The big apple🍏
It was a Saturday morning and Zinnia’s alarm clock flew off her nightstand and shut off. She sometimes accidentally knocked it over even though it doesn't even feel like she touched it. She thinks it's just because she's half asleep doing it.
Teeth brushed and matching workout set on, she headed out the door to her 8AM pilates class.
Zinnia stopped at her favorite cafe after her class, glowing with sweat and listening to her walkman while she waited for her matcha to be ready.
She nearly jumps out of her skin as someone taps her shoulder. Whipping around about to cuss someone out, she removed one ear from her headphones and is speechless at the man behind her.
“Excuse me doll, didn’t mean to startle you, it’s just I was going to reach over you for my coffee” It was George. She hadn’t seen him since the night they got too drunk at his parent’s house in England a few weeks prior. He did mention he was going to move to NYC.
He picked up his latte and was about to turn to leave. Did he seriously not recognize her?
“Wait!” she shouted, then lowered her voice to a normal volume, “Um hi, George? It’s Zinnia? Did you really forget about me?”
He spun on his heel to face her.
“Zinnia? I could never forget you. Hi I’m sorry, I just was so zoned out, still getting my bearings. He laughed a little. “Actually, it’s my first day in this city.” His eyes bore into Zinnia like he could see her soul.
Her words caught in her throat, squeaked out, “Wow! And you happened to bump into me, the only person you know here. What a small world.” Then she coughed, “stalker.”
“I did not stalk you! Hugo invited me to stay at his place, I do believe you are neighbors?”
“Zenon!” The barista yelled and jumped her back to reality.
“Oh! I think they mean me, yep,” she said and let go to grab her iced matcha.
He was still there, “Do you fancy maybe enjoying our drinks together, maybe you could help me with some insider guide to the big apple?”
They sat outside at a table under an umbrella, it was nearing the end of July and hot, but there was a nice breeze coming in so it wasn’t unbearable. They talked for two hours before Zinnia’s phone rang, it was Hugo.
“Sorry Hugo! Yes, I actually ran into your handsome nephew! Yes, yes we will come up. Oh ok, yeah I’ll be there in 20.” She flipped her phone shut.
“Do you have a cell?” She asked him, as he pulled out a Nokia and handed it to her. “Here, now you have my number, text me and we can go to that bar I was telling you about in Brooklyn!” She handed it back. “But I gotta go - text me ok?”
In the two hours that they talked, she couldn’t help but again really feel like she knew him and had moments of Deja Vu while they spoke. She had these feelings pretty often so did her best to ignore them.
Hugo made her favorite lunch and then sat with her for hours to help her focus on completing the fall winter wedding collection.
George texted her: 10PM 2nite?
Zinnia: Works 4 me!💋
George: send address - meet u there.
It was 9 o-clock and she guessed she should get ready to meet George. The collection work was a nice distraction but for the last 3 hours she kept thinking about him. He was smooth, like so smooth and he knew all the right things to say and a perfect gentleman so similar to Hugo - must be a Brit thing. She forced herself to wait till the last possible minute to get ready because she knew if she didn’t she would change four times, redo her make-up twice and overthink even going. If she had no time and was in a rush, that's when she did her best work.
9:45, shit, that took longer than she wanted but it made her even more excited. Her driver was ready for her too so she wouldn't be late waiting for the subway. Oh she hoped George was on time so she didn't look too eager.
Yes! She thought, there he was at the bar and had put his jacket on the seat next to him, how sweet! He caught her eye as she walked up to him, excited that she could wear her tallest sexiest heels and he would still have to look down at her.
“Blimey, you clean up well,” George unapologetically looked her up and down and bit down on his lower lip.
She did a spin, “Take it all in,” She loved being admired. So many guys acted like they were too cool to compliment a girl or even show any interest.
He held out his hand and helped her on to the barstool then stole a kiss on her cheek.
“Cheeky!” She joked in her best British accent.
“How are you darling, you really are ravishing,” George asked, not able to stop himself from checking out her cleavage. Zinnia was confident in her ability to put together the perfect look for nearly every occasion.
“I’m wonderful George, I am, thank you. I may have started this party before you though I have to warn you,” She admitted to having a glass, or four, of champagne while she got ready for him. “Just wanted to ease the nerves you know, I hate to be so forward but I really like you ok!” It came out before she could control it and she did her best to own it - like she meant to confess that.
“Alright love, you know I can’t imagine a bloke who wouldn’t fancy you love, so I hate to say this but really like you too!” He slurred a bit and she knew she wasn’t the only one who started pregaming.
“You are cheeky aren’t you?” She was relieved he was on the same page and not scared off from her forwardness. Especially after she ugly cried in front of him the first night they met. And slapped him in the face. And puked in his parent’s toilet.
“What are we drinking tonight folks?” The bartender interrupted their cringy flirtations.
“Hi! Could I please have a glass of champagne?” Zinnia asked.
“I’ll take a bourbon on the rocks thanks,” George ordered, handing over his card to start a tab.
“I think we better look at the food menu too considering we're both a little sauced, yes?” He asked Zinnia.
“Sure that sounds good! Should we get a table?”
