New York, a city so great they named it twice.

They were at a mixology class at a bar in Midtown. Katherine was writing a column about fun group things to do around the city and had scored them an invitation.

"Hey, chin up. You've been looking rather sour lately and frown lines don't go well with your facial structure." Matt said, pointing in the general area of her puckered forehead.

"Thank you." Bonnie groaned, rolled her eyes and focused on the bartenders teaching them how to make cocktails.

"I don't know why you're so upset; I mean this is your chance to have the apartment all to yourself. You don't really have to share it with anybody."

"Except for the part where I have to pay a shitload of rent I cant afford. Lets face it I need a roommate." her eyes left the barmen and she tossed Matt a quick smile.

"Hey, do you wanna move in with me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at her friend.

"Now why would I want to give up my fabulous place to leave in that shithole you call an apartment?"

"Hey, I know someone who's looking for an apartment." Katherine chimed in, raising her glass and licking the salt from the rim.

"You do?"

She pulled from her straw and said, "Yeah, she works upstairs at Esther, art department."

"Well, that sounds….good." Bonnie gave her an uncertain little nod.

"Yeah, I'll set up a meet and drink."

"And by drink I take it you mean coffee."

"Why the hell would you want to meet a possible roommate over coffee?"

"Because it's an interview, you know like a job interview. I have to know this person to the core." She emphasized her point by jabbing the air with her index finger.

"Do we ever really know anybody to the core?"

She ignored Matt and continued to give Kat the third degree.

"Like is she gainfully employed?"

"I just told you she works at Esther."

"Ok, so she's employed. Check. Is she a close-talker?"

"That would be no."

"Does she have a boyfriend and if so can they keep their sucky romance outside of the apartment?"

"Don't know but will check."

"Is she clean and organized?"

Kat and Matt exchanged a look as Kat remarked, "You use your floor as your closet."

"It's a perfectly good floor and I do clean on weekends-when I have the time between drinking and hanging out with you assholes." Bonnie explained waving the statement away.

"How is her credit score?" she went right back to grilling the brunette.

"How is your credit score?"

"Bon's famous for her financial acumen." Matt rolled his eyes and slurped loudly from his straw.

"I like to spend money on things that make me feel better about my life, you know like shoes, bags, make-up, alcohol and bon-bons."

"We all know cocktails make everything ridiculously funny and bearable. I'll send you her number and you'll invite her for a round of cocktails."

"Fine." Bonnie muttered, resigned to spend at least an hour of her life drinking fruity cocktails with this new possible roommate.

..

Later, after class with her friends, she had the bright idea to swing by the vegan bar to see Mason. She stumbled out of the bar and straight into a cab, giving out the address to the driver. Rooting around her bag, she pulled out a tube of lipstick and applied a fresh mauve coat.

Finally satisfied with her appearance, she leaned her head back against the bench of the cab and rode the sweet high of alcohol. She must have dozed off beacause the heavily accented voice of the driver jolted her from her sleep.

She looked around blinking owlishly at her surroundings then fished out a few bills from her purse, slipping them to the driver through the partition. She clumsily opened the door and nearly toppled head first onto the pavement before regaining her footing. When she entered the bar she was immediately transported to Havana.

Spotting Mason behind the Tiki bar, she raised her hand and waved.

"How was your girly night?" he asked as soon as she was within ear shot.

"Girl's night" she quickly corrected him, slapping her purse on the bar.

Chucking, he shook his head and said "Right. Girl's night."

"It was fabulously fantastic." She leaned over, resting her elbows on the bar," You should know that I can now make a mean White Russian. You take a bit of vodka, some kahlua, cream and mix in a shaker."

"Well if you're ever in need of a job…" he smiled, gesturing around the bar. It wasn't as crowded as opening night but there was still a descent crowd.

"Would that make me your booth bitch?"

"I don't know what that is but it sounds very sexy."

She tapped her knuckles on the bar and gave him her biggest smile, "Come have a shot with me."

"I'm on the clock." Mason shrugged as if to say too bad as he came round to her side of the bar.

"Fuck the clock."

He patted her knee, "Let's go to my office?"

She followed him thorough a small kitchen, past the cooks and busboys clearing for the evening. The office, she discovered was at the back of the kitchen as he shouldered open a door and ushered her in. It was a small cramped space with a desk swamped with papers, books and a coffee mug with cold coffee. Mason took a seat behind the desk and sifted through a pile of receipts as he spoke to her.

"So this is your office?" she stood in front of his desk, gaze flying over the contents.

"Yes. This is where the magic happens."

They both laughed lightly.

"And now that you have me here what are you gonna do to me?" she teased, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He leaned back and studied her and she could feel the heat of his gaze undressing her. An unexpected shiver skittered across her skin leaving a bloom of goose bumps in its wake.

