Holiday Magic

PART THREE

Zed

Moving toward the full wall of windows in my Manhattan office, I peered at the skyline and surveyed the neighboring buildings. Granite and glass were surrounding me, but I didn't feel the sterile coldness as my mind drifted. I thought back to Thanksgiving week five years ago. I smiled remembering how my sweet wife had become mine...

It was the Monday afternoon before Thanksgiving break, and we were five minutes past the scheduled start of our weekly "all hands on deck" editorial meeting. I scanned the room looking for Addison, rubbing my hands nervously against my thighs. She was usually one of the first reporters to arrive and always seemed prepared. I had to see her today.

I stalled and shuffled through the upcoming assignments for the week in an attempt to look calm and in control. Where the fuck was she? There was only one chair left unoccupied in the room. It was directly across from me at the other end of the long wooden table.

Staring at the empty seat, I thought back over the last few days. It had been one hell of a weekend. Breaking up with Lacey had been a total clusterfuck. She knew that something was afoot before I even uttered a word. I'd lost count of how many times she'd asked me if everything was okay. What could I tell her about Addison, when nothing made sense to me?"

"Sorry, Lacey. I've met someone who shows no interest in me, and I have to pursue her."

Fuck, Addison had been the main attraction in my nightly dreams over the last couple of months. The night before, I'd dreamed that I was making love to her as she lay across the very desk in front of me. Her hair had been spread in a white halo around her head. God, what a dream.

I couldn't deny it any longer. My attraction to her was intense and somehow growing stronger. The only problem was, my ethereal beauty avoided me like I was the Black Death.

As I started the meeting, a flustered Addison stumbled into the room. Her face was flushed and those big, blue eyes of hers were hitting me head-on. I was completely lost as a sense of relief flooded me. She was finally here.

A goofy grin spread across my face as Addison took the seat opposite me at the large boardroom table. She mumbled her apologies but looked at me confused. It must have been my smile because everyone else around me shared in her puzzled look.

"Well, Addison. Glad you're here. We're just getting started. I'm going to let our managing editors take our weekly meeting from here. Bucky and Tracey, floor's yours."

Now that I'd handed over the meeting to my editors, I could get back to more important things. Like staring, gazing, and mentally undressing Addison. Watching that beautiful flush on her cheeks, I was beginning to think that she was feeling a bit uncomfortable with my constant eye contact. But I'd be damned if I couldn't look from her.

As the meeting adjourned, I tried to catch her. However, she was closer to the door and the only way to get her attention would've required me to walk across the damn table.

DAMN! I'd missed another chance of possibly talking with her.

Over the next couple of days, I tried to run into her somehow. Really run into her. I longed to touch her again. That simple touch on the first day we met still had me craving for more. My connection to her was undeniable, but what were her feelings for me? Part of me was afraid to find out. After spending a gluttonous Thanksgiving Day with family and friends back home, I returned to Yale early in the evening. I sent the next day's edition of the Yale Daily News to press, and then decided to escape the confines of my campus apartment on Friday by planning a night's stay in New York City at The Roosevelt Hotel.

I thought of inviting someone else to tag along, but I needed some time away by myself to try to regroup. Since Addison had successfully eluded my charms, I knew I had to devise a plan to woo her.

Friday morning I rolled out of bed, showered, dressed for the cold, and headed to New Haven Station. I grabbed a Red Bull and a bagel, tucked a copy of today's New York Times under my arm, and met the cold day head-on. I'd thrown a few things into a backpack for the overnight stay. I didn't need much and it felt good to get away. And since someone else was manning the News' publishing tomorrow, I was free now for over twenty-four hours.

After purchasing my roundtrip ticket, I leaned against the buzzing Coke machine on the station platform. Glancing at the ticker board time display, I saw that there were ten minutes before the next train to Grand Central arrived. As I opened the newspaper, I briefly glanced into the terminal doors and noticed the line at the coffee shop was long.

Finally, the train pulled up to the station, I folded up my paper under my arm and entered the closest car. For some reason, I preferred to sit with my back toward the front of the train. I took out a pen from my pocket and started to write a list of ways I could break the ice with Addison. Twenty minutes later and with no ideas, my eyes became fixed on the paper in front of me. I was drawing a complete blank.

It was baffling to me, but I felt like an insecure fourteen-year-old boy trying to feel his way up his girlfriend's shirt, hoping that his wandering hands would make it to second base without their being pushed away. Perhaps I feared that she'd reject me and I'd never get to hold her tight or smell her hair as I shared a pillow with her after making love. With that thought still fresh in my mind, I closed my eyes and drifted into a semi-conscious sleep still trying to stay aware of the train's stops and starts.

Upon reaching Grand Central Station, I stretched out my stiff limbs and made my way to the car's exit. I briefly glanced at a young woman seated a few rows from me. She was wearing one of those puffy down jackets, which hid her curves and made me curse the cold. A newspaper was gripped tightly in her small hands. Strangely, she was holding it super close to her face.

"Poor girl," I muttered wondering if she had extremely poor eyesight.

After winding through the underbelly of Grand Central, I finally made it to the main terminal. It was one of my favorite places in New York City and always a hub of activity. Stopping in the center of the expansive open terminal, I looked up to see the twinkling lights overhead. As I turned my head slightly, I caught a glimpse of Puffy-coat Girl. As I looked closer at her, I realized she was Addison, MY Addison!

No fucking way! Quickly turning, I tried to figure out what to do next.

