The phone on his desk broke his concentration. He was staring out the window watching a bunch of seagulls chasing each other across the sky.
"Good afternoon, Joe Smithfield" he answered in his official executive sounding voice.
"Smitty! How are ya, Dude?" The voice screamed out of his earpiece in its decidedly southern accent.
"Hiya Vince, how's the boy? I know you need something from me, don't you?"
"I fuckin' hate you, you know that? But, yeah I do. I need a big favor son. Can you help me out here?"
"Sure thing, whatta ya need me to do now?" Joe asked.
"Well, here's the thing I sent my marketing team up to New York with a proposal for one of my clients, there's three of them, and two of them made their flights and are already there. But one of them had to leave this morning and is due in at LaGuardia in 90 mins. And I didn't make arrangements to get him to the hotel on 6th Ave. Could you do me a big one and get over there to meet him and get him hooked up with the other two?"
Joe looked at his watch and calculated the travel time from Brooklyn over to LaGuardia and figured, even if traffic sucked he could do it easily.
"No problem Vince, who am I looking for?" Joe enquired.
"Well Bud, that's the thing, I'm not sure who didn't make it there yet. And I can't get the other two bubble heads on the phone. They're probably already walking around NYC with their heads either up their asses or staring up at the buildings. So, here's the info, it's Delta flight 515 from Atlanta and it's due in around 1:30. Meet whoever it is by the baggage carousel and just hold up a sign that says "Vince." Got that Bud? "
Joe repeated the flight number back to him and verified that he would be there to pick up the stray.
"Thanks Smitty, When ya'll coming down and let me take you to a Braves game and dinner?"
"Let me check my vacation schedule, maybe we'll do something in September so I can breath and not collapse from that humidity."
They both laughed and called each other a few more names that friends do when they like each other.
Joe was thinking he'd get some lunch but now decided he'd pick up whoever he had to and take him to get some food. He stood up behind his desk, pushed his chair in and walked to the door and turned the lights out. He stopped at one of the sales assistants desk and folded a piece of printer paper in half and wrote in big block letters V..I..N..C..E, and walked out to the car.
He parked in the multi level garage in front of the terminals and walked into the Delta terminal and over to the baggage area. He noticed that there was only one escalator coming down from the arrival area, and decided that he'd much rather stand there and people watch than stand and watch carousels circle themselves into oblivion. So he pulled the sign out and walked over the bottom of the moving staircase, held the stupid thing up in front of him, and commenced a watching the people coming down.
He noticed her immediately. The minute she came into view at the top of the escalator. She watched as she patiently waited her turn to descend to the lower level. She was stunning! Tall and elegant, he figured her to be in her late twenties, but thought she might be a little older and just kept herself in great shape. She looked around the lower level and seemed to stare right at him. She was, she was staring right at him! Not only was she staring at him she began to smile, a brilliant, lovely smile. He shifted his weight nervously.
"She can't be smiling at me, no way, can she?" he thought to himself foolishly.
He turned around to look behind where he was standing, thinking there might be somebody standing there that she was really smiling at. There was no one there, and when he returned his vision to the escalator she was already down and walking straight at him. His mouth went dry. The closer she got the more stunning she became.
"Hi, I'm Pat. Vince left me a message on my cell that you would be meeting me here." She said, in her delightfully southern accent, as she extended her hand. Joe stared and raised his hand, almost absent mindedly, robot like.
"uh....ummm......I'm sorry, I was expecting a guy....er ...a gentleman. " Joe stammered like a special ed student.
"Oh? So you're disappointed with me?" she demurely asked.
Joe fought hard to regain his New York coolness. It was coming back to him anyway. But he felt he needed a push to gain full control of himself again.
"Nooooooo, not at all. I'm glad to meet you I'm Joe, and I'm going to take you to your hotel. But I was thinking of getting some lunch. Can I interest you in joining me?"
