It was a warm Saturday night in mid July. She stood near the window and listened to the sound of the traffic outside to her quaint motel room. All she could think of was the final conversation with her father, and how he had begged and pleaded for her to stay and give LA another shot. And how he had gone so far as to offer her a new car and a rent-free apartment. But she couldn’t live there anymore, where everyone knew who she was and wanted to be her friend. She wanted to start over...fresh, no attachments, and totally anonymous.

Her thoughts turned to more practical matters like finding a place to call home and finding a job. She had enough money to get herself started, enough to pay a few months rent and enough for food. Her father had insisted she, at the very least, had to take this amount of money. “Consider it a house-warming present," he had said as he gave her the check.

She had spotted a few apartments in the paper that seemed agreeable and were adequately priced. She wanted something simple, in a decent neighborhood, and with easy access to the subway. “I here that’s the way they traveled in these parts,” she thought. Years of traveling in a car, she had to become accustomed riding on the subway. Tomorrow would be a busy trying to conquer the monster known as New York.

If I can make it here, I’ll make it anywhere...and she fell asleep.

The apartment was located in Queens, with easy access to the train and in a pretty nice neighborhood. “Let’s hope the apartment isn’t a dump,” she said aloud. It looked enchanting, with a small garden located in the center surrounded by the entrances to all the apartments. The garden contained various bushes, flower beds, and a tree with a green bench located beneath it. She wondered how it would look in the spring.

She took out a piece of paper with the name “A.Williams Apt 1B” printed on it. She found her name easily in the apartment’s directory and, within seconds found herself at the door ringing the bell. “Here goes nothing,” she said to herself as the door opened.

A woman, looking to be in her thirties, answered the door. She had a warm glow to her face and a pleasant smile. Her light brown hair was pushed back from her face drawing attention to her facial features. Before she could speak, Ms. Williams said,

“You’re here about the apartment, aren’t you?”

“Yes. My name is Julia Osborne.” Julia did everything not to sound apprehensive. She extended her hand toward Ms. Williams. “We spoke on the phone yesterday.”

“Yes, yes. Hi, I’m Allison Williams, the manager of the building.”

“It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. Well enough with the small talk. I’ll bet you're dying to see the apartment.”

They made their way to the second floor.

“Your first time in New York.”

“Yes...I mean no. I mean, it’s going to be my first time living here, but I’ve visited before. I’m here from California...for grad school.”

“What are you studying to become?”

“Hopefully, if I pass the bar, a lawyer. I’ll be starting at NYU in the fall.”

“That’s great. I wish you all the success in the world. You know, I think that Ryan, one of my tenants, goes to NYU too, but I’m not entirely sure. Aren’t there any good colleges in California?”

“I just wanted to live on my own and New York seemed like the right place for me. You know what they say, if I can make it here then I can make it anywhere.”

“I hope you make then.”

Allison led Julia down a hall and stopped in front of the door marked 2C. “Well this is it. It’s one of our smaller places. It only has one bedroom, but I think that would work for you.” She turned the key and motioned for Julia to enter. Once inside, Julia could not contain her excitement. The apartment was smaller than what she was used to back home, but she didn’t care. The place was just as she had imagined it. The living room contained a small number of empty boxes and an old rocking chair in the corner, which she assumed belonged to the previous resident. The living room also had to large windows which let in a light breeze and overlooked the courtyard. Allison was saying something about the apartment being empty for nearly a month, but Julia was taken with how the midday sun streamed through the open windows. She wondered if the apartment always had this glow at particular time of day.

“This feels like home,” she said as she turned to Allison. “How soon can I move in?”

“As soon as you’re ready. I’ll need a 500 dollar security deposit and the first and last month’s rent. Listen why don’t you come down to my apartment and we can discuss all the specifics.”

“Yes, thank you Ms. Williams. I really appreciate...”

“No need to thank me, and everyone here calls me Ally.”

Julia hurried back to her hotel room to pack and move into her new apartment. It sounded good to say the words “my new apartment." She picked up the phone and hoped her father would be there to hear the great news. On the third ring she heard that familiar voice at the other end. “Hi Dad, it’s me. Yes everything is fine. I have some good news, I found an apartment. Yes, it’s in a nice neighborhood. No Dad, it’s not that expensive. I think I can handle the rent. Could you send the rest of my things? The address, got a pen, okay 21-48 35th street Astoria, New York 11105. Got it? I’ve been fine. New York has been great. I don’t know why you worried so much. So enough about me, how have you been? That’s good. How about Helen? I’m glad. And Jamie? She has. Well, tell her I miss her too and give her a hug from her big sister. I miss you too Daddy. I know, but this is something I have to do, for me. It’s not like I moved to the moon. I’ll come back to see you and the family. Just tell me you believe in me. I’ll call you again soon, Dad and try not to work so hard. Tell everyone that I’m thinking of them. I love you. Bye.”

She hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was doing the right thing. The thought frightened her, but she assured herself that it was the right thing. All she had to do now was find a job.

The suitcase seemed to get heavier as she made her way up the stairs. “Only a few more steps to go,” she muttered under her breath as she conquered the last step. She walked down toward her new apartment, her new life and stopped in front of the door with keys in hand. Once inside, she smiled to herself. She walked toward the two windows and looked outside. It was quiet. It was so quiet so couldn’t believe she was in the big city. The only sound was a pigeon perched on the tree near the bench.

Sitting below on the bench was a young man scribbling something in a notepad. He seemed to be immersed in his own little world totally unaware of his surroundings. Julia opened to the window, which made a very loud creaking sound, much to her dismay. The sound of old, rusting metal made the young man look up and suddenly take notice, for the first time, that someone had invaded his private world. He looked puzzled for a moment, looking at the stranger in the window, and then nodded his head as if realizing something. Julia felt the need to apologize for disturbing someone who was obviously trying to get something done. She mouthed the word “Sorry,” and closed the window again.

“Because God decided to give it to those who needed it.”

“Like you, right.”

“Ha, ha, ha, very funny. What are you trying to be Mr. Wilder, a comedian?” A young woman with short strawberry blond hair stepped out from behind the tree and sat on the bench next to Kevin. “After that smart remark I might just have to disown you.”

“Aren’t you late for work or something?”

“No, today’s my day off. I needed someone to bother and you, my ever so talented friend, are the most likely candidate. So how ‘bout it, are you up for having a little fun? Get something to eat, maybe go for a little walk, or hop the N to Manhattan.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. We always end up getting lost. You have the worst sense of direction I have ever seen!”

“Sure go ahead, make fun. But you gotta admit we do have a good time!”

“We do. I know we do. Why do you think I’ve gotten lost with you so many times?”

“Hey, your no master of direction either, so don’t talk.”

They sat in silence for a moment as she got up from the bench and took a deep breath of hot summer air. She had never felt comfortable on that bench, even though it was almost a second home to Kevin. If he wasn’t in his apartment, you were almost certain to find him sitting on the bench scribbling away in the same notepad he’s been using for two years. He had always said that the bench and the view provided him with “divine inspiration” in trying the finish the book he’d been working on ever since he moved in the building. She had tried to get him to reveal the book’s contents, but she had learned over the years that Kevin never liked to show anyone his work until it was finished.

“So, you really think I’m talented?”

They had been through this a million times. It seemed he asked at least once a week for the past three years. But she knew everyone needed a little reassurance every now and again. “I wish I could bottle what you have and sell it. We’d make a lot of money. God, some of the stuff you right is amazing, the best stuff I’ve ever read, even better than most of the crap they pass off as good literature.”

“Hey, watch it. I help to put out some of that crap and it’s hard work.”

“I always seem to forget that you work at that publishing company. You know, most struggling writers would kill to be in your shoes.”

“If I could only get this damn book finished...in a couple of decades.”

“You know, you could be the poster-child for pessimists everywhere.” She gave him a wide grin. The sarcastic grin he had come to know all too well. “I know that you’ll have it finished in a few months.”

“If my writing was total garbage, would you tell me?”

She paused to think of a proper response to such a loaded question. “The point is that your writing is not total garbage. You have to stop this bullshit about not having any talent, because frankly, I’m getting really tired.” She let out a sigh and changed the tone in her voice. “I know one day you’ll be rich, famous, and fabulously happy.” She bent down and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

“Thanks Sam. It nice to know I have someone who cares. Now, would you please excuse me, I’m trying to work here! Go do something constructive, like clean that disaster area you call an apartment.”

“Okay, I’ll let you get back to work. But it’s Melissa’s turn to clean the apartment, not mine.” She turned around to leave, when realizing what she had intended to say to him all along. “I almost forget the reason I came down here. You know someone rented out Lisa’s old place. Ally told me that she moved in this morning.”

“Yeah, I know. I just saw our new neighbor.”

“So what did she look like?”

“She looked normal. She looked young.”

“We should go introduce ourselves sometime. But right now, I’m going to Empire and have something to eat. Maybe go bother Sean. She walked backward heading toward the street and then paused. “Come by my place later. Me and Mel might go hit the clubs or watch a flick.”

“No, I think I’ll just stay at home and check out what’s on TV. Maybe get some more writing done.”

“Listen, Kevin you’re starting to scare us. It’s been three months already, get over her. She dumped you. Her loss, now move on. Get on with your life. She wasn’t the one. There are plenty of other fish in the sea and a whole bunch of other clichés I can’t think of right now. It’s summertime, it’s the time of the season for lovin’.”

“I have gotten over it. I just want to have a little bit of time to be with myself. To get to know myself again. But I’m over it, really. You shouldn’t be worrying about me when your love life is...”

“Hey, I thought you were my friend. I just haven’t found that certain someone yet. But thank you for bringing up such a depressing subject.” She hit him on the arm and tried to mess up his hair. “Remember about tonight, there’s always an open invitation, if you want to talk.”

Kevin got up and kissed Sam on the cheek. “What would I do without you?”

“You’d probably be a miserable slob with no ounce of fun in his life. I’ll see you later.”

And with that Sam left Kevin to himself again. Of course, by now, Kevin was used to being alone. Ever since Caroline moved out of his apartment and out of his life, he spent much of the time in solitude. Nothing seemed to help. He still had a picture of her sitting on the corner of his desk, where it had been for the past year. Only time can heal a broken heart, but it seemed he’d already given up too much time. All these thoughts swirled in his mind as he made his way up the stairs to his second floor apartment. “Today is the day I’m going to remove all traces of her from my life. Staring with that picture.” And he closed the apartment door.

“Thank you. I thought I would have to spend the night on the floor.” She helped to carry it to the living room. “Can I ask you a question?” Ally answered with a quick nod as she set the mattress on the floor. “Are there any good food places around here? I’m starting to develop an appetite.”

“If you like good food, you’ve come to live in the right neighborhood. We’ve got Greek food, Italian food, Chinese, Indian, and I think there’s even a Mexican place near 32nd street.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of cheeseburgers and french fries. Any of those places around here?”

“I’ve got just the place. It’s called the Empire Diner and it’s just a few blocks away. You can’t miss it. It’s great food, and it’s not that expensive.”

Julia followed Ally’s directions to the diner, and she was right it wasn’t hard to find at all. Empire was not teeming with patrons as she made her entrance. There were merely a few customers seated in various booths, which surrounded the establishment, and a couple of men seated at the counter. Black and white tiles covered the floor as pictures of various city landmarks hung on the walls; the biggest picture being that of the famed Empire State Building. Julia decided to sit in a booth near the corner because it seemed to offer the most privacy. She wanted to organize her thoughts into something that resembled a strategy in trying to subdue the beast known as New York City. The idea of living in the most famous city in the world had not sunk in yet, and she knew it would be awhile before she felt fully complacent there.

