In New York everything happened later. Dinners were after nine, breakfasts were brunches, lunch was around dinner time, and the lines between sleeping and waking up were not defined.

"You have a good eye," Jenna complimented my choice of restaurant.

"Thanks," I said as we finished takeout in the cafeteria.

"Might end up hanging out a bit more here or Columbia then in my own school." Jenna said looking around at the boys. "Anyways we have a get together to go to. So let's go?"

"A get together?" I looked at Sam.

"She didn't tell me," Sam said.

"Come I'm tired of all unbalanced estrogen in FIT."

Jenna wanted to guide us to the place but it just so happened she was awful with directions. Sam didn't want to lead us to a second wrong location so it was up to me to find it. Thankfully it was closer to the university than Jenna had thought. So we walked back and ended up in front of an old beautiful ivy covered building.

"This is so pretty." I remarked seeing the European influence surrounding the building.

"And pretty costs double in this city," Jenna took the first step up.

New York had so many different styles varying just from street to street it was easy to see why the logo was so iconic. In Huntswood the variation was limited to the American Dream but here the dream didn't have to be American it went beyond that.

We buzzed the doorbell and after a beeping noise we were let in. Just the stairwell was impressive enough but we didn't have to climb them up as the door to our right was wide open. Nobody was in the living room up front where we walked in. I could see how this was not a party space. Old antiques everywhere as far as I could tell decorated to the same aesthetic expected from the look of the building. I looked around quite a bit mesmerized by the old well kept furniture pieces my grandpa would have loved too.

"They're in the back," Jenna said to us.

We followed her through a doorway which led to the kitchen where a couple of people were getting drinks. The kitchen followed suit with the rest of the house in the same old world aspect that I could only link back to French country. The back of house had big doors and tons of windows to see outside and we followed Jenna.

"Jenna!" A girl exclaimed in the backyard waving over to her.

"Lindsey!" Jenna went over.

"I'm so glad you came. Let me introduce you. Guys this is Jenna. First year at FIT."

"Hi Jenna," people said back to her and at least here you could hear what people were saying over the music unlike other parties we'd been to.

"These are my friends, Sam and Emmy."

"Hi," we said to everyone and everyone said it back.

"So what are you guys talking about?"

"Just how dull the playlist is."

"Hey I heard that," a boy said.

"I meant it!" Lindsey's friend said.

"Ems," Sam bumped my elbow nodding at me to collaborate but I just looked back at her. "Actually my friend has some good playlists."

"Hey how come I was never told about this?" Jenna asked.

"Go ahead and take over then." Lindsey said.

"Please by all means. Nothing will be worst than the Wham a thon we had to go through."

"Okay. No Wham it is," I went to fix it.

"The password is 1234 to unlock the playlist selection."

I decided to appease them since it was probably the only thing I could offer anyway. I tried to gauge at the mood, it wasn't a party, it was intimate, easy going. The decoration? French. I had the perfect playlist for this, half French, half indie, with some RnB.

"We're opening some bottles tonight for a private tasting." One of the girls said. A private tasting? Since when had I become an adult? Wasn't this what married people did in their 30s?Then it dawned on me this was just another Tuesday for them.

I pressed play on the playlist with a painting from a Hopper, and the first song started called "Dance" an addictive chorus.

The people who had long been all sitting down got up and started partnering up to slowly dance with each other.

"Woah, I see the party has begun without me." Someone walked in with a boisterous personality in their voice compared to the rest but I didn't look up still trying to organize the queue of the playlist.

"We wait for no man." One of the girls said.

"Or three. But please go ahead. Enjoy yourselves."

"Oh we will," Lindsey replied grabbing one of the guys who walked in to dance past me.

"Anyone wanna help me with the wine?" He asked to the crowd and no one answered.

"I'll help," I said coming out from behind the bar to help the guy.

"Finally someone with manners," the guy said turning to me with a smile until we both realized who the other was. It was him.

"You."

"Nothing good ever follows that," he joked.

"I can't believe this."

"I totally can."

"Oh really? How so?"

"I knew you couldn't have your nose stuck up so high without people to back you up."

"I should get out of here. I'm obviously in the wrong place."

"Funny I didn't take you for a runaway."

"Then how did you manage to get that boy to not pursue anything against you?"

"He knew he had more to loose if he did. Some people make smart decisions."

"Right of course and you brag about having the bigger boot. How awfully Catholic of you."

"Look I forgive people for many things but making better Catholic jokes than me is not of them."

"You should be the one asking for my forgiveness."

"How do you figure?"

"Is playing dumb a course requirement for graduation?"

"Fine. I apologize for being rude."

"Not a chance." I got even angrier he was apologizing for the wrong thing.

"What do you mean not a chance?"

"Apologize to the guy you threw whatever it was you threw on him."

"Never. Not even if my soul depended on it."

"I'm sure the pearly gates will weep over the loss."

"Are you saying you believe in hell?"

"Don't you?"

"So not an atheist? You sure?"

"Enjoy your night," I moved to leave but he handed me a wine bottle.

"Oh thank you for helping."

"Um goodbye."

"Oh come on your friends are here. Just stay for them." He was right, as much as I didn't like the situation I didn't want to be rude and leave early. I knew they'd want to come with me.

"Ask someone else for help."

"If you help me I'll let you keep your favorite bottle all to yourself."

"There's something deeply wrong with you."

"Maybe. Is that a yes?" He asked and I made a face then so did he and sighed. "Fine I'll tell you why I threw it at him."

At once I got closer to where he was opening the  fourth bottle of wine, wanting to know why, and it had better be a good reason.

"He was cheating on my friend's sister so we decided to play a harmless prank."

"Was it really harmless?"