"Oh Jesus, I'm starving all I had for breakfeast, was a bag of Delta peanuts. I just barely made the flight!"
They walked over the correct carousel and when her bag fell off the belt and onto the wheel, she pointed it out and he pulled it off and pulled the handle out of the top and began to walk her and her bag back to the garage to get the car. But first he stopped at the Dunkin Donuts kiosk and got a small coffee for her. He figured if she didn't have one yet, the withdrawal headache would start before they hit the Tri-Boro bridge.
"Oh Joe, thank you! how did you know?" she smiled at him.
"ummmm......Call it instinct."
They laughed and continued the trek to the car.
They left the airport and entered the Grand Central Pkwy. to the bridge. He watched her, sitting in the passenger seat, trying hard not to look like someone who's never seen New York before. They past the Mets new stadium, Citi Field, off to the right. He smiled to himself. She was cool but her wide opened eyes gave her away. The skyline of Manhattan was splayed out to the south, and in order to see it from the car, she had to look towards and past him.
"Ever been to New York before?" he asked her, trying to sound really earnest.
"No, this is my first time here." She replied, trying even harder to sound cool. "Are you from here?" she asked him.
"Yup, born and raised a city boy, but I don't live here anymore. I live up in the mountains just north and west of the city. "
"Really? I think it would be really exciting to live here. There's an energy here I've never felt before, and I'm already feeling it." her coolness was disappearing by the second.
She pointed to the north and asked, "What city is that over there?"
"That's New York also, only that part is called the Bronx, or as we refer to it, da Bronx"
"Wait a minute, that over there is New York and that over there is New York also?" the confusion in her voice was evident.
"Pat, you landed in New York and in the short time we've been in the car you've already covered three boroughs." He knew she would not have a clue as to what he was talking about.
"Pat...." He started but she interrupted him. "Joe would you do me a huge favor, would you call me Trish. That's what everyone else calls me at home. "
"Ok, if that's the case, all my friends and family call me Joey. Feel free to do the same."
"I'm sorry I cut you off. Please continue...Joey." She politely responded.
"Trish you know what a county is right?"
"Yes, of course I do" she replied.
"Well the City of New York is actually made up of five counties in New York State. But we refer to each county as a borough. So, there are five boroughs in the City and its home to around 10 million people, but we seem to all get along , most of the time anyway."
They exited off the bridge and headed down the east side of Manhattan. Somewhere in the high 70's, Joey spotted an open parking spot and began to park the car.
"You're not going to get this car in that spot are you?" she asked incredulously.
"Just watch, one of the benefits of living here. It makes you an expert on how much room you need to park your car." He bragged.
With two swift moves of his steering wheel he deftly parked his Pontiac neatly against the curb and shut off the engine.
"I'm impressed!" she said.
"You should be!" he replied smugly, as he opened his door and exited. He moved quickly to the passenger side to help her out and close the door behind her. He directed her with a slight touch of his hand to the small of her back towards the Irish pub where he intended to have some lunch with his new, beautiful friend.
They entered the pub, and the doorman greeted Joe by name and directed them towards the booth in the back of the room. He escorted Pat down to the open booth and stood and waited for her to slide into the booth.
"Which side do you want Joe?" she asked.
"Doesn't matter, but would you mind if I sat there?" Joe preferred to sit with his back to the wall and facing the door.
"No, not at all" she replied. She waited for Joe to slide in on his side and then slid right in next to him.
She smiled and put her hand on his knee. It was the first time he really looked at her since he picked her up at LaGuardia. She was pretty. Very pretty, with deep green eyes that made her look like she was smiling all the time. And maybe she does, he thought.
"I hope you don' t mind me sitting next to you, I have some habits too. And one of them is sitting by myself." She told him.
"Trish, why would I mind you sitting next to me? Besides you smell better than anyone I've sat next to in months." They both laughed.
Joey fought back the urge to touch her face. "Holy shit! What's going on here?" he thought to himself.
