Dani treated Mark to the best smoothie he’d ever had, a raspberry something or other, with several additional flavors he couldn’t pin down except perhaps lime. As they sipped on their straws, talking and meandering through the hot city streets, he wished they were back at the much cooler park.

Aside from escaping the heat, he would also have been quite glad to settle down to busking again with Dani dancing to his music. Maybe she could sing along at times instead of dancing. They could come up with quite a gig, the two of them, especially if he brought a piccolo and flute to change things up.

He knew all the best spots for busking. You didn’t bother with the playgrounds. That’s where young kids scrambled about under the watchful eyes of their nannies, who didn’t usually have cash on them and had their attention focused on their charges. Instead, he picked out spots where adults and, preferably, tourists, tended to congregate.

With their final slurps, the smoothies were gone, so they found a trashcan then headed for the nearest corner, where traffic had picked up considerably with the later hour. Rush hour would be upon them soon.

As they waited to cross, Mark pulled out his cell phone and checked the time. “It’s already five?” How had the day gone so fast?

“No way,” Dani said, checking the time on her pale pink wristwatch. “Time flies.”

“Speaking of clichés,” Mark said, and laughed. “I promised we’d get back to the museum, but I have to clock in at my latest temp job in half an hour.” He tried to hide his disappointment by adding, “I’m a glamorous dishwasher.”

“Don’t worry about it. I totally understand,” Dani said. After spending so much of their day together, he knew that she really did understand, and from firsthand experience. She turned and, walking backward, faced him as she talked. “How about you walk me to my place? It’s not far.” Her eyes narrowed with worry. “Unless that would make you late.” She didn’t have to add that doing so could cost him another not-so-glamorous job.

“I think I can manage a few blocks and still get there on time.”

“Great.” She jerked her head to the left, indicating which way to go, and he followed.

He mentally did the math, wondering if he really did have time to walk her back to her apartment. Probably not. His boss, Andre, had promised a quick kick to Mark’s butt if he arrived more than five minutes late again.

Worth the risk. This way I can see where she lives and get her number. And like she said, I can always do more busking and freelance work.

Besides, he had every intention of making good on his promise to experience the rest of the museum with her … and of getting to know her well beyond that. They’d spent most of the day together, and while they still didn’t know each other particularly well, his gut told him without question that this was a woman worth getting to know. It was as if he and Dani were supposed to meet today, because what were the chances of two random strangers, with so many common interests, running into each other the way they had — and in a city of some eight million people? It was almost enough to make him believe in fate.

Which meant he had to take action, because the chances of him happening to see her again if he didn’t get her number were so slim he refused to consider the idea.

 

 

“Here I am.” Dani stopped at a gray, nondescript apartment building. It had the typical fire escapes and locked front door. He could have passed this very building a thousand times and never noticed it, but now he paid close attention to the cross streets and made a mental note of every detail, including the coffee shop on the corner. She held out a hand as if to shake his, the way he’d done when he’d first introduced himself. “It was great meeting you today.”

He just looked at her hand. “A handshake? After Rembrandt, hot dogs, busking, and the world’s best smoothies?” He smiled so she’d know he was kidding. Mostly.

“A hug?” she suggested.

He opened his arms, and she stepped into them. The embrace wasn’t long, but for the few seconds it lasted, Mark had never felt more content and peaceful. He didn’t want to let her go. That would mean seeing her walk away. It would mean going to work and dealing with Andre. Facing the rest of his life, which was as drab and colorless as this building. The only thing that gave life color was his music.

And now, Dani.

She gave his cheek a quick peck and pulled back. “Thanks for a great day. It’s been a rough spell, and I needed it.”

“Likewise.” He could still feel the heat of her lips on his cheek; he wanted to reach out and take her hand to draw her back into his arms. She began digging in her purse for her key — Mark’s cue to speak up or miss out on ever seeing her again. “So, could I — have your number?”

Dani’s head popped up from her search, and a sadness around her eyes belied her smile. She clutched a keychain in her palm and seemed to struggle for words. Mark held his breath, not wanting to be rejected.

Please give me your number.

“Sure,” she finally said. “Except that it might not be of much use to you.”

Mark tried not to let disappointment register on his face. “Even though you’re leaving, I’ll still like to have it.” He held his breath, hoping she wouldn’t just dump him right there on the street, but somehow a pit began to grow in his stomach anyway.

She shrugged and played with her keys, avoiding his eyes. “Ten days…”

“Don’t go,” he said. “Or at least, let’s spend your last days seeing cool stuff in the city.”

She raised her eyes to his and nodded. “I’d like that. Truth is, I’ll be spending the next week or so finishing off my list of firsts and lasts — all of the things I’ve missed out on seeing here, visiting my favorites places that I did see one last time. I want to be sure to experience as much as I can before…” She looked down and again fingered her keys.

“Yeah,” Mark said, wishing he could change the future.

“Are you sure you want my number? Ten days isn’t much.”

The pit in his stomach turned to a bitter taste in his mouth. “You can’t really leave,” he insisted. Part of that was because of her insane dancing ability, but there was also the connection between them. Surely she’d felt it. But he went for what he guessed would be the stronger argument: what had first brought her here.

He stepped closer. “You have so much talent.”

She shook her head, which made him put a hand out and cup her cheek to stop her denial. She didn’t pull away. Their eyes caught, and they gazed at each other for several seconds before he found his voice. “What about everything you told me about sticking with it, that someday it’ll work out?”

“That wasn’t about me. It was about you.” Dani reached for his hand and lowered it, now holding it in both of hers, as if bringing his idea back down to reality. “I’m out of money. I’m out of time. I—” Her voice cut off as if she wasn’t sure what to say.

He knew the feeling. He took a step closer to her; she didn’t move away. “Can I still have your number?” It was almost a whisper.

She didn’t answer for a second; her eyes were shiny from unshed tears. She sniffed and then nodded, pulling her phone from her purse. “What’s yours? I’ll text you so you’ll have mine.”

Relieved at the small success, Mark rattled off his number, and she punched it into her phone. A moment later, his phone trilled in his pocket, and when he checked it, her text was there with a kissy-face emoji. He wished he dared take her up on the suggestion, but she was probably joking.

He tucked the phone back into his pocket and rocked on his heels. “Are you free tomorrow? I’d like to take you out to lunch at this awesome place in Grand Central Station.”

“I’d like that,” she said with a nod. “Text me in the morning.”

“I will,” he said, then took two steps back, letting her know that he wouldn’t keep her longer.

She put her key in the door, smiled over her shoulder, and went inside.

Mark quickly typed his first text to Dani. It consisted of one thing: the same emoji of a kissing smiley face. He wasn’t kidding.

He hurried to work, walking with fast strides down the increasingly crowded sidewalk to reach the subway in time to catch the right train. Not once did he think about dealing with Andre; all of his thoughts were focused on Dani and how he could possibly convince her to stay in the city long enough to give both her career and him a real chance.