Chapter 5: New York, New York
This is a longer chapter (Over 4,000 words), but I wanted to keep all the time in New York together. From this point on, the story takes the situation revealed in Series 7 into account, rather than the Series 4 timeline on which my 'Manhattan' story was based.
Cassie had the next day off, so the couple enjoyed the sights of Mid-town Manhattan while beginning to think about their future. Sid was presented with another dilemma. This time it wasn't so painful as his previous one. Cassie felt she wasn't ready to return to Bristol, and Sid did not want to leave her. They decided to spend a couple of weeks in New York, then try to explore the country. They started their planning of the first week by buying a couple of tickets to Thursday's concert by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahler's third symphony. Lorin Maazel was to be the conductor. They spent their second night together in 'Sid's' apartment in Grand Street.
The diner was closed on Monday, and Cassie was on evening shifts for Tuesday and Wednesday, so once she finished her double shift on Sunday, they had the best part of three days to explore the delights of Manhattan. As they had decided to explore the USA until such time as Cassie was ready to return to Bristol, she gave the restaurant owner two weeks' notice that she was leaving. Sid, meanwhile had researched what could be visited in New York during the next couple of days. He found out about the 'New York Pass', which, once it was paid for, would allow free access to most of the city's attractions. He arranged to buy a pair of two day passes for the Tuesday and Wednesday of the week. He would collect them in person on Tuesday.
Monday was the most serious day of their stay in the Big Apple. They were to visit Lower Manhattan and experience the Staten Island ferry first thing in the morning. This was because they had both seen the film 'Working Girl' on television, and wanted to experience that ferry crossing. As a result, they couldn't get 'Let the River Run' out of their heads for most of the rest of the day. After spending a little time in Battery Park contemplating the World Trade Center globe, they took the ferry to Liberty and Ellis Islands. Their happy and idealistic mood, which had been generated by 'Let the River Run' was dissolved in the afternoon by a visit to the temporary nine-eleven memorial. Several years earlier, Cassie was thought to be very odd when she described the pictures of airliners crashing into the twin towers as 'beautiful'. Now she was in the place where it had happened with a person she loved, and who loved her, the enormity of the outrage struck home. She broke down in tears. Sid showed her a new side of his personality by being able to console her. After this rather harrowing experience, they had a McDonalds meal, then went to see the film 'High School Musical Three' at a local cinema. This did have the desired effect of dispersing the dark mood which had enveloped both of them following their visit to the World Trade Center site. Feeling more cheerful, they slept together once again in the Grand Street apartment.
The next day they had planned a visit to the USS Intrepid, a Second World War aircraft carrier. Cassie had visited it earlier in her time in New York, and felt that Sid would enjoy it if ever he came to look for her. This morning, before going to Mid-Town Manhattan, they had a substantial American breakfast at a pancake house that Sid had discovered called the 'Landmark Omlette and Pancake House'. On their way from the collection point for the New York passes to the carrier, they were diverted by the cruise right round the island offered by Circle Line Cruises. The Intrepid would have to wait until the afternoon. The cruise went anti-clockwise around the island, so the first tourist site they passed was Liberty Island and its statue. Sid mentioned that this might be the last time they would see the Statue of Liberty before leaving New York. They passed under the three great bridges over the East River, linking Manhattan with Brooklyn, and passed the United Nations building before heading North towards the Bronx. Sailing around the North tip of the island, they eventually reached the Hudson River. As they returned to the pier, their boat passed the stern of the aircraft carrier not long before they docked. They walked back to the Intrepid.
The carrier didn't disappoint. Sid was excited by the various aircraft on the flight deck. They kissed each other passionately under the wing of a Tomcat fighter-bomber, before going down to the hangar deck. In the hangar deck, there was a pair of models, one of the Intrepid, the other depicting the flight deck of a Nimitz class carrier. Sid found both the Tomcat and this interesting as he had seen both 'The Final Countdown' and 'Top Gun'. Cassie was happy that she had found something to Sid's liking in New York. After visiting the aircraft carrier, they had a look round the Concorde airliner. Cassie mentioned the wish she'd had on the previous occasion she'd been there, that she would have liked it to fly her back to Sid. Now that he was with her, she was less inclined to go back to Bristol. Following their inspection of the Concorde, they briefly visited the USS Drum, a submarine, before leaving the pier feeling hungry. They hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. They had a meal at the 'Olympic' diner, which was quite near Cassie's place of work, as she was on an evening shift. They spent the night in Adam's apartment as that was more convenient for their proposed visits the next day.
