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“I’m Levi, Fawn’s new neighbor.” His heavy boots sound on the wood of the stairs, then his warm hand comes to rest against my lower back. Opening my eyes back up, I find him standing next to me with his free hand held out toward my parents.
“Aiden Reed.” Dad shakes Levi’s hand, then wraps his arm around my mom’s shoulder. “My wife, Fawn’s mom, Katie Reed.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Reed,” Levi says as I try to shrink into myself. Where is a sinkhole when you need one?
“You, too,” Mom whispers, and I look up, noticing her eyes—glued to Levi—have glazed over. Great.
“Are you heading to the show now?” Levi asks, dipping his head toward me and leaving me no choice but to look at him.
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to take Muffin out for you while you’re gone?” he asks quietly, and I swear I hear my mom swoon and melt into a giant puddle at his feet.
“She should be okay. I took her out not long ago,” I murmur as my eyes unconsciously drop to his mouth. Watching a smirk form on his lips, my brows pull together and my eyes narrow.
“Give me your key—I’m home for the evening. I’ll take her over to my place, and you can come get her when you get back.”
“No—”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Dad cuts me off, and my eyes close briefly. Why, oh, why couldn’t my dad be like any normal father who would grumble at the idea of a man being inside his daughter’s apartment whether she is home or not?
“Yes, I agree that’s a great idea,” Mom chimes in, sounding far too happy about the idea.
“Fine.” Shoving my hand into my pocket angrily for my key, I freeze, then feel in my other pocket, coming up with nothing but a five-year-old ChapStick. Dammit. “Um . . . I forgot my key,” I say softly.
“Do you want me to call a locksmith?” Levi asks, and I look up at my dad, knowing that he’s going to be pissed when I say what I’m about to say. But I don’t want to have to pay for a locksmith to come out when I don’t really need one.
“There’s a key under my doormat,” I whisper.
“You’ve got to be shitting me.” It’s growled, but not by my dad, whom I’m looking directly at. No, by Levi, who’s standing next to me with his hand on the back of my coat, clenched into a fist around the material. “Do you know how unsafe that is?”
“The building is secured,” I whisper, and my dad’s jaw clenches tight, shifting the beard on his face.
“You know that doesn’t matter, kiddo,” Dad growls.
Levi mutters, “Damn straight it doesn’t.” Oh great, now I have both of them growling at me.
“It’s been there forever and nothing has happened.”
“You know shit can happen, Fawn Grace Reed. My career is based off bad shit happening to people who don’t expect it to happen to them.” Dad shakes his head, and I know he’s really mad, since he didn’t just use my name—no, he used my full name.
“I won’t put it back after tonight.”
“No, you won’t,” Levi mutters, and I turn to glare at him—not that he notices. His eyes are on my dad’s and they are sharing a look that doesn’t bode well for me.
“We should go or we are going to be late,” Mom says, and all eyes go to her. “We still need to pick up our tickets at the box office.”
“Right,” Dad mutters, looking from her to Levi. “If you’re not working in the morning, come on over for breakfast. Katie’s making pancakes, and Fawn’s sisters will be over, so there will be plenty.” Um . . . what? No!
“I’d like that,” Levi agrees, loosening his grip on the back of my coat. “Have a good night, Mr. and Mrs. Reed.”
“Aiden will do.” Dad takes his arm from around my mom to take her hand on the stairs. With his other hand, he pats Levi’s shoulder.
“And you can call me Katie,” Mom says with a bright smile, and I roll my eyes at both of my parents.
“Okay, Aiden and Katie, I’ll see you both in the morning—and Fawn.” He dips his face close to mine. “I’ll see you tonight when you come to pick up Muffin. Have a good time.”
“Thanks,” I grumble, watching him smile like he thinks I’m cute. Whatever. I pull my eyes from him and head down the last few stairs, hearing my mom and dad behind me as I open the door to the building. As soon as I’m outside, I inhale a deep breath of cool air. I’m no longer embarrassed about what Levi heard me say. No, I’m annoyed with him for being high-handed as well as pissed that he’s going to be coming to my apartment to have breakfast with my parents and sisters tomorrow. I don’t want them to get to know him yet, not when I don’t even really know him, and I don’t want them to try to influence my feelings for him.