They talked while he ordered her a corn beef on rye, while he had the pastrami, that the waiter assured him was really lean today. She told him she'd probably be here for today and the next two days and that she had a big appointment tomorrow, with her two team members and that they would wait around the next day in case there were any questions the customer had about the presentation. She told him about her failed marriage of four years and that she had not really been looking for anything except advancing her career. Joe, explained to her how Vince and him had met, while they both worked for the same company, at one of those management seminars that last for a week. And how they just kind of fell in together and spent the entire week tearing up Chicago at night, every night. And that they really haven't seen each other in ten years but managed to talk to each other twice a month since then.
When they finished lunch, which also included a few cocktails, he suggested that she go check in at her hotel and then, if she wanted, he would show her around for a couple of hours. She seemed genuinely agreeable to that idea. He took over the W, which is located smack in the middle of Times Square, and helped her bring her bag to the desk. The clerk noted that she was a little early for check in but that her room was ready and she could go up if she wanted to. She asked Joe if he wanted to go up to the room with her so she could "freshen up".
"No you go up and do what you have to. I'll stay with the car before it gets towed away." He said only semi laughingly. This was not an uncommon occurrence in this town.
He thought he detected some disappointment in her face, but shook it off, and walked outside to stand by the car. He loved the energy of this particular place, always had. "The cross roads of the world", is what they called Times Square. It slowly dawned on him that perhaps Trish wanted more than a few minutes to make herself pretty.
"No way!" he thought to himself. "Too young, too pretty, and I'm too damned old and ugly."
It was at times like this he wished he smoked. Standing out in the energy and force of the street he felt like he should be doing something. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see that Trish's face was smiling again.
"OK, I was thinking while I was upstairs, I'd like to see Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building!"
"Your wish is my command." Joe replied. "But I'll tell you what we're going to do here. First we're going to put this car in a garage somewhere and use the subway to get around the city. How's that sound to you?"
"I'd like to ride the subway!" She answered excitedly. She was finding it hard to restrain herself now. The energy of the City was taking hold of her.
Joe found a garage right off Times Square and they walked out to Broadway and went down into the Subway entrance at the corner. He bought a pass that would enable him to swipe and enter at any station for the rest of the day. They got a southbound IRT and got off two stops later at 34th St. As they climbed up into the street the first thing she saw was Madison Sq. Garden and then up the street, rising endlessly into the azure sky was the Empire State Building. They walked over a block and entered the lobby of the building and walked up the window and bought two tickets to the observation deck on the 87th floor. Since you have to change elevators and it being one of the hot tourist spots, it took 45 minutes to get to the top. They walked out onto the deck, where the sight took both their breaths away. The observation deck completely circles the building and allows you to look out in all directions. Since they entered facing the north, Joe started pointing out points of interest to her. Invariably, he gathered a small crowd who were listening intently as he pointed and spoke. This never failed to energize him, he loved his City, and was proud of his intimate knowledge of it. It also never failed that as he spoke, and he never spoke softly, the tourists immediately took an interest in his narration and often asked him questions. After they made the circuit at the top of the building , and he pointed out the various sights to her, they made their way to the elevator and went back down to the street. He escorted her back to the subway and they went downtown to very tip of Manhattan. The train squealed into the Bowling Green station and they exited directly into the Staten Island ferry terminal. Trish's senses were firing at full blast now. The people, the noise, and the energy all surrounded her, engulfing her. They walked up into the waiting room and waited for the next ferry to take them across the harbor.
"Why are we here?" Trish asked.
"You wanted to see the Lady didn't you?"
"Well...yeah I did, but I don't understand why we're here?"
"Another of the best kept secrets in New York, this ferry goes to Staten Island and passes right in front of her on the way across."
