She drew the paper cup to her lips and lingered over it, not speaking but not sipping. “I pick a spot I want to go to, book a short-term rental, and make the drive. I spend two weeks exploring whatever town or city I’m in, a week plotting the story,and nine weeks writing. Then I pack up and find somewhere new. Wash, rinse, repeat.”
There was an edge to the “wash, rinse, repeat.” A story behind it.
“Where did you live before you started traveling?"
“California.”
I grabbed my last pierogi. “So what’s on the shortlist for destinations?”
Willow wiped her mouth and balled up the napkin. “Idaho, Michigan, or North Dakota. I try to hit the northern states in the summer and the southern states in the winter.”
“That’s smart.”
She cracked a smile, and damn if it wasn’t the prettiest thing I had seen in a long time. “I learned my lesson the first time I tried to handle New Mexico in June, July, and August. I was miserable. So I got out of it for the next writing stint and decided to go to Washington State." She cringed. “Washington State between October and December is too cold and too wet. It’s miserable.”
“Sounds like those states need a do-over.”
She shook her head. “No repeats until I spend three months in all of them.”
I did the math and nearly choked. “You’re going to keep moving every three months for the next twelve or thirteenyears?”
Willow shrugged. “I get bored easily. The rentals are a tax write-off since it’s a business expense. My car is paid off. I’m just one person. It’s not that bad. Once, I tried working west to east, but I got bored with similar climates and scenery. Crisscrossing the country is more fun. I like the change.”
“Alaska and Hawaii?”
She nodded. “On my list, they take a little more planning. With Hawaii, I have to decide if I want to store my car on themainland and find something to drive while I’m there, or pay to have my car shipped over. With Alaska, it’s more about preparing for the drive and the logistics of the climate and resources.”
She was impulsive, but also a little bit of a planner. I liked that combination. She wasn’t afraid of putting herself out there and going for what she wanted, but she was still grounded.
I collected our trash and dumped it in the garbage can. “So are you working or vacationing this afternoon?”
Willow must have realized how much information she divulged because she went quiet.
I held my hands up. “I have client calls scheduled this afternoon, so I’m not inviting myself along.”
She let out a little sigh of relief. “I was going to hit some museums then browse rentals to see where I want to go next.”
“I heard the Met has a great exhibit right now.”
“Yeah, I was reading about it and—” she clammed up and went frosty on me again. “I might go see it.”
I guided her out of the restaurant with my hand on her back. “Go ahead. Get your jab in. I know it’s on the tip of your tongue.”
She tried to hide her smile by rolling her lips between her teeth. “I can’t believe people pay to talk to you.”
“One day you’ll realize that I’m not Harold Hill fromThe Music Man.”
Willow arched an eyebrow. “So you’re a musical fan.”
“We should see a show while we’re here.”
She grimaced. “I’m not big on musicals.”
“Do you like concerts?”
“Yeah, I love live music. I just hate the sing-talking in musicals. It drives me crazy. They need to pick a lane.”
Willow paused at the subway entrance, but I needed to go in the opposite direction. “Let me know when you get back to your hotel,” I said. “Just so I don’t worry that something happenedto my future wife. It’d be bad for business if you got lost and I didn’t get to make you fall in love with me.”
