Chapter 5
1452 Words
Bradley
She looked absolutely adorable, standing on the corner in a pair of pre-ripped jeans and a tight white sweater. Not to mention her little lace-up black boots, which looked unfortunately new.
I could tell by the look of surprise on her face that she hadn’t expected me this way. I figured that much as I pulled up. I hadn’t really told her.
“A motorcycle?”
I smiled through my open visor and handed her a helmet. She was wearing her hair straight, so I didn’t think it would be an issue.
“Ever been on one?”
“I’m from Texas,” Holly chuckled, throwing one leg over the back with practiced ease. “What do you think?”
A minute later we were speeding uptown, her boots on the footpegs, her arms wrapped pleasantly around my waist. Her coat was thankfully short, and buttoned up tight. Though it was dark, it was still unseasonably warm.
“Where are we going?” she shouted over my shoulder.
“For a ride,” I called back.
It was incredible, being out on my bike this late in the year. Even so, I knew it was probably my last ride until spring. My last chance to get out before the snows came and everything iced over, and the dirt trucks spread enough sand over the roads to make them virtually unrideable.
Damn, she feels good!
I zipped up 5th Ave, feeling Holly lean tight with me on the lane changes. She definitely had ridden before. She was a great passenger, and one who didn’t fight the turns.
Saving her in the park today had been thrilling. Not only did it give me an excuse to talk to her, but it made me a temporary hero in her eyes. The cute little brunette in my psych class was no longer just someone I saw on campus or studying in the park. She was on my bike now. Her legs spread, hugging tight against my body.
We skirted the Park, continuing north through Harlem. Christmas decorations flew by — colorful lights and wreaths, dangling from streetlights and doorways, all the way up Amsterdam Avenue. It was beautiful. Always was. Maybe even more so that I could enjoy it without freezing my hands off.
“I’ve never been up this far,” Holly said, as we turned onto Broadway. She laughed musically. “Where the hell are you taking me?”
“Connecticut!”
I felt her thighs squeeze deliciously against mine. It gave her enough leverage to punch me playfully in the ribs.
“Alright, alright,” I laughed. “Hang tight. We’re almost there.”
It was another half mile before Fort Tyron Park came into view. We parked and continued on foot, me pulling Holly along excitedly by her warm, feminine hand.
“Wow, this place is gorgeous!” she marveled. Her head moved like it was on a swivel. “I never even knew it was here.”
“Not many people do,” I said. “It’s so far out of the way, it’s almost not even in the City.”
Cobblestone paths lead us deeper into the heart of the wooded preserve. The sounds of traffic and car horns seemed to fade with every step we took.
We walked the paths for a while, still holding hands. The two of us enjoying the silence, marred only by the steady sounds of our booted feet.
“Are you cold?” I asked, pulling her into me.
“No… I’m good.”
I could see her blushing, even through her rosy cheeks. Our fingers were interlocked, and when I squeezed she squeezed back.
“If you get cold, just tell me,” I said.
“Why, are you gonna give me your jacket?” she teased. When I didn’t answer she shrugged. “Hmm, I guess chivalry isn’t dead after all.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Funny you should say ‘chivalry’.”
The path we were on opened up, and a long series of castle-like structures came into view. Holly’s eyes went adorably wide.
“Oh wow…” she breathed. “What are—”
“These are the Cloisters,” I answered. “A bunch of Gothic hallways and monasteries from Europe, dismantled in the 1930’s and brought all the way here.”
Her bright eyes scanned the ancient stones. They looked so foreign, so out of place, especially tucked away deep within New York City.
“C’mon,” I said. “Let’s go!”
For the next hour or so we wandered through all four of the open galleries, interconnected to form a square. In the center of the quadrangle was a lush garden that would undoubtedly be amazing in the summer. Right now it was still beautiful, but in a wintery way.
It was amazing to me, that such history could be taken apart and put back together half a world away. The interior was a breathtaking array of arches and pillars. Of colorful tapestries, stained-glass windows, frescoes and sculptures. Much of it had been decorated for Christmas, lending what could’ve been considered a cold place a warm, holiday feel.
Holly was a good sport, even when I made her stop several times to take different photos. I even took one of us — an adorable selfie, smiling cheek to cheek while I held the camera at arm’s length.
Eventually we stopped at their tiny cafe, for a pair of coffees. Relaxing at our little table, I was able to really give her the once-over. Unapologetically, too.
“This place is adorable,” Holly smiled. She threw me an accusatory look. “Maybe a little too adorable.”
“Oh?”
“I can only imagine how many first dates you’ve brought here,” she laughed. “I’ll bet it charmed the pants off every one of them.”
I pretended to look under the table.
“No wise-ass,” she giggled. “My pants are not coming off.”
“Not yet anyway,” I confirmed. “But please let me know when they do.”
She laughed again, and that was a good sign. Holly wasn’t just pretty, she was sexy too. There was a smoldering sensuality about her that I really liked, hiding just beneath her witty surface. All I needed to do was break through.
“So how many?” she shot back. “Two? Four? Six? A girl’s gotta know.”
“Actually,” I sighed, leaning back in my chair, “this is my first time here.”
My cute little classmate furrowed her brow. “C’mon…”
“No, really. This is just one of the many places on my list.”
Now she actually looked intrigued. “Your list?”
“Yeah, I have a list. It’s… well, it’s a little complicated.”
“Try me.”
Her eyes looked almost turquoise in this light. So pretty. So bright, even in the cafe’s dim light.
“Alright,” I said. “So I have this list of things to do and places to go, in and around New York City. Each month I choose one and force myself to visit. No matter what I’m doing, I just go.”
She stared back at me over her mug. “That… actually sounds kinda cool.”
“Right? It’s my grandmother’s idea,” I admitted.
“Your grandmother?”
I nodded. “My grandparents raised me. My sister too. Our parents got divorced when we were eleven, and they both just sorta took off in different directions.”
“Holy shit.”
“That’s what we said,” I laughed.
There was a moment of silence, but for some reason it wasn’t awkward. Holly’s look was more one of admiration than pity — something I appreciated immediately.
“Anyway, the whole ‘go someplace new’ thing was my grandmother’s idea. It was something she used to do, back when she could still get around.”
“And you took it over.”
“Yup. She’s still sort of living vicariously through me now. That’s why I bring her lots of photos of everything.”
Holly was abruptly quiet. I couldn’t tell if she was weirded out, or—
“Bradley?”
“Yes?”
Her eyes looked glassy. “That’s one of the most adorable things anyone’s ever told me.”
Now it was my turn to blush. All of a sudden I was glad for the bad lighting.
“It’s kind of silly, I guess. I mean—”
“No,” Holly said sternly. She reached across the table and took my hand. “It’s not.”
- Writer
