I looked out the window of The Plaza at good ol' New York, the city that never sleeps.
(flashback)
"Why do you always refer to New York as 'The City,' as if it's
the only one?"
She smiled, eyes sparkling. "Because it is."
(end flashback)
And now that I think about it, AJ was right. Of all the places I've been, nothing is like New York. Sardi's, Broadway, The Met, The Lincoln Center, Rockafeller Center, Carnagie Hall ... so much culture in one place. It truly is THE city.
I felt a stab of guilt. I hadn't told AJ that I was going to be in town. Then again, with her connections and sources, she probably knew about the benefit concert tonight at The Garden before I did.
It's been a month since I received her story. We've talked on the phone just about every night since. But she's here, and I'm in Tulsa. Our relationship is lost in the limbo of time zones between us. She calls it purgatory; I call it hell.
A knock on the door interupted my thoughts of self-pity. "Zac! Ya ready? We gotta go to the sound check," Ike shouted from the other side of the door.
It's now when I realize I was foolish for not contacting AJ. Ike had Rebecca and Kaitlyn. Taylor had Laura and Maddy. And I had the realization of what a complete idiot I was for not taking advantage of Amanda and I sharing the same location. Oh, well... Maybe after the concert... I grabbed my room key and coat, and headed off to the sound check.
"Nervous, Zac?"
"Huh?"
"Are you nervous, or something?" asked Ike.
"No."
"Then what's with the jitters? Haven't seen you this way in YEARS."
"I don't know. I just... I feel like someone's watching me," I explained, nervously scanning the dark stadium.
"Are you sure you're gonna be okay? You look a little pale, like you've just seen a ghost or something," observed my eldest brother.
No, no ghost," I told him. 'Just Amanda Jean,' I said to myself. Well, I didn't know for sure it was her. I couldn't make out the face with the house lights down. It was just the outline of a familiar shape, Amanda's shape.
When our sound check was done, instead of following my brothers I hopped off the stage into the house. I walked towards the shape. "Amanda. Amanda Jean," I called out.
The shape turned around. "Zac? How did you recognize me in the dark?" Yup. It was Amanda.
"I don't know. I just did. How did you get back here?"
"You mean past security? Well, I may be a part of the press, but I have my connections." Even though it was as dark as night, I knew she was smiling. I just knew. And out there was a security guard whom Amanda cashed in a favor to.
"Look, AJ, I'm sorry I didn't call you..."
"Zac, you don't have to apologize. When I heard about the concert and you didn't call, I figured there was a reason for it. But I had to see you. Just didn't count on you seeing me. You're not mad, are you?" she asked hopefully.
"No, not mad. Just surprised, really."
"Why? I told you, Zac, I'm always there. It's just easier now than it was before."
I laughed. "Yeah, those poor security guards out there. What did you do? Tie 'em up and gag 'em?"
"No need. Me and Elvis, we go way back."
I raised an eyebrow. "Elvis?"
"Yeah. He's working the main entrance. I just walked up and said, 'hey Elvis! I gotta talk to Zac Hanson,' and he let me in."
"Now why would he do that?"
"Because when People interviewed Matt Damon last month, I snuck his daughter into the photo shoot," she said matter-of-factly.
I pretended to be disgusted. "You reporters! Have you no shame?! No ethics?!"
"Of course I don't," said AJ, playing along. "If I did, I wouldn't be standing here. Actually, he's my next-door neighbor. Besides, we're just scratching each other's back."
"Oh? Is that what you call it?"
"Mmm-hmm. Jealous?"
"Exceptionally."
"Well, I think we can rectify that." AJ slid a piece of paper into the front pocket of my jeans. "That's my address. Be there tomorrow at ten o'clock," she instructed. Gently, she brushed her lips against mine. Then she turned around and left.