CHAPTER 14

MAGGIE

I was in Finn’s car. Finn was here. Like for real. And he remembered me. And he kissed me. Sweet baby Jesus riding a tricycle made of fire, did he kiss me. Those kisses were better than anything I remembered or dreamed. He had scruff for days. He looked like he hadn’t shaved in a while, and that was a look he was pulling off so well. He seemed so calm, and I was climbing out of my skin thinking about dragging him back to my apartment, stripping him naked, and never letting him leave. I wanted to finish every sexy dream I’d ever had about him.

But he really knocked the wind out of me when he told me he had a heart transplant. The thought of him almost dying made my chest hurt. He looked so different when he was talking about it. He was glass pretending to be iron. He didn’t need my emotions or my pity, though. He probably already had his fill of that.

I noticed a tiny black and white photograph of a beautiful brunette tucked into the dashboard. I assumed it was a picture of his grandmother, and it looked like it had been there for decades. I wanted to know everything about him, but I would save that question for another time. I still had trouble talking about my grandfather, and it had been two years since he’d passed.

I decided to start with a safer topic. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

He kept his eyes on the road while he drove. “Two older brothers. I didn’t get the full big brother experience, though. They might as well have wrapped me in bubble wrap when I got put on the transplant list. You?”

“Only child.”

“So you’re spoiled and used to getting your way, then?” His mouth curved into a smile.

“Only all the time. I’ve been told it’s endearing, though.” I pulled a section of my hair forward and fanned out the ends.

“Who told you it was endearing?”

“Well, I tell myself that in the mirror, but it still counts.”

He turned off 11th and onto 45th.

I realized we were going away from the restaurants and attractions, and I had no idea where we were headed. “Finn, where are we going?”

He took another left turn onto 12th “I thought we would go to the pier since it’s right here.”

His tone said he wasn’t joking, but he had to be. There was a reason the city tours didn’t stop there. “You’re taking me to the Hudson River for our first date? The river where they dump garbage and sewage?”

He made a tsking sound. “They don’t dump sewage there.” He looked at my face. “Well, they don’t dump a lot of sewage there. I like to come down here and watch the ferries sometimes. It’s very relaxing.”

He parked his car in an area that didn’t look like a designated parking area, but it had been so long since I’d parked a car that I wasn’t sure. Finn ran around to the passenger side and opened my door. The second he opened it I was flooded with memories of commune-living Lake and his putrid compost heap.

We walked to the edge of the water, where he stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I settled back into his chest as best I could while we both still wore our clunky metal costumes.

He brushed my hair behind my ear. “It’s beautiful if you close your eyes and can get past the smell. It’s just us, the water, and some boats.”

I closed my eyes and held my breath. It was kind of nice that way. I could see the allure. Just barely, but I could see it. “This is bringing back a lot of college memories for me.”

“You lived near a garbage dump?”

I laughed. “No, I dated one.”

“Never tell me that story.” He kissed my temple. “No one ever comes here, so it’s nice to get away for a while.”

I felt something on my foot, so I looked down. “Finn, there’s a rat trying to steal my shoe. I think I’m ready to go now.”

He jumped and kicked the rodent away from me. We ran back to the car and laughed until we fogged up the windows once we were inside.

“Okay, so the Hudson wasn’t my best idea ever.” He laughed.

“That’s on the record as our first date. You’ve got a long way to go to make up for this.” I shook my whole body, trying to rid myself of the image of a rat unlacing my shoe.

He started the car again. “I’m sorry about that. Let’s do something quintessentially New York to balance that out. We can go for a carriage ride in Central Park. I can’t promise less vermin, but I can promise a better smell.”

“Deal.” I hadn’t been on a carriage ride since I took Cici our freshman year. We didn’t even finish the ride because the driver threw us off when she kept climbing over him to pet his horse. She chased after him, demanding twenty-four percent of our money back, until he outpaced her. I literally couldn’t take her anywhere.

Finn left his car with a valet at the JW Marriott. We jogged across the street, dodging traffic. I always loved the sudden shift from urban to green. The first hints of fall were in the air, making it a cool afternoon. Finn broke off from me for a minute to join a soccer game with strangers. He returned after scoring a goal and doing a victory lap in his car costume.

“Did you miss me?” he asked after kissing my lips.

“I did. Don’t ever go away again.” I kissed him again because I was so addicted to it.

He took my hand and started walking again. “Now let’s find a horse to drag us across this park.”

“Sounds good, but if Rod is working today, we have to find a different driver.” He started to open his mouth, so I stopped him. “It’s a long story involving Cici forcing animals to love her. She’s got a real problem.”

“We’ll avoid Rod then. Sounds like he needs a break.”

We walked and walked before we got to a carriage stand. We talked about everything—our favorite movies, favorite places to eat, how many badgers we could take in a fair fight.

