The next morning we went to the Empire State Building. It wasn't my first time but it always fascinated me how the cars looked like little toys from up here. And the people looked about the size of my thumbnail. I giggled at the thought. I also witnessed a meeting. Someone finally meeting after a long time. Tears were shed. And it wasn't just theirs. I looked over the edge.
"True story." Joe started. "60 years or so ago a group of scientist brought back an amazing discovery. It was a large wild creature. The scientist tried to study it but the creature fell in love. To protect their love he captured her and brought her up here. He died shortly after from falling from this spot."
I laughed loudly.
"Please do not tell me you just repeated the plot of King Kong." I shook my head. Joe nodded his head.
"True story."
I laughed again.
"Actually there is something I do have to tell you." He spoke seriously.
"I mean it's good and bad."
I stared at him curiously.
"Ummm the good news is that Twisted was funded." He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. I beamed and hugged him.
"That's great. Congrats!"
"Yeah yeah it is cool, but the bad news is that means I have to go back to Chicago."
I looked down at the floor.
Right.
"Oh, yeah. No you know what you deserve this. I'm so happy for you." I peck him on the cheek. Joe grinned.
"Come on let's enjoy our vacation." I smiled. I turned to look down at the people from a different angle, but Joe snatched my wrist and kissed me. Perfectly. I wrapped my hands around his neck and had to stand on my tiptoes.
"You're the best." Joe almost whispered.
"Duh." I answered giving him a face.
He shook his as he laughed looking over the city together.
After the Empire State Building we went to Shake Shack again. On the way we passed a sign.
The Harry Potter Exhibition. Now at the Discovery Time Square.
I looked out the window in awe. I didn't know that it was in town. It came and went every so often.
"I think we just found tomorrows plans." I gasped. All Joe did was nod his mouth open.
I loved New York.
The next morning we left an hour before it opened. We got tickets luckily and went inside. It was beautiful. The props. The real props. Even though they said no touching you can bet Joe and I touched stuff anyway. I got to touch the four poster bed and a nip of the invisibility cloak. Joe touched the elder wand. I practically sniffed the twins' robes as well as Luna's. I think we both cried a little bit. This place was perfect. I just wanted to hide and be here forever. Hermione's Yule Ball dress looked even more fabulous in person.
"Emma Watson touched that." I whispered to Joe in awe.
"We should touch it." He whispered back. It was too risky, this part had too many guards. I nudged Joe so he noticed. So we just stared.
"I asked my mom if I could get a replica as my prom dress." I said aloud.
"She said no?" Joe replied.
"We didn't have 300.00." I answered and Joe nodded.
"I wore a Hufflepuff inspired dress instead." I laughed.
"We're such nerds." Joe laughed back.
At the gift shop I got a simple Hufflepuff T-shirt. Joe got a black Hogwarts pullover. The day was perfect. We wandered around Time square for the rest of the afternoon. We got back at the apartment just in time for dinner. If we knew what we wanted for dinner.
"I wanna take you somewhere nice." Joe stated as he hung upside down off the bed. All of a sudden a restaurant came to mind.
"Have you ever had Korean barbecue? " I smirked.
Joe sat up.
"No,"
My smirk just grew. "Well then you are in for a treat. I know just the place."
"Really where?"
"It's called Kang Sah. It's this amazing Korean barbecue place where you order meat and they cook it in front of you and you get all these complementary sides that are to die for."
Joe looked like he was getting excited.
"Let's go!" He exclaimed and we darted out the door.
The restaurant wasn't that far so we walked. Or skipped. Well we did a little of both. I walked into the restaurant with ease. I've eaten Korean barbecue as if I came every week even though I've hadn't had it a while. I loved the food more than American food. Sometimes more than Shake Shack and that was a big deal.
"Two." I smiled at the hostess and she walked us over to a table near a window on the second floor. Someone else poured us glasses of water. I told the waitress that water was fine for me and Joe. I searched the menu, refreshing my mind of the food orders. I look up to see confused Joe flipping back and forth between the pages. The waitress came back for our order. Before Joe could speak about not being ready I intercepted.
"Hi, yes we would like one order of Bulkoki and one Kalbi. Also one order of Mandee Gui." I smiled. The waitress nodded also with a smile and took our menus. Joe stared at me wide eyed.
"What the hell did you just order?"
I shrugged with a smirk.
"Grilled boneless short ribs, a beef rib eye sort of meat and steamed dumplings!" Joe shook his head grinning.
"Your the boss I guess. Next you'll be telling me you speak the language."
"Annyeong haseyo." I smiled. Joe threw his hrs back in shock. I laughed out loud.