“Hi, welcome to Empire. Here’s a menu, and I’ll be back to take your order in a few minutes.”

“Thank you.” The waitress had startled her as her mind was moderately preoccupied with what she planned to do after lunch. She became aware of her surroundings and started to see small idiosyncrasies in New Yorker and the people back home. New York seemed much more intense and even more alive as opposed to laid back LA. Everyone seemed to move faster, even the children she watched outside the window looked more mature, like they had been around the block a couple of times. She had to become used to it all, the people, the noise, and especially the subway.

Julia loved the food and made a mental note to visit the Empire Diner again and often. She was finishing what was left of her soda, having just received the check from the waitress, when someone touched her on the shoulder. She turned around to find a man with long brown hair in a ponytail standing beside her. At first she thought he had mistaken her for someone else, but instead he proceeded to ask, “You’re new around here, aren’t you?”

She didn’t know how to respond to his question. She remembered how her father told her to be cautious of strangers. Julia, even though all she had be taught stated the contrary, did not feel threatened by this stranger. Despite this feeling, she still did not know how to answer. “What makes you say that,” she finally said in her most self-assured voice.

The man, looking to be about her age, sat down opposite her and said, “Because when you work here as long as I have you know the people you serve, and you’re a new face. I know I would have remembered a face as beautiful as yours. My name is Sean and yours is...” He extended his hand hoping she would extend hers.

She had heard innumerable lines before, but she could never quite believe how mediocre some of them were. “Do women actually fall for this,” she thought. “I’m sorry, but I’m really not interested. I’m sure you are a really nice guy...”

Unexpectedly, a woman from the next booth came up to Julia’s table and said, “Why don’t you just leave her alone? Don’t you have work to do?. I’ll get Maggie on your ass so fast that it’ll make your head spin. I don’t think she’d like to see you out here sitting down when you should be working.”

“I was just trying to be friendly, Sam.” Sean rose for his seat and gave Sam the evil eye. “There’s no need to get hostile. I’m going back to work.” He turned again to Julia and uttered, “Nice to meet you.” Sean continued toward the kitchen.

Sam turned her attention to Julia who didn’t know what to make of what just took place. “Sean can be so annoying sometimes. He hits on every pretty face that walks through that door. Sorry if he disturbed you.”

“No, he wasn’t disturbing me at all. I was actually pretty entertained by his come-on lines.” Sam and Julia both chuckled.

“Which line did he use, ‘the beautiful face’ or ‘this must be fate’?”

“The first one.”

“I don’t know, I feel this overwhelming need to protect women from him. Nothing gets me started more than a man giving a woman unwanted attention. By the way, my name is Samantha, Samantha Huberman.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Julia Osborne.” They shook hands. “So, where do you know Sean from?”

“We work together here. Today’s my day off. And he lives in my building, so I basically see him twenty-four hours a day. He’s not such a bad guy. He’s really sweetheart once you get to know him.” Sam scrutinized Julia for a moment and said,

“How’s New York been treating you so far?”

“Do I have a big sign somewhere saying ‘Not from New York.”

“No, but you don’t look like a seasoned New Yorker, at least, not yet.” She gave Julia a wide grin. “You still have that wide-eyed look. Don’t worry that will wear off in about a month.”

Julia looked at her watch and realized she had things to do. “I didn’t realize how late it was getting. Well, it was very nice to meet you.” She shook her hand and got up from her seat. “Maybe we’ll see each other around.”

“Hey, good luck in New York.”

She made her way to the door and almost bumped into a man coming into the diner. But he stepped aside just in time and held the door open for her. “Thank you,” she said as she passed him. Julia was beginning to like New York.

“What are you doing here?”

“I changed my mind. I am entitled to do that, you know.” Kevin sat down at the booth Sam was now occupying. “You were right about a lot of things.”

“You know I’m always right. You just don’t want to admit it.” She let out a long sigh and brushed the hair away from her face. “So then what do you want to do?”

“I was kinda hoping you had something planned and I could just tag along.” Kevin picked up one of the salt shakers and started to play with it.

“I never have plans. I just wing it.” She hit his hand indicating he should put down what he was playing with and pay attention.

“So where’s Sean? Isn’t he suppose to be working here today?”

Sam started to chuckle at the mention of Sean’s name. “You should have seen the performance he gave today. He tried to pick up this girl who was having lunch here...again”

“Let me guess, he was shot down.”

“Faster than you could say mayday.” She started to laugh again. “It’s just fun to sit back and watch him try knowing he’ll strike out.”

Sam tried to contain her amusement when she saw that Sean was approaching. She knew his ego had already taken a beating by Julia’s all too forward rejection. She didn’t want to see him abused any further. Despite their rocky relationship, she truly cared for him, even though she would never admit it to anyone, least of all herself. In spite of his outward demeanor, Sam knew he had many insecurities. But he still liked to hit on women just to see how far he could get.

“Hey Kev, what’s up?” Sean was wiping his hands on his apron trying his best to ignore Sam.

“Aren’t you even going to acknowledge my presence?” If there was one thing Sam hated, it was being ignored. Her eyebrows came together giving her face an irritated look.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re not even here!” He spoke into space not even turning to face her when he spoke. “Why do you insist on butting into my life? I don’t need a keeper, Samantha.” Another thing that aggravated Sam was Sean’s tone when he called her ‘Samantha’, a usual occurrence during their arguments.

“Oh, like you had a chance with her,” she snapped back at him.

Kevin always seemed to become caught in the middle of their verbal altercations. He had witnessed them many times before. He tried his best to stay out of them, but there were times they brought everyone into it with them. He looked at it as a form of entertainment as the argument went back and forth. It was almost like watching a good game of tennis with two evenly matched opponents. “If you two haven’t already noticed people are trying to eat here and you aren’t making it any less relaxing.” Kevin tried to act the peacemaker. “God, you’re behaving like kids.”

Sam broke out into laughter and she couldn’t stop. Kevin and Sean were wondering what was so hysterical. After a few moments, she regained her composure and said, “For a minute there, you sound like my father.”

She had been at this for hours and her eyes were getting tired of trying to read the small print. She hated looking for a job, but she needed one and this seemed like the best way to approach it. A few of the jobs looked promising, but most required skills she didn’t possess. The position she was looking for was one at a law office so she could attain some experience, but there was nothing in the paper that filled those qualifications.

“Something is bound to turn up,” she thought.

Kevin and Sean exchanged a humiliated look, and then tried to analyze the impossible shot performed by their female friend. They decided it would be in their best interest not to face the two women again. It was a humbling defeat; one that took only a matter of ten minutes. They had played three games and managed to lose all three in less than remarkable fashion.

Kevin turned to Sean and said, “I think my fragile male ego has taken enough beating for one night.” He padded Sean on the back. “We’ll get them next time.”
“That’s what you always say, and we never do.” He was still dumbfounded staring at the pool table. “How did she...the ball was there...she could have never...I could have never...”

Kevin turned his attention to the table where Sam was setting up for the next game. She never ceased to amaze him. She probably still had hidden talents he had yet to discover. He remembered the day he first met her, the day he moved in to his apartment. She had only been in the apartment building herself a few weeks. He remembered her firm grip when he shook her hand and that trademark grin he had come to know so well. They had hit it off right from the start, even though their personalities were on different sides of the spectrum. Somehow, they had managed to forge a friendship with each other despite their differences.

Sean, still wallowing in the depths of self-pity, came up behind Sam and gave her a ten dollar bill, “What I owe you for the game.”

“No, we were just playing for fun.” She placed the bill in his left breast pocket. “If we were playing for money, I would have beaten you much faster.” She gave him a broad smile and turned around.

After a few more quick games of pool, in which Sam and Melissa showed their pool prowess, everyone sat down in a corner of the billiard’s hall and drank some beer. The hall was loud, smoky and full of people. Decorated with posters of James Dean and Marylin Monroe, it had a the distinctly 50’s style.

Melissa tried to speak above all the noise and the classic rock-n-roll playing from the jukebox across the room. “So, I hear you saw our new neighbor, Kev.” Kevin had always admired Melissa for going after her dreams so aggressively. She worked exhaustingly, sometimes working until 9 p.m. and on weekends. He would sometimes see Melissa on the train in her work attire. She always had her long hair up in a tight bun, a look he found a bit unattractive. He preferred her casual appearance when they were out having fun. Melissa had deep brown eyes and long dark hair. Kevin had always found her attractive, but their relationship never went beyond friendship. In her, he found something to respect and admire. “So tell us, what does our new neighbor look like?” She tossed her long dark brown hair away from her face.

“I didn’t see her for every long. She is our age though, maybe younger.” He took a sip of his warm beer. “There’s not much else to tell.”

“I was telling Kev, this afternoon, that maybe we should play ‘welcoming committee’, and introduce ourselves.”

Melissa chimed in, “That’s a good idea, but not all at once. We don’t want to scare her.” She took off her wire framed glasses and put them in her pocket. “And you Sean,” she pointed at him from across the table, “for the love of God, don’t hit on the poor girl!”

“Me. Why doesn’t anyone ever say that to Kevin...or Ryan? Why am I the only guy who is talked to as if I’m a child.”

Sam couldn’t pass up the large opening that Sean just laid out for her. “Because, unlike Kevin and Ryan, you still are a child.”

“Am I the butt of every joke tonight?”

“That never bothered you before.” Sam said in a mocking motherly voice.

A tall, average looking man with thick, black glasses came strolling to the table and pulled up a chair. His eyes looked bigger because of his glasses while his blond hair hung around his face. He had a few days of beard growth and his clothes looked wrinkled.

“Look what the cat dragged in. Where have you been?”

“Nowhere.” He chewed on some nuts that were at the table. “I went around the city shooting stuff for a video, so I could send it to my parents.” He looked down as he spoke staring at the bowl of nuts.

“You look like shit,” Sean said as he gazed at him. “Ryan, do us all a favor and use the iron next, before you go out.

“That’s pretty funny coming from someone who has never picked up an iron in his life.” Sam snickered as she took a drink from her beer.

“So what did you shoot this time?” Kevin offered before Sam and Sean could get into another verbal clash.

“A few street performers in Central Park and a shot some stuff in theater district. I thought my parents would get a kick out of that.”

“You should have told me you were going out to shot, I would have come along,” Kevin said. Ryan was a fellow starving artist with dream of one day becoming a distinguished filmmaker. Kevin always joked that if he ever wrote a screenplay, he would want Ryan to direct it. Ryan directed two documentaries and one short film. He received an award for one of his documentaries, ‘Perchance to Dream’, which detailed his brother’s struggle with AIDS, a struggle which he eventually lost. After his brother’s death, Ryan fought to get his life back on track. He plans to go back to school this fall at NYU to hone his skills, but these days he spends his time sending video postcards to his parents in Ohio.

“I left early,” Ryan said simply. It seemed his brother’s death was still fresh on his mind, even though it had been over two years since it happened. They tried it all to get him to snap out of it, but they all knew that he would when he was ready. “I didn’t think you were up. Maybe you could come along next time.”

Melissa broke the moment of silence. “Ryan, you know we’ve got a new neighbor. She moved into Lisa’s old place.”