“Thirteen? You think you could take thirteen badgers in a fight? You’re mad!” I scoffed.

He helped me into the carriage. “There are a lot of variables here. Are any of them rabid? What kind of day have they had? Are we on land or in the water? Thirteen is my best estimate.”

“You could only take four. Trust me on this. I think I could take three.”

“There’s a blanket right there if you get cold,” Not Rod called from the front.

“Thank you!” I yelled up to him.

“Are you two mascots for some kind of team or somethin’?” Not Rod asked.

Finn leaned forward. “No, this is how we always dress. We’re from the future.”

“Say what?” Not Rod yelled.

I laughed and shook my head. He was unpredictable. I liked that. The last thing I wanted was to be with someone and know what every day of the rest of my life would look like. I needed some chaos in my life. Would we have Italian or Thai for dinner? Would we run off to Malaysia before breakfast? Would this driver pepper-spray us? The possibilities were endless.

“We’re from the future,” Finn continued. “We came to tell you to stop making Jurassic Park sequels. Jurassic Park 27 collapses our economy. Please stop.”

Not Rod pulled back on the reins. “That’s it. Get the hell out of my carriage! I don’t get paid enough for this shit.”

“Sorry, man, I was just—”

“I don’t care! Just get out!” he interrupted Finn. “Every time there’s a damn convention in town, I get some freaks trying to make jokes. Not on my dime, buddy!”

We clumsily stepped off the carriage, and he drove off without another word.

Finn let out a long breath. “He had some strong feelings about that.”

I nodded. “He did. I wish I would’ve gotten his name so I could add him to my list of drivers to avoid.”

“Maybe this isn’t the park for us. I have another idea. How do you feel about a dog park?”

We walked back in the general direction of our entrance near Columbus Circle. I tried to figure out the catch to his suggestion. “I love that idea, but we don’t have a dog.”

Finn smiled. “Leave that to me. I can get us dogs.”

It was odd being on the other side of a mysterious plan. This must have been what Cici felt like all the time. “This sounds highly illegal. Does it involve dognapping? I don’t want any part of that.”

He smiled bigger and walked faster. “Trust me. You’re going to love this.”

***

Thirty minutes later, we stood in front of a small building with a sign that read Happy Hounds Rescue. Finn walked up to the front door.

I read the sign with their hours in the front window. “Finn, they’re closed for the day. I think we have to make an appointment on Monday to steal a dog.”

He kissed my forehead. “You’re adorable. I volunteer here all the time, so they gave me a key. I like to take a dog or two for a walk on the weekends.”

“Is that before or after you sit in front of the sewer river?” I couldn’t help myself.

“Before.” He smiled and pushed the door open, gesturing for me to walk in.

We walked into the tiny lobby decorated with a chipped coffee table and a couch that looked like it remembered the Bay of Pigs. Finn walked to the door behind the metal table probably used as a receptionist’s desk. The echoing bark of dogs could be heard just beyond it. The noise increased tenfold once he opened the door.

He waved me over. “Come on. I have just the dog for you. You’re going to love Mouse.”

Following him through the door, I saw two parallel rows of large kennels. I knew I didn’t like the name, as I’d just had a run-in with a mouse’s more disgusting cousin. I didn’t say anything, though, because Finn looked so excited, and dammit, the man volunteered at an animal shelter. I was starting to think I was dreaming again.

The dogs went hysterical when they saw Finn. They all leapt and spun, almost as if they had choreographed it. I knew how they felt.

“So, this is Mouse,” Finn called from the end of the row of kennels on the right.

I looked at the animal and I looked at Finn. “I thought you said we were walking dogs.”

“We are! This one is yours. I’m going to get Sadie and a few others so I can walk them.” He held Mouse’s leash out to me.

I looked back and forth between the two of them, but I didn’t take the leash. “I’ve spent a lot of time around horses, and I know a horse when I see one. This is no dog.”

Finn wiggled the leash in front of me. “He’s a Great Dane. He thinks he’s a cuddly lap dog. You’re both larger than life. Trust me. I’m an expert dog matchmaker.”

Mouse looked at me like we were about to go on a magical journey, and I looked at Finn like I wanted to see his matchmaking credentials. He hadn’t sold me on this beast yet. “Are you going to put a saddle on him, or do I do that part?”

He shook the leash at me again. “Please don’t ride him. They frown on that here.”

I took the leash out of his hand, and Mouse jumped on me, knocking me to the ground. “This is only for today. I can’t have this giant in my apartment.” Mouse did remind me of my horses and how many weeks it had been since I visited their stables.

I managed to get Mouse off me and sat up in time to see Finn walking back through the kennels with more than a few dogs.

“I couldn’t decide, so I brought them all. Let’s go walk!”

A Pavlovian chain of events occurred when Finn uttered the last word. All the dogs charged toward the door, trailing their leashes behind them. Thankfully, the door was closed, or we would have been putting up a lot of flyers.

