Love Found In Music{COMPLETED}

29: What Now?

"So what now?" Esmerelda asks with cold blushing cheeks.

"What do you mean? You said you love me, I can die right now and be completely content," Dimitri says.

"Same here," Esmerelda laughs nervously.

"What time do you have to be back?"

"Four," she answers.

"So we have four hours to do the most cliche things in New York?"

"Yup I guess so," Esmerelda smiles.

"Let's go get some New York pizza," Dimitri pulls her hand. Dimitri whistles for a cab and surprisingly one pulls up quickly, "One down many more to explore."

...
The two enjoy a huge slice of pizza each and find themselves outside in the chilly night air, it is now 12:45am and the city is still roaring with parties.

"Should we head back to Times Square?" Dimitri asks.

"Yeah," Esmerelda smiles excitedly, "But this time we take the subway."

"Are you sure?" Dimitri asks nervously.

"Of course! Aren't you supposed to be the adult?"

"You're right, but I know you're gonna regret it," Dimitri smirks confidently, "Let's go."

They reach the subway station at 1:00am.

Esmerelda looks at the grimy walls and the soaked cement floors in disgust, but will not let Dimitri see.

"So what are you thinking? Cab?" Dimitri asks.

"Nope, come on," Esmerelda laughs pulling him up to the ticket booth. She orders the tickets and they wait for the subway cart to pull up.

The both hear a very familiar tune coming from a hall around a corner. Since the subway doesn't come for another ten minutes they decide to inspect the sound source. To both of their surprises it was a saxophonist and a cellist. They play a quick jazz duet and change into one of Bach's many symphonies.

"Wow they sound amazing," Esmerelda stares intently at the sax player as he closes his eyes and sways back and forth feeling the music. "So much passion."

Dimitri looks over at Esmerelda, but before he gets a word in there is an abrupt change in the music. The musicians play a quicker tempo. The cellist plucks her strings as the sax plays harmonically with her pitches. The sax players switches over into the melody of "Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. "I love this song," Dimitri says as the cellist plays a harmonic melody with the sax. "Dance with me?"

"Here?" Esmerelda asks, "How do you dance to this song?"

"Just like you said... Passion," Dimitri pulls Esmerelda into him. They sway side to side to the rock melody that is being played as a slow dance melody.

The song is near the end and Esmerelda asks, "Is this one of the clichés on the list?"

"No, but this is," Dimitri pulls out a twenty dollar bill and throws it into the sax case. "Amazing job, really I wish I had more to give."

The musicians with a grateful smile wave off the couple. Esmerelda and Dimitri get on the subway with about thirty other people.

"At least it's not crowded," Esmerelda says appreciatively.

"I know it sucks."

"How does having room to breathe suck?" Esmerelda asks.

"Because then I can't be squished up against you," Dimitri says.

Although there are not many people on the subway the couple decides to stand close together, as the cliché.

"Well who says we still can't be squished together?" Esmerelda steps over and grabs onto the pole Dimitri is holding onto. She turns her back to him and now the both face the same way. She backs up slowly until she feels her butt tap his waist, "Oops I'm sorry."

"Oh it's perfectly fine ma'am trust me, it's so crowded in here and we wouldn't want you falling," Dimitri wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her up towards him.

"Gosh get a room," a grumpy old homeless man growls at the two, "I'm tryin' to sleep!"

"Oops sorry," Dimitri says. Then he leans his forehead on Esmerelda's and whispers, "Looks like there's another thing we can cross off the list, huh?"

Esmerelda stares deep into his eyes and wonders how this all happened. She nods her head and smiles, "Yup homeless grouch crossed off the list."

Dimitri notices a change in Esmerelda's eyes, "What are you thinking?"

"What do you mean?" Esmerelda breaks their locked gazes, "I'm just mentally crossing it off the list."

"No there's something else," Dimitri says, "Tell me."

"I was just thinking how we got here," Esmerelda smiles.

"What do you mean?" Dimitri asks, "Here in New York?"

"No dummy," Esmerelda pushes his chest, "I mean how did I become this comfortable with you? Where I can call you a dummy and push you away. It caught me really off guard."

"It caught you off guard?" Dimitri asks, "What happens when the first thing you learn when becoming a teacher is not to become involved with students, which I thought would be the easiest of rules. Then I walk into my first classroom and there you are. What about ME?"

"I guess you had a tougher time than I did," Esmerelda rolls her eyes.

"Oh really? You guess?" Dimitri pulls Esmerelda tightly up against him. He feels overwhelming happiness build up inside as he stares into Esmerelda's eyes.

Esmerelda leans in and gives Dimitri a soft, tender kiss and asks, "What now?"