The fries came out quickly and we devoured them. Well, mostly me. Luke hadn’t been kidding. They were a delight. Carbs always made things better.
Luke leaned back in his chair, a smile on his face as he watched me dip another fry in the garlic aioli. The combinationwas so good, it had to be illegal. I would have voiced that idea to Luke, but I was busy chewing.
“So, while you’re here and we have some time,” he said. “Is there anything in particular you want to do? Something quick and New Yorky you’ve dreamed of doing?”
I swallowed quickly and drank some wine. “There is one thing I’ve been dying to do, but you’re going to hate it. There’s no point in even asking you.”
He narrowed his eyes at me curiously. “Well, now I have to know what it is.”
“What’s the point? You’re going to say no.”
Luke growled in frustration. “Whatever you want, just ask me. I’ll make it happen.”
I took a deep breath and told him. “I want to learn how to ride the subway.”
“Absolutely not,” he said immediately.
I laughed. “I knew it.”
Luke wagged his finger no at me. “That’s not fair. No one rides the subway because they want to. They ride it because they have to.”
“Right, and if I move out here, there might come a time when I have to use it, too. I want to be ready. So I need someone to show me how it works. Just the once. I’m a fast learner.”
He sighed. “It does help to have someone show you the ropes.”
“You see? It’s a good idea.”
“But we’re all dressed up.”
“So what? Do you think we’ll get mugged?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, the subway is safe. I’m more worried about stepping in something.”
“Come on. Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“It’s getting a ride with Lenny, in plush leather seats that don’t smell like pee.”
I batted my lashes at Luke innocently. “I’m sure Lenny would show me how to take the subway if I asked.”
Luke scoffed and shot me a dirty look. “I see what you’re doing.”
“I’m not doing anything. If you want to crush my dreams, that’s your choice.” I had to suppress a smile.
He snorted. “You are unbelievable. I have this whole other awesome surprise lined up for us, and you want to ride the subway.”
“Is there time for us to do both?” I asked.
He nodded thoughtfully. “Actually yeah. We can take the subway where we’re headed. I just hope you’ve had all your shots.”
I smiled at him. “Don’t worry. I won’t bite anyone.”
We finished our dinner. The food was as enchanting as the company. Luke was quite the charmer. He held my hand as we walked down the sidewalk. I didn’t know if we were boyfriend and girlfriend but we weresomething.
We found a set of stairs leading down into the bowels of the city. Luke paused and looked at me seriously. “Are you sure about this? It’s not too late to back out still.”
I took a deep, shaky breath and nodded. “I’m sure. This is fun and exciting. Not terrifying.”
“Are you really scared?” He looked concerned.
