Chapter Text
|-Wednesday morning. FDR, Battery Place, Manhattan, New York-|
Wear something comfortable. That's what Kati said. I hope this is up to her standards. It's certainly up to mine. A simple black shirt with a white miniskirt and flats. Nothing fancy. Though I wouldn't be surprised if some people would say otherwise. I sit in the shade of Battery Labyrinth, a small section of a small park across from where my temporary apartment is, waiting for her to show up. It's currently 9:55. It's fine if she's a bit late, but I do prefer her to be punctual. And sure enough, as I start to feel my mind drift, my phone buzzes. I check and see a message from Kati.
'I'm here. You ready?' Is what it reads.
'Yes. I'm over in the Labyrinth. Waiting on you actually.' I respond, waiting for her to come to me once more. Within a few minutes, I see her. Blue denim shorts and a cropped sleeveless shirt with a pair of Converses. I suppose that would be her definition of comfortable. But clearly, what I'm wearing is having an effect on her, judging by her reactions. Something tells me it wasn't quite what she was expecting.
"Woah... That's-" I interrupt her before she can continue.
"You said to 'dress comfortably'. Is there a problem?" I ask, slightly perturbed by her seeming disapproval.
"What? No. It actually fits you." I hear Kati say, launching my heart through the starting gate. But I quickly suppress it. For now. We have important things to do right now. I can't afford to be distracted. Kati starts moving without saying another word, and I take that as my cue to follow her. We make it to her car, a red 2013 Honda Accord. It's quite nice. Small but utilitarian. Comfortable too. And it reminds me of home. Honda is a Japanese company, after all. As soon as we're buckled in, we are on the road towards Queens. It's quiet at first. A bit too quiet. And it's not pleasant. I sneak glances at Kati, not wanting to stare. She's fidgeting. Shaking even. I know I tend to have that effect on people, but she is... how should I put this... down bad as Helios would say. I wonder how she is doing? The sound of Kati coughing manages to get my attention, followed by her voice, carrying tones that are sultry, smooth and trembling. Audibly trembling. It's quite endearing, actually.
"So... Roosevelt Island. What's there that caught your eye?" I hear her ask, voice trembling. Though she is fighting it. I'll give her that.
"The lighthouse at the north end of the island." I respond, but Kati isn't quite convinced.
"The lighthouse? Why not the Memorial Hospital or the Room at the south end?" She asks in succession.
"It was Randy's idea. He never elaborated." I say. He didn't tell me. Just said that it seemed like a good location and backdrop. Silence falls again as Kati drives. We travel up the West Street, passing by the World Trade Center as we go. We turn onto Murray Street which then becomes Church. For a few minutes, we stay on Church before turning onto Canal, heading southeast for a while until our next turn, which takes us to Mulberry Stre-
"Do you always voice your thoughts like this?" I hear Kati ask, something that takes me by surprise.
"I, uh... No.?" I respond, unaware that I was voicing my thoughts in that manner. "I was just memorizing the layout of the streets."
"And doing so... verbally?" She continues. "You don't have to do that, Gold. I know the city like the back of my hand." I suppose I should let her drive. She is native to the city, after all. I shouldn't doubt that she knows her way.
"I keep forgetting how small this thing is." I hear Kati say as she gives the lighthouse a once-over. I too look at the building, small and unassuming. I'm still dead-set on having this be the backdrop, but I may be open to other ideas. After all, Kati is here to be a second opinion.
"What do you think?" I ask her, wanting to get that second opinion. She doesn't waste any time, and I get introduced to a new side of her.
"The front side could be good for some opening shots while the back gives a good set with the park behind you. What I want to try is some night shots. The lights from the care center could give a nice back glow without being too overpowering." She says, pointing to various places around the lighthouse. No wonder her shots are phenomenal. Her eye is simply divine. It makes me wonder what else she can see. Maybe things... that others can't... quite see... My mind starts racing. Thoughts that I really shouldn't be having in this moment. How does she see me? Just as another pretty face? I wouldn't be surprised but her reactions to certain things... It suggests something more. I still feel uncomfortable making assumptions about her sexuality but, maybe... Maybe it's because Kati feels some kind of way towards me. A certain kind of way. And that's why she's so fidgety around me. My thoughts then get interrupted as I hear Kati speak again.
"Wish we could get permission to actually go inside the light. I can only imagine what those shots could look like." I hear her say, her gaze affixed to the top of the lighthouse. I find myself thinking about that too, which then turns into quasi-romantic fantasies that I quickly block out. Not repressing, just setting them aside. There is a time and place for those kinds of thoughts. And this is neither of those.
