Manhattan Dreaming (24 page)

‘This is like production line packing,' I joked as I watched the girls organise their luggage in the middle of the apartment. Vikki was meeting her family in Hawaii for Christmas and Kirsten was going home to Australia. Coincidentally they were leaving La Guardia within thirty minutes of each other, and so were sharing a town car to the airport.

‘I'm sorry I won't get a chance to meet Libby – she sounds wonderful,' Kirsten said sincerely.

‘She is. I still can't believe you'll be missing her by just days. She would love you both,' I said, handing her a small gift – a pair of earrings from the NMAI. ‘It's just something for you from me, not to be opened until Christmas morning.'

‘Aww gee, wait there.' And she took off into her bedroom.

‘And the same rules apply to you, Ms Vikki,' I said, handing her a gift-wrapped bracelet, also from the museum shop.

‘Then the same rules for you too!' She handed me a small gift bag with a massive red bow, and, not to be outdone, Kirsten returned from her room with the same bag and bigger green bow. Because we were all working right up until that day, we hadn't had time to organise a Christmas dinner together, but none of us were fussed. The girls were looking forward to seeing their families and I was excited about seeing Libby and hearing about home.

When they were finally out the door I made a cup of tea and sat down in my room, looking at the gifts I needed to wrap for Libby to take home to the family: a collection of Yankees paraphernalia for Max, and Knicks paraphernalia for Nick. I got Mum a gorgeous handbag on sale in SoHo and Dad the boxed set of
New York: A Documentary Film
, a fourteen-hour series on New York's history, covering 400 years. I didn't watch it myself but I thought that it might him help understand the attraction of the city. It was something that Mum and he could do together as well. After I'd finished wrapping I sat there and felt lonely, counting down the hours to Libby's arrival. I don't think I could've managed being away for Christmas without someone from home to celebrate with. The ringing phone snapped me out of my daydreaming.

‘Hello, beautiful.' I was grateful to hear Cash's voice down the line.

‘Hey yourself, what's happening? Are you working?'

‘I'm here, keeping the public happy, just checking in on you.'

‘I'm fine. Vikki and Kirsten have gone, I've wrapped all the pressies for my family, and I'm just going to tidy up ready for Libby.'

‘So, am I going to see you at
all
over the Christmas break?' I could hear a whine in Cash's voice.

‘I hope so, but Libs is only here until 6 January and we have so much to catch up on.'

‘And I just get the flick then, do I?' I could tell he was annoyed.

‘Libby is an important part of my life.'

‘And
I'm
not?' He sounded cranky.

‘Now you're being irrational. I think I better go.'

‘I'm sorry, it's just that I miss you the days I don't see you.'

‘Okay, but I'm not one of those women who dump their girlfriends the minute they meet a man. I never want to be one of those women. You don't get that about me. And Libby is like a sister to me, family.'

‘I'm sorry. I'll let you go and call later.' I could hear the apology in his voice but the last thing I needed was a bloke being jealous of my friends. I couldn't even get Adam jealous of other men.

I got off the phone, vacuumed and dusted the apartment, put the rubbish out, rummaged through the fridge considering what I'd have for dinner, and then checked my emails. Libby had emailed me her own ‘Libby in New York – To Do List' and I went through it, thinking about the best days to do what when she arrived:

• Macy's
  
• Century 21
  
• Ground Zero
  
• Empire State Building
  
• Central Park - skating, horse and carriage ride
  
• 5th Avenue
  
• Times Square
  
• Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island
  
• Museum of Modern Art
  
• More shopping, bars, firemen
  

I was taking two weeks off in one hit, while other staff had to go back to work straight after Christmas. They generally saved their holidays for summer, just like back home. I was on my last day before break and was still working hard, as was Wyatt.

‘Last day for me,' I bragged from my desk.

‘That's not fair.' Wyatt mocked sulking over our desk partition. ‘Why do you get two weeks' Christmas leave while we only get one?'

‘Fair, schmair …' I passed a wrapped Christmas present to him, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's CD.

He handed a gift back, obviously a CD, and we both laughed. ‘Snap,' I said. I opened mine; it was Soni Moreno, a well-known Native singer who had recently toured with Buffy Saint-Marie, the Academy Award-winning musician from Piapot Cree Indian reserve in Canada. I was stoked.

‘So, what have you got planned other than your friend Libby?' Wyatt asked.

‘Oh, I'm pretty sure Libby will be most of my holidays. We'll do a Christmas lunch and then complete her long to-do list.' I waved the printed list in the air.

‘No Cash? I mean, I assume you've been seeing him a lot recently because we hardly hang out any more.' Wyatt sounded disappointed.

‘I'm sorry we haven't been doing much together. Life really is hectic in New York, isn't it.' Wyatt just looked at me, silent, and I felt compelled to offer more. ‘Cash is struggling with Libs coming for two weeks, but he'll have to manage.'

‘Indeed.'

‘And what are your plans?'