We attempted to grab leashes, but we would have had better luck catching a dolphin by hand. Finn grabbed two but lost them a second later.

“I need the treats!” he screamed as he ran toward the back. He returned shaking a plastic tub. All of the dogs became statues.

I scrambled to grab all eight leashes while Finn handed out biscuits. He put the tub back, and I passed all but one of the reins to him. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Totally. This is going to be fun. There’s a dog park two blocks away.” He opened the door and was whisked outside by his herd.

Mouse and I followed behind him, closing the door. “How many pets do you have?”

“I’m not home enough to have anything other than a turtle,” he yelled in my direction while trying to slow down the pack. “I’ve adopted a few dogs from here on behalf of my parents, though. They love animals, but my dad asked for a tie instead next Father’s Day.”

“What’s your turtle’s name?” I jogged to keep up with Finn while my horse-dog trotted calmly beside me.

“Penguin,” he yelled back.

“You have a turtle named Penguin?”

His dogs started bucking and leaping as we entered the dog park. It was clear they were familiar with this place. He let go of the leashes, and they all ran in different directions. Finn turned around and took my hand. “I like penguins, they’re both semiaquatic, and the name fit him.”

I pushed up on my toes, planting a soft kiss on his lips. “I love the way your mind works.”

He pulled me over to an empty bench and wrapped both arms around me. I dropped Mouse’s leash when Finn slipped his tongue in my mouth. I could hardly remember the time when I wasn’t kissing him. It seemed like another life. I liked this face-sucking life better.

He leaned his forehead against mine. “Why did it take so long for us to find each other again?”

I stroked the back of his head. “I don’t know. But I like this speed-dating concept. We should be caught up in no time.” I glanced over to check on the dogs. Most of them were still leaping around in the open space. I used my hands to turn Finn’s face to one in particular. “Is that little one okay humping that log like that?”

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his side. “Oh yeah, that log is his bitch. He’s fine.”

“Are you sure? He’s really going to town.”

“I’m sure. He’s almost done.” He covered my eyes. “Look away.”

He pulled his hand away as the Chihuahua tittered off.

“Remind me to leave some dollar bills under his collar when we get back. That was . . . something.”

“I know. The shelter swears he’s neutered.” He popped open a compartment on his other arm. “Fruit Roll-Up?”

“Don’t mind if I do.” I took one from his hand and ripped it open. Looking around at the trees and our borrowed dogs, this seemed like the most normal thing in the world to be sitting next to this man in our car and jet costumes on a Saturday. I could picture us doing this when we were old and gray. I didn’t want this day to end. I wanted to stay awake forever.

Finn leaned over to kiss my temple and down my jaw to my neck. My eyes rolled back so hard I saw my brain. “Do you have any ideas on what we should do next, Maggie?” he whispered in my ear.

I had ideas. I had all kinds of ideas. But this was only our third date, and I didn’t want him to know I was that easy. Or did I? No, I didn’t. The first time should be special. He was special.

“Let’s go to the Statue of Liberty and pretend we’re French and try to repo it.” It was the first thing that popped into my head.

He thought for a second, and then nodded. “I like it. You get Mouse; I’ll round up the others.”

Finn fell twice and dented his costume, but he gathered all the leashes. We had to pause for the little one to finish on the tree again before we could walk back to the shelter. Finn looked like an episode of The Dog Whisperer waiting to happen as he jogged behind his pack.

With all the dogs safely returned and the shelter locked back up, we hopped back in Finn’s car. “Time to see a green lady about some past due rent,” he said.

It took a while to get down to Battery Park, but I used the time to shuffle through Finn’s music. A person’s music collection could tell you everything you needed to know about them. It confirmed he was smart and funny. It also revealed he had an affinity for One Direction, which I didn’t see coming.

“I’m not ashamed of my music.” He laughed. “I’ll make a Directioner out of you before long. I can even teach you the choreographed dance moves to each song.” He waved one arm in front of my face and snaked it back.

I was still giggling at the thought of him dancing to a boy band when he pulled up to the meeting spot for his area valet. It was close to dusk, so we jogged the distance to the ferry dock.

My jog slowed to a stop when we neared the ticket booth. “I thought there would be people here.”

“There are people here when it’s open. Last ferry left over an hour ago.”

I turned around to see a short man in uniform sweeping up papers behind me. I looked at Finn, who looked as confused as I was. “Did you know there was a closing time?”

He shrugged. “This is my first time here.”

“Mine, too. I never made it around to this tourist hotspot.”

“Natives,” the man grumbled.

I tapped the sweeping gentleman on his shoulder. “Excuse me, sir. How can the Statue of Liberty be closed? Isn’t she supposed to be the beacon of freedom or something?”

He stopped sweeping long enough to roll his eyes. “Freedom closes at five. Come back tomorrow.”

