The next year is a blur. It want by so fast from meeting Nic and starting college to our one year anniversary. Nic became my world, we did everything together.
The day after my birthday Nic came by with a dozen red roses. It was so exciting, those were to first flowers I had ever gotten from a man.
'They're beautiful, Thank you'
'You're beautiful he said.'He said, OK I thought he is still has some terrible one liners. But I could overlook that in this case.
We stayed home, ordered pizza and watched Ghostbusters. That was my introduction the my favorite movie of all time.
After the movie we talked for hours, it felt like we had known each other for years. Eventually, he leaned over and kissed me.
Then he asked 'Would you like to dance?' And we slow danced in the darkened room he leaned down and gave a toe-curling kiss, then he backed me against the wall, leaned into me, and kissed me again. His tongue touched mine, and I felt my fingers involuntarily curl into his shirt as heat rushed through my stomach and headed south. He broke from the kiss and looked down at me with a suggestion of a smile.
The next few weeks we blew through Halloween, oh we did the parties then the next hurdle were the big Holidays. You know the big Thanksgiving dilemma together or at whose parents. And then the next even bigger dilemma, Christmas.
Oddly neither of us suggested Thursday for one and Sunday for the other parents at Thanksgiving. Thinking about it, that might have been a slight heads up to rough waters ahead.
I didn't want him to come to my family. I knew there would be the embarrassing questions, like are you Italian. Of course that is very important to my dad.
And then what do your parents do meaning is it an acceptable background for my little girl, or what are your plans 'young man' OK the young man is probably wrong. The the follow-up is where do you see yourself in five years?
And then the possibly the most embarrassing one of all. 'Are you taking precautions' That is the tricky one, it's meant to check if we are having sex. And if you are either too young for children or more likely the hope of grandchildren. Honestly that might be more of a kitchen question.
At some point I would be dragged into the kitchen and asked Why are you dressed like that? Meaning either too skimpy or not dressed up enough. And then the question do you think you should eat pie today, you are getting a little plump. Are you pregnant, oh my god you are pregnant. Hard to tell what else the kitchen interrogation would bring.
Christmas would bring the same set of questions and they might think of more. I really didn't want that.
I'm still not sure of why he didn't want Holidays at his parents, that is a question for a different time.
New Years eve Mary-Lou and Lenny double dated to NY to watch the big ball drop. In Times Square
We were there at the start of the new year. There were performances from all over the world. Starting early in the morning are the year changed in every time zone. Pacific islands first, amazing things, like a thirty foot whale, we got to the square in the afternoon just in time to see an fifty foot elephant puppet as the new year passed through India, Pakistan and Afghanistan area. Then about seven as it passed Britain Scotland the bagpipes accompanied father time.
The square was more and more packed, we had to stay close so we didn't lose each other. I didn't mind too much on that, I kind of like being close to Nic.
At about eight Brazil came through with Carnival dancers.
I turned to Nic and asked 'Have you done that?'
'Yes a little when we still lived there.'
'We should go sometime, of course you have to teach me how to dance like that. I mean if you want to go.' I said.
The moment we had all been waiting for. The huge New Year's Eve ball descended at the stroke of midnight. Tons of confetti, literally three tons of confetti.
About five in the morning it passed through Hawaii, there were dance performances showing various Hawaiian dances.
Then finally six in the morning of 2001 father time came back, confetti everywhere and spotlights beam to the sky.
We all walked back to the hotel. We had adjoining suites at the Margaritaville Resort by Times Square. It was a five minute walk to the square.
The hotel was amazing in itself. The tiki bar gave a Caribbean vibe. Clouds ted on ceiling, parrots flying and a grass hut for the bar.
New Years day we crashed vegged in the room watching football, sleeping and other fun activities.
We stayed for the rest of the week. Nic insisted we had to go to Pele, the big soccer store. Mary-lou and I wanted the Hershey's Chocolate World, and M&M'S Store.
We all had a blast attempting to skate on 'The Rink' at Rockefeller center.
Lenny voted for the 'official NHL store. Lucky for me they had lot's of Rangers paraphernalia.
It was a extraordinary week it seemed like a window into another whole different world.
Then back to normal life. Winter break ended and classes started. We didn't have any classes together, which was good, lot less distraction.
Valentines day rolled around it brought a stunning plum colored orchid bouquet, and a gift. It was a small box from Jewelry Design Lab, I knew it was a custom design company. I held my breath and opened it, a beautiful amethyst necklace. Platinum intertwining with a row of amethyst dropping from a fine platinum chain. 'It's beautiful' I breathed, I held it to my neck and he fastened it and placed a soft kiss on the back of my neck.