The Wednesday was more 'cultural'. They breakfasted in the Olympic diner they had visited the previous afternoon, before heading uptown to the Metropolitan Art Museum on one side of Central Park. After spending about three hours there, they strolled across to the Guggenheim Museum and looked round that. In the early afternoon, they wandered across Central Park to the Lincoln Center.
They joined the 2:30 pm tour of the Center, and were spellbound to hear Lorin Maazel rehearsing the finale of the symphony they were to hear on Thursday evening. So much so, in fact, that they embraced and kissed passionately when they left the Avery Fisher Hall. The guide commented that the music had had the desired effect on at least two of the visitors, as that movement was called 'What love tells me'. Once they had completed the tour of the Lincoln Center, they went to the 'Top of the Rock' viewing gallery at the Rockefeller Center before visiting a sandwich bar in the same complex for a late afternoon tea. Once again, they slept in Adam's apartment as Cassie had a morning shift on Thursday.
On Thursday morning, Sid got up before Cassie and prepared breakfast in the apartment, muesli and buttered toast with coffee. Once they had fed, Cassie started her morning shift, and Sid set out towards the Grand Street apartment. He had 'borrowed' a ring from Cassie's dressing table and went uptown to shop for some respectable trousers and some replacement shoes. He also visited a jewellery store. He returned to the Diner at about half past three and ordered a coffee. At four o'clock Sid and Cassie went up to Adam's apartment, so that Cassie could get ready for the concert. On their way to the Lincoln Center, they visited Nyonya, the Malaysian restaurant and dined on Roti Canai and Char Kuey Touw. Washed down with long an and Rambutan drinks.
They arrived at the Avery Fisher Hall in time to find their seats, read the programme and relax before the lights went down and the concert began. As Sid observed Cassie's face during the performance, he knew he had done the right thing by bringing her. Her facial expressions changed with the music, sometimes sad and sometimes carrying a radiant smile. At one particularly poignant moment during the third movement of this very long symphony, she produced a tissue and wiped away a tear. Her expression soon changed however with the joyous ending of the movement. For the couple, the finale proved very romantic. Sid's arm was across Cassie's shoulders, with his hand gently caressing her bare arm, and his other hand was holding one of hers. Very near the end, they went into a full embrace, only separating to applaud at the very end. Although Mahler's third is the longest symphony in the orchestral repertoire, the time seemed to have passed quite quickly.
They reached the Grand Street apartment after the concert still in a state of amorous elation. Cassie had lived the music from the first bar to the last, and experienced it with the one person she totally loved. She was now ready for him to do anything. Sid was also fired up with love for the sweet girl in his apartment. After they had enjoyed their late-night coffee, he gently relieved her of her dress. He found this task both enjoyable and exciting, relishing each new area of skin being revealed. It wasn't long before both Sid and Cassie were naked. They made love to each other with a newly intense passion. This was the best sexual experience either of them had ever enjoyed.
On Friday morning, Sid went shopping with Cassie after they had breakfasted in the Landmark Omelette and Pancake House. Unusually, he actually enjoyed it. When she went into a shop, Cassie nearly always knew exactly what she wanted and, unlike Jal, didn't change her mind half way through a purchase. Sid also bought a few items, so the expedition took a couple of hours longer than expected. They still had a little time left before Cassie's shift, so they had a late snack lunch at the Landmark, and went Battery Park to have a heart to heart talk about their intensifying relationship. When they returned to the apartment, Cassie decided to do some packing before she started work. Sid asked her not to pack her gold dress just yet, as he was thinking of taking her to a show on Saturday night. She said she had something just as pretty for that evening. While Cassie worked her evening shift, Sid went uptown and bought two discounted tickets to 'Mamma Mia'. The couple enjoyed another restful night in each other's arms. It was to be Cassie's last night in Adam's apartment. She would spend the rest of her New York stay in the Grand Street one.
Saturday dawned bright and clear and Cassie got ready for her Saturday morning shift. There was still some time, so Sid treated her to Breakfast at the Olympic diner. He took the case carrying most of Cassie's things with him to the Grand Street apartment, so that they would not have to take anything away in the afternoon. When she had finished her shift, Cassie changed into what she was to wear for the evening, and put her uniform in her shoulder bag. She came back from the bedroom wearing a bright red one shoulder top, a white pleated skirt and a large red flower in her hair. Just as they were embracing and having a last kiss in the apartment, footsteps could be heard on the stairs. Adam entered. Cassie introduced him to Sid.
