‘He was too romantic about Manhattan, as he was about everything else’was a quote from a favourite movie, and though the line was uttered by the main character, Isaac Davis, Danny had always teased Beth that it summed her up perfectly.
‘Jodi, I need to take back something I said to you before,’ she smiled, giving her a quick hug. ‘I was wrong about something.’
‘Makes a change…’ her friend said wryly. ‘No seriously, what do you mean?’
‘Sometimes movie moments do happen. I shouldn’t have ever said that they didn’t.’ Beth turned on her heel and ran down the steps to hail a conveniently empty passing cab.
She opened the back door and jumped inside, leaving Jodi standing bewildered outside the Met.
‘Where to, sweetheart?’ asked the driver.
Beth sat back in the seat and smiled, not needing even to think about it. This time, she knew exactly where to go. ‘The East River at the foot of 58th Street.’
***
Travelling in the cab, waiting to reach her destination, Beth mulled through everything in her mind. And while some things seemed to add up, she kept coming back to the same question over and over. Why would Danny do all of this for her if he was in love with someone else? Why would he arrange this treasure trail for her – orchestrate so much, down to the very finest and minute details – if he was having an affair?
She tried to consider why she, in turn, had believed that someone like Ryan – who really didn’t know her at all – would go to such great lengths to woo her.
Staring out the window of the car, she felt that familiar wave of melancholy wash over her. She knew that she had been fickle in her affections for Ryan, and she felt terrible about that now. But she couldn’t change the past – she could just get on with the future.
‘Any spot in particular you want to be dropped off?’ called the cab driver from the front seat. He looked up at the sky. ‘Hope you’ve got an umbrella; looks like it’s starting to snow.’
‘Just the foot of 58th, thanks. I’m meeting someone there.’
The cab driver gave her a thumbs up. ‘You got it, sweetheart.’ He slowed, pulled to the kerb, parked and turned around to face her. ‘It’ll be ten even,’ he said. ‘Hey, I don’t know if you’re a movie fan at all, but bit of trivia for ya…’ he continued, and Beth smiled, already anticipating his next words. As she handed him the money along with a tip, the guy continued, ‘Yeah, so Woody Allen and Diane Keaton filmed a pretty famous scene here forManhattan. You ever seen that movie?’
Beth nodded and smiled as she opened the car door. ‘Once or twice.’
***
She knew without a doubt that Danny would be here waiting for her. As she walked from the street and neared the bench where they’d sat so many years ago – where they had in effect fallen in love – she had a brief moment of fear.
What if he had put her through all of this and brought her here today, just to break up with her. To say goodbye? She stopped walking as the thought crossed her mind, but then shook her head, trying to clear the thought. No, Danny wasn’t cruel. He knew how much she loved Christmas. He would never do something like that at this time of year. That can’t be it, she thought.
But then what about the affair? Wasn’t cheating cruel?
Beth didn’t know the answer to that, and she let the question hang in her imagination, as the bench –theirbench – came into view.
It had a sole occupant, and even from this distance, Beth knew that it was Danny. She would know him anywhere. Taking a deep breath and trying to prepare herself for what was to come next, she walked slowly forward until she was standing ten feet behind him.
In front of her, the East River flowed and she could hear the traffic on the Queensboro Bridge. It was different from that first time they were here together. Not as silent – not as peaceful. But it was still a special spot. And just then, as the cab driver had predicted, it started to snow. Which merely added to the magic and romance of the final step.
It was perfect.
Smiling, Beth took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak. ‘I’m here,’ she said, loud enough for Danny to hear. ‘I figured it out, all of it.’
She waited with bated breath for the man who she had loved for so many years to turn round, take her in his arms and tell her that he loved her, that he’d done all this to surprise her. For reasons yet unknown.
Finally, Danny did say something. But he didn’t turn round.
‘Come sit down, Beth,’ he said in a strange voice.
There was something about his tone that immediately scared her, and that earlier fear – that he was about to break up with her, reveal the truth that he didn’t love her any more – once again surged forth in her soul. But she did what he asked just the same.
Sitting down on the bench next to him, Beth faced him, even as he continued to stare out over the river. She studied his face. The face that she had kissed and expressed her love to so many times. Suddenly, it was as if she was seeing him with different eyes.
This wasn’t a joyful scene, she realized, it was a heartbreaking one.
