Rising Light

Chapter 19: I Walked with You Once Upon a Dream

Kate watched as another tourist hurried by, consulting a map that she knew didn't do justice to the nearby city. It was funny, knowing that the thrill of New York had brought them here, but prices had ensured they didn't stay within the city limits. The real American experience, that's what she guessed they'd been sold as part of their package deals.

'Penny for your thoughts?' Nik teased, drawing her attention back towards him. He sat down carefully in the seat opposite, holding his tie close to his body. It was a gesture that was both weird and familiar all at once.

'I'd take half a million dollars,' she quipped back, glad that he was there with her. The catch up session had been nice, it was exactly what she'd needed after the busiest week of her life.

Nik scoffed, turned his cup so that the handle was facing away from him. 'You won't need that soon,' he said, his eyes slowly raising to meet hers. 'I mean, as I hear it, you've just got your business off to a flying start.'

'Yeah, and for some reason a suave British man didn't come to do an awarding winning number with me for the grand opening,' she complained, pouting as if insulted. 'I had the whole routine planned and everything.'

'I told you I was sorry!' he complained, but she could hear the laughter behind his voice. 'But -'

'Duty calls, I know,' she said, shooting him an understanding smile.

'Benjamin showed me all the pictures,' Nik assured her. 'It looks quite... quaint.'

Kate beamed at him, a gesture that only widened as she spotted Ben hovering outside. She glanced quickly at the clock. It was five minutes before opening. 'Well, I'll catch you soon?'

Nik smiled, his eyes flicking once to the door, before he inclined his head. 'Yes, soon.'

Kate lent down to kiss him quickly on the cheek before hurrying out to meet her business partner. 'You know you could've joined us,' she told him as they started off down the street.

Ben was shaking his head adamantly before she'd even got to the end of her sentence. 'And ruined your date?'

'It wasn't a date!' Kate protested, but it didn't matter, Ben was still on a roll teasing her.

'I wouldn't want to get in the way of young, blossoming romance. Not after it's taken this long for the two of you - Hey!' He rubbed his arm furiously where she'd hit him.

She offered him little more than an innocent smile as way of apology. 'Wonder if I could claim on Stories and Sins' insurance if my partner was suddenly to go missing.'

'Let's not find out,' he said, and for a moment she could have sworn that there was a flicker of mild fear behind his eyes.

Instinctively, Kate looped her arm through his and they continued down the street to their shop.

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'Do you think that shipment of books has come yet?' Kate asked as they walked, her attention skimming over the passers by. There was a hum in the air that she adored. It was barely lunchtime, the shop had been closed for the morning because Ben had wanted to finish some things up, and Kate had had her catch up session. It was one of the perks to finally having their own shop.

'They hadn't when I left, oh, five seconds ago,' he teased, and she could see the light of amusement behind his eyes.

The split second of distraction though was all it took. She heard the cheerful babbling of a child a moment before someone had collided with her.