They set off, their pace slow and relaxed compared to the hustle and bustle around them. Nathan looked around constantly, and Zoe saw the city through his eyes: tall buildings, hurrying people, busy streets full of honking cars, neon signs, and a myriad of businesses.
“So, what do you think of your first time in New York?” she asked, sweeping her arm in front of them to encompass the whole city.
“Can I be honest?” Nathan asked.
“Of course.”
“I don’t love it.”
She whacked him lightly on the arm. “Hey!”
“It isn’t my fault! You said I could be honest.” Nathan smiled at her. “It’s just, well… it’s loud and busy and smells like trash and worse. And the people don’t seem very friendly.”
“You’ve got it all wrong,” Zoe said. She shook her head as she grabbed his arm to pull him down another street. “Change of plans.”
“Where are we going?” Nathan asked, laughing. “If you’re taking me to see the Statue of Liberty or the Brooklyn Bridge or something, just know that’s not going to change my mind.”
Zoe whacked him again with the hand that wasn’t holding his arm. “As if I’d take you to a tourist destination to try to make you like New York. Come on, Doc. You have to have a higher opinion of me than that.”
“I do,” Nathan said, his voice low. Zoe glanced up at him and saw warmth in those soft blue eyes, like the sky at noon. Her heart skipped a beat, and her mouth suddenly felt dry. She was so distracted that she almost tripped, again, which would have been deeply embarrassing.
“Well, good,” she said to cover for her momentary awkwardness. “You’re going to like this.”
“We’ll see…” Nathan said teasingly. “Let me guess. You’re taking me to Times Square?”
“Now you’re just insulting me.”
They walked a few more blocks, Nathan tossing out increasingly unlikely guesses and Zoe laughingly shutting him down, before they arrived.
“We’re here!”
“We’re where?” Nathan asked, looking around pointedly. They were standing in front of an ordinary, tall brownstone apartment building on a side street.
“We’re at my apartment,” Zoe said. “Come on up. I’m going to show you the best view in the city — in my opinion, anyway.”
She led him inside and straight to the elevator, where they went up to the top floor. There, they climbed one more flight of stairs before Zoe opened the door onto the roof. She propped it with a brick that the residents kept there for that exact purpose, before leading Nathan to the low wall at the edge of the roof.
“Okay.” Nathan let out a low whistle. “You’re right. This is pretty cool.”
The building was taller than the surrounding ones, which meant that they looked out over a panoramic view of the New York skyline. In the distance, Zoe could see the green of Central Park. Nearer by were a mix of skyscrapers, smaller buildings, and bustling roads. Far below, she could see cars and pedestrians on the street and hear a faint traffic sound, but it was nothing like being in the middle of it all.
“See?” she asked, nudging him with her shoulder. “From up here, you don’t smell anything weird, and you’re not overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle. It’s peaceful, kind of like your viewpoint back in Islingburn.”
“It is,” Nathan agreed. He leaned against the wall, his gaze trained on the horizon. “Sometimes, the most beautiful things are the most unexpected.”
“How deep,” Zoe said. She stood beside him, close enough to feel the warmth of his arm beside hers. Nathan shifted so that he was looking down at her instead of out at the city.
“Today was amazing,” he said. “And it’s all because of you.”
“No.” Zoe looked up at him. She was close enough to see a scattering of stubble across his strong jawline and flecks of gray and green in the blue of his eyes. She was close enough to smell his pine scent and hear his quiet breath. She almost felt like she could hear his heartbeat. “It was amazing because of both of us. Because we found a way to work together.”
“Zoe,” Nathan said. “I…” He reached for his glasses, but Zoe was faster. She lifted her hand to his and held it so that he couldn’t take off his glasses.
“It’s okay,” she said. “You always do that when you’re nervous or upset, and you don’t have anything to be nervous or upset about right now.”
He smiled. “I’m that obvious, am I?”
“Just a little, Doc.” Zoe smiled at him. Their fingers were still linked together. All she could think about was Nathan — the show, the view in front of them, the rest of the world, it was all forgotten. The only thing that mattered was that Nathan was here, and he was amazing, and she would regret it if she let another chance to be close to him slip by.
