Jane woke up the next morning to the sound of heavy traffic outside her hotel window. There were some things about the city of New York that she would never be able to get used to. She sat up in bed and immediately felt her head pounding. The mixture of too much alcohol and not enough sleep was coming back to bite her in the butt. She found a bottle of pain relievers in her purse and took a couple of them, hoping that her head would stop hurting before Luke's graduation later that day. Jane took a long shower and then got dressed in something very business-like and then fixed her hair and applied some light make-up. Without her being very consciously aware of it, Sam Carmichael had been on her mind since she woke up.

When Jane was done getting ready, she still had some time before she needed to meet the kids and leave the hotel, so she decided to go downstairs and get some breakfast. She found herself a table near the window and ordered some French toast and a grapefruit. She sipped some orange juice while she waited and decided to turn on her cell phone to see if she had any missed calls or messages. While rummaging through her large purse for her phone, Jane came across the business card that Sam had handed her the night before with his phone numbers on it. She stared at it for a second and smiled… she thought about texting him just to let him know she was thinking about him. Would that make her look too clingy or desperate? Oh, God… she felt like a child thinking about things like that. She turned on her phone and sent him a text message before she could talk herself out of it… she was just texting him so that he would have her number in his phone… in case he needed to call her… right?

"Good morning, Mr. Carmichael. I'm feeling rather hung over this morning… for some reason, I couldn't sleep last night. –Jane"

A waiter brought Jane her food and she began eating as she waited for a reply from Sam and responded to a few missed texts from her girlfriends back home. Jane suddenly heard and unexpected voice from behind her. "Morning, Janey. What's up?" It was Jake, of course.

She cringed slightly at him calling her that nickname, but greeted him with a smile despite that and the ill way she was currently feeling. "Good morning, Jake. How are you?"

He helped himself to the seat across from Jane, not asking if it was okay for him to sit there or if she was expecting anyone else. "Oh, I'm fine… despite our flight getting delayed yesterday and Pedro getting sick last night."

"Oh, poor Pedro. How is he doing this morning?" she asked, truly concerned.

"He's still got a fever and throwing up every hour or so. Agnes is probably going to have to stay with him today and miss the graduation," Jake explained.

"Oh, that's too bad," Jane said with just a hint of sarcasm.

Jake laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure you're just devastated."

Jane felt her phone buzz on the table which scared her a bit. She snatched her phone off of the table so that she could read what was hopefully a message from Sam. She opened it, smiling when she saw it was from him. "Good morning, gorgeous. I just got to the office. I didn't get much sleep either… there was too much on my mind. :) Hope we're still on for tonight. –Sam"

Jake shook his head when he saw Jane smiling like an idiot at her phone. "Is that a message from that Mr. Tall-dark-and-handsome that I saw you with last night?"

Jane's expression changed instantly and she jerked her head up from her phone to look Jake in the eye. "What are you talking about?"

Jake just looked at her knowingly. "Don't act dumb, Janey. I saw you with a guy last night. I came down to the bar with Agnes after Pedro fell asleep and as soon as I walked in, I saw you in a corner booth with some slime-ball. I walked to the back of the bar and grabbed a drink and when I turned around both of you were mysteriously gone. Who was that guy, Janey?"

Shit. She'd been spotted. And now she was mad at Jake for bringing it up. "As if that's any of your business… his name is Sam and I met him here last night."

Jake's mouth dropped opened. "You just met this guy last night? Where did you go with him after you left the bar?"

Jane rolled her eyes at Jake acting like he was her father or something. "I took him back up to my room."

"Jane Adler!" he scolded.

"I'm kidding, you ass. He took me to a little café a couple blocks away from the hotel. I asked him to because I knew if you saw us together, you would never leave us alone," she explained.

Jake cocked his head to the side. "You went on a date with someone you just met?"

"I wasn't a date!" She said defensively. "You know what, just stay out of it. It's none of your business what I do with my free time. You're not my father… or my husband, okay?"

"Hey, there's no need to get defensive, Janey. I'm just trying to look out for you… as the mother of my children," Jake retorted.

Jane took a calming breath. "Okay… but I really don't think I need you to look out for me, Jake. I'm a big girl – I can handle my own affairs. Did I try to look out for you when you started seeing Agnes?" Jane thought about her last statement and shook her head.

Jake laughed. "Anyway… I'm gonna go finish getting ready," he said as he rose from his seat across from Jane. "I'll see you soon."

"Okay… and don't you dare tell the kids about this, Jacob Adler. I'm serious."

