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I narrowed my eyes.
“Or you could be Dorothy. You sort of have the look down. Wholesome. Spunky. Bookish.”
“Oh, shut up. I’m not the Midwesterner here.”
“That’s your best defense?”
“Hmph. Fine. And who would you be?”
He grinned with a touch of lasciviousness. “The wizard, of course. Send you over the rainbow.”
I held up a hand. “Okay, let’s get our children’s lit straight. I’m pretty sure it was Glinda who sent Dorothy over the rainbow. Or the tornado.”
This time, he definitely leered. “I could be a tornado.”
I kicked him again. “New rule. No more awful innuendo jokes. God, how do people take your seriously?”
“Oh, it’s my charm and good looks. They don’t even hear what I’m saying.”
“You’re right. I’m so dazzled by your appearance I’m knocked senseless. Completely blown away.”
His eyes were bright in the dim pub. He leaned across the table and kissed me. He tasted of salt and rain and for a moment I thought, damn, I’m done for. And then I didn’t think.
* * *
He suggested taking a taxi back home, but I insisted on the subway. We were standing on the platform when the commotion started, a small stir that ended with a click and a flash of light right before we stepped onto the train.
“Did someone just take a picture of us?” I peered through the closing doors at the photographer who wasn’t quite standing clear. He’d tried to beat his way on, but the rush hour crush blocked him away.
Ryan smirked down at me, his arm stretched above me to hold on to the metal rail. “I’m not a big deal, am I?”
“Oh my God!” I craned my neck, trying to catch another glimpse of the reporter as the train pulled out of the station. “I should have worn a cuter outfit!”
“Are you kidding?” Ryan asked. “You didn’t dress up for our first date?”
“If you’re lucky,” I said with a small smile, feeling very lucky and daring myself, “next time I’ll wear that Venetian mask.”
* * *
My friends and I had always said, in the offhand manner of those who don’t really have to consider it, that we would never want to be in a serious relationship with a doctor or finance guy because of the hours.
Turned out the hours of professional ball players were also ridiculous.
Ryan spent that weekend in Boston, but we’d managed to steal the Friday before he departed. We met at Amorino’s, a European gelato chain down near Malcolm’s that I hadn’t known existed, and we ended up at Malcolm’s afterward with the usual suspects.
After he came back, we had more time due to the bye. I still had my internship and temp work, not to mention Alexa and the book, but we made it down to Artichoke Pizza and the Botanical Gardens on different evenings. Unlike most of my friends, who had carefully cultivated ennui and no interest in tourist spots, Ryan liked exploring the city, and tourist spots never embarrassed or turned him off.
For Halloween, I dressed up as Dorothy despite myself. Ryan played the Wizard in a green waistcoat and top hat, while Abe, Malcolm, and Dylan suited up as the Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow. Bri came as Glinda, and the lot of us went to Mount Sinai’s Children Hospital and put on several skits. There was a bit of trouble when I tripped out of my ruby slippers and accidentally pulled the tail off the lion, but mostly it went well. Afterward, we met up with Eva in the Village. She’d dressed convincingly as the Wicked Witch, though she insisted we call her Elphaba.
The next morning—of that one weekend where Ryan was totally, blissfully free—we woke long after the sun had risen. I yawned and curled up against him, sleepy and happy and content. “This is a totally yuppie tourist thing, but want to do brunch at Max Brenner?”
He ro
lled over and lifted a brow.
I wiggled my cold toes against his calf. Ryan was never cold. “There’s so much chocolate. Crepes and shakes and fondues and sundaes.”
So we headed downtown to Max Brenner.
