@ElissaJohnson toAmyBNYC
I don’t. Amber ismydog
‘Chuck! Chuck Allen!’I repeat back to him. Seth’s mouth drops open. ‘It’s Chuck! The real Chuck!’ I shout to Anders and Mrs Ramirez. They hurry over to me, clutching each other in anticipation. ‘You don’t know how happy I am to hear from you!’ Itellhim.
‘I must say I’m surprised. Birdie and I were so long ago,’ Chuck says, somewhat stiffly. ‘And we didn’t end on the best of terms. I’m very sad to hear she’s been sounwell.’
‘I have a letter for you!’ I squeak, barely able to contain myexcitement!
‘Yes, I gather. I’ve been reading about the Menace of Manhattan in the paper. And now, having just seen you on Craig and Diane, I realise that you areinManhattan because of me. I felt I ought to get intouch.’
Did he just do an irritated sigh? No. Chuck Allenwouldn’tsigh.
‘Where are you?’ I ask, concerned that my reception will go and I won’t get his exactlocation.
‘I’m on my yacht at New York Harbour. Some friends and I are having a party on the river before I leave for Balitomorrow.’
‘Bali?’ I spit. ‘Well I need to see you now.Rightnow.’
‘Yeah, the yacht sets sail in about forty minutes. We’re on Pier 78. You’ll spot my yacht. It’s thebiggestone.’
‘Okay! I’m on my way. Don’t leave before I’m there. This is soimportant.’
Chuck sniffs. ‘I’ll do my best, but, as they say, the captain’s wordislaw.’
I hang up feeling a swirl of disappointment in my chest. Chuck doesn’t exactly sound like the swoonsome romantic hero I’ve been picturing in my head this past week. I shake the thought away. That doesn’t matter. I’ve found him! Birdie will be sopleased!
‘Right!’ I say, shoving my phone into my bumbag and zipping it up. ‘I have to get to New York Harbour, Pier78asap.’
‘I could hire a helicopter,’ Anders ponders. ‘It will be a pleasant trip but perhaps a little time-consumingconsidering…’
‘I think I’ll just catch a cab.’ I walk out into the pavement and stick outmyhand.
‘Shall we come?’ MrsRamirezasks.
‘I’d be happy to,’ Seth says. ‘I can take anhourout!’
I shake my head. ‘No. No. Thanks for offering, but this is something I need to do alone. I want to sit down and talk to Chuck. To tell him about Birdie. To wait while he reads the letter.’ I look at Anders and Mrs Ramirez. ‘You guys wait back in Gramercy for me. I’ll be therelater.’
‘Make sure you give him my number,’ Anders instructs. ‘Tell him that I retain my innocence regarding my intentions with Warner’s face. I was just trying to fix his ends. I didnotmean to cut his face with myscissors.’
Four cabs fly past me. I take a deep breath and shout super loudly and, as I’m a dab hand at this now, the next cab screeches to a halt right nexttome.
That will nevergetold!
‘Call me if you need any help,’ Seth says. ‘I guess I should go back to work but… I’ll call youlater?’
‘Yeah,’ I smile, getting in the cab and trying not to think about how sad I feel that our destiny was to be nothing more than fling. ‘I’ll speak to you in a little while.’ I close the door of the cab. ‘New York Harbor,’ I say breathlessly to thedriver.
He turns around, his dark eyebrows raised. ‘You want me to steponit?’
I break into a massive smile. ‘Yesplease!’
So he does. And as he screeches off the sidewalk I turn to see Anders, Mrs Ramirez and Seth waving madlybehindme.
My heart lifts at the sight of these three people. People I never expected to meet. People I now really care about and, I think, careaboutme.
How luckyamI?