"I can ask Randy. He probably knows someone who can pull certain strings that could get us up there." I say, liking the idea of a few shots on that balcony. That could be very nice, especially with the nighttime Manhattan skyline behind me. That's what we'll do, if we're permitted. Try to get up on the lighthouse's balcony and take the photoshoot. All I need to do is ask Randy.
|-Later that day. Bel Aire Diner, 31-91 21st Street, Queens-|
What I'd give to hear that laugh of hers... Those sweet tones that enter my ears, tickling my brain in all the right but naughty ways... Minden nap minden másodpercében... Hogyan tehetem ezt valósággá... (Every second of every day... How can I make that a reality...) And then I'm taken out of it. Mercifully. The only caveat is that it's the sweet voice I've been listening to that does it.
"Oh, the food is here. G... Guy... What is it called again?" I hear her ask, fumbling the pronunciation.
"Gyros. Ye-rohs." I say, mind still racing with my earlier thoughts.
"Ye-rohs. Ye... Rohs... Doesn't quite roll off the tongue, does it? And how is that the pronunciation?" I hear her ask. I better get this concluded before someone hears her."
"It's Greek." Seems Gold's interest has been piqued more than it already has been.
"Greek? Don't think I've ever had Greek food before." She says as she starts eating the gyro in front of her. I start to eat mine too, mostly to try and block out the thoughts in my head. Anything to prevent them. I take a bite, and it's pretty good. I've always loved Mediterranean food. Greek especially. But as I chew, I glance at Gold City, and the thoughts come flooding in.
The way the light reflects off her hair...
Stop.
How the sun gets caught in her eyes...
No.
Those plump limps...
Repress it. Repress. It.
I'm probably shaking from that bout of mental torment. I wouldn't be surprised. I just hope Gold didn't notice. That she's too preoccupied with the Mediterranean feast we have in front of us. I take another bite, hoping it will block out these thoughts. I don't want to ruin this. Especially so early. We've only had one shoot so far. I just need to ke-
"You look pale. Is everything okay?" I hear her ask, interrupting my thoughts. She's noticed...
"I, uh... Yeah. I'm fine." I respond, not wanting her to start worrying. That's the last thing I want to have happen.
"Are you sure? You're shaking." She then says. I need to think of something and quick.
"I get cold flashes. Can't really help it." That came out too fast. But it seems to have assuaged her. It's also true, but this is most definitely not a cold flash. This is me trying to keep unprofessional thoughts out of my head. Unprofessional thoughts about a woman that I barely even know. Yet here we are. With how well we seem to be getting along, you'd think we were dating. Me and Gold City... Dating... Oh no. Repress that. Now.
The conversation continues on for a good while, shifting topics like the waves on Rockaway Beach. It's weird, honestly. How easily we can talk like this. I don't feel... antsy. Though now that I'm thinking about it, I feel myself start to shake. I gotta control that. Get a hold of myself. Focus on the here and now. But focusing on the moment is hard to do when you're a disaster of a woman sitting across someone as beautiful as Gold City. Someone who seems so... perfect in every way yet is still as flawed as me. Someone who just wants to be comfortable with another person... Hogy fogom kibírni ezt az egész évet? (How am I going to make it through a whole year like this?) But once again, that silky voice interrupts my thoughts.
"So... any other outing ideas or was this going to be a one-off?" It takes me by surprise. This was a spur of the moment idea. I... I didn't expect her to take it this way.
"I, uh... I mean, if you'd be okay with it..." I say, fumbling through my words. I can only imagine how pathetic I sound to her. But once again, I'm surprised. She doesn't sound condescending with her response.
"I wouldn't mind. But given what we'll be doing for the next year I don't think it will be a regular thing that happens." I don't know if what I'm seeing is real or just my mind messing with me, but Gold looks like she's blushing. It's subtle, almost too subtle, but I manage to see it in the afternoon sunlight. And then... the flood. All potential futures are hitting my head all at once and I can't process it all. Not right now. Does she... is it in that way? It can't be. This is just Gold City wanting to habituate herself to me. There's now way that... someone like Gold City could... be with a disaster like me... No. Stop. Not now. Not ever. Focus. It snaps me back to reality in an instant. I take a quick look around. Was it a few minutes or just a few seconds? I don't get time to figure it out when I hear Gold's voice again.
"I guess it'll just be an 'if it happens' kind of thing, if that's alright." I take a deep breath before I respond, voice more solid than it has been since we got here.
"If it happens... I don't see a problem. Just have to see if we'll both have time." Before I can continue my thoughts, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. Someone's texted me. Probably Met. So you can imagine my face when I see that it's from Mark. Mark? I'm usually the one texting him. Not the other way around. I unlock my phone so I can check, and feel my heart sink into my stomach.
'So... how's the date going?'
I swear to God, I'm going to kill this man.
I quickly look up at Gold City, who seems a bit concerned by this change in mood. "Something wrong?" I hear her ask.
"Not really. But I think we should be going. You do need to see if Randy can get us in the lighthouse after all." I then stand, taking some of my food and putting it in a box. Gold does the same and after that, we walk back to my car, where I'll take her back to her apartment... and then find Mark so I can beat him over the head.