The Doorman

After The Dark Morning

I woke up on a beautiful Wednesday morning, not knowing how I got into my bed. I lifted the covers, and found I was fully clothed in my sweatpants and hoodie. I smelled something wonderful in the air, so I slowly got up and walked towards my kitchen. The scene before me blew me away: standing in the kitchen with an apron on was no other than John. I stood there, shock written all over my face.

He sensed someone was there, so he turned around and said,

"Good morning beautiful. Are you hungry?"

"Ahh, yes. You made breakfast?"

"I thought you deserved a nice morning. I hope you like pancakes?"

"Yes, I do."

"Go sit down. I'll bring everything to you. I made coffee too."

"Thank you for doing this, you know you did not have to."

"I wanted to. Here you go—the coffee is hot. Let me know if the pancakes are OK."

"It is delicous. Where did you learn how to cook?"

"My mom made sure all her kids knew the way around a kitchen and could cook. I would love to make dinner for you some time."

"I would absolutely love that." So, what are your plans for today?"

"After breakfast, I'm going home to shower and change; then I'll be back to pick you up."

"Sounds good to me. John, I never asked you—where you live?"

"You won't believe me if I told you—two blocks away."

"Are you kidding me? You've been around the corner this whole time." John laughed, and I did the same. This is too funny.

This is unbelievable. I had a whirlwind of emotions going through me, an instant excitement with a sudden, fluttery nervousness. I was giddy with happiness, with many what-ifs' playing in my head—casual run-ins, walking the same path or meeting at the laundromat....the endless possibilities.

After we finished breakfast, John helped with the dishes.

"Thank you for breakfast and helping clean up."

"I will take off now and see you in an hour."

While walking, John to the door. I asked, where are we going? I want to make sure I'm dressed appropriately."

"Dress casual! It's a surprise, so I can't tell you where we're going. I came up with this idea last night after I put you to bed."

"Yes, about that."

"You carried me to bed?"

"I did." Was that OK? You looked so exhausted, and I did not have the heart to wake you."

"That was absolutely OK, and I appreciate your kindness. Thank you."

I opened the door to let John out. After saying goodbye, I closed and locked the door. While taking a shower and lathering up, I tried to figure out what to wear. It has to be something cute. I thought. After getting out of the shower. I toweled dry myself and headed straight to my closet. I pulled out my outfit for the day, placed them on the bed and went to dry and styled my hair. When I was done, it was time to get dressed.

Wearing a black flowy midi skirt paired with a white tee shirt, denim jacket and stylish white sneakers. I needed to have the perfect hairstyle for this outfit, so I went with a chic claw clip updo with a few strands to frame my face. Put on my lip stain, give myself a once-over in the mirror, and love what I see. I decided to go with a black cross bag to tie my outfit together.

A few minutes later, I heard my door buzzer, I knew it was John. I buzzed him in, and soon he was at my door knocking. I opened the door to let him in, and he said,

"Wow, you look great!"

"Thank you while doing curtsy."

"He smiled, and said,

"Your chariot awaits your highness."

"You look pretty sharp."

John looked very hot. He was wearing blue jeans, a black tee shirt, matching jacket and sneakers, with his hair pulled back.

I smiled at him and said let me grab my purse. After putting my cross bag on, I made sure I had my wallet and keys. I am ready, I announced. John walked and opened the door and held it for me. I walked out, he closed the door and I locked it. We walked the two flights of stairs to reach the lobby, then John opened the door to the building and I walked out. We walked to the train station hand in hand to get the number five train. It was not rush hour, so I knew the trains would be running local and would not be crowded.

We arrived at the train station fifteen minutes later, paid our fare, and went upstairs to wait on the platform for the next arriving train. I couldn't help but watch our hands entwined; It felt so right. I'd had butterflies in my stomach the whole way here. We sat on the bench still holding hands, then I saw John look at our hands and say,

"You have soft hands."