Should I go and talk to her? Walk up and say "hi"?

Wait! A funny thought crossed my mind. Could she be following me? What could she be doing here standing a mere three feet away from me? She was on the same car of the train with me and had that silly newspaper practically plastered to her face. I had to know if my suspicions were correct or if it was just wishful thinking.

I proceeded to the street-level exit. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her wrapped in that monstrous, silver coat walking closely behind me with her head angled toward the ground. Damn, she was following me. My palms started to perspire and I tried to think of a quick plan. It had to include an element of surprise. I wanted to catch her off guard and needed to play it just right.

Originally, I'd planned on taking a cab to Herald Square to do a little shopping at Macy's. However, taking a cab would've separated me from my hot little shadow. I laughed thinking that maybe, just maybe, I had read all those "stay away from me, you're not my type" signals incorrectly. Perhaps she felt the same as I did, a strange and compelling attraction, a need to be near, desperate to touch. I hoped she felt a portion of what I'd experienced in regard to her since we'd met.

I kept walking toward the glass revolving doors that led to Fifth Avenue. As I reached them, I slowed my gait to a snail's pace. Leisurely, I pushed the glass forward and the suction from the movement made a whistling sound. Once again, I spotted my sweet stalker just paces away.

She was hot on my trail and we proceeded south at a fast clip toward 34th Street. The Lord & Taylor building appeared on the right after we crossed over a couple of streets. Turning my head to watch for oncoming cars as I crossed, I kept close tabs on Addison's position behind me. At the last crosswalk, she barely made it to the other side before a reckless cab driver nearly plowed her down. Fucking cabbie. I nearly blew my cover as I fought the urge to run to her aid. Instead, I discreetly watched her dash to safety.

I steeled myself and trekked on, taking a deep breath trying to relax as I'd become pretty geared up. I thought about stopping at Lord & Taylor's to work my magic and turn the tables on her, but the crowds were too thin for my liking. My covert operation required wall-to-wall gawkers. Only a large, stagnant cluster of people would guarantee my plans success.

My toes started to tingle as I carefully scooted across 5th Avenue and walked down 34th to the Holy Grail of Christmas crowds, Herald Square. Just before we were in front of Macy's, I pulled my black stocking cap out of my coat pocket with one hand, tilted my head to the side, and glanced at Addison. Just as I'd thought, she was catching flies with her mouth agape, face tipped seven stories up to the top of the store's roof. She was completely overpowered by the lavish display of commercialism. Macy's has a way of putting unsuspecting window shoppers into a holiday trance of some kind.

I pulled my stocking cap out of my pocket and put it on. While she was lost in the red and green haze, I darted and squatted down next to a magazine kiosk near the kick-off window. It was where Macy's preferred its herd of onlookers to begin their "ooh and ahh" finger-pointing parade.

With my crazy hair tucked away, I crouched down out of Addison's sight. The attendant at the kiosk was beginning to wonder what the fuck I was up to. He probably thought I was preparing to steal the December copy of Cosmo that my hand was pressed against. Smiling until my frozen face hurt, I looked up at the attendant from my peculiar position.

"Hey, man. I'm trying to hide from that beautiful white-haired woman over there. She's the one in the silver puffy coat." I nodded my head in Addison's direction. The man acknowledged Addison with a wiggle of his eyebrows and grinned in a knowing way.

"Yes, man, she's hot as hell. And I'm trying to surprise her. Early holiday present and all," I lied, partially. The man brushed his hand across the thin air signaling that my plan had passed muster.

Addison moved closer to the windows, still scanning through the crowd for me. She must've realized that she'd lost my "scent" because I observed a forlorn expression upon her beautiful face. It pained me and thrilled me at the same time. She wanted me. Her exasperated appearance gave her away. It was more than a game as she appeared to be on the verge of desperation.

After walking and circling the area on her tip-toes, she stopped dead in her tracks and dropped her head toward the ground in a sign of defeat. But I'll be damned if those windows didn't draw her like a magnet. It's fucking impossible to stand in Herald Square and ignore them.

Cautiously, I rose from my squatted position. I held my head low and moved toward her as she stood frozen in front of a window.

Relief set in. My plan had worked. Gingerly, I walked up behind her excusing myself as I gently sliced my way through the horde.

Almost there. Her white hair was shining in the sun like a beacon. My heart raced.

Ten feet away.

I mumbled a few, "Excuse and pardon me's."

Bull's eye.

Adrenaline was running through my body. The anticipation had revved me up.

She was completely absorbed while reading the words displayed on the window. A Cheshire Cat smile slid across my face as I secretly watched her. God, she was adorable, almost childlike as she stared in awe at the magical montage. My eyes were fixed on her face as I waited and hoped that our eyes would lock together in the window's reflection.

I quickly discarded my hat, shoving it into my pocket. I tried to fix my hair as I gazed at Addison's petite frame. Out of nowhere, a man holding a large 90's style camcorder bumped into me, which made me more than bump into Addison. Her eyes traveled toward mine in the reflection of the window. She probably wondered who the ass was that had just collided with her so rudely.

"Hi there, baby," I thought.

I knew the second she saw me. A wave of recognition appeared on her face then a look of disbelief soon followed.

Quickly, I grabbed her upper arms. I needed contact and a simple reassurance that all was well. Leaning toward her right ear, I whispered softly, "Addison, turn around."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: And now we have Zed's flashback memory of their meeting! One more chapter to go!