked a girl out for a second date so quickly before.”
“Really?” I turned to look at him, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Why not?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, his gaze noticeably falling to my lips. “There’s something about you that I really like and want to know more about. I can’t seem to pinpoint it, though.”
“Oh.”
My breath caught, my body guessing at what was about to happen and waiting eagerly to be proven right.
Chris set his glass down and scooted closer to me, taking my own glass and setting it next to his. I couldn’t read any emotion on his face as his eyes flicked from my mouth back up to my eyes, searching for something in my own face.
Butterflies filled my stomach as his hand raised and caressed my face, his thumb rubbing the corner of my mouth. I leaned in instinctively, melting under his touch as his hot breath washed over my face.
When our lips touched, it was hesitant, scared almost. As we both realized the other really wanted this level of intimacy, it seemed our walls crumbled around us, leaving the emotions free to be expressed.
I scooted myself closer, laying my hand over the top of his where it held my face. He broke away for a second, a smile on his features, before moving back in
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