"Don't worry I just said hello how are you. And that's all I know." I reassured him. A moment later our sides came. Dishes filled with kimchi; sweet black beans I didn't know the name of but adored; bean sprouts, stir fried anchovy; steamed egg casserole, a seaweed salad, and stir fried glass noodles or japchae. I rub my hands together in excitement. While we both dug into the sides a man came over and heated the grill in the middle of our table. Soon the meat came over as well as the cloves of garlic to cook it on as well as white rice. When that was finished we wrapped the meat in lettuce with rice or right off the grill. It was filling but I couldn't stop. I ate until at least all the meat was gone. And the black beans I couldn't get enough of those. Joe didn't care for them so I ate the entire bowl. We paid the check, received our watermelon and walked back into the busy New York night.
"I'm not gonna lie, that was delicious." Joe patted his belly.
"I told you!" I shoved him. "I love that place!"
"I honestly thought I would never eat a sardine when I can still see where the eyes were but they were good!" He exclaimed. I chuckled.
"Okay stop talking or I'll have to turn around and order more and I don't think my body can take that."
"Agreed."
Now that we were happy with full stomachs we acted a little crazy. We were those weird people that you shouldn't stare at on the street yet you do a little bit anyway.
"Awwwwwww." I whined. "Tomorrow is our last day!" I sniffed. I looked for a clock. I saw one that read 11:45.
"We should go back to the hotel." I suggested.
"Or. We go swimming again." Joe also suggested. I smiled wide. We got back and decided to lay on the bed for just a second. We fell asleep almost instantly.
We woke up the next morning trapped in each other. My body sprawled completely across his stomach and my leg was crushing one of his arms. Joe's legs hung off the bottom of the bed almost slipping off. We were still in yesterday's clothes.
"That was weird." I pointed out as I untwisted myself and sat up.
"Yeah." Joe responded as he rubbed his eyes.
"Last day in New York." I said. I really couldn't believe it.
"We'll what are we waiting for let's go!"
I grinned. And after we had finished the essentials such as brushing our teeth and changing clothes we were out the door.
In the morning we went on a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty. The island was pretty nice just as a park itself and looking over from the torch was almost as magical as the Empire State Building. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around Central Park.
"I wanna climb the big rocks!" I exclaim as I watched the children climb this rock that must've been 20 feet tall. I rush over and pressed my foot against a lump and pushed up, Joe right behind me. We made it about 15 feet before I slipped
.
"Agh!" The pain from scrapping the rock shot through my knee and my palms. If ten year olds could finish climbing this rock than so will I! I lodge my foot in a small hole before grabbing a different price of the rock for support. Sweat rolled down cheek from my forehead. Finally I managed to get both of my arms over the top and kick myself over. It was a victory. A small but meaningful victory.
"Anna your knee is bleeding."
I sat up and stared at the red liquid dripping down my leg in confusion.
"What the hell!" I didn't know what to do. Panicky I rushed through my bag and managed to find a crumbled up tissue.
"Let me do it!" Joe demanded. Giving him a face and handed him the tissue. He dabbed it on my bleeding knee.
"It stingssss." I whined.
"Yeah well if you didn't slip you wouldn't be bleeding." Joe sassed.
"It's not my fault I slipped!" I whined again.
"Sh." He shushed. He just shushed me. I pouted until he was done.
"Better?" Joe asked.
It actually did oddly enough. The bleeding had stopped which was good. My knee was still dirty and it was hard to bend it too much but it wasn't as bad.
"Whatever." I grumbled, my arms crossed.
"It's going to leave a small scar, you cut pretty deep." A scar sounded awesome.
"Badass." I replied with a grin.
"Come on," Joe smiled helping me up."Let's go get some ice cream." I nodded as he helped me slightly limp over to the ice cream man.
That night we had to pack. I couldn't believe it was our last day in New York. I really started to remember my way around the place and now it was done. While packing, crushed in a corner was a bathing suit that I didn't get to use yet. It was a strapless green one with crazy patterns. I smirked to myself before turning to Joe
"Let's finish the vacation how it started," I held up the bathing suit. "Care for a swim?"
Joe smiled back and I headed to the bathroom while he changed in the room. I had to replace my band aid of my knee with a large waterproof one that room service brought up in the first aid kit. We were basically finished packing anyway.
We had a good habit of going to the pool here as late as possible. It was abandoned. I also guessed Wednesday was a slow day anyway. Joe threw me in. Full on picked me up and tossed me into the pool. I almost hit the bottom. Kicking fiercely with my one leg and a little with the other I made it to the surface before I ran out of air. Also just enough time to move before Joe jumped in and nearly landed on my head. I laid my back floating around in the water.
"I say that this vacation was overall successful." I concluded.
"No I hated it and I'm never going anywhere with you again." Joe replied sarcastically. I splashed him in the face.
"Wise ass."
He splashed me back only his was ten times larger.
"Jerk." I tell him when I rub the water from my eyes.
"I love you." He laughed as he dunked me under. I rose grasping his shoulders to pull him down but he didn't. I gave up after a minute.
"Your the worst." I pouted. Joe rolled his eyes.
"Shut up." He joked before he pressed his lips firmly against mine. He pulled me closer by wrapping both his arms around my waist. I almost forgot how much I loved this. But while he was off guard I successfully dunked him under the water.
Revenge.