Falling in love

Untitled Story Part

I stride airily down the gum-speckled streets of Lower Manhattan. A briefcase is clutched in my left hand and I can feel my bulky Nokia bulging out of my jacket pocket. New York is quite pleasant this early in the morning - at seven o'clock. I enjoy catching breakfast in town with Marina - the pretzels are to die for!

A figure waves at me through the morning crowds. With a smile, I recognize Marina's elfin face, and half run towards her. Laughing, she grabs my arm as I nearly barrel into a Starbucks window. When I come to a halt, we giggle at my lack of skill to run in high heels. Marina and I have been friends since high school when some sophomores were teasing her about her height on our first day and I stepped in to rescue her. When we went to college, we kept in touch and managed to find jobs in the same office!

"Electra! Why did you even try to run in those heels? It was only going to end in disaster!" I smile at Marina's scolding.

"Let's just go and get breakfast, yeah?" I say. Marina rolls her eyes, but then beams and hooks her arm around mine. A pretzel stall stands ahead, beckoning us with the doughy smell. I take a deep, blissful breath as the smell wafts up my nose. Marina tugs my arm and my eyes fly open as I follow her, giggling. It's like we're still at high school. Like an over-energized puppy, she bounds up to the stall and orders two warm pretzels and two sodas. Rummaging in my pocket, I fish out some change and get ready to pay my half. She pushes my hand away with a wink.

"My treat!" she says. I thank her and we both accept the steaming pretzels and ice cold sodas from the stallholder. There is a bench just along the sidewalk which Marina nips in and reserves for us. I reach the bench a few seconds later - I don't want another running in heels disaster! - place my case on the ground between my feet, sit down on the bench and tuck into my breakfast. Taking the warm, doughy pretzel in my hands, I bite into it, the rich, salty flavour hitting my taste buds. When I am finished, I scrunch the wrapper up in my fist and open my soda with a pop. The sugary goodness of it flows through my body and readies me for the day at work.

We arrive at the doors of the North Tower pumped and ready to go. The elevator doors are just closing as we stride across the lobby. I spy some space behind them so shout;

"Elevator!" A familiar brown briefcase is jammed between the doors to open them again. I grin and quicken my pace. Breathing heavily, Marina and I reach the elevator and squeeze inside. I look up to thank the gentleman and my suspicions are confirmed. His eyes are like the dark cocoa beans grown in his home country, as he looks at me with love and hunger. I know that if it wasn't for Marina and the immaculately dressed business people, he would have kissed me.

It's Jeremy. I first met him when I started working at The World Trade Centre, two years ago, for Cantor Fitzgerald Securities. He works for them too, but on the floor above me. He was always finding an excuse to come down to our floor, and when he did, he'd always be stealing glances at me across the office. Then, at the office Halloween party, he plucked up the courage and asked me out to dinner. I had secretly hoped for that to happen since I had noticed him looking longingly at me. Now, it seems like we've always been together - it's hard to imagine life without him!

"Hey, Ellie," he says in that gorgeous, slightly Spanish accent he has (he is originally from Mexico, but came to the US for his college education). I cringe, though. He knows I hate that nickname. A chuckle escapes from his throat.

"Hey, Jere," I say back. He sighs at the nickname too and I smirk at my success. Like a snake, his arm finds its way around my back and gently pulls me closer. My body complies and I find my head resting against his warm chest, the steady beating of his heart just under my ear. His lips plant a soft kiss onto my crown. I hear Marina groaning behind us.