After Jane was sure that Jake was gone, she took out her phone again to reply to Sam's earlier message. "We are definitely still on for tonight. Remind me to tell you about something that happened this morning. You won't believe it. Haha. –Jane "

As Jane was finishing her breakfast, she got a reply from Sam. "Alright… looking forward to it! Have fun at Luke's graduation. Try not to cry too much. Remember: it's not an ending, it's a beginning. :) –Sam"

Jane just smiled and put her phone back in her purse as she stood up from her table and walked out into the lobby of the hotel. She saw Lauren and Harley sitting together in the lobby. "Good morning, you two. Did you have fun at the party last night?" Jane asked.

Lauren smiled at her mother. "Yeah, we had loads of fun. We didn't get much sleep, though… we stayed up half the night."

Jane nodded. "I'm feeling a little tired too. If we can just make it through this day, we'll be alright. Are you two dressed and ready to go?"

Lauren shrugged. "Yeah, we're ready. We're just waiting on the rest of the gang now."

Jane nodded. "Well, I saw your father this morning and he says that Agnes and Pedro won't be joining us because Pedro is sick."

"Oh, that's too bad," Harley said.

Jane giggled. "Those were my exact words."

They were eventually joined by Gabby, Luke, and Jake. They hailed two separate taxis and arrived fairly early to the ceremony. Luke went to join his graduating class and get ready for the ceremony while the rest of the family went to find seats before they became scarce. The family was chatting amongst themselves when they heard the processional music begin to play. Jane's heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she saw her sweet baby boy walk out and take his seat. She and the rest of the family shouted and cheered when he walked across the stage to get his diploma and shake the hand of the president of the college. Jane sobbed like a baby when Luke looked over at his family with pride and smiled from ear to ear. The graduations of her children were some of the proudest and most memorable moments of her life. Jane shared a brief moment with Jake during the ceremony, both looking at each other lovingly because of the successful man that they had created and raised together.

When the graduation was over and the family had reunited with Luke, they made their way to a restaurant to have a meal together. When they were all eating, Gabby mentioned how nice it was to have a meal with just her siblings and her mother and father for once (plus her future brother-in-law) without Agnes and Pedro. That got Jake acting all sentimental, thanking Jane for raising the kids into such wonderful adults with barely any help from him – she just rolled her eyes at the sudden sign of appreciation after years of nothing from him. He even tried to hold Jane's hand at one point in the afternoon and she quickly rejected his touch and gave him a warning look before carrying on with her meal.

They all arrived back at the Park Regent Hotel around 5pm and all of Jane's children were excited to run up to their rooms and get changed and ready to go to a big graduation party at the apartment of Luke's best friend. Jane knew that she probably wouldn't see them again that day, and once Jake had gone up to his room to see Agnes, she was alone once again.

Sam was going to be meeting her in the hotel lobby in two hours, so Jane made use of her time by going to her hotel room and taking a shower before her night out. She wasn't very sure what she would be doing or where Sam would be taking her, so she just threw on a casual navy blue dress that somehow looked effortlessly elegant on her. Her hair was down, loose curls sitting on her shoulders. She felt good and she looked good.

Jane grabbed her purse and walked out into the hallway and to the elevator that was on her hall. When the elevator doors opened for Jane to get in, Jake Adler was standing inside with the usual smug grin plastered on his face. Why, of all the people in this damned hotel, did Jake have to be the one to be in that elevator?

Jake looked his ex-wife up and down. "Good evening, Ms. Adler. You look ravishing. May I inquire as to where you're headed?" he said, already knowing the answer to his own question.

Jane smiled at his compliment, but shook her head at his persistence. "No, you may not inquire as to where I'm headed because, to be quite frank, that's none of your business," she said as the elevator doors closed and they began their descent to the lobby.

Jake laughed. "Date with Mr. Handsome?"

Jane didn't reply, just pretended to ignore him, as she rummaged through her purse to check her phone. Jake knew he was right anyway, and didn't need any confirmation. When the elevator opened at the lobby, both of the Adlers stepped out and Jake went to the front desk to get whatever he came down for, and Jane took a seat to wait for Sam. Jake didn't bother trying to talk to Jane again, he just grinned smugly in her direction and then went back up to his room.

It was still early, not quite 7 o'clock yet, but Jane smiled widely when she saw Sam walk into the hotel just as early as she was. He was dressed nicely in a pair of black slacks and a crisp white shirt underneath a black blazer jacket. The top two buttons of his shirt were left opened and his tan, slightly hairy chest was partially visible. Jake had gotten the 'Mr. Handsome' part right – Sam was the epitome of handsome. Jane stood to greet him.

