“Did you have trouble finding your wallet?” Ashanti asked when he returned.
He patted his back pocket. “I had it the entire time. Not sure how I missed it.”
They took the elevator down and exited the lobby with little fanfare now that the superstars were tucked in bed. The sidewalk outside their Eighth Avenue hotel was buzzing withpeople running late for Broadway shows or heading for dinner at one of the hundreds of restaurants in the area.
“So what do you want to see first?” Thad asked. “Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building? According to Google, the Empire State Building closes for tours at eleven, so it makes sense to hit that one up first. The Staten Island Ferry runs twenty-four seven, and Times Square is always busy, no matter what time of the day or night.”
“Actually,” Ashanti said, taking her phone out of her pocket and swiping across the screen. “There’s a food truck at Forty-Ninth and Sixth Avenue, across from Rockefeller Center. I’ve been wanting to try it for forever.”
“A food truck?”
“Yes! And there’s a cupcake shop, another that sells this donut and croissant mashup thing, and, of course, I have to get a New York bagel.”
“So you basically came here to eat?”
She nodded. “The Food Network is my background noise when I’m baking. I’ve been making a list of foods I must try if I’m ever in New York.”
Thad chuckled. “Whatever you want,” he said. “Let’s get a taste of New York. Literally.”
Even though it was only one stop, they took the subway so Ashanti could have the experience. Then they walked the two giant avenue blocks to Fiftieth and Sixth. The line for the food truck, which Thad learned sold Greek food, stretched halfway to Seventh Avenue, but the cooks made quick work of getting food to the hungry patrons.
They took their gyros—lamb for her, chicken for him—along with seasoned French fries, and started down SixthAvenue. After less than a block, Ashanti stopped and pointed across the street.
“That’s the cupcake place. They’re legendary.”
“Exactly what must a cupcake do to attain legend status?” Thad asked as he stuffed three fries in his mouth.
“Probably get someone like Dom to create a PR campaign for it.” She shrugged. “I don’t care. I still have to try it. They’re on my must-have list.”
She gestured to their right, where a huge fountain in front of a Chase Bank gently gurgled. A marble ledge that was more than wide enough to sit on surrounded the fountain’s base.
“Let’s sit here and eat,” Ashanti said. “And then I can get the cupcake for dessert.”
“There’s no way you’re going to be able to eat all the food you want to try tonight,” Thad said.
“Watch me,” she said.
He laughed as he took a seat. “I do love a woman who loves food.” He sat up straight and turned to her. “I didn’t mean—”Shit.“You know what I meant.”
Ashanti tipped her head back and sighed up at the clear September night sky.
“This is ridiculous,” she said. “We are going to lose our minds if we spend the next two days apologizing for every little thing we say thatmightget misinterpreted. We’re ignoring slipups, remember?”
The ridiculous part was them trying to ignore this attraction between them, but hadn’t he just convinced himself it was for the best?
“That’s what we agreed to do,” Thad answered.
He would pretend to ignore it. He would also mentally obsess over anything that even remotely hinted that herinterest in him was shifting into something different. Because, apparently, torturing himself was now onhislist of must-do’s.
“Just for the record,” Thad continued. “I really do love when a person can enjoy a good meal without being self-conscious about it.”
“Why would I be self-conscious? A girl’s gotta eat. And while in New York, this girl is going to eat everything.” She nudged her chin toward the pita in his hand. “You better get going on that. I don’t want the cupcake place to close on me. In fact…” She took out her phone. “Oh, good. They’re open until ten. We’ve got time.”
Thad took two big bites out of his gyro, which was, admittedly, one of the best he’d had outside of Mykonos.
“So is New York everything you thought it would be?” he asked.
“Pretty much,” Ashanti said. “Tall buildings, lots of people, good food. The selfie-obsessed cab driver threw me, but I guess that just goes to show how much star power Duchess and Puddin’ have.”