Finn stepped up and put his arm around me. “Sorry, it’s just that we have this whole bit planned. We rehearsed it in the car and everything. It would be a shame to waste it.”

The almost setting sun made Finn look like he had a halo. No one had ever been this invested in role-playing with me. People tossed around the words soul mate a lot—usually in reference to pizza, but I thought this might be the true meaning.

The man rolled his eyes again. “Whatever. It’s not like this is the worst thing that’s happened to me this week.”

Finn clapped his hands and rubbed them together. He gave me a nod. “Pardon, monsieur, we are from ze French Foreign Ministry,” he said with a pronounced accent.

The man held up his hand. “I changed my mind. This is the new worst thing that’s happened to me this week. I need you to leave.”

“We need to speak to zomeone about ze past due bills,” I began.

He pointed toward the street. “I said go! What are you two supposed to be? Transformers? Beat it before I call the cops!”

I grabbed Finn’s arm and pulled him with me because this guy looked like someone who called the cops after he handled the situation.

“That guy needs a vacation,” Finn said. He laced his fingers through mine and brought my hand up to his lips. That felt better than when I scored a snippet of Joss Whedon’s hair, but the hair was a close second.

We got back to State Street, and Finn tugged on my hand to stop me. “I’m going to kiss you for a really long time. Do you have any objection?”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pushed up on my toes to connect with his lips. His warm tongue slipped inside my mouth. I would trade all my hair clippings to keep this going forever. I pressed my body closer to him, cursing these stupid costumes that kept me from feeling him. I wanted to know every part of him. If his body were half as impressive as his mind, I would need to be resuscitated.

Finn pulled back and brushed hair out of my face. “Maggie, it’s raining.”

I looked up, not realizing it had started to drizzle. The rain felt good on my heated face. “I don’t care. Just keep kissing me. You promised me a really long time.”

His hand ran down my hair. “We’re going to rust.” Water beaded up on his glasses.

I put my hands behind his head, nudging it back toward my face. “I don’t care. Kiss me.”

He backed me up against the light post and pulled my left knee up to his hip. “If you insist.”

I tilted my head, leaning forward so I could reach his mouth sooner. I ran my fingertips down his wet jaw. I could feel the drops getting caught in his light stubble. He wrapped his hand around my hair, pulling it back so he could suck on my neck. I hoped he’d leave a mark so I had proof this wasn’t a dream. He moved back up the length of my neck, across my jaw, and to my ear. I felt his teeth graze the lobe lightly before he bit down. People in Rockefeller Center probably heard my moan.

I grabbed a handful of his dark hair, pulling it toward me so I could feel his mouth on mine again. I tightened my leg’s hold on him. Finn was here. And he was wet. And he was kissing me. I wouldn’t be surprised if my moans traveled past Thirty Rock.

Finn unwrapped his hand from my hair, pulled back, and rested his forehead against mine. “Maggie, we have to stop.”

For someone who took kickboxing classes on the regular, I was out of breath. Panting, even. “Are you okay?” I rasped.

He placed a small kiss on my lips. “I’m better than okay. But I’m about to tear off your clothes with Lady Liberty and all of Lower Manhattan watching, so I need to stop before we make the nightly news.”

I tried to distract myself from the thought of Finn ripping off my clothes and having me right here. I couldn’t think of a downside to any of that. I had to remind myself that sex with him should be special and not up against a light post covered in gum residue. I sighed and moved a lock of wet hair away from his eyes. “You’re crazy if you think that would be newsworthy here.”

He laughed and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “We have a problem. We need to change. If we go home, then we’ll doze off and the dream will end when we wake up. We have to stay awake. I’ve seen too many movies where people fall asleep and everything goes to crap. I don’t want this dream to end. I never want it to end. Are you still with me, Maggie?”

“Yes! I’m with you, Finn!” That speech was more rousing than Braveheart.

“I have an idea,” he said. He grabbed my hand and ran us across the street, under the cover of a tree.

“Is this going to be like your other ideas?” I wrung as much of the water out of my hair as I could. It had to look awful. The girly part of me thought I should want to keep my best foot forward with Finn. I really didn’t want to, though. I wanted to cut through all the pretenses and let him see the raw me. Mostly. I was praying my makeup wasn’t slimed down my face. I wanted him to see me, not fear me.

He texted the valet. “My ideas are legendary, thank you very much.” He looked up after finishing with his phone. “There’s an H&M in Westfield across from The World Trade Center. Let’s get some new clothes and go to dinner. If we hurry, we can make it before they close.”

I was down for anything that included a wardrobe change. My engines were completely full of water, so I needed to ditch this costume. I had grown to hate it. It was like a metal force field preventing me from getting closer to Finn. And I wanted to be closer.

His car pulled up and we raced to it. My teeth were starting to chatter. My costume was lined, but having cold, wet metal that close to my body was a little much for autumn in New York. Finn cranked up the heater, but it wasn’t blowing hot air yet. I never realized how much I took my heated seats for granted.