Sam immediately opened his arms wide to give Jane a hug. "Jane darling, you look amazing," he said as he ran his hands from her shoulders, down her arms, and to her own hands were he brought one of them up to meet his warm lips.

Jane was all smiles. "Thank you. You look rather dashing as well. I didn't know how to dress because I didn't know where you were going to be taking me tonight. Is this dress alright?" she asked, spinning around to model her dress.

"That dress is very alright," he said, taking in the sight of her. What a vision she was! "Tonight, we'll be dining at Asiate on Columbus Circle. I think you'll be very pleased, as long as you like Asian food."

"That sounds wonderful! Lead the way," Jane said. Sam held out his hand to her and she gladly accepted it.

Sam led Jane down the sidewalk. "The restaurant is in walking distance, so I don't think we should bother with a cab."

"That's perfectly fine – the weather is so nice tonight that it would be a pity not to enjoy it," Jane replied.

They walked with a leisurely pace, not in a hurry to get anywhere, and Sam talked about some of the buildings and places that they were passing along their way. He kept cracking jokes and at one point had Jane nearly doubled over in a fit of laughter.

When they reached the restaurant, which was on the sixth floor of a building that doubled as a hotel, the host greeted Sam warmly. "Mr. Carmichael, how are you this evening?"

"I'm doing very well, thank you. Would you make sure that my date and I get a table with a view, please?" he asked

The man smiled at Jane and then nodded to Sam. "Yes sir. We already have the best seat in the house reserved for you. Follow me, please." Sam and Jane, with their hands still interlocked and with Sam walking proudly because of the heads that the lovely woman that he was with was turning, followed the man to their table.

The table was beside a huge window which overlooked Columbus Circle and the lower part of Central Park. Jane was in awe of it all as Sam pulled out her seat for her and then sat across from her. She'd never seen the city like this before – most of her time in New York had been spent on the ground or in hotel rooms with views of other skyscrapers that were beside it. This place really made her look at the city in a new light.

"Sam, this is amazing. I've never seen anything like this in all my life. This city is full of little treasures, isn't it?" she said.

"I've lived here for the better part of my life and I still haven't seen everything that this city has to offer. It's so full of everything that even native New Yorkers can't take it all in. It's exciting, isn't it?" he said. Jane nodded at him. He had an idea. "Have you ever been to Central Park?"

Jane shrugged. "I walked through it quickly when I was here last time – I've never really had enough time to stop and enjoy it."

"Well then, that's where we'll go after we eat," he said matter-of-factly. Jane thought that sounded like a marvelous idea. They ordered a bottle of wine and after the waiter came and took their food order, Sam remembered something. "Oh, Jane… you told me earlier to remind you to tell me something."

Jane laughed. "Oh yes… this morning, I learned that we were spotted leaving the hotel last night. Jake apparently saw us together as soon as he walked into the bar, and he was going to come talk to us – like I expected that he would – but when he went to get a drink and then turned around, we were already gone." Jane thought the whole thing was extremely funny. She could only imagine what was going through Jake's mind last night.

Sam laughed. "Oh shit, are we in trouble?" he said sarcastically.

"I think we are… Jake tried to talk to me about it this morning and it was pitiful. He said he was just looking out for me, but I know he's probably just jealous," she said.

"Well, he has good reason to be jealous," Sam said matter-of-factly.

Jane was convinced that Sam tried his hardest to keep her blushing at all times. She wondered if she could make the charming and confident Mr. Carmichael blush. "Yeah, he asked me where we went after we left the bar."

"And what did you tell him?" he asked before taking a sip of his wine.

"I told him that I took you up to my room," Jane said with a smirk.

Sam nearly choked on his wine, not expecting that from her. "Ms. Adler, you filthy liar."

She laughed. "It's alright. I told him I was only joking."

All throughout dinner, Sam tried to figure out why on earth someone could leave a woman like Jane for someone else… especially after 20 years of marriage and 4 children. He was sure that if he had the chance to be with Jane, he would do anything in his power to keep her happy. To him, she looked like the ideal woman. He had yet to find any faults. Then again, he had only known her for two short days. Was it ridiculous to be thinking about his future with her when he barely knew her?

When they were finished eating, Sam paid the waiter and then led Jane out of the restaurant and once again into the streets of New York. Although it was getting late and the sky was getting dark, the city was still bustling and the lights coming from the cars, buildings, and streetlamps made everything visible. Jane grabbed Sam's hand and held it tight as they crossed the street to get to Central Park. The farther they walked into the heart of The Park, the quieter and more serene it got. It felt like they had walked into another world entirely.