"It cost him to loose his electronics. It's the least we could do and the least he could pay for in damages. After all he was just some low life trying to sleep his way to the top. Though I'm sure nothing resolves his two-timing activities at least he won't mess with us anymore."

"Why should I believe you? You could be lying."

"I don't need you to believe me so why would I lie? There's no stakes here between us."

"I know that," I rolled my eyes at the obvious point he made.

"So if I'm not interested and you're a stranger to me that I could very well avoid forever then..."

"Fine then you're not lying but I'm still not sure how I feel about your disbelief of decency."

"I'm not sure how I feel about your unicorns, ponies, and tree loving philosophy either."

"Every girl likes unicorns and ponies. It's just some like them pink prancing through rainbows and others like them black breathing fire upon mankind."

"And yet I can't tell which one you prefer."

"And you won't find out."

I closed the door at once. I had enough close friends to still feel ashamed for needing to be comforted over some guy when they were dealing with issues bigger than mine. Losing my heart over Adam was temporary self inflicted insanity. I could do without it forever and I know that I had regained consciousness I wasn't going to let any interferences in.

"Here, I think this might suit you," he gave me a wine glass.

"What is it?"

"Port," he smiled and I drank.

Port was sweet as too ripe banana, dark like a new moon, and thick like a three strand rope, not at all like I'd imagine but surprisingly beautiful. I smelled it like an addictive candied perfume on warm skin and when I closed my eyes getting carried away his voice woke me up.

"Maybe I was wrong."

"About what?"

"Oh hey can you wrap this up for her," he asked as soon as someone who looked like a chef came into the kitchen with us.

*

The night was still quite warm and the playlist played on carrying the warmth through the glasses of wine we drank. A tasty board of cheese, olives, raisins, and other small foods was served alongside the tasting and they debated which wine was the best. I stayed out of it as I had never had good wine up until this night. I guess I understood why people ordered expensive wines now, there was a vast difference between whatever I had in the past and this in my glass. The wine unfortunately made me more relaxed than what I already was and just a bit giggly.

"This playlist is of the Gods. Who's the genius who discovered this one? Speak up!" The boy named James spoke up to the crowd of friends.

"Ems!" Sam pointed at me.

"Shhh!" I put my finger over my mouth and got up to walk away and hide.

"Hey you can't hide from us. Don't even try," James said but I still went ahead inside to leave the cup and go get my stuff.

My head was already light I needed to go back to my dorm and sleep it off. I was sure now my friends wouldn't notice if I left a little early right? Oh I wanted my bed.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Um do you have water somewhere in this fancy kitchen of yours? I don't wanna press the wrong button and I don't know close off the wrong light or God knows what could happen? Imagine?" I giggled leaning over the kitchen island.

"Water? Why water?"

"So I can drink before I go home. Not drink. I shouldn't drink anymore. Oh God. Should I have eaten more olives?"

"No you're in New York now, pizza is the best hangover cure."

"You have pizza? Where?"

"Come on I'll take you to get pizza and walk you back. It's not far anyways."

"What? No. You can't walk me back. No. That's a no no."

"A no no?"

"Yeah. I mean no! Goodbye!" I waved to him and went to get my bag in the living room.

As I was about to exit the building I couldn't remember to go right or left. I tried to remember where I had come from and decided to go right until a hand pulled me left.

"Come on pizza first" he said.

"No I'm not supposed to be with a boy all by myself."

"So let's go back inside and you'll get your pizza. Then when you can tell which is the right way to go back home you can walk back by yourself."

"There's no pizza in there I've looked."

"Oh god," he pulled me back inside the building and sat me in the fancy living room. He took out his phone and asked for someone to bring over a couple of large pizzas. I was uncomfortable in the chair I sat though. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"This chair is too straight." I moved around on it.

"Then sit on the couch," he pointed and I went to the couch and hugged a pillow on it.

"Um this is better but not nearly as good as my grandpa's couch."

"That's why I never sit in here."

"So you come here often?"

"I live here."

"Oh come on. Really? This beautiful house is yours? No fair. It fits the girls way better. Bet you never cooked a day in that kitchen."

"I have but I obviously didn't decorate this house. Can't complain anyways since it's so close to school."

"What is there to complain about? Oh right the chair." I pouted at it and he let out a chuckle. "Why are you always smiling?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you're always smiling. I don't get it."

"Hmm maybe because I don't sweat the small stuff. I try to have fun with it instead."

"You may be on to something."

"Yeah I just might," he smiled again and I got the urge to pee.

"Do you happen to have a restroom anywhere?"

"Yeah. Come on."

After I went to the restroom which was conveniently located on the same floor the pizza arrived not too long after.  We ate pizza in the kitchen after I insisted I didn't want to drop it on anything in the living room. And once I was back to feeling my feet more on the ground it was time for me to go.

"Can you make sure Sam goes back to Columbia, and Jenna goes back to FIT? I don't want to leave them but I'm too close for a taxi."

"Sure."

"Well thanks for the pizza." I got up.

"Oh you're leaving?"

"Um yes. It can't get any better than this pizza right before sleep."

"I'll challenge you on that some other day."

"Hey Ems I'm beat. Are you leaving?" Sam came in to the kitchen.

"Yes are you?"

"Yes. Jenna told me she's gonna stay though."

"So just Jenna please?" I asked him and he nodded.

"Come on Sam let's find a taxi for you."

"No wait. I have someone on speed dial. Give me a second."

After a bit Sam and I were escorted into a black car who dropped us off respectively. Maybe New York wasn't as gnarly as Huntswood...

************************

No part, character, names, plot, setting, conflict or resolution, point of view, theme or symbolism of this story may be replicated.

Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.