Ryan looked up from his bowl of nuts and said flatly, “Has Sean tried to hit on her yet?” Everyone had a good laugh at Sean’s expense...again

Julia was dressed and ready to face the unknown. She looked out her living room window and saw that same guy who was there yesterday afternoon. He was in the same seat, with the same writing pad, and looking to be in the same state of mind. She wondered what was he so intensely concentrated on. His total lack of awareness to everything around him puzzled her. “I wish I could study like that,” she thought.

Kevin was struggling with a sentence. He was having problems finishing it. “God, I hate writers block,” he thought while rubbing his sore neck. He looked up from his pad and saw the her staring out the window again. She had whispered the word ‘Sorry’ yesterday when the opening window had broken his train of thought. This time he tried to study her more intensely. She stood near the window looking out at him and waved at him. He waved back slightly and tried to smile. Kevin never knew when to smile at people. He looked back down at the unfinished sentence and cursed his mind with not coming up with a good finish. Kevin looked up to see if the woman was still there, but the window was empty. “Probably scared her off with your smile,” he thought. He looked up again, but she was definetly gone.

“Looking for someone,” said a female voice behind him. It wasn’t a familar female voice either. He turned around to see a woman with soft blond hair and blue eyes standing behind him. She looked much more attractive at closer range. She had on blue jeans and a white sleeveless shirt. “Do you mind if I have a seat?”

Kevin stammered with his reply. He never was particularly comfortable with people he didn’t know, especially woman. “No, by all means.” He got up and gestured to the seat next him.

They sat in a few moments of uncomfortable silence (uncomfortable for Kevin). She smiled at him and said, “So, what do you do here by yourself ?”

“This is a place I come to work through my blocks.”

“You’re a writer.”

“I’m trying to be. I don’t know if I’m any good at it.” He sallowed and closed his notepad. “You’re new around here.”

“Yes, I moved in yesterday. I like it here. It’s nice.”

“Where are you from....originally?”

“I’m originally from LA. I moved out here to go to school”

“Which instution of higher learner would that be?”

“New York University. I start this fall.”

“NYU...expensive. I have a friend who will be going to NYU too.”

“Ryan, right.” Kevin had a look of surprise on his face. “Ally told me when I said I was going there.”

Kevin’s sense of discomfort seemed to fad away with each passing second with her. He started to loosen up and felt his anxiety vanish. He noticed how her smile added a glow to her face, and he liked what he saw. He could really become friends with...with...what was her name? “What’s your name?”

“Oh, God how stupid of me, I didn’t even introduce myself,” she said hurriedly. “I’m Julia Osborne.” She extended her hand.

Kevin took it and shook it. “I’m Kevin Wilder. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The same here.” After a moment, she got up from the bench and said, “I’ll let you get back to what you were doing. I’ll see you.”

All Kevin could say as she walked away was, “Bye.”

The knocking persisted and it didn’t stop. Sam was barely awake when she answered tthe door. Mel wasn’t home, so she had to walk all the way to the door to let this person in.

“This better be good,” she said as she opened the door.

Kevin was standing in front of her with a bag in his hand. He tossed the bag in her hand and entered the open door. “It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon, I think you’ve had enough time to rest.”

“I have the late shift tonight, so I have to sleep late. What’s so important that you come pounding on my day at this hour?” She opened the bag and found two bagels.

“Can’t I just come to see my friend. Must there be a reason.”

“Now I know something is up.” She adjusted her robe and put on a pot of coffee.

“What is it? Come on, spill it.”

Kevin took a deep breath and said, “What do women want?

“I’ve been waiting a long time to hear you saw that. Have a seat, son.” She motioned for him to sit in the kitchen table. “It’s time we had this talk.”

“Now who sounds like my father.”

“I can’t speak for all women on the faceof this planet, but I’ll tell you what I want. I want someone to talk to, someone to have fun with, someone who doesn’t want to change me or control me. Someone who’s funny, charming, polite, honest, sweet, romantic, and especially faithful. When I’m with someone I want them to treat me as if I’m the only one in the world. Most of all I want someone who will love me for me, faults and all.” Sam paused and let out a deep sigh. “I want someone who will always be there and not leave me when things get tough.” She thought a second more. “A hot body and deep pockets would also do nicely.”

“And that’s what women want?”

“The women I know, yeah.”

“I always thought it was tall, dark, and handsome.” He ran his fingers through his hair and wiped the sweat in from his brow.

“Just because you know what you want doesn’t mean that you always get what you want. Sometimes I think I’m a beacon for all the losers and psychos of the city. “ Sam laughed to herself. “God, I have dated some real losers. Why can’t I for once find a guy who has an IQ of least 50. I guess this is one of the great mysteries of life.”

“See, I like to think that there’s someone for everyone,” Kevin said.

“Kevin Wilder, I think you are the last true romantic on the face of this planet.” Sam leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “So why the sudden interest in the psychology of women? Thinking of using on someone.”

Kevin hesitated and said, “No, just a little research for my book.”

Julia was about to leave her apartment when she heard laughter in the hall and a door slam shut. She looked out her peep hole and saw Kevin walking across the hall. He still held his notepad in his hand as if it was physically attached there. He was quite attractive with his light brown hair and brown eyes. He was a head taller than her and looked like a runner. From their conversation earlier, he seemed very nice and somewhat shy. “He’s probably got a girlfriend,” she thought to herself as he approached her door. He paused a moment in front of it and continued on down the hall.

Julia slowly opened her door and made her way toward the stairs. Halfway down the stairs she encountered Kevin standing on one of the landings. He smiled the minute he saw her and she smiled back wondering how she looked. She stopped and said, “So we met again?”

“Small building.”

“I guess it is.” She turned to make her way down the rest of the stairs when she impulsively turned around and said, “Are you doing anything this afternoon?”

Kevin had to run over what she had just said again. He smiled and said, “No..I’m...nothing that can’t be changed.”

“I was wondering if you weren’t busy maybe you could be...like a tour guide. If your not doing anything.” Julia looked at the wall when she spoke.

Kevin smiled to himself. “It would be my pleasure. Just tell me what you want to see and I’ll take you there.” He was heading down the stairs when he remember he had no money on him. “My wallet. Why don’t you go in front and I’ll meet you there.”

“I have to get used to riding on the train, so I thought I might get some practice before school starts.” Kevin and Julia were walking side by side toward the train station. He seemed very easy going and walked slowly. “So where are you from?”

“Originally, I’m from Denver, but I moved to Connecticut when I was about twelve. I moved here when I turned twenty. I thought maybe I could get some writing things done, but nothing has really materialized.” He chuckled to myself. “I thought that I would be a world famous writer by twenty-four, but things haven’t worked out the way I planned. How about you, what are you studying to become.”

“A world class lawyer. I’ll be starting my second year of law school.” Julia looked around and tried to absorb all the sights and sounds of her new neighborhood. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“I guess I can’t do any lawyer jokes around you then.”

They climbed up the stairs to the subway, the N train. She purchased a few tokens and made her way up another flight of stairs with Kevin right behind her. The subway smelled just as bad as her father said it would. The air had the smell of urine and pine cleaner. She wondered how people stood the odor. A train was waiting in the station while the other track was empty. The view atop the platform was amazing. She could see the whole neighborhood. There was a gold church tower in the distance standing above all the other buildings.

A voice broke her thoughts as she stared at the view. “You still didn’t tell me where you want to go. I have a feeling you’ve already been to the Empire State Building.”

“Yes, but not in a long time. And not with a tour guide.” she said as she smiled.

“On a clear day, people say you can see Pennsylvania from up here. Unfortunately, I’ve never been up here on a clear day.” Kevin looked out across the city. The haze made it diffcult see much of anything, but you could see some of the other buildings around midtown. “I guess you came with the wrong person.”

They both leaned over the railing and stared down at the traffic. Everything looked so small for this height, but the people didn’t seem to move any slower. Car horns could even be heard from that distance up.

“I can remember the last time I came up here. I must have been about nine and I was afraid to look down. But my mother picked me up and showed me what I was missing. Everyone looked like ants and they still do.”

Julia was reliving that day with her parents. She remembered the way her mother looked, how the sunlight made her face glow. Everyone told her she was the spitting image of her mother, but she had never seen the resemblance. To Julia, her mother had a radiance that she could never attain.

“Did you go a lot of places when you were a kid?”

“I did travel to a few places. I went to Cancun, Paris, London, Sydney, and Athens, but that’s about it.”

Kevin let out a whistle and said, “I’ve never been a good traveler. I get air sick at least one way on a roundway trip. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to throw up in front of about thirty people on your grandmother?”

Julia laughed and said, “You threw up on your grandmother!”

“Yeah. You have no idea how that affected me psycologically. I think I can trace all my insecurities back to that one event.” Kevin looked again out at the view before him. “I hope I didn’t lessen your opinion of me.”

She looked at him and said, “We’ve all had moments in life we’d rather forget.”

Kevin and Julia stepped out on to the sidewalk. He looked but he couldn’t see the top of the building they just exited. Julia had been quiet since the elevator ride down. Kevin tried to think of something that might have offended her, but nothing came to mind. “Have I said something wrong?”

“No, I was thinking. I’m sorry if I was ignoring you I didn’t mean...”

“My friends ignore me all the time. I’ve gotten used to it.” They walked to the street corner and waited for the light to change while others around them simply dashed in the street. “Where do you want to go to next?”

“I want to go shopping...for stuff for my new apartment.”

“Well, we’re in the right place.”

The headed up the block and were constantly split apart by people walking between them. The crowds got thicker as they approached 34th street. People were pushing and shoving each trying to get somewhere. Julia could immediately tell who were the New Yorkers and who were the tourist. The tourist moved slower in the crowd while the New Yorkers forced their way through it. Loud noises surrounded Herald Square as cars were bumper to bumper and honking their horns. A massive amount of pedestrians tried to cross the street, a sight Julia wasn’t accustomed to. In California, no one could go anywhere with out a car. Pesdestrians were hardly ever seen and now she was one of them.

Julia brought items of importance for her home including pot, pans, utensils, and a phone. Some of the sales people mistakely thought Julia and Kevin were newlyweds. They both laughed at the mention of it. They found a bench outside of the store and decided they deserved a rest.

“You don’t have to carry all this stuff.”

“Then what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t. I like to help people out.”

“I could tell. You look like a nice guy, Kevin.” She looked away and stared out at the people walking passed them.

“I think we should get this stuff home...to your apartment.” He rose from his seat and extended his hand to lift her up. He liked the way her skin felt. He smiled and let go of her hand. “Like I said, I’m a gentleman.”

Kevin held all the bags as Julia looked for her keys. She opened her apartment and held the door open to let him pass. “You can put them there.” He set down the bags where she had indicated. He looked around the apartment, it looked different then he had remember. Of course, it had had funiture when he saw it last, the day Lisa moved out. She had left it totally bare except for that rocking chair. Lisa had hated the thing because it made this loud, obnoxious creaking noise when it rocked back and forth.

“Thanks for everything.” She shook his hand. “Maybe we could do this again, sometime.”

“Anytime. It was my pleasure.” He stepped toward the door and stopped. “Do you want to get a bite to eat, my treat.”

“No.” She said seriously. Kevin turned to walk out the door. “It’s my treat.”

“Almost everyday. The food’s good and so is the atmosphere.” Kevin saw Sam nearing their table with menus in hand. As soon as she saw Kevin her face lit up and she advanced faster. Kevin got up from his chair to give Sam a kiss on the cheek. “You working hard or hardly working.”