‘Oh, we do the family thing, you know, cousins and cousins of cousins and kids everywhere and too much food.'

‘Sounds like back home! Do you wanna hang out with Libs and I maybe after Christmas? I'd love you to meet her, and anyway, she works with me, so you should. You could write it off as work.'

‘I like your style, Lauren, count me in.'

At 5.30 pm it was dark and I was ready to leave. Wyatt was still at his desk. He really was a workaholic.

‘I'm off now, so give me a hug,' I said as I put my coat on.

Wyatt jumped up and hugged me.

‘I'm going to miss ya,' I said, ‘but I'll be in touch about catching up, okay?'

‘You better. Now go so I can try and get out of here by seven.'

‘Merry Christmas.'

‘Merry Christmas.'

I took a town car to meet Libby at the airport. We screamed down the arrivals area, and the driver who came in with me just laughed.

‘Get your gloves and scarf on, love, or you'll freeze outside. It's like minus five.'

‘Rightyo.' She dove into her handbag and pulled out black leather gloves and a red scarf.

‘Um, you dropped something, ma'am,' the driver said.

We all looked to the ground and there was a pair of red knickers sitting near the wheel of the trolley.

‘Well, doesn't hurt to advertise, I guess,' Libby said, with only a hint of embarrassment.

We were hardly up the stairs at the apartment and Libby was talking about Macy's. She insisted on going straight away. No sleep, just a shower and a coffee and off we went.

We walked along 7th Avenue.

‘That's the Museum at FIT.' I pointed to our left and saw Libby frown. ‘Sorry, FIT is the Fashion Institute of Technology.'

‘Has it got a gift shop?' Libby asked, stopping to look at a mannequin in the window.

‘Come on, we'll never get to Macy's if we stop at every shop along the way.' I linked arms with Libby and set a steady pace for us, chatting and trying to keep warm. ‘Madison Square Garden is just up ahead on the left, next block,' I said as we approached West 30th, ‘and Penn Station is right there too.'

‘Gees, you're a real local aren't you?'

‘I guess I am.'

We turned right into 34th and I upped our pace. ‘Come on, next block is your shopping heaven, Libs.'

We were almost running when we finally arrived at Macy's and we went straight to get Libby's 11 per cent discount visitor's card and store map and started the exploration.

‘This place is amazing!'

‘I know, the whole of Centro Goulburn could fit on one floor, and you should see their bra section, there's every single kind of push-up bra in the world here.'

‘Those of us who are well-endowed don't need assistance to produce cleavage and thank goodness, because shopping for bras is just too time-consuming an activity.' I knew then that Libby and Kirsten were probably twins separated at birth.

Later we stopped for a break and had a pretzel and a coffee. I noticed someone staring at us.

‘Did I tell you men stare at me – well, at all women – a lot here?' I said, leaning over the table to Libby.

‘Really, where? Which men?' Libby asked with interest.

‘Well, there's one, over there.' And I nodded to a guy who kept staring at me. But it was an odd stare, not a flirtatious stare.

‘Oh my god, he
is
staring.'

‘Yes, but he's probably thinking I look like a woollen blimp.'

‘He hasn't taken his eyes off you. Seriously, is this normal? Maybe he likes your pink hat.'

‘Well, he ain't getting it!' I said as a busboy came to wipe the table and take our rubbish.

‘Hello ladies, are you having a good day?'

‘Great day,' Libby said.

‘The great day suits you,' he said as he looked her up and down and walked off.

‘Did he just flirt with me?'

‘I think so. It's normal here,' I said as another guy in jeans and a grey coat approached our table.

‘Do you mind if I join you?'

‘Actually, yes, we're having a meeting,' I said abruptly and he walked off quickly.

‘What was that? Are you telling me people can pick up in a department store in New York?'

‘Apparently. Just keep watching – thirty seconds of eye contact is all it takes for a come-on.'

On the way back to Chelsea we stood at the taxi rank and chatted excitedly about all the things we were going to do.

‘Do you need someone to show you around?' a guy in the queue behind us asked.

‘Oh, I'm pretty much a guide now, but thank you,' I said politely.

‘Do you think I could just have your number, then?'

‘I live south of the equator,' I said.

‘She lives here, for now anyway,' Libby butted in, and I glared at her.

A taxi pulled up and we climbed in. Libby was straining to look out the back window of the cab at the guy we left behind.

‘Are you mad? He was gorgeous!'

‘I've told you about Cash, so I'm not really seeing anyone else. We're spending a lot of time together. Actually, he's pretty unhappy that I punted him for the time you're here.'

‘You didn't have to do that.'

‘Yes I did! Anyway, you and Denise were right, there are so many choices here. As you just saw, I don't have to settle for Cash Brannigan even if he is the dishiest man on the planet.' I showed her a photo of Cash on my phone.

‘Is it
really
that good here?'

‘Libs, I have had five years' of self-esteem work in the last five months. Men here actually
like
women, even if they like football too.'