I smiled and said, "Thank You."

Ten minutes later, the train arrived. John stood up, let go of my hand, and held my left hand, in his left hand, standing alongside me with his right hand around my waist. When the train stopped, he walked me in, and we sat in a two-seater to make the ride a little more intimate. We chattered on the ride there. We had to take the number two train to Time Square and transfer to the L train to 8th Avenue station, which is the last stop.

The train came to a complete stop and the conductor announced this was the last stop on this train. Please ensure you have all your personal belongings. The train doors opened, and John took my hand in his. We walked out and headed for the stairs. After getting to the top of the stairs, we walked west on fourteenth street toward the Hudson River for about five minutes, when I asked John.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked question.

"This is a new place you can add to your list—I promise you, you will love it."

'Now I cannot wait." I was anxious and excited, not only to spend the day with John, but to see what he had in store for our date. He always plans the best outings. Ten minutes later, we were here." Little Island." The noise of traffic began to fade, replaced by a sense of walking into futuristic, natural sculpture.

What I saw before me was breathtaking. It was a transition from the bustling city into a serene, unworldly landscape. Walking up the bridge, I was greeted by stunning, tulip-shaped concrete pots that appear to float above the Hudson River, framing a meticulously designed, green and organic oasis. The North Bridge acts like a gateway, offering panoramic views of the skyline, immediately creating a sense of awe.

The most striking feature is the collection of 132 giant, tulip-shaped pots. Seeing them from the approach at 14th Street looks surreal and artistic-a sculpture garden that is both grand and intimate. The Green Oasis is heavily landscaped; vibrant, lush green foliage and trees peaking over the concrete structure, opening a stark, beautiful contrast between the rigid, grid-like concrete and the soft, natural plants. The pathway feels welcoming, transforming the space, making it feel less like a city park and more like an exclusive retreat.

This quiet spot in the middle of a busy environment was relaxing, tranquil, pleasant, and slightly detached from the hectic everyday world. We spent about thirty minutes walking around and taking in the beauty of this place. Then we sat in a grassy area to look at the panoramic view before us: the Manhattan skyline, the Hudson River, and New Jersey Waterfront.

John turned to me and said, "Are you hungry?"

"I can eat" I responded.

We then walked to "The Playground. It is on-site, which is located on the right of the entrance. This area has food kiosks and lots of food trucks. I had a hot dog and fries, and a ginger ale, while John had a hot dog, fries and a sprite. After getting our food, we returned to the grass to have a pretend picnic. After our meal was finished, John was sitting with his hands behind his back. I was sitting with my knees bent, and my hands were around my knees.

Suddenly, John shifted his position and turned towards me, resting his left hand beside me while lifting his right knee and resting his right hand on it.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

I looked at John with an expression of happiness and excitement and feeling all giddy inside. I smiled and said yes. We locked eyes, and at that moment, John slowly leaned in. I knew this was the moment he was going to kiss me. My heart was racing, feeling a surge of euphoria, in breathless anticipation. I was about to have my first kiss, I said to myself. I met him halfway with my eyes closed, and he brushed his lips gently on mine.

When our lips met, I felt like electricity just ran through my entire body, leaving me breathless and begging for more. When we pull away, the feeling is an electric, breath-catching mixture of elated adrenaline, dizzying warmth and shy anticipation as the reality of the new connection settles in.

John's face was still very close to mine, and he said in a raspy voice,

"That is the best kiss I have ever had."

Feeling very shy, I looked down. John took his index finger, placed it under my chin, and brought my face up to say,

"Look at me."

He leaned in, kissing me again with more intensity this time—I felt like I was floating on clouds. John pulled away slightly and placed a soft kiss on my nose. I smiled.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

'I am"

We exited the park holding hands, a big smile on my face, still feeling John's lips on mine. I self-consciously touched my lips with my right hand, looked at my feet, and smiled to myself, then at John just as he looked at me; our eyes met with an intense stare. He immediately stopped and faced me. He placed his left hand behind my head and the right hand around my waist and pulled me in close to him. He leaned down and captured my lips with a hungry kiss, which lasted about what felt like a minute. When we pulled away, we were both breathless.

