We go to the observation deck at the Empire State Building, where we take a selfie with the sky-line behind us. A hole exists where the two towers used to be. Some more tourists take a picture of Natasha, and I wonder why they do this. We go to the Met and leave some change in a cup for a homeless guy outside who's holding a sign saying he fought in Iraq. He looks too old to have fought in Iraq, but we leave him money anyway.
I want to go to the zoo, which is only a few blocks away. Natasha and I talked about it before I came. She said she went once but didn't want to go back because she hates seeing the animals in cages and how they've been objectified for our viewing pleasure. I still want to go so I can say I went.
"Let's go in here first," she says. "If there's time, we can go after."
This is Natasha's coy way of burning time so we won't have time to go.
We walk through the Met, and I keep stopping to take in the paintings I would have never seen if I stayed at home. Natasha is a few steps in front of me, and every time I catch up to her, she moves forward as though she's leading me.
YOU ARE READING
The Heir of New York
General FictionNew York changes people, and not always for the better. Evan and Chantal have a life planned together, but when he moves to New York to attend University, things go off track when he runs into an old flame from high school.
