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Chapter 17
(Eva)
The next morning I got up bright and early. I wanted to go for a run before Eric arrived for breakfast. I had been able to get some tennis shoes and some new workout gear with my tips. It was the first time in my life that I had proper running gear. Before the Andersons, I had loved to go running. I would run around Chicago for hours, looking at all the sights. I was hoping that I would eventually be able to do the same in New York after I got back into shape. Stepping outside the dorm I leaned against the railing, starting to stretch.
“Good morning Eva,” I heard the sexiest voice on earth say.
Turning around I stared right into the glittering, emerald colored eyes of Damon. “What are you doing here?” I asked suspiciously.
“I was just on my morning run when I saw you,” he said smiling. “Want to join me?” he asked.
No, I did not want to join Damon on his run. For one thing he was most likely in the best shape of anyone on the earth and I didn’t want to make a fool of myself, and for another thing, spending more time with him would chip at my already depleted resolve to stay away from him. Unfortunately, my time with the Andersons had ingrained in me that I needed to be polite at all times.
“I’ll run with you, but you are going to be disappointed,” I said reluctantly. “I haven’t been on a run in a long time.”
“I don’t need to go super hard anyway because I have practice this afternoon,” he said charmingly.
Reluctantly I walked over to where he was standing, and turned to start jogging. I expected to get tired quickly but my body surprised me when I continued to feel energized throughout the run. We had headed out into the city. I was following slightly behind Damon so that he could lead us since I didn’t know the area well. Eventually however I began to run faster, soon running side by side with Damon, and then pulling ahead. I felt a flood of energy hit me and I felt like I could have run forever in that moment.
I saw him begin to run faster out of the corner of my eye. We began to move at a breakneck pace, swerving in and out of bystanders on the street. We kept this pace for what seemed like hours until finally we arrived at what appeared to be Central Park. I slowed to a walk, looking around in awe. When I turned, Damon was looking at me in wonder.
“Do you realize how far we just ran?” he asked.
I didn’t have a clue.
“We ran 9 miles,” he said. “And you aren’t even breathing hard.”
I realized he was right. I wasn’t breathing hard...I wasn’t even sweating. How strange. Three years in an attic should have made me unable to run down the block. I looked at him and noticed that he also wasn’t sweating or breathing hard. Even if he was in perfect shape, he too should have had some kind of accelerated breathing. I didn’t know what to say, and didn’t want to call further attention to the weirdness so I just smiled at him.
“I’ve always dreamed of going to Central Park,” I told him soaking in the sunlight drifting through the leafy trees. He kindly pretended not to notice my change in the conversation and walked over to a nearby coffee stand.
“How do you take your coffee,” he asked.
“As sweet as I can get it,” I said with a laugh. “Just surprise me because the only actual coffee I have tried was a mocha latte.”
“You’ve only tried coffee once?” he asked with a surprised laugh.
I blushed and nodded.
“Alright, well this coffee stand will not do then,” he said, still handing the vendor a bill despite not having ordered anything. He grabbed my hand and started to march away.
“Where are we going?” I said, once again giggling despite my admonishment to myself to be cool.
“Introducing you to good coffee,” he said with a wink while calling a cab.
Ten minutes later I found myself in a charming coffee shop that also doubled as a bookstore. New and used books lined the shelves, and I savored the delicious mix of coffee and worn paper in the air.
“I’ve been coming to this place since I arrived in New York. It doesn’t look like much, but there isn’t a better coffee in the whole city,” he explained, looking happy to be bringing me here.
We went up to the counter. A friendly looking woman who looked to be in her late 60s was manning the counter. She had red hair that was streaked with gray, rosy cheeks, and a winning smile.
“Damon,” she exclaimed. “Who is this angel you’ve brought with you today?”
“This is Eva,” Damon announced with a smile. “She’s a coffee novice so I thought I would take her to get the best coffee in town. Eva, this is Leslie. She’s run this coffee shop for 30 years. I’ve asked her to marry me several times, but she always tells me she’s too old for me,” he added with a wink. Leslie’s rosy cheeks got even rosier.
“Ahh, this one is quite the charmer,” she said grinning. “This boy is too sweet to flirt with a woman my age.”
Damon just grinned. This was obviously a conversation they had frequently.