"So, you're the Sid she was calling out for in her sleep." said Adam, "Whatever she was running away from, it certainly wasn't you."
Sid thanked Adam for looking after Cassie while she was in New York and making sure she was safe. Cassie lamented the fact that had disappeared with no warning. He explained that his family problems in Iowa took a bit longer to sort out than he had expected.
On the way to the theatre, they were to have an early dinner in Nyonya. Since he had come back, Sid invited him along as a token of thanks for what he had done for his sweet Cassie. Adam found the food unfamiliar, but delicious and asked Sid how he had discovered the restaurant. Sid explained that he wanted a curry, bunt that there didn't seem to be any Indian restaurants near here. He said that he had asked Grant Clifford about this, and was directed to Nyonya. He was now a fan of Malaysian food, particularly Roti Canai. As they were leaving, Adam asked Sid How much longer he was intending to stay in New York. On learning that he was to be there for another week, he gave directions to a part of the city where there were several Indian diners.
"You'll find a whole cluster of them on Lexington Avenue between twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth streets." said Adam, "The area is called 'Curry Hill'. Let me know if you're going to try one. I'd like to come."
"We will." said Sid, "But we'll have to fit it in with Cassie's shifts."
"And mine." said Adam, "I'll be working again next week."
By this time, they had reached the Subway station and it was time for Adam to return to the diner, while Sid and Cassie went up to the theatre in Times Square to see the show.
They reached the theatre and took their seats. Sid sat on Cassie's left. The show started.
For the next two hours, the smile rarely left Cassie's face. Again, as at the concert, she was living the music. Sid could sense her sheer joy. They particularly enjoyed 'S O S', 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' and, of course, 'Mamma Mia!'.
He caressed her shoulder and cuddled her during some of the sadder songs. She seemed to be about to shed a tear during 'When All is Said and Done'. Sid kissed her cheek and restored her radiant smile.
When 'I Have a Dream' ended the main part of the show, Sid embraced Cassie and held her right through the song.
The show ended with 'Waterloo' and 'Thank You for the Music'. Sid and Cassie clapped along with the rest of the audience.
As they left the theatre, Sid asked: "Did you like that?"
"It was so lovely." said Cassie, putting on her black cardigan. "As you said, it's not my usual kind of music, but I can't remember feeling so happy for so long while watching a show. It would certainly have lifted the depression we both felt on Monday."
"I'm glad you liked it so much." said Sid. "I'd heard a lot about it. I took the opportunity to see it while we're here. Liking Abba is not quite so uncool as it was a few years ago."
"Thank you so much for taking me." said Cassie. "It was a perfect end to our first week together in New York."
"It hasn't ended yet." said Sid. "We've still got tomorrow, then we've got another week here before we decide where to go first."
Sid and Cassie returned to the Grand Street apartment. They walked arm in arm along Grand Street from the subway station, stopping at intervals to embrace each other and exchange kisses.
They arrived at the apartment and left their shoes inside the door. Cassie took off her cardigan and settled on the couch, while Sid made two mugs of hot chocolate. He sat on Cassie's left. Cassie remind Sid that he had commented that she looked amazing without her gold dress. She then promised him a surprise. She got up, went into the bedroom, and came back about a minute later, totally naked. She gave a twirl and sat back down next to Sid.
"Did you like that?" asked Cassie.
"Yes, I loved it," said Sid, "But I'm the one who usually undresses you."
"That top was quite tight," said Cassie, "So I didn't want you to damage it when you removed it. Anyway, you're a bit overdressed at the moment, so let's do something about that."
With this, Cassie removed Sid's shirt and unfastened his trousers. Then she embraced him. The couple, once again, made love before going to sleep.
Cassie was not working on Sunday, as she would be required to help cater for a special party who had hired the diner for a special private lunch on Monday. After once again enjoying a Landmark breakfast, Sid took Cassie up to Central Park, and they found a seat near where Cassie had seen Sid without realising who he was on his first Monday in the city. They made use of the afternoon to have an extended heart-to-heart conversation about many subjects including their feelings for each other and the possibility of their eventual return to Bristol. Cassie, once again, said she wasn't yet ready to think about returning home, as the trauma of Chris's sudden death was still too fresh in her mind. They also had some thoughts about what they were going to do when Cassie had worked out her notice. Cassie said she would be seeing Adam on Monday, as he would almost certainly be asked to help with the private party. One thing Sid did not want was to spend a Winter in the Big Apple. It would be too cold. By the time they had strolled back to the apartment, they had decided in principle to go South, probably to Florida after they left the city.