We drove to the Catharine Lombardi restaurant, a cozy, elegant cherry wood grand piano, with linen napkins on cherry tables. Two fireplaces plus a cozy red interior and gourmet food Italian.
We ate, we stared into each other's eyes then He whispered 'Lets leave'
He had booked a room at the Hilton for privacy and a more romantic location that my dorm or his apartment.
I walked across to the window, looked out at the view, the moon shown reflecting on the river below.
Nic pulled me tight against him. His heat soaking into my back. He turned me in his arms and brought me toward the bed. Laying me back until he could lean over me. His weight pressed me into his soft mattress and I could feel my jeans inching down my hips. I pushed my hands under his shirt to feel his hard stomach and his body responded.
I felt his smile against my skin and the hand that had been resting on my stomach started a slow ascent up my bare torso until it cupped my right breast. I inhaled sharply when he rolled my swollen nipple between his thumb and forefinger. 'I want you' he said into my ear and then trailed his tongue around the outer ridge.
He moved his tongue from my ear and was blazing a determined path with it down my body, disengaging my ability to speak.
Before I could even register what happened, my shirt was off and I was pinned against the bed. I felt cool air on my chest as my bra hit the floor. Just as I had the thought that he was wearing way too many clothes as half of mine were already on the ground, he jerked away from me and ripped his shirt off his body.
I didn't even get a second to admire his naked chest before his tongue was doing things to my nipples that should probably be illegal. I couldn't stop the moan that escaped from my mouth and the sound must have triggered something inside him because the next thing I knew I was completely naked and he was kicking off his pants and pulling me further up up the bed.
We made love a few more times during the night, as morning approached my body felt the awesome exhaustion of a woman who had been perfectly made love to,
Exhausted and sweaty, I lie limp on his chest with my face pressed to his neck. The soothing touch of his fingers strumming gentle strokes along my back lulls me to sleep.
The next morning, we had to go back to our classes and on with ordinary life.
I now had another memory I would treasure. The perfect Valentines day.
Spring break was late March. We decided to spend it at home with family. We met up to to a Rangers hockey game. It was away at the Meadowlands for my team. New Jerseys Devils for Nic, Rangers for me. The Rangers got shutout 0-4. In my opinion that was a fluke, obviously the Rangers were better. However that seemed to be a matter of my opinion not his.
Summer, We hung out at point pleasant, when we weren't working. I was still doing part time work at the law office, while he filled in at construction sites. We went para-sailing together. I learned some of the Latin dances, For when we would go to Carnaval which was definitely in the future, sometime.
Nic and I are still going strong, it will be our one year anniversary this fall having met in the parking lot September 2000 when he stole my parking spot. That seems a long time ago now.. Mary-Lou and Lenny are more in love that ever, they plan to get married after college. For now I just want to finish school and have some fun.
Nic's brother Jack just got engaged. Jack is a financial analyst at SMW Trading Corp. he is a few years older but Nic and Jack are really close. I've gotten to know both of them well, the four of us have done a few things together in the past year. I love his fiancee, Natalie she's a is a producer at Channel 31 (WBIS) , they went to the same college but met in the elevator at work.
Natalie and I have gotten close I feel closer to here that my own sister. St. Valerie. It's hard to be really close when your sister is perfect and sadly I'm not
They are planning a Christmas wedding, she already asked me to be a bridesmaid and Nic a groomsman. Jack and Natalie have invited us to a private celebration. To celebrate their engagement and our one year anniversary. Natalie and I veto Saturday, we need it to prepare) in favor of Sunday. the 7th..
The plan is to met up in Newark and then share Uber. With the four of us that works better than fighting for parking there.
Our plan is an evening at Windows on the World , the view is unbelievable there. Looking out from the bar through the full length windows, I can see views of the southern tip of Manhattan, where the Hudson and East Rivers meet.
The food is out of the world, Natalie and I had Ceder Roasted Pacific Salmon, while Jack and Nic had Sliced Margret Duck Steak. Then we went to Broadway, to see the play Major Barbara, is was hilarious.
'Stay with me tonight' Nic said.
"Yes' I said.
We made slow gentle love full passion full reverence it seemed like we both knew it was love, like tonight was a special nitht full of promise.
'Maybe we will be like Jack and Natalie is a few years.' He said.
'I'm not ready yet, but maybe in a few years.' I said.
I now had another memory I would treasure. The perfect anniversary.
In my heart I felt a small twinge of fear. This is too good to be true. It seemed like was living a perfect dream. When will reality Strike?
All the events and dates are from the actual dates in the year this story is set.
The menu is from the dates this story is set.
The sports reference is accurate including the shut-out referance.
The one liner statement is from chapter one of this story.