Finn shivered as well. I noticed his fingers were a little blue. On the way to the store, he drove faster than he had before.

“M-maybe making out in the rain wasn’t smart.” I huffed into my hands and rubbed them together. “I-I could use a Tauntaun carcass right about now.”

He took my hand, kissing each of my fingers. “Kissing you is never a bad thing. And I don’t think H&M sells Star Wars animal carcasses. We can ask, though. They might be in the back.”

We left the car with a valet from my contact list this time. I didn’t know what kind of arrangement Finn had with his contacts, but parking a car in the city wasn’t cheap. Sure, we could’ve taken the subway, but I hated the subway. It was dark and confusing and smelled like a dead hooker’s vagina. I was branching out enough with this new store.

I didn’t want to bring up the fact that I had never been inside an H&M. It was much larger than I expected and I was panicking. It wasn’t that I had a problem buying non-designer clothes. Growing up, I just hadn’t felt inclined to shop anywhere outside where my mother always shopped. It was comfortable and everyone knew me. I didn’t even know what size I wore. I wondered if I could text one of my personal shoppers and ask her.

“I’m heading to the men’s section. Meet up front when we’re done?” Finn kissed me quickly.

“Sounds good.” I tried to sound confident as I watched him disappear into the rows of clothes.

I had never put together a non-themed outfit by myself before. I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I could put together a sequined lumberjack ensemble blindfolded, like a sniper with a rifle. How did people find normal clothes with all these options?

I rambled around the store, touching everything. I found a pair of jeggings that looked similar to some I already owned. Inspiration struck. I could recreate an outfit I already owned. I found a white tunic, scarf, and flats. I grabbed three sizes of the ones that didn’t promise one size fits all and found a changing room. I took my small purse out of the compartment on my costume’s hip and tossed the waterlogged suit into the corner. I placed some bills on top of it because I had no idea what the gratuity rate was to dispose of some car parts glued to a bodysuit.

After some trial and error, I found a combination of items that fit. I couldn’t wait to tell Cici I went shopping without help. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a disaster. There was no fixing that at close to seven p.m. on a Sunday. I would need to wash it three times and start over. Not everything was as pitiful, at least. My makeup should’ve slid off my face, but the rain was no match for the Urban Decay setting spray. This was a great time to be alive.

This store didn’t have a credit card on file, so I assumed I needed to pay someone. I found a row of cashiers near the front where Finn said we would meet. My cashier didn’t look happy when I dumped a handful of tags on the counter for the merchandise I was already wearing. Hopefully she wouldn’t be the same person who cleaned out the dressing rooms.

I found Finn walking around the store a few minutes later. I had to do a double take because I’d never seen him in regular clothes before. He wore a long-sleeve button-down shirt over jeans, and nothing had ever looked sexier. I wanted to permanently adhere myself to his face. Was it too cliché to have sex in a dressing room? Or maybe I could convince him to go back to my place and get rid of the clothes we just bought.

He took my hand, pulling me to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, running my hands under his shirt to feel his back. I had never felt anything better until he dipped his head down to kiss me. The combination of being kissed by Finn and feeling his skin was the new best thing. I pulled him tighter against me. I didn’t even want air between us.

His hands moved down my back, settling on my ass. He placed three light kisses on my lips. “You are so beautiful, Maggie.”

We would never make it back to my place. It was too far. We needed a hotel. Now.

“Hey! Did you leave that shit in the dressing room? There’s water all over the goddamn place!” A young woman with short blond hair marched from the back of the store toward us.

I grabbed Finn’s hand and pulled him. “Run!”

We raced out of the store and down the street toward his car.

***

“So you were detained for how long?” He laughed.

“Hours. Luckily they didn’t press charges. I had no idea I had stumbled onto a Native American burial ground. I was just trying to get a better signal on my iPad so I could watch the next episode of Supernatural.”

We sat in the dim restaurant filling up on mussels and fettuccini, and splitting a bottle of wine. He told me silly stories about his brothers, and I told him some of the stories about the trouble Cici and I had found ourselves in over the years. He probably already knew what he was getting himself into, but he should know the extent.

“And how exactly did you stumble across a reservation?” He toyed with the base of his wine glass.

I watched his fingers trace the same path a few times before answering. His fingers were distracting and exactly like I remembered them from my dreams. “I wanted to try my hand at professional gambling. I felt like I had a natural gift. Turns out, I didn’t. And they don’t allow do-overs at the casino, which is really unreasonable, if you ask me. Cici got all freaked out when I tried to log into my cable account while driving and made me pull over. I saw a big rock where I thought I could get more bars, and climbed it. It happened to be where the tribe’s ancestors were buried, and it turned into a whole big thing. If you ask me, they should’ve had more than two signs posted.”