They had not had any lunch, but their breakfast had been both large and late. However, they were both beginning to feel hungry. They ended their first week together in New York with another tasty Malaysian meal at Nyonya. Afterwards they spent the evening at a local bar enjoying drinks and snacks.
On the Monday, Cassie met Adam, and gleaned a great deal of information about how to go about getting short term, cash in hand work in the USA. She also found out about his shifts during the coming week, as she felt that it would be a good idea to discuss this with Sid over their proposed Indian dinner. The best evening for this would appear to be Wednesday.
While Cassie was on her special Monday lunchtime shift, Sid wasn't idle. He was also collecting information about transport within the country. He found out as much as he possibly could about the Greyhound and Trailways bus networks, as this would be their most likely form of transportation once they started travelling.
Both Adam and Cassie had double shifts on Tuesday, so Sid had time to make some financial arrangements with his mother, as he would now be spending an indefinite amount of time in the USA. He had to explain that Cassie did not feel ready to return to Bristol, so he was going to stay with her and, hopefully, travel home with her before too long. It was obvious to Liz from the sound of his voice, that Sid's love for his Cassie was genuine, and that he would do anything for her. He could now start to make use of his credit card as Liz said she would settle the accounts within reason. Clearly, he did not yet know quite how he was going to make ends meet once the couple left the big apple, but since Cassie had found paid work, he felt that he would probably find something to keep the wolf from their temporary, and moveable, door. At the end of the day, Sid went to the Alias Restaurant for his late-night coffee, before walking back to the Grand Street apartment with Cassie. Before he left the diner, he confirmed arrangements for their Indian meal the next evening with Adam. For his part, Adam said he would guide them to what he thought was the best restaurant.
On Wednesday morning, after walking with Cassie to her diner, Sid returned to the Grand Street apartment and worked out how to use Greyhound buses to get to Orlando. This, he surmised would be a suitable starting point for both visits and possible short-term employment in that state, as it was popular with tourists all year round.
In the afternoon, Sid returned to the diner to meet Adam and Cassie. When he got there, they all felt it was a little early for the evening dinner, so they went back to Sid's Grand Street apartment, so Cassie could change out of her uniform and put on something more casual. They found a local café, where they could start discussing Sid and Cassie's plans for their travel round the USA. Adam agreed that Orlando was a good starting point for Florida as he had already worked casually there the previous winter. He gave the couple a considerable amount of advice on how to go about getting work and getting around, based on his own experience. Regarding hitchhiking, he informed them about the best kinds of places to try for a lift to their next destination. By the time they had spent a couple of hours and each had a couple of coffees, it was time to go to 'Curry Hill'. On Adam's advice they went to Canal Street subway station and caught a train direct to Twenty-eighth Street.
They entered the Dhaba Indian restaurant and were shown to a table. Plenty were available as it was still comparatively early in the evening. Adam explained that this particular diner not only had the selection of Indian dishes that the Americans usually preferred, but also had an 'English' section on its menu which had the curries normally available in a British carry house, such as Madras, Bhuna, Vindaloo etc. They spent some time exploring the menu before deciding on samosas as appetisers. They also decided to have two vegetable dishes and two lamb dishes for their mains. They had Lamb Rogan Josh and Lamb Dhansak. For their vegetable dishes, they had Jeera Chilli Aloo and a vegetable Do Piaza. Added to these were Peas Pulav and a couple of Naan breads.
Once they had finished their meal with a very sweet dessert, they quietly strolled back to the subway station and returned to Canal Street. They spent the rest of the evening at a bar near Sid's Grand Street apartment drinking and discussing the route Sid and Cassie were proposing to take across the USA. Adam agreed that it was a good idea to spend several months in Florida as they would then avoid the rigours of an American Mid-West winter. He commented that it can be bitterly cold in Iowa in January, and Cassie didn't look like the kind of girl who would enjoy the cold. Adam also commented that it was probably a good thing to stay in one place for the first few months, especially if they found employment which had accommodation supplied with it. That way, they would maximise income and minimise expenses, thus building up a reserve of cash. He also said that Cassie could obtain restaurant work anywhere in the world. She was so good, and her bright, outgoing personality was contagious. She would probably have to be the breadwinner for the first part of the journey. Sid would probably have to think about what he could do to earn a few dollars. That was something to ponder while they were riding the Greyhound bus to Orlando.
Their last three days in New York passed very quickly, too quickly for Sid. All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to both Adam and Grant Clifford and vacate the apartment. They had one last Malaysian meal in Nyonya before starting the long bus ride South.