Jane leaned into Sam's body and laid her head gently on his shoulder. "So, where are you taking me?"

"Someplace very lovely," he said with a smile. "It'll be a surprise."

"Oh, I like surprises."

They walked with leisure down the winding pathway that led to Sam's intended destination. They passed the ball fields and Sam told Jane a funny story about getting so involved in one of his son's baseball games that he nearly punched the referee. When the pair passed the Giuseppe Mazzini statue, Sam told the story of the time that he 'lost' his youngest son in the park and he searched high and low for him and eventually found him staring up at the statue in awe. Sam eventually led Jane through Wagner Cove and then through a narrow and wooded path.

Sam went behind Jane and placed his hands over her eyes before walking a bit more and then coming to a stop. "I already felt tipsy, and then you took away my ability to see. I can barely stand up!" She was giggling wildly at Sam, who was tickling her without realizing it.

Sam put his lips close to her ear and whispered, "Ready for your surprise?"

Jane's giggling stopped and she inhaled deeply at the feeling of Sam's hot breath on her flesh. "Totally ready," she replied. He dropped his hands from Jane's eyes and let his arms fall around her waist, holding her closely from behind. The most beautiful sight fell upon Jane's eyes. There was a magnificent fountain with an angel at the top of it in the middle of a large courtyard. The whole thing overlooked a large pond and the moonlight along with the trickling sound of the fountain and the sound of crickets making music in the background made the atmosphere seem very magical.

Jane gasped softly, at a loss for words. "Oh, Sam…"

"Jane, this is Bethesda Terrace. That's Bethesda Fountain. And that," he said, pointing to the water, "is The Lake. It's one of my favorite places in all of Central Park because even when there are tons of people around, it's incredibly peaceful and serene. The Lake always looks marvelous – especially when it's full of paddle boats and ducks."

"It's amazing, Sam. Truly. Such a lovely place. Thank you for sharing it with me," she spoke softly.

"I couldn't let you leave this city tomorrow without at least seeing this place first," he said into her ear. He dropped his arms from Jane's waist and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, Jane. Let's sit and talk." They walked over to the fountain and sat on the edge. Jane turned to Sam and placed both of her hands on his leg and he placed his hands on top of hers.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow, darling?" Sam asked her.

She tried to fake a slight smile. "Late in the evening… my flight leaves at 7."

He nodded. "Can I see you tomorrow? I'd really like to."

She smiled at his polite demeanor. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot. I'm having dinner with my children and then I'm going to the airport a while after. We could do breakfast or lunch? Or you could go to the airport with me… see me off?"

Sam thought for a moment. "How about all of the above?" he asked with a smile. "I know I'm being greedy with your time, but I'd like to spend as much time with you as possible before you fly across the country… back to your life."

"I'd rather spend my time with you anyway. All of the above sounds wonderful," she replied, nudging him with her elbow.

"Good. We'll make a day of it. I'll show you more of this wonderful city. You'll be in love with the city by tomorrow evening. This, I promise you," he said with conviction.

Jane giggled at the very thought of her falling in love with such a place. "We'll just have to see about that. As gorgeous as this city is, I'm really starting to miss my house on the hill… and my garden in the backyard… and the calm streets of Santa Barbara."

"That sounds like a challenge to me, Adler. Challenge accepted. You'll see."

Sam stood up slowly and extended his hand to Jane. "We have one more place to visit before I take you back."

She accepted his hand and stood up from her place on the edge of the fountain. "Okay, but we'd better hurry if we're going to make it back by curfew," she joked.

Sam threw his head back with a laugh. "Oh, God… is Jake going to be sitting in the lobby with a shotgun in his lap waiting for us?"

Jane cackled wildly at the thought. "God, I hope not!"

Sam took Jane back to the trail in the wooded area, but when he reached a fork in the path, he walked down the one opposite of the one that they walked in from. The trees cleared and a bridge that connected a narrow place in The Lake came into view.

"Is that Bow Bridge?" Jane asked like a child excited for a roller coaster.

Sam chuckled. "Indeed it is. You haven't seen it yet, have you?"

"No, I've never been on Bow Bridge, but I've seen it in films. It's iconic."

"It's even better in person. C'mon," he said, leading her to the very middle of the empty bridge.