“You know me I always work at a hundred percent.”

“Sam, I’d like for you to met...” He motioned toward Julia who was sitting in silence across the table.

“Julia, how’s it going? I thought that I’d never see you again.”

“Nice to see you again too.”

“You two know each other,” Kevin said in stunned amazement. “How do you two..”

“We met yesterday when she saved me from Sean.” Julia started to giggle when she recalled yesterday’s events.

“So your the girl...”

Sam spoke up. “Wait, how do you two know each other?”

“Julia is the one who moved into Lisa’s old place.”

“Oh well then, welcome to our building. This is great.” Sam gave them the menus and said, “I’ll be back to take your orders in a minute.” She winked at Kevin as she left the table.

“God, it really is a small world, “ Kevin said as he opened the menu.

“Small Building.” Julia wondered about Kevin and Sam’s relationship. They seemed to be on intitmate ground with each other. She now wondered if Kevin was the nice guy he claimed to be.

There food came within ten minutes. Kevin had order the bacon cheeseburger while Julia had the roast beef sandwich. Julia had gone into one of her silent modes again. She had said only a few words to him in the past fifteen minutes. This time it looked like something was bothering her. Kevin had a sense of what it was this time, she might have misunderstood his relationship with Sam. Hell, even he didn’t understand it sometimes. He thought of Sam as a sister and nothing more. He tried to broach the subject. “Is there anything wrong?”

“No, no.” She fell silent again refusing to hold eye contact with him for more than a minute.

“Your wondering about me and Sam, aren’t you?” She looked up at him and this time she didn’t look back down at her plate of food. “Everyone wonders about our relationship. Truthfully, I love her...like a sister and she is the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“I think she is very lucky to have a friend like you.”

Sam looked on at Julia and Kevin from the lunch counter. “They make a really cute couple,” she thought. Kevin had been heart broken for months over his girlfriend, Caroline. She left him for any other man. She moved out of there apartment while Kevin was visting his parents in Connecticut. She left a letter taped to the refrigerator. Kevin hurt badly. He was only now starting to get over it. He deserved someone special. That’s all she wanted for her friend.

“Aren’t you suppose to be handling that table?” said a voice behind Sam.

“Look at Kevin over there.” She pointed her head toward the table. “Recognize the girl he’s with.”

Sean looked carefully at the girl Sam was referring to and he recognized the curly blond hair immediately. “That’s the girl...”

“Yep, the girl you struck out with. Looks like Kevin got her by being himself. Maybe you should ask him to give you lessons.” She turned and walked to a table in the corner. As she passed Sean she whispered in his ear, “Don’t they make an adorable couple.”

“Do you miss your family?”

“Yes. My family is close. It was difficult to make the decision to come here.”

“So, why did you move all the way out here?”

“I’ve always liked New York and NYU is a good school so I decided to move here.” Julia looked out the window for a moment thinking about all the people she left behind. “Do you miss your family?”

“I do. Most of all I miss the noise. I used to hate it when my little sisters yelled and screamed. I remember wishing I had my own place to get away from the noise. But sometimes it is so quiet in my apartment and I miss all the screaming and shouting. I miss them a lot, but I try to call as often as I can.”

Sam made her way toward the table. “Are you two done?”

Julia spoke, “Yeah I think so.” She handed her empty plates to Sam who carefully balanced them on her arms. “Can I have the check?”

Sam shot a puzzled look to Kevin who just smiled at her.

“Sure, I’ll bring you the check in a minute.”

Sam brought the check in a matter of moments and Julia excused herself to pay it. Sam took this opporunity to speak with Kevin. “May I ask what is going on between you two?”

“She just wanted someone to show her around the city and since I wasn’t doing anything special I volunteered to be her tour guide,” he said innocently.

“Okay, so are there any sparks flying,” she asked enthusiastically.

“She wants to make friends and that’s all.”

“You’re not answering my question.”

Julia approached the table counting her change. She noticed Sam and Kevin stopped talking when she walked up to the table. They were most likely talking about her. Kevin smiled and rose up from the booth.

“Ready to go,” he said.

“Yes.” Julia turned to Sam and said, “I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.” Julia walked toward the door with Kevin directly behind her. Sam whispered in Kevin’s ear. “I want details later.”

“Bye, Sam.” Kevin held the door open for Julia as she waved to Sam.

Julia breathed in the summer air. It was still hot as the sun slowly made its way down. The sky had the color of a ripe peach and a warm breeze blew every few seconds. They walked in silence until they reached the corner. “How long have you known Sam?”

“I met her the day I moved into the building. I guess we’ve been friends ever since.”

Kevin looked at her and for the first time was struck by her beauty. Her face had an oval face with a slighty sloped nose. Her piercing eyes were blue and her hair was golden in perfect spiral curls which surrounded her face. He looked away rather suddenly when he realized he had been staring at her.

“What about Sean?”

“Well, I met him six months after I moved in when he moved in.”

“Any more friends I should know about.”

“You already know about Ryan. The only one left is Melissa. She lives with Sam.” Kevin moved out of the way of an oncoming bicycle. “They’re my surrogate family.”

They approached the entrance to their building. The sun was almost gone and the street lights turned on as the day became night. Julia took a deep breathe and wiped the perspiration from her upper lip. “I didn’t think it would be so hot here.”

“The thing about New York is it’s not only hot, it’s humid.” Kevin opened the door leading to their apartments. “You have to get used to seasons.”

“Among other things.”

Kevin showed her to her door waiting until she had opened it. She turned around to face him. “Thank you for everything. We have to do this again sometime.”

“It would be my pleasure. If you need anything I’m right across the hall.” He motioned to the door right in front. “Don’t hestiate to knock.”

She smiled. “Good night.” She extended her hand.

He held her hand in his. “Good night” He let her hand go and she walked into her apartment.

Sam saw the look on her friends face. He looked tired and a bit angry. “Tough day at the office, honey.”

“It was crazy,” he said as he shut the door. “The whole department was looking for this lost manuscript. We still haven’t found it so everyone was a little on edge.”

“I’m sure things will work out.” She sat down on his brown sofa. “So, tell me about you and Ms. Osborne.”

He sat down next to her and ran his fingers through his hair. “There’s not much to tell. We went into the city, came back here, had some dinner, and I walked her to her door. I just wanted to be a good neighbor. Why do you have to read into everything?” He got up and headed from the kitchen. “Want something to drink?”

“No. And I don’t read into anything. I see what is before me...clearly. I’m perceptive.”

“Right like when you thought the guy in 3B had the hots for you.”

“Hey, he was giving me all the signals. How was I suppose to know he was gay? But that’s not the point.”

“Okay, what is the point?”

“The point is that you find Julia attractive and you’re hoping for more than a friendship.”

Kevin crossed his arms and looked down at the wooden floor of his living room. “I’m not looking for a relationship. Look what happened to me last time.”

“Hello, Kevin! It’s me, Sam. Don’t give me that load of bullshit. I can see right through you. I know you want her, so don’t try to hide it.”

“Okay, I do find her attractive. That doesn’t mean I have to act on it. For all I know, she thinks I’m a loser and wants nothing to do with me.”

“You’re not a loser. You’re the best guy I know.” Sam slapped his knee and said, “Want me to talk to her. Do a little detective work. Find out what’s up.”

“No. Sam don’t butt into this one. I’ll do it myself.” Something told Kevin that Sam was not going to listen.

Julia dialed the numbers. Her father was probably at work. She had promised to call. A gently voice picked up on the first ring. “Osborne Enterprises. Mr. Osborne’s office.” It was Sally, her father’s personal secretary.

“Hi, Sally. It’s me.”

There was a pause at the other end as Sally was probably trying to place the voice. “Is that you Julianna?”

“Yes. I’m calling from New York. Is my father in?”

“Yes. I’ll put you through. He’ll be happy to here from you.”

There was a momentary pause and then a deep voice broken the silence. “How’s my angel?”

“Hi, daddy. How are you?”

“I’m fine,” he said in his deep barritone. ‘Went to the doctor Monday, he said I have the health of a forty year old.”

“How’s Helen?”

“She’s fine. She misses having you around, her shopping partner. And Jamie still asks about you.”

Julia thought of her little sister, Jamie. Jamie was a resourceful and inquisitive seven year old. She looked nothing like her big sister. Jamie had dark hair and dark eyes. Julia remembered the day her father told her she was going to be a big sister; she didn’t take the news to well. But all those feelings of animosity changed when she held Jamie in her arms for the first time. She loved her sister more than anything in the world, and she had been thinking about her a lot since she came to New York.

“Tell Jamie that I love her and I’ll call her soon.”

“How are things in that new apartment of yours?”

“Things are great. The place is beautiful. I just have to settle in. I met a few of my neighbors and they are great.” She wrapped the phone cord around her finger and leaned up against the wall. “So, I want you to stop worrying about me. I’m fine.”

“It’s a father’s job to worry about his children.”

“I know it is, but try to be a little less worried. I can take care of myself.”

“I know sweetheart.”

“Are you trying to relax more?”

“Yes, and you’ll be happy to hear I’m planning a vacation, a second honeymoon, for Helen and I on some island in the Carribbean. That should lower my stress levels.”

“I’m happy for you and Helen. So is Jamie going with you?”

“No. She is going to stay with Helen’s sister in San Francisco.”

“Daddy, you know how much she hates it there.” Julia thought for a second. “Why doesn’t she come and stay with me? I can show her around and I can see her for a while.”

“That’s not a bad idea. Are you sure it wouldn’t be any trouble?”

“No. That’s what big sisters are for.”

“You always have this need to play cupid.”

Sam looked up at Kevin with innocent eyes. “Me.”

“Yes, you.” Kevin got up from his sofa and started to pace the living room. “For the moment I met you, you have tried to set up with about twenty of your girlfriends, and given me more relationship advise then I’d really like to know.”

“I just want to see people I care about happy. Is that such a crime?”

“For you it should be.” Kevin stopped moving and stood infront of Sam. “This time, please, let me handle it.”

“Okay, I won’t do anything. I promise.” Sam put her hand over her heart and raised her right hand. “So how are you going to handle it?”

Kevin let out a sigh and put his hands over his waist and said, “I have no idea.”

“Now that sounds like a plan.”

She looked at the watch, it was only 5:30. Julia sat on the mattress on the floor of her living room. There was nothing to do but lay down and stare at the ceiling and that had lost its joy about a half hour ago. Something Kevin had said yesterday was still in her mind. He had said that he missed the noise. She now understood what he meant, not that her house was particularly noisy, but she missed hearing her sister running up and down the halls. She missed the little noises that used to annoy her.

It was almost too quiet in her apartment. The silence was occassionally broken by the neighbors upstairs or a fire engine going by outside, but other than that the place had almost an eerie silence. It was almost deafening.

She decided cooking something to eat would better help pass the time. “My first offical meal in my new apartment,” she proclaimed. Julia put up her blond hair and took out her brand new pots. She decided on a meal of spaghetti. Cooking her meal didn’t help her boredom though. She eat he meal on the mattress and said aloud to herself, “Tomorrow I’m getting a TV.”

Kevin stared at the faces around him and he wondered how he would ever get by without them. They were all that he had in this city, they were his family. Everyone was seated at various places in his small living room. Melissa was on the sofa, Sam seat next to her, Ryan was on the floor right next to the television set, and Sean had gotten a chair from the kitchen table. Sam had come up with the brilliant idea of getting everyone together to watch a video, something they did on a regular basis. Somehow she knew that he didn’t want to be alone.