She couldn't understand his calmness. Everyone around her seemed to be in a rush, almost panic like. And he stood there calm as could be, as if he owned this place. She was becoming enthralled with his nonstop banter and humor. She closed the distance between them and hooked her arm in his. It made her feel safe being with him. He didn't realize what she had just done because, naturally, he was talking in rapid sentences and gesturing with his hands and arms. It was only when he realized that his right arm was suddenly heavier, that he realized she had taken hold of it, and now stood right next to him. It shut him up. And, it felt good. It felt right, to have her so close to him. It'd only been a few hours, and yet there was something going on here between them. He thought he felt something at the hotel, but his own doubt ruled out that possibility. The sound of the warning gong broke him from that train of thought. It was the signal that the next boat out was ready for loading. The huge glass doors opened and the river of people poured through them and out over the "gang plank" and on to the orange ferry. He took her downstairs and out to the front deck. The sun was almost beginning it's decent to the west and the harbor bustled with traffic of all kinds.
"Is that part of New York too?" Trish said pointing the opposite shore.
"No, that's Jersey City, it's in New Jersey of course. But we don't like them so we don't mention it much." He laughed at that answer because as he looked at Trish, she seemed not able to tell whether or not he was serious. She saw his face and she started to laugh also.
The ferry horn sounded and the engines immediately picked up the tempo and boat moved away from the slip at a surprising pace. It turned west and immediately brought the Ellis Island complex into view, with the Statue directly behind it. It was breezy and Trish shivered a little. Joe instinctively put his arm around her and pulled her close to him.
"If you want, we could go inside, but she won't be able to see you in there. And you won't be able to let her know you were here to see her either. "
"No, it's ok. I'll stand right here if you promise to keep me warm."
"Only if you make me Trish, only if you really twist my arm."
He could smell her perfume, and her hair. With the sun setting over the harbor and the lights in the towers on both sides of the Hudson River coming on, well, it couldn't have been more perfect. Six minutes later they were directly in front of the Statue. She looked magnificent. The lights on her base made the green copper of her skin seem almost touchable from the boat. He looked down at Trish. She was mesmerized by the sight of the "Lady". How many times had she seen the pictures of her? And now she was staring up at her. She never took her eyes off of it until they were almost at the slip in Staten Island. They disembarked and went around the terminal and got back on.
"I never understood why they make you do that." Joe said. "Must be for security reasons I guess. When I was a kid, they let you stay on for the ride back."
Now, from the front of the ferry, you could see lower Manhattan all lit up now. It was late dusk and while the sky was still lit, it was darkening by the minute. By the time they made the twenty minute ride back across it would be dark. Again, all the way back, Trish stood at the rail looking at the Statue, now even more spectacular at night. The island she sat on itself, completely lit in the dark harbor evening. She moved closer to Joe as the cool of the evening and the wind of ferry moving forward started to chill her in earnest. Once past Liberty Island, she turned her attention to the skyline growing and beginning to tower over them by the second. The ferry made its approach and docked perfectly between the wooden piers. The crew hooked up the cables that secured it to the City and opened the gates so they could disembark into lower Manhattan.
"Ground Zero is a few blocks north but it's a nice walk up Broadway, besides, we can talk a little more."
They headed up Broadway and she took his hand in hers, only it was more than just a hand. She leaned into him and their arms interlocked into each other. They spoke about all of the things that people in guarded conversations talk about. Skimming over the top of subjects without talking through them. He made her laugh and she made him laugh. He felt that his face actually hurt from smiling. It dawned on him that he'd been smiling almost all day, since he picked her up at the airport. They walked past the bronze bull that she'd seen a million times in movies and ads. They stood and laughed as the Japanese tourists took turns taking each other's picture cupping the huge bull's, huge brass balls that hung under its rear. As they approached City Hall, she noticed that Joe's steps were not as long and confident as they had been all day. As they neared the corner of Liberty St., she realized he was almost forcing himself to move forward. She looked up at his face, he'd stopped talking completely and he had a stare on his face, sort of seeing something that wasn't there. They turned left and she immediately realized that they were approaching a huge void in the sky. The surrounding buildings all towered over this void. She spotted the two green topped buildings she'd seen in the thousands of pictures that were everywhere after 9/11. The void was blinding, if that was possible. It was so evident to her that something was supposed to be there and wasn't. Joe's steps were now small, almost reverend. They stopped and stood on the south east corner of where, once, the towers stood. He was pleased to see the steel of the new Freedom Tower had finally cleared "the pit" and was now climbing out and up over the street. He hated coming here and yet felt compelled to. His job took him by here at least several times a week. And every time, the feelings of that one day just drilled into his marrow. She realized what and why he was acting the way he was.
