Just Another New York Story

Morning Romance

Early in the morning, Veronica dreams she's walking along the stone promenade by the park on Riverside Drive. She's looking down at her fast-moving feet in the white pumps she wore for yesterday's shoot, her legs encased in white nylons, her nurse's uniform flaunting her every curve. Her shift at the hospital has ended, and she knows he's waiting for her on the bench—their bench! She can see him in the distance with roses—big roses!—roses that match her bright red lips. Her face is glowing. Her hair is shiny. She's never felt so pretty. She only wishes she could see his face. He's looking off in the opposite direction. All she sees is his dark, thick hair, combed up in an Elvis pompadour. He's leaning back, legs outstretched, one arm resting across the top of the bench—the arm that will soon pull her close to him.... She rushes past shiny, bulbous cars—all those period cars from the films... the walk feels endless....

***
She awakens in a jumble of bliss and confusion, embraced and abandoned all at once. Why is she thinking about him this way? She remembers him sitting on the diner stool beside her, his shoulders rounded and soft with age, his little gut pouring over his jeans...

She kicks down the covers, grabs a yogurt from the mini-fridge, guzzles it mindlessly, and heads to the bathroom. Having finished her make-up, she stares at her reflection. All told, she is relatively pleased. Any blemishes have been effectively concealed. She still feels she hasn't quite grown into her nose; she suspects she never will... That old, familiar thought; the dusty, bullies-on-the-playground memory, for just a moment, darkens her mood...

She scans the ever-growing piles of books stacked along the wall by the window, many of which she acquired after they were discarded on various apartment building ledges (a neighborhood custom of passing on treasures...). She selects a paperback of short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald, its pages heavily browned. She removes her robe and tosses it on the bed, then pulls a violet dress from her portable wardrobe, which she pairs with the blue ballet flats.

She stuffs the book in her purse and heads to the diner.