“Why did we rent this again? We’ve seen it three times already,” Sean said passing the bowl of popcorn.

“It’s a great movie,” Ryan said eating the popcorn from his hand. “Everything else was out.” Ryan watched the screen intensely watching the camera movement and the editing.

Kevin wasn’t really that interested in the movie. He knew most of the dialog by heart. He wondered what she was doing across the hall. She had haunted his thoughts all day. Was she interested in him? Was he even her type? He smiled when he thought of the way she laughed. His thoughts were interupted by Sean wanting to know if he wanted any popcorn. The movie only lasted for a few more minutes, but Kevin hardly noticed. He was glad that he was surrounded by his friends and not alone, but he could seem to focus on anything else but Julia.

“Earth calling Kevin are you there?” Sean said when he noticed that his friend was staring at the blank TV screen. Kevin snapped out of his thoughts and got up from the floor where he had been sitting. “Where have you been?”

“I...I was thinking about something.” Kevin shrugged and now was paying full attention to his friends.

“Maybe someone would be more accurate.” Sam smiled at Kevin and lifted her eyebrows to everyone else. “Our Kevin has finally decided to come back to the land of the dating.”

Sean padded Kevin on the back. “Welcome back on behalf of all the single people in the world.”

“Now you can be just as sad and miserable as the rest of us,” Melissa winked at Kevin. She always had a bit of the devil in her eye. Some Sam’s personality had evidently rubbed off on her roommate.

“I haven’t officially asked her out yet so please hold off on any ceremony.”

“What are you waiting for, a sign from God.” Sean raised his voice a bit.

“Actually that wouldn’t be a bad way to start a relationship.” Kevin looked around at his friends. “You know me I just can’t go up to her and say ‘Yo, baby my place or yours.’ That’s just not me.”

Ryan chimed in for the first time in the conversation. He was always quiet when it came to talking about relationships. “Go for it. What do you have to lose?”

“My dignity, my self-respect, my pride, my ego....”

Melissa interupted his list. “Listen Kevin, if a guy like you asked me out I’d say yes.”

“Really?”

“So would I,” Sam said.

“Hey, if I were a girl. You’d be exactly the man I would want.” Sean then planted a kiss on Kevin cheek.

“If she say no, this is all on your heads.” Kevin decided it was now or never. “I’ll be right back.”

Kevin walked slowly toward Julia’s apartment. He ran over and over what he planned to say when she opened the door. How did he get himself talked into this? What would she ever see in him? What did he have to offer? He knew that they were probably looking out his door. He heard a far amount of whispering when he stopped in front of her door. There was no turning back now. He took a deep breath and prepared to do something he hadn’t done in over a year, ask someone out. He knock on the door lightly and wondered if he looked alright. There was nothing he could do about his appearance now

Julia wondered who would be knocking at her door. She looked out the peephole and saw Kevin standing there. He was looking down at his feet and looked a bit impatient. She looked at her appearance. She put down her blond hair and opened the door.

“Hi,” she said as she opened the door.

“Hi. I’m I bothering you because I can come another time...”

“No, please come in.” She let him into her apartment and closed the door after her.

Kevin found it diffcult to speak and he begin to feel his palms get sweaty. He felt like he was back in High School. “I was wondering if your not busy tomorrow night if maybe you’d like to...to”

She completed his sentence. “Go on a date.”

“Yeah, on a date. I was wondering if you would want to go out with me?”

Julia could tell that he wasn’t really comfortable asking her out. He avoided eye contact with her, moving his eyes around the room and finally just looking at his shoes.

“I would love to go out with.” He finally looked up at her and smiled and she smiled back at him. “Just tell me when.”

“When...oh right. How about 7:30?”

“Great. That sounds perfect.”

“So I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“So how did it go?” Sam asked as Kevin enter his apartment.

Kevin looked around at the anxious faces of his friends. He could tell they were waiting for him to speak. He made his way toward the sofa, sat down, and put his head in his hands. He sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes.

“I knew it. She shot you down, didn’t she?” Sean said as he sat down next to his friend. “Forget about her she wasn’t worth it. She wouldn’t know a great guy if he...”

Kevin cut off Sean with a wave off his hand. “She said yes and that’s the problem.” He was looking at the floor while he spoke.

Sam sat on the floor next to the sofa and hugged her knees. “Let me get this straight. The girl you’ve been fawning for the past two days said ‘Yes’ and you consider that a problem.”

Melissa sat next to Sam and said,“What are you afraid of Kevin? Not all the girls in the world are like Caroline!”

When she said the name Kevin looked up for the first time at his friends. Everyone else was looking at Melissa who regretted saying the name the minute she spoke it. All she wanted to do was take it back, but all she could say was, “I’m sorry Kevin but...”

“You’re right, Mel. I know you’re right.” Kevin got up and began heading for his kitchen. “This is the first step to getting on with my life and that’s what scares me. I’ve been off the playing field for so long....”

Ryan spoke for the first time. “Kevin, don’t worry about anything. Just go out and have a good time. It a date, not the end of the world.”

“So you’ve been out of commission for a while. It’s just like riding a bicycle, you got to hop back on it. All you got to do is be smooth and confident.”

“Just be youself.”

“Act natural.”

“And pick up the check.”

Julia couldn’t believe her luck. Less than two weeks after moving to this city she already had a quaint apartment in a nice neighborhood, new friends, and a date with a seemingly likable guy. Maybe moving to New York City wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

She wasn’t sure what it was about Kevin that made him attractive. He surely wasn’t the most physically attractive male she’d ever laid eyes on, but there was something about him. Almost every man she had dated before was too self-absorbed, not that she had dated much. She could count all the guy she had relationships with in her lifetime on one hand. There was her first boyfriend named Teddy who she had dated from her freshman year through her junior year of High School. He had it all, the looks, the money, the car and the killer smile that still made her melt each time she thought about it. Unfortuately, what he lacked was any sense of monogamy or loyalty. He had a terminal case of the wandering eye. Her second boyfriend, Steven, had been her friend prior to their romantic entanglement. He was a caring, and loving guy, but there was really no spark, no passion in their relationship. When their romance ended so did their friendship. She promised never to repeat that mistake. Next came Cary, whom she met her first day of college. Cary was unlike anyone she had ever met. He was aggressive, passionate, and driven. He was the first lover she ever had, but she soon learned not to mistake lust for love. The passionate died after about five months, but it was fun while it lasted. Finally, there was Paul. She was still trying to figure out what went wrong in this relationship. Things seemed to be going fine and it just ended. He stopped calling her and didn’t bother to return her phone calls.

Kevin was nothing like any of the men from her past. He seemed honest, sincere, and a good-hearted person. He was a gentleman and seemed to listen when she talked. Kevin was the kind of man she would usually be friends with and not someone she’d consider dating. She laughed when she remember how nervous he appeared asking her out on their date. She found this quality charming, in a boyish sort of way. “I have a date tomorrow,” she said aloud as she closed her living room window.

“Take deep breaths.” Sam was rubbing Kevin’s shoulders and trying to stop her friend from having some sort of anxiety attack. Everyone else had left Kevin’s apartment about a half an hour earlier, but Sam had decided to stay behind and calm her friend down. “It’s a date, Kevin. Your acting like it’s the night before your wedding.”

“I’m just a little scared. I haven’t done this for a very long time. First dates are awkward enough, but when you haven’t gone on one for fourteen months, it can be a bit surreal. Some please understand if I’m going a little...crazy.” He rose from his place on the sofa and started to pace the room again. “I want to prove to myself that I’m real over Carol...”

“Caroline.”

“Yeah, her.” He took a deep breath as if the mention of her name brought back all the painful memories. “This is more than just a date. It’s about being able to move on with my life.”

“I understand, but I don’t think you should worry yourself to death. Just go out have a good time and be yourself. Julia likes you enough to go out with you.”

“Maybe she just feels sorry for me.”

“I feel sorry for you, but I would never date you.”

There was a knock on the door and he was fairly sure who it was. His suspicions were confirmed when he opened the door and found four people on the other side. “Whatever you’re selling, I don’t want it.” He tried to shut the door, but Sam stuck her foot inside to prevent him from closing it. “Don’t you people have anything better to do than check into my life.”

“No, your life is the only entertainment we find interesting, “ Sam said as she filed into the apartment with the others.

“So stud, what do you have planned this fine evening?” Sean asked as Kevin shut the door.

“I decided on the old standard, dinner and a movie. Does anyone have a problem with that?” Kevin was satisfied when he heard a collective “No” echo through his apartment.

“You look calm about the whole thing,” Sam said as she looked him. “A little too calm if you ask me. You didn’t take anything, did you?”

“No, I just realized that if I was going to panic the whole evening I wouldn’t enjoy the date. I want to enjoy myself tonight. Now if all of you will exuse me, I’m going to pick up my date.” Kevin put on his blazer and checked to see if he had his wallet. “Lock up for me, will you?” And with that he closed his apartment door.

Everyone was left looking at each other with puzzled looks on their face. Sean broke the silence, “All those you think he is really nervous, raise your hand.” Everyone in the room had their hand in the air.

Kevin approached her door and gave a loud sigh. He knew he had to go through with it now. He gently tapped on her door and prayed he didn’t do anything stupid. Julia opened the door and what he saw almost made his heart stop. He thought she was even more beautiful then he remember, if such a thing was possible. Julia had on a long black skirt and a short black top. Her hair was down in thick, blond curls, but they didn’t cover her blue eyes, which seemed to be casting their own glow. A little voice inside his head said, “Say something idiot before she thinks you’re mute.” The only words he could get out was, “Hello.”

“Hi,” she responded as she looked directly at him. “I’m ready to go if you are.”

“Yeah...I’m ready to...leave.”

“Great, let me just grab my purse. Come in.” She stepped aside to let him enter the apartment.

Kevin was ready to kick myself. So much for not being nervous about the whole thing. “You have a date with an extremely attractive woman and you can’t even say anything with more than one syllable. Really smooth. Now she things I have an IQ of ten.”

Julia knew her purse was somewhere in her bedroom. Kevin was starting to pace her living room. She could hear the noise of his shoes hitting her uncarpeted floor. She could tell he was a little tense the way he had avoided eye contact with her at the door, and the way he couldn’t seem to think of anything to say. Maybe the outfit was too much. She finally found her purse under her a pile of clothes. She dusted it off and made her way to the living room. This was going to be an interesting evening.

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful.”

“Have I done something wrong Kevin because you haven’t said anything to me since we left my apartment.”

“I’m sorry...” Kevin paused in the middle of the street to face her. “I guess I’m a little...”

“Nervous. I sensed that. Why, you were so comfortable with me before?”

Kevin looked into her eyes for the first time and held his eyes there. “I’m so sorry. I’ve never had much luck with this whole dating thing. I’m probably not that the type of guy you’d normally go out with.”

“No, but guys I usually go out are jerks.” She smiled. “Or turn out to be anyway. Please, don’t be nervous. Just think of it as two friends going to dinner.”

“Okay, two friends.”