"Joe? Where were you that day?"
He pointed across the river towards New Jersey. "I was over in Jersey City," he replied in a low voice, " I didn't see the first plane come in," he gestured north. " I was with customers, and their employees came in and told us that something happened over in the towers. By the time we got outside and looked up the north tower was burning pretty good." His voice was now flat and he was speaking in an emotionless tone. Not at all what it had been all day, and up to only a few minutes ago.
"We were standing out in the parking lot, and we didn't realize at first that what we saw falling were people. Then it dawned on us, and it was like all our breath was being sucked out and pulled toward the towers. I never did see the other plane come in. It came in from the south, right over the ferry route we took on the way back. I just saw the explosion and fire erupt from all sides of the South Tower. Funny thing, I could hear people, women actually, screaming and crying around me, but it seemed like ten seconds before I heard the engines and the sound of the plane hitting the building. We all felt so fucking helpless. I was so incensed by what I just saw, it was obvious that these were no accidents. Someone flew those fucking planes into the buildings to kill us." She could see, eight years later, it was still an emotionally raw thing to him. She figured that anyone around here on that day could still fill with rage and anger at the fear they felt that day. The utter anger at being so helpless to do anything, is what raged in Joe still.
She watched him put his head down and force the bad feeling out of himself. He grabbed her hand and they walked north to St. Paul's Chapel, which was directly across Church St. from the two towers. He explained to her that, in spite of two, hundred and ten story buildings falling around it, not a single window in the old church even cracked. And how they brought the first bodies they found to the chapel for identification. They walked around the inside of the old church and on the way out there was a memorial set up to the fallen first responders that were killed that day. It was so very simple, other fire and police personnel from all over the country and world, feeling compelled to be there, left their uniform patches in a pile. There was no order or system. They just walked up to it and left the patch on top of the pile that was higher every time Joe visited the chapel over the years. To Joe, it was probably the most fitting tribute to them that he'd seen since that day. Ironically, and maybe by design, the patches took on the look of the pile of twisted steel that jutted up and around the four square blocks for months after the attacks. The pile of steel grew smaller and smaller until only the foundation walls and floor were left. While the pile of patches grew higher and higher.
They walked out of the chapel and over to City Hall where she recognized the several court buildings that she'd seen in various shows filmed in and around the City. They entered the subway for the trip back uptown to her hotel. She noticed he was his old self, again. Cracking jokes and looking directly into her eyes, again. So deeply into her eyes that she felt he was looking at her clitoris. She like that he was back, she felt safe, again, and snuggled up to him as they sat in the subway car.
The train rumbled into the 42nd St. station. The signs on the steel support beams alternated the location. Every other one said 42nd st. and every other one said Times Sq. They walked up to the first level and into masses of people walking into and out of various stair wells. Joe just kept walking in a direct line, Trish held on for dear life. She had no idea where she was and was afraid that if she let go of him for a second, he would disappear into the crowd and be lost forever. And so would she, for that matter.
She saw a Peruvian flute band set up and begin to play. They turned into another tunnel and saw, what she thought was a replica of the Statue of Liberty. She stopped and stared at it, not sure what to make of it. Joe walked up behind her and dropped a dollar bill into the box. Suddenly the statue started moving. Trish let out a scream and jumped back. Joey immediately collapsed in laughter. The "statue" thanked them for their donation and returned to the stoic pose she had when they walked up to it.