He gave me a hug. I buried my face in his chest, feeling overwhelmed by all that had happened today. We pulled away; he smiled at me and said.

"Let's go get the train."

I nodded my head in agreement. We walked and made it to the train station, where we boarded the L train back to Time Square and then the number two train to 219 Street in the Bronx. When we arrived at our final destination, the doors opened, and we got off onto the platform. Heading down the stairs to the customer service center booth, and then down another flight of stairs to the street. John never let go of my hands until I got to the front of the building while I had to punch in the codes. He held my hands again while going up the two flights of stairs and again let them go when we arrived at my front door.

I opened my front door and we both walked in. I asked,

"Would you like something to drink?"

He answered, "I will have whatever you have."

"I will be having hot chocolate. Is that OK with you?"

"Sure, I love hot chocolate."

I made sure the electic kettle had water, then plugged it in, then pushed the button. While the water was boiling. I placed two mugs on the counter and opened two packs of hot chocolate in each of our mugs. I looked at John sitting on the sofa and said,

"Can I tell you something? I am not sure how you are going to feel about this."

'This sounds serious."

"It depends on how you take it."

"OK.Tell me."

I walked over to John, who was sitting on one side of the sofa. I then sat on the far end of the sofa and I started, at the park today. I paused. I was playing with my fingers and looking down at them while speaking to John. When you kissed me. Well, that was my first kiss. There was silence in the room. You could hear a pin drop. I did not look at John to see his reaction. Just then the kettle indicator clicked, leeting me know that the water was ready.

I quickly got up, headed to the kitchen, and poured hot water from the kettle into our mugs. I placed the kettle back, then stirred the hot chocolate in the mugs. I picked them up and brought one for John. I handed it to him without looking at him. He took it and said nothing. He placed it on the coffee table. Then cleared his throat.

"I am sorry." John said

"He was sorry for kissing me. My stomach began to churn; I was feeling uneasy and on the verge of crying, my first kiss, and the guy is regretting that he did it. I thought to myself. I got up, swallowed hard and I said,

"It's OK, no harm done. I understand. You can show yourself out; I will lock up after you leave. I turn to walk away, but John reaches for my arm and turns me around. I kept my head down, refusing to look at him because I am not ready for his stupid explanations. My feelings are hurt, and I had every right to walk away in shame.

"You misunderstand what I was trying to say. I should have done it in a more private setting, that way you would not feel embarrassed. That is why I am sorry—[but] I will never be sorry for kissing you."

I looked up and at him while biting on my lower lip with silent tears streaming down my face. He held my face as if it were the most fragile thing in the world, his thumb soothing my wet cheek. He kissed my forehead with protective devotion, then traced my cheeks and nose with soft butterfly-wing kisses before finally settling on my lips.

"Don't cry. I love kissing you."

The words finally choked out. "I was not embarrassed."

"You was not? He asked in shock."

"When you were kissing me it felt like we were the only ones there and the setting was perfect."

"I care so much for you, Katie, and I want you in my life."

"I care about you too."

John wrapped me in a tight hug, and I instantly mirrored his warmth and intensity.

"I never want to let you go," John whispered to me.

John cupped my face, kissed my lips, then he took his tongue and slid it over my bottom lip, requesting access. I opened my mouth slightly, and he explored every inch of my mouth. I didn't know what to do, as I'd never experienced anything like it. The kiss was so intense and passionate, it felt like he was pouring his whole heart out. We were breathless. It took us a minute to catch our breath.

"I can do this all day," John whispered in my ear after pulling away.

I was thinking, would he still want to see me or feel the same when he found out what really happened in the alley that night?