Kevin gradually became more comfortable as the evening went on. He could feel that he was loosing up during dinner and becoming more like himself. All the nervousness he felt at the beginning of their date had all but vanished. She asked him about his writing and his job at the publishing company. He asked her more about her family and her life in California. She loved to talk about her little sister, Jamie, and how she could play the piano and the flute. Although, he found it odd that she didn’t seem to mention the reason why she had decided to leave her family. He didn’t want to press the subject. Kevin noticed that she liked to use her hands when making a point. He liked to hear her speak because of her distinct, beautiful voice, and whenever she spoke she focused her eyes on him. He found himself wanting to know everything about her.

Julia noticed Kevin had relaxed his shoulders. He now seemed more at ease and appeared to be enjoying himself. He asked questions about her family and her background, and seemed to hang on her every word. Julia found herself staring at his lucid brown eyes several times during dinner.

“I’ve been going on and on about my family. Now, it’s your turn. Tell me about your household.”

“There’s not much to tell. We were a pretty normal family. I have two younger sisters, Katherine and Dana, and two great parents. I guess we’re pretty boring.”

“Didn’t you move when you were young? That must have been hard for you.”

“It was, but I get used to my life in Connecticut. Connecticut is not that different from Colorado. Connecticut just has less big hills.”

“Do you like it here...in the big city?”

“Yeah, I love it here. Everything is so alive here. There is so much energy in this town. So, how do you like life in the big city?”

Julia sighed and looked upward. “It’s been good to me so far. I have no complaints. The people are really nice.” She looked at him and laughed.

“I hope that these people include me.”

“Especially you. You have been so gentle and friendly to me from the first moment we meet. I just want to thank you for everything.” Julia placed her hand on top of his and held it there for a moment. His hand was soft and warm.

“You don’t have to thank me for anything. It was my pleasure.”

“You are a really great guy Kevin Wilder.”

Kevin didn’t notice when the movie ended. He found it hard to concentrate on what was happening on the flickering screen. All through out the movie, he was unsure of what to do with his arms. It was high school all over again as he wondered if he should put his arm around her shoulder or keep in on the armrest. He hated first dates because he was always so uncertain about what to do. Was holding hands appropriate in a first date situation? What about a good night kiss? He didn’t even want to think about that one. The one thing he had learned over his first date experiences was the women set the speed at which things move. The date was going so well...so far. But he still expected some sort of diaster, natural or otherwise, to ruin the date. In the end, he decided kept his arm lying on the armrest.

Kevin looked at his watch as they exited the theater. It was now 11:40 pm. He had almost forgetten that he had to get up at 7:00 o’clock in the morning for work. The streets were still full of people walking around as if it was only 8 o’clock at night. He loved this town.

He looked over at Julia who was standing beside him. She smiled at him and started to walk down the street. It was cool July night. The wind blew Julia’s hair in different directions. Kevin took off his black blazer and wrapped it around her shoulders.

“Thanks. It’s pretty cold for July.”

“The weather in New York is crazy...like most of the people who live here.” Julia smiled at his joke. Kevin liked to see her smile. “You know, you have a very pretty smile. You should smile more often.” He surprised himself by the boldness of his statement, but it was truthful.

Julia laughed, noticeably embarrassed, by what he just said. “Whenever I try not to smile, I smile even more.” She covered her mouth and continued to laugh. “I could never learn to take a compliment.”

“Then I guess I shouldn’t say how good you look tonight.”

“I rather you wouldn’t.”

“Forget I mentioned it.”

Kevin and Julia walked closely, side by side, toward the building. Kevin glanced at his watch again, it was nearly 12:10 am. If he made into bed by 12:30, he would have a little over seven hours sleep. Hopefully, things would be calm at the office tomorrow morning...later this morning.

Julia walked towards her door with her keys already in her hand. Kevin was right behind her waiting until she opened the door. She heard him let out a yawn once she had gotten the door open. She slowly took off his blazer and handed it back to him.

“I had a great time tonight.”

“Me too.” Kevin tried to stifle another yawn, but was unsuccessful. “Excuse me.”

“Did I keep you up too late?”

“No. I’m always out with attractive women.” They both laughed. “I think I can manage a work day on seven hours sleep.”

“We have to do this again sometime..maybe this weekend. If you’re not busy.”

“No. Just tell me where you want to go and I will take you there.”

Julia leaned forward and gave him a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear. She then made her way inside her apartment.

Kevin could not believe what a great time he had. It was quite possibly the best first date he had ever had. She really seemed to like him. He was undressing in the bedroom when he heard the phone. He knew exactly who it was. He picked up and said, “Sam, you know what time it is?”

“It’s 12:19. So how did it go?”

“Sam, can we talk about this tomorrow? I’d like to get some sleep.”

“I’m just going to keep calling you until you tell me everything.”

Kevin gave a loud sigh and down on his sofa. “Okay, I’ll tell. We went to have something to eat and then we went to a movie.”

“And...”

“There is no ‘And’. Nothing happened. We went out, we had a good time and we’re probably going to do it again soon.”

“How soon is soon?”

“Soon, okay. I’ll give all the details tomorrow, but right now I want to go to sleep. I want to be at least fifty percent tomorrow.”

“Pleasant dreams. I have a feeling I know who I’ll be dreaming about.”

“Hopefully, it won’t be you. Goodnight, Sam.”

“Goodnight, Kevin.”

“Things slowing down,” Sean’s voice said from behind her.

“You know I hate it when you do that.” She turned around to face him. He had his long, brown hair in a ponytail, as usual.

“I know.” He smiled and leaned on the counter next to her. “So how are things going?”

She nodded. “They’re fine. Nothing to complain about.”

“That’s good. So are things between you and...what was that guy’s name...Gary?”

“It was Richard...and we broke up two weeks ago. So why all these questions?”

“What...I can’t have a conversation with a friend to see how things are going?”

She looked him straight in the eye and sighed. “Okay, how much do you need?”

“Just twenty bucks. I’ll pay you back...I swear.”

“You still owe me the twenty from a month ago.” She sighed again and took out a ten dollar bill from her pocket. “I need to buy goceries so this is all I can spare.” She put the bill on the counter. “So what do you need the cash for....Forget it I don’t want to know. You owe me thirty now remember.”

The diner door opened and Kevin came in from the rain. His brown hair was wet, along with most of his clothes. He took off his coat and sat himself down in a booth. Sam had been waiting for me to come through that door. She walked over to him with a cup and a freshly-brewed pot of coffee. She put the cup infront of him and poured out the coffee. Kevin looked greatly drained. He muttered the word “Thanks” and took a long sip. She sat down in the booth.

“Tough day at work, honey.”

“Don’t ever come home after midnight when you have to get up early the next morning.” He rubbed the back of his neck and took another long sip of coffee. “I remember I used to stay out until four o’ clock in the morning and still get up at eight o’clock. I guess I’m not as young as I used to be.”

“Be I have a feeling it was worth it, right?”

He looked up from his cup of coffee and smiled, “Yeah, I think it was worth it. I had a great time with her.”

“Stop being so vague, I want details,” Sam said as she leaned forward to hear him better.

“Like I said last night there’s nothing much to tell. I just had a really great time with her.”

Sean walked over to the table and sat down next to Sam.

“What’s up Kev, do you score last night?”

“You are such a pig, you know that.” She turned her attention back to Kevin. “So when are you going to ask her out again?”

“I don’t know. Maybe this weekend, if she’s free.”

“You know Kev, you look really good. Have you started jogging again?”

“How much do you need?” Kevin took out his wallet.

“Just ten and I promise...”

“To pay you back, yeah I know.”

Kevin looked toward the diner door as someone was walking in. He suddenly became aware that it was Julia. Her hair was down and it came down around her face. She closed her umbrella. He watched her walk toward the counter. He was captivated by each movement she made. Sean and Sam had were talking, but he lost track of the conversation. He was unaware of their presence. All he saw was Julia.

“Earth to Kevin. Is there anyone home?” Sam passed a hand over Kevin’s eyes. She turned to look in the direction he was looking, and suddenly became aware of why her friend had no idea what was going on.

“Dream woman is here.” Sean remarked to Sam. “Listen Kev, why don’t you go to talk to her?”

“Talk to her.” Kevin finally became aware that his friends were talking to him. “What do I say?”

Sam turned to Sean who was about to speak, but she put her hand over his mouth. “How about ‘How are you this morning?’”

Sean removed her hand from his mouth. “Oh, that’s original. It take you a long time to think that one up.”

“Shut up. What would be your suggestion? ‘Hey, how did you sleep last night without me?”

“Oh, you think you know me so well...”

“Guys. Would you relax before I have to separate you two. I know you mean well, but I’ll handle this. After all, she is a human being, and I can have an adult conversation with her. Just because she is a very attractive woman doesn’t mean I don’t know how to act around her.” Kevin got up from the booth and made his way toward Julia who had planted herself on the other side of the diner with a newspaper. He knew Sam and Sean were probably watching him. He could feel his hands becoming sweaty, but nothing was going to stop him from talking to her. “Anything interesting?”

Julia looked up to see Kevin looking at the newspaper on the table. “No. Just the same, old stuff. Have a seat.” Kevin took a seat opposite as she closed the newspaper. “Did you make it into work okay?”

“Yeah. I was a little bit tired, but I could function.”

“If I would have known I was keeping you up, I would have made you take me home much sooner.”

“No, no. I was having too much fun. I really did enjoy myself last night.”

“I did too.” She took hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I was wondering if you weren’t doing anything this weekend if you’d like to go out. I still need someone to gave me a guided tour of the city.”

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Yes. Just thought I’d return the favor. So is it a yes or a no?”

“I think my social calendar is free, but I have to check.” Kevin smiled and laughed. “I think I can work you into my busy schedule.”

“Thanks. It nice to feel wanted.” Julia smiled at him and put her hand on his.

The Saturday afternoon sun beated down on them as they made their way toward the train station. It must have been somewhere around ninety degrees. Julia was used to the heat, but Kevin seemed a little bit bothered by it as he kept passing his hand over his upper lip. They walked slowly in silence looking forward.

Once on board the N train, Kevin was the first to break the silence “So tell me something about yourself I don’t already know.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything you’d like to share.”

Julia inhaled deeply and looked up at the ceiling of the subway car. “I’m not all the interesting you know.”

“Compared to my life, you’re life has to be intertesting. Come on, tell something. What were you like as a kid?”

“I was a total tomboy when I was growing up. My father would take me camping and fishing. I liked to climb trees, collect insects, and I could beat up any boy at my school. I had scraped knees until I was about fifteen.” Julia smiled and looked at Kevin. “Does that surprise you?”

“No. I’m sure you could still beat up any male. Just promise not to hurt me.”

“How about you? What were you like when you were little?”

“I was what you’d call a nerd. My head was always stuck inside some book. I didn’t have many friends. I didn’t develop socially until I was about fifteen, but I didn’t develop a personality until sixteen.”

“I’m sure you were a real lady-killer when you did develop that personality.”

“No. I had girlfriends, but I didn’t have girlfriends. I didn’t start dating until I was a senior in high school.”

“Those girls have no idea what they were missing.” Julia took his hand. All Kevin could do was smile.

“New York has a personality all it’s own. That’s why I moved here. My mother thought I was crazy, but this city is awesome. It’s a far cry from where I grew up in Colorado. But this is where I want to be. New York is the heart of the publishing world, and if I ever want to get anything printed, this is the place to do it.” Kevin looked at Julia sitting on the bench next to him. “This is where I go to work out my big blocks. There’s no place as beautiful as Central Park.”

