Page 83 of If We Meet Again

“Honestly, if I didn’t like you, I would never speak toyou again.”

“I’ll stop playing around now. I better leave you to get ready, otherwise I’ll be sitting on my own for along time.”

“That is true. Will you get us a table? I’ll be as quick as I can?”

“Sure. When you get there, take the express elevator from the street level straight to the rooftop. The doorman should be able to guide you in the rightdirection.”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Ashley ended the phone call, grabbed her keys, some money and headed for the door.

***

When Ashley arrived, the host was kind enough to direct her to a small circular table in the far-left corner. From the comfortable black leather bench, Ashley gazed at the perfect views of the New York skyline, including the iconic Chrysler Building. A mixture of ivy and hand-painted Venetian walls filled the rooftop. The bronze bar with a black granite surface added a vintage feel, complimented by the incandescent bulbs floating overhead. The rooftop expanse had a sophisticated vibe; the modern furnishings made it the perfect place to relax and unwind. She instantly felt like it was a place she should frequentmore often.

Ashley sat back and admired the view. The bar was relatively quiet; roughly a dozen people congregated on the tables. The majority looked to be corporate bigwigs entertaining clients. A tall young man approached with an extremely tight-fitted black uniform and tortoise-shellspectacles.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

Ashley observed the menu once again, “I don’t suppose you can do me two Mojitos?” The menu had speciality cocktails, butno Mojitos.

“Sure, I think I have the ingredients. Let me check.” The waiter wandered off towards the bar and after thirty seconds, he gave a large thumbs up.

Ashley mouthed,thank you. She remembered her and Megan’s joint love for Mojitos from their first meeting and figured it was the safest option.

A few minutes later, the elevator doors slid open and out walked Megan.How did one person seem so beautiful, charming and seductive all at once?Ashley contemplated. The sound of her heels clicking on the concrete slabs below sent Ashley’s heart racing. She wondered how nobody else was disrupted by the elegant woman that walked from one side of the bar to the other. The bartender noticed as he finished their drinks, over-filling the soda slightly through distraction. Ashley couldn’t blame him, she too wasmesmerised.

The breeze rippled through her wavy curls, causing her to pull it back in front of her body. Her lips parted slightly to reveal the most honest smile when she locked eyes with Ashley. The walk from the elevator to the table seemed like a lifetime. Suddenly, people noticed her presence; two businessmen to the right lifted their heads from the mound of paperwork and observed the beautybefore them.

Megan held her head high. Her walk was confident, but she was not vain. She commanded attention, but she was far from obnoxious. At that moment, Ashley admired her in all her glory, grinning with joy when sheapproached.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

Ashley edged along creating more space beside her. “Sit beside me here, if you like. The view is incredible.” She wasn’t lying. The seat across from her would mean Megan had her back to the best part, but there was a small part of her that was happy about the bar’s inconvenient seatingarrangement.

“I feel overdressed.”

The tight leather trousers, heels and cropped red top with a denim jacket cradling her shoulders looked dressy but classy. She didn’t look over the top, but Ashley could sense she’d tried, which surprised her.

“Youlook great.”

“Thank you, but you’re super casual. I look like I’m about to hit the town.”

“That’s okay, for all these people know we could be.”

Megan chewed on her lip, avoiding eye contact. Ashley sensed her insecurity and tried to make her feel more comfortable. “You haven’t even commentedon my hair.”

“Give me chance,” Megan laughed. She reached out and touched the tips of hair balancing on Ashley’s shoulders, “It really suits you. I love the hat too.Very suave.”

Ashley lowered the brim of the hat in a cowboy-like salute. “Why thankyou, ma’am.”

“I see your accents haven’t improved then?”

“Excuse me? Have you heard my Australian accent?”