“Well, Levi seems very nice,” Mom says, taking my arm, and I sigh.
“Yes, he’s nice,” I agree, because he really is nice.
“I like him.”
“Mom, you like everyone,” I grumble. My mom has never met a person she hasn’t liked; I swear she could find a likable quality in a serial killer if left alone with him long enough.
“I like him, too,” Dad says, holding out his arm for a cab.
“Surprise, surprise.” I roll my eyes as a cab pulls to a stop in front of us. My dad opens the door for my mom and me to get in the back, and he gets into the front with the driver. Sitting there, I listen absently as my parents chat until my dad asks the driver to pull over so we can walk the last few blocks, since traffic is backed up.
“Are you excited, honey?” Mom questions, leaning into my side as soon as we’re out of the cab and on the sidewalk.
“Yes.” I smile at her. I don’t get to go to shows often, since the tickets are so expensive, but I love getting to pick whatever show I want for my birthday each year. It’s always something I look forward to.
“Come on.” Dad’s arm wraps around my shoulders, pulling me against this bulky chest and holding me there while leading me down the block. Finally getting to the theater, we get in line to pick up our tickets from the box office, then head inside, where we are directed to the first floor. The theater is huge and packed with men, women, and kids from all walks of life, some dressed up to see the show, others wearing jeans and sweaters and pulling luggage along with them.
“We’re gonna go find the restrooms.” Mom smiles as I head toward the concession stand. “We’ll meet you at our seats.”
“Okay, do you guys want anything?”
“Wine for me.” She grins.
“A rum and Coke and a bag of popcorn,” Dad says, wrapping his hand around my mom’s.
“Sure,” I agree, then watch them disappear in the crowd. Waiting in line for what seems like forever, I finally make it to the front and place my order, making sure to get a magnet since I have one from every show I’ve ever gone to. With a drink holder, my dad’s popcorn, and a bag of peanut M&M’s in my pocket, I make my way to the front of the packed theater. Finding my parents already seated, I take the seat next to my mom, unpack the drink carrier, and take off my coat, all the while listening to the quiet hum of excitement around me.
Staring at the red drapes blocking the stage, my mind wanders to what’s going on between Levi and me as I nibble my M&M’s and sip my wine.
“What?” I ask when I turn to find both my parents smiling at me.
“Nothing,” Dad mutters, shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth as my mom winks and pats my hand. I don’t have long to wonder what that’s about. The lights dim, and the show starts, pushing all thoughts of Levi out of my head as I watch in wonder as the magic of The Lion King on Broadway unfolds
in front of my eyes.
“So was it everything you thought it would be?” Mom asks after the show comes to an end and the people start to put on their coats and leave.
“Everything and more. I can’t believe how magical it was, how amazing the props were. It was way better than the movie.”
“It was cool,” my dad agrees, helping my mom into her coat as I put mine on. “I didn’t think anything could top Hamilton, but this show was very well done.”
“It really was,” Mom says, touching his cheek with her hand, and he turns his head to kiss her palm. God, my parents are seriously still so in love that it’s crazy, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that no matter how long it takes, I will wait for a real love—because I want a love like they have. I want to look at the man I’m with over thirty years later and still feel my face get soft the way my mom’s does when she looks at my dad.
“Can we stop and get a hot dog before we head back to the apartment?” Dad asks, and Mom shakes her head.
“You and those darn hot dogs,” she grumbles.
“They’re good.” He smiles, and I laugh. No street-cart food is really good, but my dad likes standing in the middle of Times Square eating a hot dog while looking at the lights.
“If we must,” Mom agrees, giving in like she does every year.
“Thanks, darlin’.” He kisses the top of her head, then leads us out of the theater with the crowd. As soon as we’re outside, we make our way down the block toward the bright lights. Stopping at the first food cart we see, we order two hot dogs and a pretzel covered with cinnamon and sugar, then wander slowly through the crowd of people. There are some truly beautiful places in the world, and Times Square is one of them. It’s not full of rare, beautiful history like the Louvre in France, but it’s still beautiful in its own way. Standing under the bright lights with people from all over the world around you fills you with an energy that is impossible to describe unless you have experienced it firsthand. I still remember the first time my parents brought us to Manhattan. The first time they bundled us up and took us to see Times Square. That was when I fell in love with the city.
