didn’t want to get tipsy. She wanted to recall every minute of this night.
They lingered over the food for what felt both like a long time, and no time at all. She found Brandon’s work stories fascinating. Funny, scary, poignant… he had experienced the lot. In comparison, her job was epically dull. But they didn’t have any trouble finding things to talk about.
Unlike her date with Antoine, even when they disagreed on something, they managed to debate it in a way that left them both laughing. He convinced her she might be wrong about the complete uselessness of sports, and she got him to admit that sometimes romcoms were a lot of fun. On more serious subjects, their political ideologies and belief systems were remarkably similar… though Brandon considered himself an Independent, and not a Democrat like her.
It was full dark when they stumbled, laughing, out onto the sidewalk. Suzanne felt drunk, though she’d only nursed the one margarita for the entirety of their meal. It was the man with his muscled arm around her waist who was making her head spin.
“Mind walking a little bit more?” His eyes sparkled like the stars above them as he smiled down at her.
“That would be great actually.”
And then she saw where he was leading her and her heart flipped. They were heading for the entrance to the Highline.
Elevated above the city on the old railroad line, the park stretched for over a mile and was one of the city’s beautiful green spaces. There were great views both in daytime and at night. Not to mention vendors serving food, musicians playing music, artists displaying their work. There was a little bit of everything that was incredible about the city.
“Oh.” Suzanne couldn’t think of anything to say. Strolling along the Highline at night was very romantic. Sudden tears stung the back of her eyelids. She wasn’t even sure she could say why.
Brandon scraped his teeth over his full lower lip. “Is that a good ‘oh’ or a bad ‘oh’? I can’t tell. It looks like a good ‘oh’ but —”
She reached up and pressed her fingers to his lips to quiet him. “It’s definitely a good ‘oh’.”
He smiled, and she felt it against the pads of her fingers. His lips were smooth satin, firm and warm. The sensation tingled up her arm. Suzanne shivered.
Brandon reached up and wrapped his fingers around hers. He pressed a quick kiss onto her knuckles.
“Good.” He pulled her close, wrapping a muscled arm around her waist as they climbed the stairs to the elevated park.
Their pace was slow, meandering the mile plus length with no real goal but to observe the city at night, and to be in each other’s company. They spoke, but they were quiet too, for long, comfortable stretches of time.
Whenever her gaze slid to Brandon’s handsome face, which was often, he was smiling. She felt him watching her too. His arm was a solid weight around her shoulders, though at times he pressed a hand to the small of her back, stroking her skin through her silk shirt as they maneuvered through the evening crowd.
Though the night was warm, his body was warmer, the scent of his citrus soap and that faint hint of smoke enveloping her as they walked. Now, knowing his profession, she wondered if he’d acquired the aroma through his work. She remembered he’d told her he’d been off for the last couple of days, but perhaps after so long it was a scent that clung to him even when he wasn’t at work.
Or perhaps it was just the natural scent of his skin. Suzanne wouldn’t mind exploring the question in more depth.
The chemistry that had flared to life the first moment they’d met only grew more potent as they strolled and chatted. She was hyper-aware of every time her hip brushed his thigh, or the faint caress of his thumb against the nape of her neck as they perused some paintings a woman had displayed near the 26th Street entrance. They were small, postcard-sized, but incredibly detailed paintings of various
They lingered over the food for what felt both like a long time, and no time at all. She found Brandon’s work stories fascinating. Funny, scary, poignant… he had experienced the lot. In comparison, her job was epically dull. But they didn’t have any trouble finding things to talk about.
Unlike her date with Antoine, even when they disagreed on something, they managed to debate it in a way that left them both laughing. He convinced her she might be wrong about the complete uselessness of sports, and she got him to admit that sometimes romcoms were a lot of fun. On more serious subjects, their political ideologies and belief systems were remarkably similar… though Brandon considered himself an Independent, and not a Democrat like her.
It was full dark when they stumbled, laughing, out onto the sidewalk. Suzanne felt drunk, though she’d only nursed the one margarita for the entirety of their meal. It was the man with his muscled arm around her waist who was making her head spin.
“Mind walking a little bit more?” His eyes sparkled like the stars above them as he smiled down at her.
“That would be great actually.”
And then she saw where he was leading her and her heart flipped. They were heading for the entrance to the Highline.
Elevated above the city on the old railroad line, the park stretched for over a mile and was one of the city’s beautiful green spaces. There were great views both in daytime and at night. Not to mention vendors serving food, musicians playing music, artists displaying their work. There was a little bit of everything that was incredible about the city.
“Oh.” Suzanne couldn’t think of anything to say. Strolling along the Highline at night was very romantic. Sudden tears stung the back of her eyelids. She wasn’t even sure she could say why.
Brandon scraped his teeth over his full lower lip. “Is that a good ‘oh’ or a bad ‘oh’? I can’t tell. It looks like a good ‘oh’ but —”
She reached up and pressed her fingers to his lips to quiet him. “It’s definitely a good ‘oh’.”
He smiled, and she felt it against the pads of her fingers. His lips were smooth satin, firm and warm. The sensation tingled up her arm. Suzanne shivered.
Brandon reached up and wrapped his fingers around hers. He pressed a quick kiss onto her knuckles.
“Good.” He pulled her close, wrapping a muscled arm around her waist as they climbed the stairs to the elevated park.
Their pace was slow, meandering the mile plus length with no real goal but to observe the city at night, and to be in each other’s company. They spoke, but they were quiet too, for long, comfortable stretches of time.
Whenever her gaze slid to Brandon’s handsome face, which was often, he was smiling. She felt him watching her too. His arm was a solid weight around her shoulders, though at times he pressed a hand to the small of her back, stroking her skin through her silk shirt as they maneuvered through the evening crowd.
Though the night was warm, his body was warmer, the scent of his citrus soap and that faint hint of smoke enveloping her as they walked. Now, knowing his profession, she wondered if he’d acquired the aroma through his work. She remembered he’d told her he’d been off for the last couple of days, but perhaps after so long it was a scent that clung to him even when he wasn’t at work.
Or perhaps it was just the natural scent of his skin. Suzanne wouldn’t mind exploring the question in more depth.
The chemistry that had flared to life the first moment they’d met only grew more potent as they strolled and chatted. She was hyper-aware of every time her hip brushed his thigh, or the faint caress of his thumb against the nape of her neck as they perused some paintings a woman had displayed near the 26th Street entrance. They were small, postcard-sized, but incredibly detailed paintings of various
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