"Shh...I'm having a moment." He explored her body with his eyes before resting them on her face and locking his gaze with hers. This was certainly a surprising side to Mason, she mused. She hadn't quite expected him to be so bold and sensual. And just as she was about to perch her behind on his desk, he pushed up from his chair, came round to her and took her hand.

"To be continued." He murmured against her ear and led her out of the bar. When her hand slipped into his it felt seamless like it was the easiest thing she'd ever done. She was disappointed especially after sticking her neck out and making the first move but perhaps Mason was right. Was she moving too fast?

"I'm sorry." He said as if sensing her disappointment, "listen, I run a bar and it just opened. Right now I have to be here to oversee everything."

She nodded.

"I won't always be available for that movie or dinner or even drinks but I like you and I really wanna keep seeing you."

"Me too."

He tilted her chin up and kissed her before steering her into a taxi and closing her door.

..

"Mason is sweet and uncomplicated." Bonnie lowered her voice as her ankles twisted around a silky fabric.

"Look at you all wide-eyed for new dick!" Matt winked, expelling a deep breath.

They were suspended from the floor, hanging upside down with both feet placed in a hammock while they swung through the air in a backward motion. It was called Aerial yoga class but Bonnie felt like they were part of a trapeze act like a less sexy version of cirque du soleil. Her palms were slick with sweat and her shirt bore darkened rings around her armpits. She could feel the stretch in her spine and the bubbling nausea in her throat but pushed it aside, concentrating on the gymnastic moves and yoga poses.

"I get this kind of hot and gooey feeling when I look at him. He's sexy in that dog hair in bed, hot chocolate and vanilla spice cologne type of way."

"Eeuw the next thing you're gonna tell me is that you feel like you've know him all your life blah-blah-blah."

"What can I say? It's a New York fairytale."

After class, the man Matt had been eye-fucking throughout most of the hour approached them. He nodded a greeting at Bonnie before directing his attention toward the true object of his desire, Matt.

"Hi. "

"Hi."

"I'm Owen." he had an Australian accent and a sweat stain clinging to the middle of is back.

"Matt."

"You wanna go running sometime?" Owen asked, handing Matt his business card. Bonnie could hear herself scoff as the two exchanged smiles before Owen sauntered away.

"What happened to the tolerable Rastafarian?" Bonnie asked as they left the studio to join a sea of pedestrians outside.

"He's weekend dick. I'm still scouting for some grade A dick."

"Weekend dick is still better than no dick." She offered. They entered a small neighborhood grocery store with the aim of buying liquor for Caroline's sendoff party in the evening.

They weaved between aisles picking up bottles of wine and checking the labels and prices.

"So you gonna take take Kat up on her offer?" Matt asked.

"The roommate thing?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Or you could give notice at you place and look for a studio apartment. It gives you a chance to get rid of that security blanket you've been dragging around. Your own space, own rules and terms. It's a risk but I think it will be a good risk, besides Hayley gave you a raise after the success of the vlog."

"Well…actually…"

"No raise?" Matt asked incredulously.

"Not yet."

"You got to talk to her about that."

"I know. Honestly, she should've just given me one from the get go."

"No one gives you anything. You got to ask for it."

Bonnie shrugged, her mind wandering back to the question of sharing her apartment. She absently watched as Matt plucked out a sleek looking bottle of Vodka from the shelf and placed it inside his basket.

Then she said, "Mattie this is Manhattan, its fucking expensive. I mean you can afford to stay in this shoebox apartment of yours because you're a young hot shot lawyer and Kat supplements her salary by dating rich assholes. I'm just me."

Matt nodded and pulled out two more bottles of Vodka.

"More vodka?" she asked incredulously.

"No one drinks beer anymore."

"I was thinking champagne?"

"Champagne is for celebrating. Are we celebrating the fact that Care is finally out of your hair and moving to Brooklyn with that miserable fuckboy?"

"Ok, Vodka it is."

..

A few of them got together at the apartment for Carlines send off. There were at least a dozen people, some work colleagues and a neighbor or two.

"Here, I thought maybe I'd give you this."

Bonnie looked down at Caroline's hands and saw a clay pot housing what looked like a fern. They were alone together in Bonnie's room where most of the alcohol had been stashed to avoid people pillaging. Caroline's bedroom was being used as a coat room.

"I'm not really a plant person." Bonnie explained, taking the fern.

"I know." Caroline smiled then paused before continuing, "Listen, I know you're upset about Tyler but we're not girls anymore Bon. We're getting older and this is me growing up. I wanna get married, I want kids. Sometimes adulthood is just thrust upon us and sometimes you have to pursue it. I guess this is my foolish way of pursuing it. Besides I love Tyler."

"I know but I'm allowed to worry. Its part of my duties as your friend."

"I worry too. I guess our combined assholishness cancels itself out."

"I guess it does."

"I'm sorry about how I reacted to the whole Mason thing."