The bartender called over the hostess and she took them to a bartop table and sat down. Zinnia chugged the glass of water in front of her and their waitress came over with the drinks from the bar to take their order. They got flatbread and truffle fries to share. He told her how he decided to pass the business his brother and him had started on to his younger brother, Ron. He was able to get a job in New York City at the sister office where his father worked in London.
“Could we have the dessert menu too if you have one?” George asked the waitress, he added to Z with a wink, “I have a bit of a sweet tooth.”
The food absorbed so much of her drunkenness that Zinnia didn't even feel her buzz any more. She wasn’t even sure she wanted another drink until George ordered another for himself.
“I’m good on that thanks, I’m gonna stick to water,” She replied when asked if she wanted another glass.
“You know what, me too I’ll actually just take the check please,” George said before the waiter walked away.
“Don’t stop on my account!” Z told him, feeling like a party pooper.
“No not at all, I’m good. I can sometimes get carried away and I start my new job on Monday - I’d rather not spend all Sunday nursing a hangover.” He signed the bill and we got up to leave.
Zinnia started to panic a bit because she didn't want this night to end even though it was already 1 AM.
“Thank you so much for dinner, drinks, and dessert,” Zinnia told George.
“Thank you for accompanying me on my first real New York City date! I hope you want to do this with me again, maybe sometime next week?” He asked her.
“Omg, I keep forgetting you literally just moved here! Let’s go sightseeing. Come on, have you been to Times Square yet? Oh of course you haven’t let’s jump on the A it will take us there-” She grabbed his hand once they were out on the street to pull him towards the subway station. He pulled back and she let herself get pulled to his arms.
“So I take that as a yes to a second date?” He asked her, holding her around the waist and her lips so close to his, thanks to her heels.
She kissed him softly and pulled away. Damn she wanted so badly to leave after that and be this mysterious cool girl and be like ‘call me maybe” leaving him wanting more. But she was so happy that he didn't slip away.
“Who’s cheeky now?” he whispered and planted another one on her.
Her insides screamed this time. It was so passionate that even the sky agreed, opening up and showering them with warm rain. They stayed planted in that spot while people rushed around them to take cover from the storm. When they pulled apart he took her hand and retreated under the awning of the corner bodega. She kissed him again and again, they were just making out on the sidewalk and she had no shame. They pulled apart.
“Let’s go back to my place” she suggested and already was texting her driver to pick them up.
“Is that a good idea Z?” George asked and she could see this look on his face like he was already guilty of something.
“Is it not?” she inquired. His glow was hard for her to see in the fluorescents of inside the bodega but she could see he was genuine.
“It’s not, not a good idea, I just, ok sure why not fuck it.” He said. He was trying to please her.
Her car pulled up and they dashed in.
“Where to Miss Black?” her driver Chuck asked.
“Straight home Mr. Chuck,” She replied she admittedly did not know his last name and had always grown up calling him ‘Mr. Chuck.’ Was it his first name or last name she has no clue. She had given up trying to remember things.
“You ok?” She asked George as his energy shifted into what felt like discomfort.
“Yeah I’m fine love, just full I ate so much of that lava cake. It was heavy” He assured her.
“If you want to stop at Hugo’s, say the word, I’m sure you want to get out of these wet clothes,” She rubbed her hand up his thigh just to check his reaction, she was pleased with it.
He stifled a moan and cleared his throat. Merlin's beard, he could ravage her right there in the back seat of this black escalade. But he couldn’t let things get out of hand. He wanted to take it slower. But his body wanted something different and the blood was rushing to his cock.
“Well, yeah you know, now that you say that, you’re right I should be getting back.” He regretted it immediately and saw the light leave her eyes. Wrong answer. She gave him a test and he felt like he failed.
They walked into the building and Zinnia pressed the button for Hugo’s floor, then she entered a keypad code and hit the button for her penthouse.
“I am so full that dessert was incredible, thank you again George.” She said as they stopped on Hugo’s floor in her building. She kissed him on the cheek.
Her eyes were hypnotizing him he wanted to say ‘fuck it, I’m coming up to your penthouse and you can show me just how thankful you are.’ He shook the thought out of his head, and held the elevator door open.
“Yes of course, when are you free this week, really I would like to see you again.”
She looked disappointed or maybe confused? “Um, how about Friday evening, and you can fill me in about your first week at your new job?”
“Sure, maybe and I hate to be so eager, but what about Monday evening are you free? That way I could fill you in about my first day on the job?” He hoped this was ok.
He wanted her to just move in with him right now and bring her to work everyday so he never had to be away from her. He couldn’t stand to ever be away from her again. He booked a trip to New York the night he saw her again and Hugo agreed to let him stay with him. He was able to hand Ron the keys to the shop and get accepted for a job at the American Ministry of Magic, Magical Congress of the United States of America. He knew Ron was capable of running the shop well enough but he didn't care about it all anymore he only cared about Zinnia. After losing his best friend he learned a hard lesson that the only thing that really mattered was spending time with the people with whom you love.
“Well, yeah I am free Monday night, that's fine,” Zinnia replied without much excitement.
“I’ll call you ok? Monday after I get off work and we can get dinner,” George said and let the elevator door close, watching her until she disappeared behind it.