Page 7 of When Annika Met Thom

“New in town?” he asked finally, probably noticing how she was rubbernecking.

“First time.”

“You’ll love it. It’s the best city in the world,” he said with conviction, then leaned on his horn.

The traffic was incredible, the streets clogged with yellow cabs that honked a lot. They made slow but steady progress, stopping for red lights, then surging around slower cars to get a better position. There was a lot of construction and Annika was curious about the pits that opened into the street. In one of her college courses, they’d learned about the rock beneath the city, the Manhattan schist, upon which every skyscraper’s foundation rested. They’d learned about the tunnels and myriad services buried beneath the metropolis, a feat of engineering that delivered water and electricity to ten million, and transported them daily. Annika wanted an underground tour as well as a visit to all the tourist sites.

She felt her anticipation rise. Leo was going to be thrilled when she surprised him with the news that she’d be moving east instead of just working on a two-week assignment. The future they’d envisioned for years was going to start and she couldn’t wait. Her firm was opening an office here to serve the east coast and she was first in line to transfer. It wasn’t a done deal yet, but she trusted in the future.

After all, she and Leo were destined to be together. It was kismet that this opportunity even existed. Of course, she’d get the job. With that confidence, she’d brought Percival to get him settled here first.

The ferret was fussing, but he’d been in the cage for a while. She knew he needed a bit of exercise, and probably something to eat.

Soon.

They drove down Broadway and she practically had her nose pressed to the glass as the buildings began to look familiar. It was like she’d stepped into a movie.

“Is this the Flatiron district?” she asked the driver, guessing the answer from the architecture.

“Yes, ma’am.” He pointed through the windshield. “And there’s the building it’s named after.”

Annika had recognized the triangular Flatiron Building already and was peering down the side streets. She knew the buildings had steel frames in this neighborhood and were among Manhattan’s first skyscrapers: many of the older structures dated from the turn of the last century. They were shorter, because the schist was deeper beneath the surface, but she loved the more human scale. She couldn’t wait to explore.

They turned on Houston, which was wide and lined on each side with big stores. There were pedestrians everywhere she looked, which was exciting, too. She loved walking in cities, people-watching and window shopping.

When they finally turned down a narrower avenue lined with apartment buildings, she was on the edge of her seat in anticipation.

Minutes to Leo! She had been envisioning a sex-filled reunion for weeks and was impatient to arrive.

The cab stopped in front of an older building, one that wasn’t as ornate as some of its neighbors. It was maybe six stories high and there was a park across the street. The street was lined with parked cars on one side and Annika could see that there were shops and restaurants on the street level of many of the buildings. They weren’t as fancy as the ones on Houston, but she liked that it looked like a neighborhood. A car behind honked as she was getting her bags out, and the cabbie waved his hand dismissively at the other driver.

He did the same when she thanked him, but he smiled and wished her a good trip.

The rain seemed to be falling harder. She was soaked by the time she got to the door of the building and she couldn’t help noticing that the entrance was distinctly grimy. The security door was propped open with a cinder block, which couldn’t be very safe but it made her life easier in the short term. She carried everything to the elevator and pressed the button, heaving a sigh of relief. Almost there. She could hear voices and smell cooking but there was no one around.

It made her realize how hungry she was.

She had to jam her weight against the elevator door to have time to get everything out, since it had been programmed for very quick stops. By the time she’d located the apartment door, then gotten her suitcase and Percival’s cage down the corridor, she was ready for a nap.

A kiss.

A great meal.

And truly awesome sex. Lots of it. That would be the perfect welcome to the Big Apple.

She knocked crisply on the door, anticipation high.

There was no answer.

Percival ran around his cage in a manic burst of energy and she wished he’d be quiet.

She checked the number and knocked again, harder.

A door opened down the hall and someone looked out. Annika ignored the curious neighbor because she heard the deadbolt on Leo’s door. She smiled as the door swung inward.

“Surprise! I’m a day early!” She spoke before she realized that Leo wasn’t the one who had opened the door.

And then she blushed, because the guy who had answered the door didn’t say anything. He just looked at her.

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