"Yeah, you were kinda trash about that." Bonnie laughed, playfully punching her shoulder.

"I want the best for you."

"Me too."

"I love you."

"Hey, you're not going off to war or anything. You're just shacking up in Brooklyn."

"I know."

"I love you too."

They pulled each other into a tight hug.

..

When the party at the apartment died down, they headed put for even more drinks but at that point it was just about keeping the buzz going and seeing pretty faces.

"We're at Tonic!" Kat was yelling to someone on the phone as they elbowed their way through the crowd. The clientele was sultry and sexy, looking to see and be seen as they wound their hips to the latest reggae and hip hop tracks. They managed to get a table even though they wouldn't be spending too much money. They were already too buzzed so they didn't have to buy too many overpriced cocktails. The four of them feasted their eyes on a hot guy who just happened to squeeze past them on his way to a table filled with even hotter guys.

"Hey."

Startled, they jerked their eyes away from the guys to find a girl with mocha skin, dark hair and big eyes hovering over them.

"How'd you get in? I was gonna come and fetch you." Kat sprung from her chair and engulfed the intruder in a bear hug.

"I know the door guy." Mocha girl said coolly and Bonnie snorted a laugh into her drink because she could tell that Kat was not amused that someone could also be connected in the city. She thought she ran Manhattan.

"Guys this is Emily."

"Hi Emily." They sang in unison and Bonnie realized that this girl with access to hot clubs in the city could be her new roommate.

"I'm Bonnie." She stuck out her hand, a broad smile on her face.

"And you are bodying that dress!" Emily said with a wink.

"Why thank you."

"I bet that's your finna get some dick dress." She continued, taking a seat next to Kat and Caroline and across from Matt and Bonnie.

"What this old thing?" she laughed crossing and uncrossing her legs. The dress was red, tight and rode her thigh just high enough when she sat down without being tacky.

"Wait, I know you, "Emily exclaimed, pointing at Bonnie.

"I read your column on Monday. There are nine types of penises you'll meet in New York," she made air quotes with her fingers, sampling a line from Bonnie's article.

Blushing, she dismissed the complement and offered Emily a drink. She watched Emily pepper her friends with anecdotes and joined in the laughter. A server in a black mini dress and thigh high boots brought them a round of drinks with compliments from the hot guy table. They toasted and chugged until their bodies were loose and ready to dance.

..

Numb from the alcohol, she stumbled out of the cab and into the bar in serach of Mason. She caught him just as he was locking up, a security guy helping him secure the place.

"Hey you."

"I am drunk on Vodka and tequila and ready to make bad decisions." She slurred. Probably feeling sorry for her, Mason hailed them a can and guided her into the backseat.

Thirty minutes later, they were inside Mason's apartment. Bonnie bent and reached for her shoe strap.

"What're you doing?"

"Taking off my shoes."

"Why?"

"I don't know….i don't want to mess up your place?" she ran her hands through her hair and then ran them against the sides of her dress.

"I own a dog and then of course, there's all this," he made a sweeping motion with his hand gesturing to the mess on the floor. "I think we're past you making a mess."

"Can I get a drink?"

"You don't think you've had enough?"

"Are you policing my drinks?"

"No. Just concerned." he said sincerely.

"Don't be."

"You're drunk."

"Yes but a very grown-up type of drunk. I mean on my way here, I had time to think about the country's financial situation, my own finances, our issues with Russia, the problems in the Middle East, Africa, housing in the U.S, family planning, all round politics...I'm an adult. I think like one and drink like one."

A smile slowly spread across his face, "Okay."

"Do we need to unpack your control issues?"

"I don't have control issues. I'm just worried about you." He took a beer from the fridge and then paused as he was about to hand it to her, "look, if you're perpetually drunk every time I see you, that sort of tells me what you want out of this relationship."

"And what is that?"

"Nothing substantial."

Grabbing the beer from him, she twisted the cap and asked "Have you ever had your heart broken?"

"You don't get to be my age without getting your heart broken."

He gently pried the bootle out of her hand and set it down on the counter. Running his hands through her hair, he leaned down and kissed her tenderly. Her hands moved from his shoulders to the back of his neck as the kissed deepened.

"I think I should get you into bed."

"Definitely. Talking is overrated" she said breathlessly. Picking her up, he carried her to the back of the L-shaped apartment to his bedroom.

She noticed the book on his nightstand which meant that he either loved reading or had planted it there to look like he like reading which meant that he was a poser. It was probably the former. Mason looked like a man who read and took care of stray dogs, a wholesome man, all American and perfect. He was a former fire fighter for fuck's sake and he owned a vegan bar!

"Come on sport, you'll sleep in the living room tonight."

She wondered who he was talking to when she saw the dog. It was a big German Shepard but he was clearly strong enough to lift it into his arms and out into the hallway.

"Why do I feel like a home wrecker?" she called after him before passing out on the bed.

..