Finn chuckled. “Yeah, genocide tends to be a sensitive subject.”

“It was an honest mistake. Could’ve happened to anyone.” I helped myself to more of the wine. Finn had to drive, so I was doing him a favor by drinking it up. “I still feel terrible, though. I organize an annual school supply donation every year. It eases the guilt.” I started to tell him I made a donation for a library to be built also, but money made some people uncomfortable, so I left that for later.

“You know Atlantic City is right here, right?” He played with the small vase of flowers on the table, skating it back and forth between his hands. “You could’ve gone gambling and not disturbed the dead.”

“That was my vote, but Cici would only agree to go if I made it a historical trip. So we had to go across the country to Oklahoma to offend people. She got us kicked out of a buffet earlier that day when she brought plastic containers for her leftovers.” I wriggled one more mussel out of its shell and popped it in my mouth. “I think we made the local newspaper on that trip.”

“I love your adventures, Maggie.”

“I love you, Finn.” I didn’t plan on saying it, but there it was. I waited for the horror to wash over me, but it didn’t come. Then I waited for the horror to show on Finn’s face, but that never came either. In a lot of ways, it was way too early to be head-over-heels in love, but it really felt late. I had known for years that he was the one. I was glad my heart pushed out those words when they did. He should know.

A smile lit up his handsome face. “I’m glad to hear that because I sort of love you, too. And by sort of, I mean totally.” He brushed his fingers across the tips of mine. “You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, Maggie.”

This was exactly like in the movies. Except it was Finn and he was saying he loved me. I was in my own Hallmark movie. And I was nailing it.

“You want to get out of here so I can kiss you in a less crowded setting, and you can tell me more about how you love me?” I was a kid with a new toy.

Finn pulled out his wallet and left some cash on the table. “I think that’s a good idea. Our waiter is pretty judgy, and he didn’t look like he was kidding when he said he would call the police if you got on the table again.”

He let me pass in front of him before following me out. “You knock over one bread basket and everyone has a heart attack.”

I stopped near the hostess stand and spun around, my hand covering my mouth. “I’m so sorry. That was in poor taste.”

He looked confused. “What was in poor taste? The bread?”

“Making jokes about heart attacks.” I placed my hand over his heart. “That can’t be funny to you. The word heart is henceforth banned.”

He covered my hand with his. The contrast was startling from that perspective. His warm hand eclipsed mine. “Maggie, I had a transplant a long time ago. I’m past the point where you have to walk on eggshells around me.”

I placed my other hand on his chest and moved both up his shirt and around his neck. “Good. Because there are other things I want to do with you.”

His hands fisted the back of my shirt while I slipped my tongue into his mouth. This kiss was slow and deliberate. It was about letting him feel how much I loved him. Every sound around us melted away.

“Hey!” Three claps came from my right and eliminated our bubble. “I warned you! This is a goddamned family restaurant!” Our waiter had picked up a phone from the hostess stand and was dialing.

Finn turned me toward the door, wrapping his arm around my waist. “I think that’s our cue, my love.”

When we were on the other side of the doors, I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. “I think I’m only two away from breaking my record for the most places I’ve been kicked out of in a twenty-four hour period.”

He joined in my laughter. “I’m still four away. Some records are better left unbroken.” Without warning, he snaked his arm around my waist again, spinning us both until my back was against a building. He cradled my face like it was one of my mother’s Fabergé eggs. The look in his eyes was so intense, it felt obscene.

I wanted to look away and gather my thoughts, but I was afraid to even blink. He was a hypnotist, and I was his willing volunteer.

“I meant what I said, you know.” His voice was low and soft. “I love you. I wasn’t just saying it. This thing we have—it’s why people write songs and paint masterpieces. Not many people get this. Not many people get to have their dreams come true and find out how short their dreams fell from reality.”

Tears stung my eyes. “You are literally the man of my dreams. I love you so much.” I put my hands behind his head, nudging it toward me.

He got the message and fused his lips to mine. His hands traced down my sides and back up under my tunic. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had burn marks where his skin touched mine. I arched my back as much as I could against the wall and pushed up, wrapping my legs around his waist. He held on to me from under my ass to support me while expertly cupping one of my breasts. He squeezed it through the thin lace cup, and I swore I saw stars.

As quickly as he had begun, he pulled his hand out from under my shirt and set me down. He rested his cheek on top of my head. “It appears I’m molesting you on a street again. That’s a bad habit. We should save that for when we have more privacy.”

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, he was right. We should save the penetration for some place we were less likely to get arrested. I finger-combed out my hair while trying to catch my breath. “There are worse habits to have.”

“Don’t tempt me, Maggie. I’m but a mortal man.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and started walking south. “The night is still young. How about we go for a walk?”

I kept pace with him and pulled out my phone to check the time. “It’s not that young. It’s after midnight already.” I had no idea we talked at the restaurant so long. It felt like we weren’t even there an hour.

