Page 53 of When Stars Collide
I shrugged on Phineas’s suit coat, sticking my hands in its pockets to keep them warm, and joined him at the railing. As beautiful as the rooftop haven was, the view from the spot Phineas had chosen gave it an admirable run for its money. Below, the East River, illuminated by the full moon above us, looked more like a stream of black ink painted with pockets of blue as though a giant pen had been broken open, its contents spilling through a chasm. Eerily still, yet soothing at the same time.
On the banks of the East River, New York City rose to the sky for as far as the eyes could see, its nightlife evident in the light that illuminated from it like a beacon at its core. On the outer edges of the city, along the river, the lights became more scattered, twinkling like stars.
“It’s absolutely breathtaking,” I marveled.
“I know. I do a lot of my work up here when I’m not in the office. Even when it’s at its peak and packed with people in the summer, it’s still oddly relaxing.”
“Your place doesn’t have the same view?”
“Not of the river, unfortunately.”
“Oh, so you’re really slumming it, then?”
“I knew I wouldn’t get any sympathy from you.”
“Do you want sympathy from me?”
He looked out into the distance, lost in thought, taking a moment before he answered me, “No, I suppose I don’t.” Sighing, he tore himself away from the railing and headed back toward the fire pit to warm his hands. “Would you like a drink?”
“God would I.”
“That bad, huh?”
“It’s not you. After that waste of oxygen at the club and all the other things I have going on in my life, the thought of winding down for a bit is appealing.”
“I can drink to that.” He smiled. “And I think I will.”
“How long have you been waiting to break that one out?” I dug in my purse, but was promptly stopped by him.
“You aren’t paying for your drinks. I brought you here. They’re on me.”
“Drinks, huh? You may want to set a cap on that, if you know what’s good for your wallet.”
“With your size, I can’t imagine you would be able to drink that much. My guess is what, two, maybe three, tops?”
“I may be small, but I can still pack them away before drunk Mena swoops in and all hell takes over when she picks fights with coat racks and gets kicked out of bowling alleys for being too suggestive with the bowling balls.”
I’ll take things you should never say to your boss for $800, Alex.
Phineas stared at me, waiting, perhaps, for me to retract any of the things I’d just said. “We’ll start with one.”
“That’s probably wise. Scotch on the rocks, please.”
“With a twist?”
“What do you think?”
“A twist it is.”
As he walked away, I noticed a band setting up on the other side of the bar, right as more people poured onto the rooftop from the elevators. The new crowd caught my eye when they walked by all decked out in their finest. The men wore dress slacks and ties; the women were outfitted in dresses barely casual enough to avoid being categorized as gowns. There must be some unspoken dress code to even be able to set foot inside of this building. Either that or this was the normal Saturday night attire for its inhabitants. A glamorous life supported by hefty bank accounts. Something I would never relate to. Even though Phineas had always made me feel comfortable around him and had never come across even the slightest bit presumptuous, I never felt like I belonged in these settings. I was the square peg to the rooftop’s round hole, even though I didn’t look the part right now.
“One scotch on the rocks with a twist.” Phineas returned, handing me the tumbler.
I took a sip, my eyelids involuntarily snapping shut as the scotch madea fiery trail down my throat.
“Trying to save money?” I asked, attempting to not cough up my esophagus.
“They make their drinks a bit strong.It’s why they’re so popular.” He took a seat on the couch opposite from mine. “I’ll send word for them to hide all the coat racks and bowling balls.”