Julia looked around at her surroundings. The park was full of people keeping busy despite the high temptature. There was a warm breeze in the air as she looked up at the trees. Julia kept quiet most of the time as Kevin played tour guide. He had shown her some of the sights of mid-town Manhattan. They decided to take a rest on one of the benches inside the park. They sat in silence as Julia continued to look up at the trees and sun.

“I’m boring you, aren’t I?”

“No, no. I just like to think whenever I’m in a park. I loved to play in the grass when I was a kid. I walked on it barefoot, and rolled around in it until I got really dirty.”

“What does that feel like?”

“What?”

“Walking on grass barefoot. I’ve never tried it.”

“Wanna try?” Kevin shook his head and looked down at his feet. “What are you chicken? Oh, come on, it’ll be fun.” Julia got up and started to walk toward the grass on The Great Lawn. She motioned for Kevin to follow. Once on the grass, Julia took off her shoes and socks putting them below a tree. “You showed me new things today, so let me return the favor.” The sun shone in her hair making her whole face lit up. He liked it when she had her hair down. It seemed flowed in soft waves.

Kevin began to take off his shoes. He also put under the tree. The grass felt cool under his feet. As he walked, he could feel some of the grass was damp. He hoped it was from water. “This feels so weird.”

“You should try it when the grass has just watered.” She smiled and took his hand. “Come let’s go for a walk.” She grabbed the shoes from below the tree and handed him his. “You look so uncomfortable.”

“Well, it’s not eveyday you take off your shoes in the middle of Manhattan. If anything, my mother always told me to keep all my articles of clothing on.”

“I suppose your mother also told you never to get your pants dirty either.”

“Yeah. My mother always had this weird obssession with laundry.” Kevin smiled and looked at Julia. “So tell me about your family. Are your parents still together?”

“No. My mother died when I was six, but my father remarried a really nice woman.”

“I’m sorry about you’re mother.”

“Thanks.”

“It must have been hard for you to lose your mother so young.”

“Yeah, but I still had my father and he was great. He never let his job get in the way of our relationship. He was always there when I need him.” Julia looked back at Kevin and smiled. “Anything else you’d like to know about me?”

Kevin looked up at the trees trying to think of a question to ask. “Well, do you like hot dogs?” He motioned to a hot dog ventor a few feet away.

“My favorite food.” Julia and Kevin put their shoes back on and headed to the ventor.

“This certainly has been an experience.” Kevin said as they exited the park. The sun was slowly going down as the wind began to pick up.

“Good or bad?”

“Good. It’s not everyday you do things for the first time with such pleasant company.” Kevin took a deep breathe. “Do you want to continue to...do you want to do this again... soon?”

He couldn’t help but think of what happened this afternoon. Spending the day with Julia was amazing. He thought about her smile, and the way she liked to touch his hand. He liked the way her skin felt against his. For the first time, in a long time, he was happy. He thought about how he really wanted to kiss her when he saw her to her apartment door, but fear got the best of him. Instead, he gave her a short hug and said good-bye. He hated when he did things he knew he would regret later. He rubbed his eyes and imagined what it would have been like if he had kissed her. Touching her face and then running his fingers through her hair. He got up from his seat on the couch and said to himself, “Wilder, you are the biggest idiot on the face of this planet.” He headed toward the kitchen to see if he could find anything to drink.

Before he made it to the kitchen, there was a knock at the door. He assumed it was Ryan coming back from his meeting, but he was wrong. Kevin opened the door and saw Julia standing before him.

“Hi. Am I distrubing you?”

“No, no come in.” He held the door open so that she could come inside the apartment. He really wished he had spent some time cleaning up the place.

“I know that after spending the whole day with me that you must be sick of me by now, but I didn’t have anything to do tonight, and I was wondering if you had the same problem.” Julia looked at him and then around at the apartment. “I hope my apartment looks this nice when I get furniture.” She looked back at him. “So, what do you say?”

“I don’t have anything to do either. Why don’t you sit down? Do you want anything to drink?”

Julia took a seat on the couch and said, “No, I’m fine thanks. So what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. We can go into the city...”

“No, I don’t really feel like taking the train. Is there anything fun to do around here?”

“Here...no. This is not a real fun neighborhood.” Julia leaned back in disappointment. Kevin stood and stuck his hands in his pockets not knowing what else to say.

“Why don’t you come and sit down?”

“No, I like to stand when I think.” He rubbed his eyes and yawned.

“Are you tired? Because I can go.” She rose from her place on the couch. “We can do this someother time. You do look sleepy.” She walked passed him and was on her way to the door.

“No, please don’t go.” Julia turned around. “Do you like ‘The Three Stooges’?”

“Who doesn’t?”

“Well, I do have some of their movies on tape, if you want to see them? We can hang out here. I can make us some popcorn.” He smiled as she walked toward him.

Julia and Kevin sat through three hours of “The Three Stooges”. They laughed together, and ate popcorn as people in the movie got hit in the face with assorted variety of pies. Julia noticed how Kevin kept his distance on the couch. She could also feel his eyes on her throughout the night, but she never looked at him. Julia had had a really good time when the last movie was finally over. She looked at her watch and it read 12:21 am.

Kevin turned on the lights, and pressed rewind on the VCR. This evening had gone well. He liked just being with her, and sharing laughs with her. He hoped she hadn’t noticed him looking at her at different points during the evening. She covered her mouth as she yawned. “Now, who’s the one that’s tired?”

She smiled and said, “Well watching the Stooges can take a lot out of a person.” She got up from her seat on the sofa. “I think I should go before you really get sick of me.”

“I could never get sick of your company.”

“Thanks, but I know that I’m not that interesting.” She walked toward the door and he followed. “Thanks again for a great night. It was fun.”

“The Stooges made it fun. I had nothing to do with it.” There was a moment of hesitation before he could get out the words. “Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” And he closed the door.

Before he could start kicking himself for not kissing her again, there was a knock at the door. It was Julia.

“Can I ask you something?”, she said as she entered his apartment again.

“Yeah, sure anything.”

“Do you find me attrac...I mean do you want to ki...” But before she could say anything else, Kevin had put his hands on her face.

“To answer your questions, yes and yes.” She laughed as he held her gaze. He touched her lip with his thumb and kissed her forehead. “God, you are so beautiful.” He bent his head forward, and touched his lips with hers. She put her arms around his waist, and leaned in closer to him. He broke the kiss for a moment to put his hands in her hair. He could feel her heart beating against him, and he was suddenly aware how close she was to him. Kevin broke the kiss again, and took her hands from around his waist. Julia stood silent as he kissed her hands and said, “I’ve been wanting to do that for the longest time.”

Julia laughed and put her arms around his neck. “Well, why didn’t you?”

“Because all women make me nervous, especially someone as beautiful as you. I didn’t know what you felt toward me. On our first date, you said that we were going out as friends, so I didn’t know if you want to be...more than friends.”

“Well, I think we’ve crossed the line of friendship.” She looked into his eyes and said, “You are intelligent, warm, caring, sensitive, and funny, so why wouldn’t I be attracted to you. I really do like you, Kevin...since the first day we met.” She leaned in and kissed him again.

“So does this mean we’re...” He cleared his throat and looked at her rather seriously. “Dating.”

“Yes, Mr. Wilder. I think it’s safe to say that we are having a relationship.” She touched his lips lightly with her finger and kissed him.

“Look at him. He’s been staring out that window for the better part of an hour. Something happened last night.” Sam whispered to Sean as she wiped the counter.

“And by what brilliant powers of deduction did you figure that out? Of course something happened last night. It’s written all over his face.”

“The funny thing is that he hasn’t said a word to me since he’s been here. He only mumbled about how it’s a really nice day.”

“There is a certain word called privacy that you don’t seem to possess in your vocabulary. If he doesn’t want to tell you what happened last night, that’s his right.”

“Yeah, but I really want to know.”

Kevin couldn’t stop smiling. He probably looked like an idiot, but he didn’t care. It was the perfect Sunday morning. The sky was a perfect shade of blue and the sun was out in all it’s glory. Something happened last night that denied all logic or reason. A perfectly sane and very beautiful woman said that she liked him. They were dating. They were having a relationship, and he was happy. He hadn’t been this happy since...since she left him. He was starting to forget what she even looked like. Her image was replaced by the image of Julia, the first time she smiled at him. Everything was right with the world...okay let’s not get too carried away. Last night, or this morning however you like to think about it, Julia left his apartment after he had kissed her. He could remember the way her lips felt on his. He could have stayed in her arms forever. He hardly noticed when Sam sat down across for him.

“It should be illegal to look that happy.”

“If it bothers you so much I’ll try to stop.”

“So what happened last night with Julia? Did the sparks fly? Did fireworks go off? What? What?”

“I just had a really great time with her last night. We watched a couple of my ‘Three Stooges’ movies, and one thing led to another and we had wild sex on my kitchen counter.”

“You what?”

Kevin started to laugh. “I can’t believe you still buy every word that comes out of my mouth after how many years?”

“So you didn’t do anything. So what’s with the goofy grin?”

“Well, she did tell me that she is really fond of me and would like to continue to see in a more than friendly fashion.”

“So in other words you’re dating?”

“Yes, we are dating.”

“That’s great. Congratulations. I knew that she couldn’t resist your charms.”

“Hopefully this one won’t end in diaster.”

“There you go being Mr. Pessimist. For once, I’d like you to get involved with someone and not say that. What makes you think this one is going to end in diaster?”

“I’ll let my track record speak for itself. I always find some way to screw things up. I’m really happy, and then the bottom falls out.”

“Alright, we all know that relationships aren’t easy, but it worth a shot. I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life. Kevin, this girl likes you, you like her, so don’t question it. This is going to sound totally unlike me but, follow your heart.”

“Where did this romantic side of you come from?”

“I’ve tried to keep it well hidden. There no such thing as a sacrastic romantic. So what are you and the lovely Julia going to do today amid your new found happiness?”

“ I don’t know.” He sighed as if trying to think. “I thought maybe I should give her a little space...to take it all in.”

“Playing hard to get.” Sam looked down and shook her head. “Haven’t I taught you anything? If you really like her, for God sakes, don’t play games with her!”

Sean walked over from the counter and sat down next to Sam. “So what have I missed? What happened to you last night? Did you...get...”

Sam cut Sean off with the words, “If you say the phrases ‘Get some’ or ‘Get laid’, I will have to smack you as a duty to women everywhere. It’s a rule.”

“Actually, I was going to say ‘get lucky’ with no offense intended.” Sean nodded at Sam and then looked across the table at Kevin. “So?”

“Sean, a gentleman never kisses and tells.”

“Kevin, I thought you would have figured out that Sean is no gentleman.” Sam chuckled at her own joke. “As I was saying before we were so rudely interupted, don’t play games with her. Call her and tell her that you would real like to spend the day with her. Obviously, she likes the real you, so don’t blow it by pretending to be...to be him.” Sam pointed at Sean still sitting next to her.

“Don’t listen to her. Women love when you play hard to get. I’ve gotten more females with that techinque.”

“He wants an actually relationship with a woman, not a quick roll in the sack. I really would like to know if you’ve had an adult relationship yet.”

Sean turned to face Sam with a stern look in his eye. Kevin sensed that another one of their famous fights was about to take place. “For your information, I care about every woman I have been with.”

“You must have a big heart because that’s a lot of caring.”

“What about you ‘Miss Relationship’? With all this knowledge about male-female relationships, I don’t see you with anyone.”