He looked around at the night sky like he might be a sailor trying to get his bearings. “Really? Huh. I guess time does fly when you’re having fun. Thank you for keeping me entertained.”

We walked for a while, each pointing out buildings in the skyline that brought back memories.

He tugged on my shoulders to turn us down an adjacent street. “I have a great idea. We should go ride the ferry. It’s only a couple of blocks away, and there won’t be much of a line now.”

“Which ferry?” There was more than one. I couldn’t name them, but I knew that much.

He laughed. “The Staten Island Ferry, silly.”

The SIF fell under the category of public transportation, and that was a category I avoided as much as possible. For Finn, though, I could make an exception. As long as he didn’t ask me to try the subway. “I’m willing to give it a whirl; I’ve never ridden it.”

His face projected utter shock. “Are you kidding me? What kind of New Yorker are you? That settles it.” He grabbed my hand and started trotting. “We’re popping your ferry cherry.”

“You enjoyed saying that, didn’t you?”

He laughed harder than before. “I’m a poet and I didn’t even . . .”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” I interrupted.

He was right. A minute later, we were in front of the station. Only a few people were in line, and the ferry was already docked and unloading. We walked on and Finn staked out a spot near the front of the boat. It looked older than the Titanic and not as well constructed. I hoped we didn’t sink because I hadn’t been swimming since I failed to place in a logrolling competition five years ago.

The city was so beautiful at night. The buildings were lit up on either side of the dark river. As we passed through the water, we got a spectacular view of Lady Liberty herself.

“I’m glad we didn’t repo her,” Finn whispered in my ear. “She’s the second prettiest lady out tonight.” He moved closer to me and nudged my arm.

“Is this the level of cheese I can expect from you?” I nudged him back.

He kissed the side of my neck. “I haven’t even showed you my puns yet. Just you wait.”

He was right again. His puns were terrible. He tried out a few before we docked in Staten Island. As much as I tried to fight it, I couldn’t keep myself from laughing. I guessed that’s what they meant about love being blind. I usually had better taste in comedy.

The trip took roughly a half hour. As far as public transit went, this wasn’t terrible. The view was better than you could get anywhere on land. They made us disembark at the dock and get in line for the trip back to Manhattan. At least it was the middle of the night and the crowd was thin.

We got back on the ferry and took our original spot. The city looked so awake. I knew it was the middle of the night, but I wasn’t ready to sleep either. As we neared the Manhattan port, I turned to Finn. “I don’t want to go back yet. I’m not ready for this day to be over.”

He kissed the top of my head. “Me neither. Reality can wait. Want to go for another round?”

I nodded and nuzzled into his chest. We rode the ferry a few more times round-trip and decided that the employees were sick of seeing our faces.

Finn put his hand on my lower back and guided me off the boat one last time. “The sun will be up soon. Let’s go find a place to watch it.”

We walked at a leisurely pace back to Battery Park, stopping to kiss often. It was still early enough that we weren’t getting run over by tons of pedestrians yet. We found a bench near the water and waited, snuggled together.

This was easily the best weekend of my life. The sky started to lighten. This was our own quiet piece of heaven. I almost couldn’t hear the road rage honking from the street. I rubbed the scruff that had formed on Finn’s jaw. “You realize the sun is rising behind us, right?”

I could listen to him laugh all day long.

“I do now. I don’t have the best sense of direction.”

We sat there imagining the sunrise. I soaked in Finn’s presence. It was nice to imagine we could stay awake forever and keep this going. But it was Sunday, we couldn’t avoid reality forever, and we would have to sleep at some point. I wondered if we would break the spell if we left our bubble. Although, yesterday had started as a normal day and turned pretty incredible. It really would be a dream come true to spend the rest of my life kissing Finn and getting thrown out of places.

I sighed into his chest. He rubbed my back, and I thought I might start purring.

I didn’t want to move to check the time, but the sun had been up for a while and my stomach growled. I stroked the scruff on his face again. It was my new favorite thing about him. “I’m getting hungry for breakfast. Want me to see what’s open now?”

Finn looked up the street and smiled. “I know something that’s open. Come with me!” He grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him. The streets had become more crowded in our absence.

We passed two open restaurants and stopped in front of a hot dog cart.

“Ta-da! Breakfast is served!” He opened his arms wide to frame the cart. He was smiling and I wanted to know why.

I peeked around the side of the stand and found nothing but more sidewalk. My confusion had no end. “You want to eat a hot dog on the side of the road for breakfast?”

Finn’s brows furrowed together. “Have you never had street meat for breakfast?”

I looked at the guy who was waiting to take our order and then back at Finn. “You could leave off the ‘for breakfast’ part and still be correct.”

His mouth dropped open like a cartoon character. “You’ve never had street meat?”

I shook my head. I had a sensitive pallet.