Jane looked out over The Lake that was beneath the bridge and took in the bright city skyline that was in front of her. "Sam, this view is impeccable. It's sort of amazing how you can find such peace in a place that is literally surrounded by the hustle and bustle of New York. It's quite symbolic. Mesmerizing, too."

Jane reached into her bag and took out her cell phone. Sam raised an eyebrow. "I want to take a picture of this view so I can look at it after I get home and remember this night." She started taking pictures from different angles, trying to get the perfect photo.

Sam laughed at Jane and gently took her phone out of her hand. She looked over at him confused. "It'll be better if our faces are in the picture, you know?" he said, pressing the button in the corner of the screen that flipped the view to the front camera.

Sam turned around so that the view was behind him and he was leaning against the railing; Jane did the same. Sam draped his arm over her shoulder so they could get closer. Making sure that the skyline was in the background, he snapped a photo of both of them smiling widely. Then he made a funny face with his eyes crossed and his tongue sticking out and snapped a picture with Jane laughing beside him. And for one last photo, he turned to Jane who was still laughing and pressed his obnoxiously puckered lips to her porcelain cheek and snapped the photo.

Sam locked Jane's phone and handed it back to her with a smile. She looked into Sam's eyes longingly for a few moments. Sam Carmichael's eyes did something to her that she couldn't explain. She longed for more than just his lips on her face.

"Sam Carmichael, spending time with you is incredibly fun. I mean, I like you… I really like who and what you are," Jane said, not really knowing what she was saying, only knowing that the words felt right.

Sam placed his hand over Jane's cheek. The place where his lips had been a minute ago. She leaned into his touch slightly, maintaining deep eye contact. "I can only say the same about you, Jane. I've had more fun in these two short days that you know. Talking to you, laughing with you, sight-seeing… you're an amazing woman and I'm so glad that our paths crossed." Sam leaded forward slightly and let his hand fall from Jane's cheek to the side of her neck. His skin was so hot against Jane's. He looked away from her eyes to her flaring nostrils and then to her heaving chest. Despite how much she obviously wanted his lips smashed against hers, Sam leaned in ever so slowly and lightly rubbed the flesh of his lips against Jane's. He pulled away slightly to look at her face. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted, begging for more contact. Sam went for it. He pressed his plump lips to Jane's, adding more pressure this time, but still leaving the atmosphere light. His hand moved from the side of her neck to back of it and his other hand grasped the side of her body. He took a step toward her, closing the small gap between their bodies. Jane's hands found Sam's back. He was sucking softly on her lower lip and before he had the chance to deepen the kiss, a smile broke on Jane's face and she started giggling.

Sam smiled and pulled away to look at her. "What's so funny, beauty?"

"I really don't know… but that was wonderful," she said, talking about their kiss. "You make me feel a silly teenager or something. I haven't been able to act like this in years, Sam," she said shyly.

Sam grabbed her hand and started walking back the way they came. "Well I, for one, am proud of you."

"Oh Yeah?"

"Yeah. You're doing something because you want to. You're calling the shots and you're having a great time, right?" he asked, to which she nodded. "Then that's all that matters. This is good for you."

"I think so too," she said. She was done thinking about right and wrong when it came to her and Sam… she was having fun and enjoying his company and that's what was important.

Sam walked Jane all the way back to her hotel and like the day before, they stopped outside the doors of the lobby before they went their separate ways.

"So, I'll see you sometime early tomorrow for breakfast?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Just text or call a while before to make sure I'm up and ready," she said with a chuckle.

"Yes, ma'am," he said. Then, Sam looked into the window that was beside them, craning his neck and looking all over the place.

"What are you doing, you goofball?" she asked laughing.

He turned back to her. "I was making sure that no one was in the lobby."

"Why though?"

"Because I didn't want to risk your children or your ex-husband seeing me kiss you," he said with a smirk.

"Well, is the coast all clear?" Jane asked.

"Not a soul in sight."

"What are you waiting for then?" she asked, laughing as he pulled her closer to his body and pressed a searing kiss on her waiting lips. He pulled away slowly and then gave her a series of short, quick pecks.

Jane sighed happily and Sam gave her a hug. "Good night, gorgeous. Try to get some rest tonight. Tomorrow should be a lot of fun. If I'm going to get you to fall in love with this city, we have a lot of work to do."

Jane laughed and shook her head. "Good night, Sam. See you in the morning."

He placed one last kiss on her knuckles and watched her as she walked to the elevator. Their date had gone a little different than he had expected it to, but he was very thankful that it had. Jane was so intoxicating in every way. The thought of her leaving made him uneasy, but at least they had tomorrow.