“That because I want more out of a relationship than an orgasm and I am highly selective about the kind of man I date.”

“For what I see you only date two categories of men: geeks and losers.”

“I suppose I should try to find someone like....you. I’d rather take a vow of celibacy.”

“Guys....before you two say something you regret, I think you should both go back to work.” Kevin smiled at them as they both looked away from each other in disgust. He knew there feelings of animosity toward each would wear off in a couple of hours. “Thank you both for your perspective on things, but I have a girl I want to see so if you’ll excuse me.”

He knocked on the door still trying to think of what to say. He felt an wave of deja vu as he beginning to get sweaty palms again. The door opened to reveal a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes that looked just as puzzled as Kevin’s eyes did. Kevin looked at the apartment number to make sure that he his haste to see Julia he was on the wrong floor, but it was the right floor and the right apartment. The little girl, who looked to be about eight, said in a very adult tone, “Can I help you?”

Unsure of what to say, Kevin looked down at the little girl with a smile and said, “ You can try. Is Julia here?”

Just then, Kevin heard Julia coming from her bedroom. “Jamie, where are you?” She stopped when she say Kevin standing in the doorway. She had on her robe and looked as if she had just gotten out of the shower. Julia could not hide the fact that she was a bit embrassed at Kevin finding her in nothing but a robe.

“Julianna, he was asking for you.” Jamie took Kevin hand and lead him into the living room which now had a rug, a sofa, and a television set.

“I can come back later if you want me to.”

Julia was silent for a few moments, but she finally managed to say, “No, no. It’s just that I did expect you. I was planning to stop by later, but I guess you beat me to it.”

Jamie was tugging at Kevin’s shirt. Kevin smiled at her trying to see if he could see anything of her big sister, but they were different. Jamie was darker with big brown eyes and brown hair which she had up in a pony tail. “My name Jamie Osborne. Pleased to meet you.” She extended her hand and smiled.

“Listen while you two get to know each other better, I’ll go put some clothes on.” Julia made a quick b-line to the bedroom.

“My name is Kevin Wilder and I’m happy to meet you too. I’ve heard a lot about you from your big sister. She is very proud of you and I can see why. How old are you?”

“I’m seven, but I’ll be eight in September.” She held up eight fingers. “How old are you?”

“Let’s see,” Kevin leaned back his head like he was thinking very hard. “Last time I checked I was twenty-four and I’ll be twenty-five next April. I guess I don’t have enough fingers”

“Are you Julianna’s boyfriend?” She looked up at him with the innocence of a child. He remember when he used to give people that look when he asked seemingly innocent questions, but he had been wondering this all day, what was he to Julia? Where they really boyfriend and girlfriend, the terms in hated to use? He preferred to use the much more mature term of having a relationship, but who was he kidding he could never avoid the label ‘boyfriend’. Jamie asked for a second time, “are you?”

“I guess you could say that. We just started dating, so I don’t know if I’d use the term...” Kevin realized who he was talking to...a seven year old girl who probably still thought that boys carried the plague. “Yes, I’m her boyfriend.”

“Good. You are so much nicer than some of the other boyfriends she’s had. Promise that you won’t make her cry. The last boyfriend she had made her cry a lot.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Julianna doesn’t think that I notice when she’s sad, but I could always tell. So do you promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die.” He made a cross over his heart like he used when he was a kid. “I promise never to make her cry and never to hurt her.” He also made a promise to himself that he would never hurt her. “Now, tell me about this last boyfriend of hers.”

Julia walked back in the room with a pair of white shorts and rose colored top. She smiled at seeing her little sister and Kevin sitting next to each engrossed in conversation. He was good with kids too. This was a big plus in her book. She felt like joining them on the couch and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “So what have the two of you been talking about? Anything interesting?”

Kevin smiled and turned to Jaime, “No, no nothing important.” Jaime was laughing. “Listen, we’ll continue this conversation later. I want to know the details of that thing.”

Jaime continued to laugh, “Okay, Kevin.”

“Jamie go into the bathroom and wash up.”

Jamie made her way off the sofa and went up to her sister to whisper, “I’ll leave you two alone to talk.”

“Get out of here, Jamie or no TV tonight.”

“Yes mother.” She looked back at Kevin and smiled. “She still treats me like I’m five.”

Julia took Jamie’s place on the sofa next to Kevin. She smiled and gave him a light kiss. “Hi. I really wanted to see you. I thought we could do something together. I guess you’re wondering what my sister is doing here.”

“The thought did cross my mind.”

“Well my father called me last night when I got home telling me that my sister would be arriving on a plane at around eight o’clock in the morning. My father and my stepmother are going on a second honeymoon, so I voluntered to take care of my sister for a few days.” Julia sighed and placed her head on the sofa. “I’m wondering what I can do to keep her entertained while she’s here.” She looked at him and smiled. “So I was wondering if you...”

“If I had any ideas. I don’t know I might have a few. Jamie’s a great kid and I wouldn’t mind showing her around. That is if her beautiful sister joins us.” Kevin leaned over and kissed her. Kevin knew that Jamie was probably spying on them from the bedroom. He yelled, “Jamie, you can come out now.”

She came running out of the room and said, “so, what are we going to do today? Julianna, you promised we would go to the park.”

Kevin got off his seat on the sofa and went down on one knee to look the seven year old straight in the eye. “Do you like animals?”

She smiled and said, “When I grow up I want to be an animal doctor. I love all kinds of animals, even the ones that don’t have fur.”

“Okay, now I know where we can go to have some fun. Tell your big sister we are going to see some wild animals.” Kevin picked up Jamie off the floor.

“You heard the man Julianna, let’s go.”

Kevin really did like Jamie. She reminded him of his youngest sister Dana, the same thirst for knowledge and the same lovable quality. You couldn’t help but take to the little girl. Julia had the same quality. He found himself looking at her wondering what she was thinking about. He studied her face wanting to remember it, wanting it to be permanently imprinted on his brain. He liked the way her her seemed to glow in the sunlight, and the way her blue eyes shone when looking into the lion’s den. He liked to look at her and think about how he was so lucky to have found her. She was perfect. She took his hand a couple of times, but let go when Jamie insisted they go to some other part of the park. He wondered where she got all the energy from. Was he ever like this as a kid? But he had to admit to himself that he was having fun.

On the train ride home, Kevin could tell that Jamie was tired. All that running around seemed to have finally gotten to her. She closed her eyes and rested her head on Julia’s shoulder. Her brown hair came over her forehead covering her eyes. Kevin was feeling pretty tired himself. “I guess she wore herself out.”

“Yeah, and she wore me out too. She had a good time though, and so did I” Julia leaned over and kissed Kevin on the cheek. “Thank you. I would hug you, but my hands are kind of full.” Jamie stirred from her sleep a bit as Julia moved.

“Anytime. She’s a great kid. Reminds me of sister.” Kevin took hold of her hand. “Can I ask you a question?” Julia nodded in response. “Julianna?”

She laughed as if she knew that this question was coming. “That’s my full first name, Julianna. Only my family calls me that though. It sounds too prim and proper.”

“Any other names I should know about?” He looked her squarely in the eye wanting to sound as serious as possible.

“No, well yes if you count my middle name, but I don’t ever use it. I really don’t like it.” She sighed and looked up. “If you promise not to laugh, I’ll tell you.” Kevin put up his hands as if he were swearing on a bible. “My full name is Julianna Guinevere Osborne and if you tell anyone I will have to kill you.”

He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Let me guess, your father really liked the musical Camelot.”

“For what I’ve been told on their first date my parents saw the movie. So I guess that’s why I ‘m stuck with the name.”

“Look at it this way, if you were a boy your middle name would be Lancelot.”

“Trying to be funny...ha...ha.”

“I like the name. It has a romantic air about it.”

“Most guys would say that if my middle name was Joe.” She smiled and placed a finger on her lips and placed it on his lips. “But coming from you, it’s sincere.” Kevin smiled and moved one of Julia’s blond curls away from her face.

Julia lead Jamie to her temporary bed. Her apartment was smaller than what her baby sister was used to, but she didn’t seem to mind. Jamie’s eyes closed every five seconds trying to fight the urge to sleep, but the day’s activities just seemed to leave her without an ounce of energy. She opened her eyes a couple of times as Julia was putting her to bed. Her first question was where Kevin had gone to. Jamie was asleep for their exchange in the hall. Julia had wanted to hug and kiss Kevin, but that was kind of hard to do with Jamie asleep on her left shoulder. Instead of a passionate kiss in the hallway, Kevin kissed her cheek gently. Before she closed her eyes for good, Jamie said, “I wish Kevin could be my big brother.”

Julia wondered about this guy who seemingly walked into her life. He was kind, sweet, sensitive, funny, and just a bit shy. He had a great smile and she liked the way his hands felt on her face. With all these wonderful qualities she wondered why he wasn’t already involved with someone. Why some other woman hadn’t claimed him? Could there be that there is something wrong with him that she couldn’t see? But all this wondering was too much like her. She always found the need to question things when they seemed to be going great. She tired to find even a hint of bad in a seeming endless field of good. Why should she be so lucky to find him in a city of millions? Fate? Density? Chance? This was too good to last.

He hid the rose and bear behind his back. The single long stem red rose was for Julia and the white bear was for Jamie. He checked his appearence once more before she could open the door. Julia’s expression changed when she saw him standing at the door. “She’s actually happy to see me” was the first thought that ran through his mind. “Hi” he said stepping over the threshold. “This is for you.” He handed her the rose and watched her reaction. Her blue eyes lit up and she smiled.

“Thank you.” She kissed him fully on the lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You are so sweet.”

“Hey, nothing’s to good for you. So where’s your sister? I have something I want to give her.” He showed Julia the white polar bear. “I knew how much she liked them at the zoo.”

Jamie came out of the bedroom running. “Kevin,” she said as she hugged him. He lifted her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey Jamie. Here this is for you.” He handed her the bear and she hugged him again while she said thank you. “So what did you do all day?”

“Julianna and I went to the park and I played on the swings and walked on the grass. Then we ate ice cream and watched the boats go by on the river. I wish you could have been there. You would have liked it.” She looked at her new bear. “I’ll name him after you.”

“That would be quite an honor. I’m glad you like it.” He gently put her down.

“What did you do all day Kevin?” She looked up at him with geniune curiosity.

“Well you see, I have a job. I do a lot of boring stuff all day. It’s not really that much fun, but I have to work.”

“My daddy works too. He has a big office and a secretary. I like looking out the windows, you can see all the people...”

Julia interupted, “I’m sure he doesn’t want to hear about all that. He’s probably really tired. You know how dad’s sometimes tired after working all day.”

Jamie continued, “what do you do?”

“I don’t want to bore with that. I have a long title and like I said it’s a really boring job.” Kevin was starting to sweat a bit. He hated to tell people what he did for a living. They always chuckled at the fact that he was....well a secretary. Although he preferred the title executive assistant. But when it came right down to it, he was a secretary.

Julia looked at him and folded her arms, “I would like to know what you do for a living. You could be some mob hitman.”

He loosened his tie and spoke softly, “I’m an executive assistant at a publishing house.” He looked Julia expecting to see the reaction he had seen so many times before, but he didn’t.

“What does that mean?” Jamie looked up at him.

Julia took jumped in with the answer. “He’s a secretary and I think it’s a great job.”

“Why didn’t you say so in the first place!” Jamie sat down on the sofa and turned on the television. She clicked o