"Performance artist," Joey said, " they're all over the subway system."
"Holy Shit, that about scared the living hell out of me!" Trish said, while still holding her hand up to her mouth.
When they got up to street level, Trish noticed that, while there were thousands of people still walking around, the energy was now completely different. It was more sedate? Joe explained that the crowds now were made up of mostly tourists and regular New Yorkers out for the evening . No more suits and ties running around from office to office, or people running back to work after lunch.
He walked her up the two blocks to her hotel and entered the lobby. It was an awkward moment. He really didn't want to leave her but suddenly couldn't think of a reason to stay with her a little longer. He looked around and spotted the hotel bar and asked her if she would like a drink or something before calling it a day.
"I'm really more hungry than thirsty, but I'll tell you what. Here's an idea. I'll have a drink with you and while we're in there, I'll call for room service and we'll eat in my room. How's that sound to you Joey Boy?"
"That sounds like a bold plan there Trish, but is that what you really want? I mean, I'm not sure if you're noticing this, but I'm kind of falling hard for you. I'm not sure if I could trust myself in your room, alone, no one there. Know what I mean?" Joe replied in his coolest New York accented voice.
"Oh Joey! Are you falling in love with lil' ol' me?" she did her best Scarlet O'hara.
"Could be toots, could be."
The bar was about three quarters filled, and the music was a tick above low, but it was Sinatra. Joe reached in his pocket to put a twenty on the bar, but Trish grabbed his hand while it was still in his pocket. She looked up into his face and told him, "No no, I'm on an expense account and this is going on my room tab. Besides, Vince would be pissed if I didn't at least buy you a drink and dinner for picking me up at the airport today."?
That kind of made sense to him and he relaxed his hand, but she kept her hand on his, through his pants. It made the tingling sensation of blood flowing into his organ all the more pleasurable. He ordered his Jack Daniels and she ordered up some kind of pineapple, vodka, and cranberry juice concoction that he immediately forgot the name of.
They sat on the high stools of the bar but she turned to him and turned him to her. She put a hand on each knee and he put one of his hands on one of hers. The drinks came and they talked for a while about home life, kids, and the like. When they were half way through the drinks , Trish asked the bartender for the house phone and ordered up two sirloin steaks with the works, medium rare, and two bottles of a nice red wine. To be sent up to her room, 2212, in about twenty minutes or so. She replaced the phone on its cradle and replaced her hands on his knees. The bar was now filling up and the noise made it necessary to lean in closer to talk.
"Thanks for a great day and a great tour Joey. I'm impressed with the way you got us around town."
"ahhh...Don't be. I grew up here, I'm supposed to know my way around. "
"Well, I need you to know that you made me feel comfortable with you. I felt safe in the big bad city with you. "
She leaned closer with each word until her face was now mere inches from his. Her eyes never left his. He moved to cover the last inch of distance and their lips met. Her eyes fluttered and the kiss deepened with each passing second. Her hands moved up his arms until both hands were caressing his face. They broke the kiss and stared into each other's eyes again.
"Whatta ya say we blow this joint toots?" Joey said in his best Joe Pesce.
"Whatta ya say we go up to my room and I blow your joint Buggsy?" Trish answered in one of the worst fake New York accents ever heard.
This cracked Joe up to no end. His laughter started Trish to giggle too. They pushed their stools back and gathered up their stuff. Trish called for the tab and signed it leaving a nice tip for the bartender. She turned to Joe, put her arms up around his neck, and kissed him again, long, soft, and sexy. She took him by the arm and walked him across the huge lobby towards the elevators. The doors opened and they got on, Trish was still holding on to him. There was no way she was going to let go of him, not for two more days anyway.
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