Vibes

Part Nine

       

I go to open the door and there he is, Nate.

I know I've seen him a few times now, but every time I see him it's like the first time. This guy's really taken a toll on me and I don't know how to handle it. He smiles as I stand there trying to form words, and goes to start the conversation.

"Hey Arabella,"

"Hey Nate," I say, frozen in the same spot I had opened the door in.

He goes in for a hug and holds me for a couple of seconds.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, you look nice," I answer, hoping he doesn't analyze my level of shock too much.

He laughed, "well you beat me there at compliments, I think you look amazing."

I loosen up a little after he keeps the conversation going, probably in hopes of me quitting this awkward act I had going.

"Thank you," I say and laugh a little, "so what's the plan for tonight?"

He looks at the time on his phone, "well let's get into the car first and then I can get to telling you where we're going."

I grow a little skeptical of where we could be going, and he could tell, "nothing weird, sorry, I don't want to freak you out," he laughs.

At the same time, this calmed me down but also made me a little more nervous.

"Okay, well let's go," I say and grab my bag and follow him to the car. He opened my door for me and I thanked him. He lightly closed the door once I got in and quickly ran to the driver's side. Once he got in he smiled at me, and all I could focus on was those dimples. He broke that focus once he started the car and the radio started blaring some J. Cole. He fumbled to find the volume button and turned it down as quick as he could.

"I'm so sorry about that, he's my favourite and I guess I didn't realize how loud it was on the way here," he said as he put his belt on.

"It's okay, no worries at all, he's got really good music."

As he heard me compliment his favourite artist, he began to smile.

"He's talented, and very smart, I look up to someone who has a head like that on their shoulders," he smiled.

I just smiled back as I put my seat belt on.

"So, I'm sure as you're from New York you've seen just about all the touristy sites around?" He asks.

I simply nod my head and tell him, "I feel like I've almost seen it all to be quite honest."

A smile formed on his face, "well I think I have a place you haven't quite seen yet so that's where we'll be going, after we grab some food of course. How's that sound?"

I smiled back again, "sounds like a good time to me."

With that brief yet reassuring confirmation, he reversed out of the driveway and began driving to destination unknown.

About half an hour passes, as we laugh and talk about all kinds of things. We finally take a turn somewhere downtown, into a parking lot.

"Alright so, there's a pizza place around the corner from here and I'm thinking we can eat there or we can grab a pizza and go to this place I have in mind. Sound good?" He asks.

I unbuckle my seat belt and eagerly nod, I was starving now.

As we get out, Nate puts a ticket on the dash, and locks the door. We start walking towards the street and we both spot Bleecker Street Pizza across the street. Before we cross, Nate grabs my hand and then we quickly towards the pizzeria. I was almost too giddy about the hand holding to even watch where I was going but he made sure I got across at the same pace as he did, and safely at that too.

Once we get to Bleecker's, we decide to grab a pizza and some drinks to go. We wait about ten minutes and our large cheese pizza is ready to go. Nate holds onto the pizza and I grab two cans of coke, with that we make our way out of the small pizzeria.

Nate nods his head to the right indicating we go that way, and I begin to feel a little curious and nervous again.

"So basically, I used to record in this hole in the wall studio less than a year ago," we make a sharp turn into a small and private owned building, "it wasn't exactly the greatest place I mean in terms of me growing as an artist, which is why I don't record here anymore." As he finishes that sentence he points at a door on our right that reads "recording" and begins walking up a small staircase.

"But I still keep in touch with the dude who owns the place, how could I not? He took a chance on a kid he'd never heard rap who just moved from Nebraska," as he says this we reach the top of the staircase and he blocks an exit door which was the only place left to go.

"The studio, not the best for me like I said, but the building has so much character and I've been around here on my own pretty much anytime I feel like I need to breathe or write," he paused again and looked at me to reassure me that this wasn't some weird place.

"So, I thought I'd bring you here because I feel like you'd have the same kinda appreciation for it as I do," as he finished he opened the door and led me to the rooftop of his old studio.

I took a few steps out and he followed, standing there, waiting for my reaction. But I simply froze, still grasping onto these two pop cans.

All I could see for miles and miles was rooftops, skyscrapers and people living their lives in between. For a moment in my life, time froze and yet everything was still moving. I felt like I saw the world and didn't feel scared, I felt like I could breathe and everything was okay. All of a sudden I hear this mumbled voice and quickly realize it was Nate.

"Ar-Arabella? Hey, what do you think?" he asked.

I turn around and look at all of the scenery around him, "I absolutely love it Nate, it's amazing."

He smiled and pulled a couple of lawn chairs out from behind a short wall, "we can sit on these and hang out, thought the sunset would be nice."

"That sounds great," I respond and take a seat, still in awe.

Within forty-five minutes, we talked about an endless amount of things, finished more than half of the pizza, our drinks, and begin to watch the sunset. Nate looks over at me every now and then and can tell I'm still in awe at the entire scene.

As the sun began to set we laughed at a lame joke Nate made, and he moved the pizza from his lap to his chair as he stood up.

"I know you're comfortable but if we stand over here the sunset looks even more amazing, like it's setting on the landscape entirely," he motioned with his hand for me to follow.

"I'm a sucker for a good sunset, and with this view how could I not?" I go to stand next to him.

At this point, we're standing next to each other and staring out at the city, I don't know what he's thinking but I kind of wish I knew. I guess I became so fixated within my own thoughts that it kind of startled me when he put his arm around me. He slowly moved so that he had both arms wrapped around me from behind, his figure nearly engulfing mine. I didn't want this to end, ever.

Right there before me, the sun was setting and I was watching it in the most comfortable and beautiful place ever. Nate didn't say a word, but he took it all in with me. We both stood there in each others warmth, as the sun disappeared and didn't even feel the cold of the night.

After it had set, I turn to face Nate's chest and wrap my arms around his waist. He didn't say anything, but just held me tighter.

I could hear his heartbeat, I just closed my eyes and took that moment in.