“You really are the worst New Yorker. Well, you’re in for a real treat. Breakfast hotdogs are pretty hard to come by. Actually, they’re kind of everywhere, but you can pretend it’s a rare delicacy.”

Finn ordered two of his choice and handed me one. He raised his foil package to bump it against mine. “Cheers!”

I unwrapped my hot dog as we walked down the street. Finn had devoured his in two bites. I sniffed at it and took a tiny bite of the bread. It tasted normal, so I tried a bigger bite. Like public transportation, this wouldn’t be my first choice, but the world didn’t end.

“Good, huh? I should go back and get another one. Want one?” He looked so happy.

“I think I’m fine with just the one. Thank you, though.” My stomach had enough adventure.

He trotted back to the cart and returned a minute later with another foil package. He ate that one in two bites also. “Where should we go next, Maggie?”

I thought for a minute. “I haven’t been banned from any place in the East Village in a while. Want to head that direction?”

“Sounds good to me!” Finn stopped walking. “Hey, do you remember where I parked my car?”

I couldn’t remember where we left it. I tried mentally retracing our steps last night, but I couldn’t remember the last place we left it.

He pulled out his phone to search it. “Got it!” he said after a minute. He was putting his phone back into his pocket when it started ringing. He frowned at the screen. “I’m sorry. I have to take this. I’ll be right back.”

Finn stepped off to the side where I couldn’t hear his conversation. He looked agitated. About five minutes later, he came back.

He wrapped both arms around my waist, pulling me closer. “Maggie, I’m so sorry. Scott is at my place right now, and he needs to yell at me about ditching him at Comic-Con yesterday. He’s even more pissed than I expected him to be, probably because I ignored his calls all night. If I don’t go deal with this now, he’s going to do irreparable damage. I was an idiot to give a guy with a short fuse a key. Can I give you some money for a cab to get back to your car? I feel terrible about this.”

“Oh. I mean, no, I can get a cab.” I felt deflated our time was cut short. I knew he had a life before me, but the petty part of me was jealous of that life. I wanted him to be all mine. On the flip side, I had no idea how I planned to make it through work on Monday after more than forty-eight hours of no sleep.

“It’s probably just as well,” Finn crooned into my ear, still holding me tight. “I have an early day at work tomorrow, and I was dumb to think I didn’t need sleep.”

I pulled away to look at his freakishly handsome face. I ran my hands along his stubble. “Oh, you have a job?” I hadn’t thought to ask him about that. It wasn’t something that normally applied to anyone I dated. Some of them had jobs, but not in the traditional sense. And I think the rodeo clown had been the one with the most work ethic. There was a joke in there somewhere, but I couldn’t find it at the moment.

He brushed my hair out of my face. “Sort of. It’s complicated right now. It’s a long boring story. I have to go in for a little while early tomorrow morning. I really want to invite you over—oh my God, do I want to invite you over—but I know we wouldn’t sleep, and I don’t want to be responsible for you losing you job.” He kissed my lips softly twice. “Can we meet for lunch, though? I would love to see you again as soon as possible. I need to see you again as soon as possible.”

I tugged on the front collar of his shirt. “I would love to have lunch tomorrow.” I kissed the underside of his chin. “And then maybe I can fake an illness, and we can spend the rest of the day exploring what would happen if you invited me over.”

“Fucking Scott,” he mumbled against my cheek.

“I don’t want to keep you if you have to go.” It felt painful to say that. I pushed up on my toes for another kiss. “I love you.” Being able to say that helped with the pain.

“I love you, Maggie. I’ll text you about lunch plans.” He pulled me in for a last kiss. “Get some sleep. You’re going to need it.”

He hailed a cab for me and tucked me inside. I watched him from the back window until I couldn’t see him anymore. It felt like I left part of myself on that sidewalk. It seemed like I knew him longer than I’d known anyone else. I didn’t know what his job was but that mattered so little. I felt like we covered all the important subjects. I knew who he was as a person and how he felt about the Red Wedding. We could talk about all the minute details tomorrow. He could be anything from a plumber to a part-time cheerleader. I didn’t care how much money he had or what he did for a living. I dated a legitimate shepherd for a while in the mid-2000s. None of that mattered to me, and it would never change the way I felt about him. He made me feel whole.

I was in the elevator to my apartment before I realized. I needed to call Cici and tell her every single detail of this weekend. I wanted to brand every moment into my memory forever. The first kiss, the mini-dates, how cute he was with the dogs, how I couldn’t stop touching him simply because he was there, making out in the rain, telling him I love him and hearing him say it back—I never wanted to forget a second. I couldn’t wait to get back to him. But first, I needed to deal with the fact that I smelled like a hot dog with undertones of the Hudson River. And I needed sleep. So much sleep. Dreams of Finn wouldn’t be sad any more. He was here. And he loved me. And we were having lunch soon. And other things. Soon.