Serenity

New York City

I met you on the streets of New York. We accidentally bumped into each other on the sidewalk, scattering the papers you held in your arms. I tried my best to help you up and gather up all the missing papers, but some of them managed to fly off down the street. We ran after them for a few blocks, but it was a futile effort. You stood there, your hands on your knees and breathing heavily. I took your hand and I helped you stand up so I could look you in the eye. "Look, about that, I'm just really sorry. I didn't even see you there. I should have been looking where I was going."

You told me it was okay, but you gave me your number so I could take you out for a night on the town sometime to help make up for it. A few days later, I rang you up and asked if you were free. You said you were, and so I began to get ready. I wore casual clothing, after all, it's supposed to just be a fun night, and I set out through the door of my apartment. I was able to walk over to where you live as we actually only lived a half mile from each other. Decisively, I knocked on your door, and I could hear you scrambling to get everything you needed before opening the door. I smiled at you and you smiled shyly back at me, pushing your hair out of your face. Quietly, you shut the door to your home and turned the key to lock it. I took your arm in mine playfully, and we began walking down the streets, looking for something to do.

We saw a small coffee shop on the corner of one of the streets, and I suggested that we get some to help get to know each other a bit better. You agreed to this, and so we sauntered through the door, a small bell ringing above our heads. We ordered our drinks and sat near the window. This particular shop had a wonderful view of the city. You could see the hustle and bustle of all the people walking past, while the orange sun hung over their heads like a father would to his small son. We talked extensively on what we did for a living, our favorite things, and how we thought about the world. Before we knew it, our cups were empty, and we knew we should get moving.

The sky was a shade darker now, turning black as the sun began to fall. As the sky grew darker though, the city began to glow brighter as the many buildings began switching their lights on. With soft steps, we walked some more until we could hear this strange music coming from a nearby park. We gazed towards the source of the sound, and what met our eyes was a small concert. You began to get very excited, and you dragged me over to the park so you could listen to the music. In the middle of the park, there was a tiny band, playing something like classical, but with a more hip feeling. The music filled the air with its sound, and the twang of guitar strings brought a wide grin to your face. We stood there for quite awhile, just letting the music wash over us, until we just went off into our own quixotic worlds in our head. After what only seemed like a few minutes, the music began to die down, the band was finished. Surprisingly, there wasn't a big crowd, but those that were there made a lot of noise. After that performance, I figured there wasn't much I could do to make the night even better so I thought I'd take you home. It was getting late, after all. You seemed to be tired so I guess it was right on time. We walked through the streets some more, making our way back to your home. We looked at the towering buildings above us as we walked, the lights shining down upon us. Eventually, we made it back to your house. I bid you a good night, and you said goodnight to me as well. You smiled once more at me, but it wasn't shy anymore. You were just happy.