Prologue
Lesser cities would grow dark, disappearing into shadow when the sun set. But New York City roared, coming alive under heaven's stars. The metal and glass of the skyscrapers lit up, one after the other, transforming into a dazzling kaleidoscope of pink, yellow, and orange. Then, as the colors faded with the rapid coming of night, electric lights illuminated the city's pathways before him. Sensing it was the perfect night in the ideal place, he felt his energy rising anew.
His eyes sparkled, the skin wrinkled a little underneath, and he couldn’t contain the excitement touching his soul as he watched the flow of people streaming out of the buildings into the night, seeking thrills and lovely delights. For some, it was like a savory meal at the end of a long day; for others, it was knowing that someone who loved them, or at least wanted them physically, was waiting at the other end of their subway or taxi ride. As the people flooded the streets, he became more aware, and New York seemed more vibrant. The aroma of green apples and flowers filled his nostrils, making him smile.
He loved New York, as clichéd as it sounded: its attitude, its hustle and bustle, its shimmer. He always believed something good was about to happen there. He thought New York as beautiful and pure; hopeful even, and he always looked to the coming of a new night because it made his dull days that much brighter.
He would tell himself all day that it would be a good experience even if he didn’t catch a glimpse of her, since there were seven million people there, after all. But he had seen her twice in this neighborhood. She was just as much of an FAO Schwarz fan as he was, and maybe today would be the day he got up the nerve to say something to her instead of pulling his cap down further, looking the other way so she didn’t see his face and realize it was the cute guy who had complimented her on her smile.
He saw her right then. There. She was on her way out of FAO Schwarz. He didn't look at her, just at her light steps barely touching the sidewalk with each gentle sway. He saw her but didn't move, gingerly frozen against the lamp post, watching.
She didn't notice him as she exited the toy store, not even when passing him. Why would she? He was just one of seven million people flowing through the mighty city, and even with that many folk, if you lived here long enough, you were able to start not seeing people. It was sort of a must-have for anybody who called the Five Boroughs home. Because if you got right down to it, there definitely should not be this many human bodies crammed into such a small space. Unless you were home alone, or had the kind of job where you had a private office, there was always someone around—every all-night restaurant, every subway station, every nook and cranny in every lush park. You had to invent your own privacy or you might freaking go stir crazy!
She smiled as she walked down the jam-packed sidewalk with nothing short of joy in her steps. She was getting to the age where she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to, making her own decisions a lot of the time and enjoying being part of the vibe and flow of New York City. Other people might look around and see nothing but big box stores full of overpriced junk, and streets crammed with way too many people trying to avoid each other. However, she saw FAO Schwarz and all the hundreds of others as nothing short of magical. All full of baubles, trinkets, and hidden treasures, sparking her imagination and making her hopeful she could one day make enough money to buy them all. Out on the street, her mind was going in a million different directions, planning her future, enjoying the fading sun shining down on her warm dewy skin as she waved at every child and dog she saw, happy to feel their giggles and hear their woofs. She thought New York City was a beautiful place, day or night. Some of her friends told her she was living in Fantasy Land, and that New York was polluted and dangerous, but she couldn’t see it that way.
She was like Dorothy heading home from Oz. She couldn’t wait for her incredible family and the coziness of her own space, filled with books and sentimental trinkets, because being at home was even more joyous than all her fun being in the city. She had a package for her dad, and eagerly wanted to get it to him before he started his post-dinner routine of prayer and reflection. She picked up her pace, hoping she could get home quicker by hopping on the subway only five blocks away. And she would save even more time, she reasoned, and be at the station even earlier by cutting through that alleyway.
He hadn’t wanted to stop her on the street. It seemed like that would be too overwhelming, and New Yorkers got really rude when you stopped them mid-block. That was an excellent way to be told to fuck off, or get a nice friendly shove. But when he saw her make a sharp left into the narrow alley, he thought it was his lucky day. At the very least, he could tell her he took the same shortcut, warn her of some non-existent danger, and say pretty girls should never walk alone in an alley. He imagined the smile that would come over her face when he was complimenting her, and picked up his pace.
At the entrance to the alley, he paused, suddenly full of self-doubt that he could actually pull this off, and mused, What if she doesn’t really like me? What if she was just being polite the first time we met when she said I was a classic gentleman? What if she doesn’t even remember any of that?
He started to get nervous and contemplated walking on, but that’s when the little voice inside his head spoke up, whispering, “Remember her smile? Remember how it made you feel? You deserve to feel that way! You deserve to see her smiling only for you! Don’t back down now! Make it happen! She turned that way, and she’s all alone down there! Be the white knight she wants!”
She turned her head when she heard a noise behind her. She figured it was a cat, maybe a rat or a pigeon, or someone taking out the garbage, and thought little of it. But then, she saw a man following her at the end of the alley, moving toward her more quickly than she liked. Like he was trying to catch up with her ... or maybe just trying to catch her. And then she quickened her pace hurriedly! However, the alley was longer than she had initially thought, and she was only slightly more than halfway down it. She was probably being silly, but she suddenly felt like she needed to be back on the street with other people. She checked over her shoulder once more and now found him even closer, waving his arms to get her attention. “Excuse me, Miss!” he yelled. “You dropped your wallet back there.”
“What?” she asked. She frantically felt inside her Louis Vuitton bag to find her wallet was indeed missing. It was a new Hermes wallet her dad had recently gifted her for her 16th birthday. Everything was in that wallet. And she’d worked so diligently last semester, brought home all As, and had made her dad so proud that he’d surprised her with the Hermes treasure on her birthday
He was waving it now, and she relaxed both visibly and mentally. He was the kind of New Yorker she told all her friends was out there. The Good Samaritan. The rare guy who was looking out for you. The kind of person she aspired to be in her day-to-day life. The reason she took volunteer jobs, while her friends were at the mall. The reason she babysat for free in her apartment building while others were price-gouging for childcare. Good people do exist everywhere, she thought.
She turned and smiled up at him. He was a lot taller than her, but pretty much everyone was. The stranger smiled back, and she recognized him. A good guy, indeed—or so she thought.
As he gently handed back her wallet, she profusely thanked him. He nodded at first but sensed a slight tingling discomfort surging from her. He was more annoyed than saddened as she wasn’t giving him the adoration he so craved when returning such a personal treasure. Damn her, he thought, I will make her beg for me now. His annoyance became frustration, now growing into a rage that in the past had only been quelled when his thirst was quenched entirely.
As he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her towards him, she tried to pull away, her happiness disquieting to trembling fear, and she knew she had made a grave error. Her troubles had only just started in the New York alleyway on this warm night when she had only been minding her own business, and wanted to get home, sweet home.
AND THEN HE saw her and smiled...
