A Little More Of Love.

Chapter 5: Blueberry Cheesecake

♡ L I L Y ♡

The following morning was a hectic one. With Rae gone to school and Zara to her hair salon appointment, I had to juggle ovens and frosting with welcoming and entertaining the customers. 

Thankfully, Linda came in and handled the phone orders.

It went on like this until two in the afternoon after lunch, when Zara and Rae came for their shifts, and I bid farewell. But, with nothing else to do, I always wandered around, and today, I started with some fantastic art museums—the paintings, sculptures, and decorative art pieces are lovely to see.

By evening I had an appetite for baked goods. 

I grin at the box in my hand as I stake out a spot in Bryant Park to have some quiet me-time by watching the people and the world wander by—clearly, with no patience, I gorge on blueberry cheesecake which is delicious but not too sticky or thick, and that famous banana pudding is something else! It's light, has bread crumbs, isn't soggy, and has an excellent balance of vanilla and banana—it gets a chef's kiss. I could never be more disappointed by Darlene's Bakery. I want to be as good as them.

The sun begins to set, the chirping of birds, the green shrubs and trees rustling, people jogging on the brick trails, a lot of chatter and laughs around me, and the breeze blows my hair—in a fashion that makes me feel like I am in a movie. The beauty of NYC is that you feel calm amidst work and fatigue. You will find peace here if you stay still in this chaotic city. Thanks to this city, I have a warm feeling in my chest, or could it be because of the delicious snacks I had?

I smile when someone calls out warningly, "Watch out!" 

Startled, I jump straight and turn my head when a hand grabs my wrist and pulls me away. 

I gasp.

Splash!

I peel my eyes open and notice a boy riding a bicycle splashing into the puddle beside my bench. He laughs and looks over at a girl of his age following him. I smile when—wait a minute! The feeling of somebody holding my hand settles in, and I then look over my shoulder only to find a man in all-black leather and a black cap and sunglasses hiding his face.

Eerie feeling in my gut, I blink and frown, "Excuse me?" 

The man, who seemed to be in a trance, trembles a little and shakes his head, "Ah, are you okay?" he asks in a shy robotic voice.

I blink again and push myself away from him. 

"Oh!" His cheeks flush as the man scratches the back of his head and shyly grins, "I was trying to help. You were going to be soaked if—" I interrupt to thank him with a polite smile, "Oh, thanks. I am okay!" 

Silence settles between the two of us. I try to be bold and see his face, but there is something about this man which makes shivers run down my spine and shudder creepily while he anxiously fidgets and coughs, "You're—" 

I raise my brows and look at him in anticipation when he blurts out, "You're beautiful!"

Oh! I blush. It's hard to handle or take in compliments so suddenly.

That's when I notice a familiar book in the man's hands. 

I click my tongue, "Oh, is it Caroline Kepnes's You?"

The man glances down at his hand and grins back at me. "Yeah," he scratches his head and shrugs, "—a friend recommended me to read this book." 

"Oh, that's nice," I say politely, looking around in silence. 

His gaze is quite discomfiting.

The man clears his throat, "What do you think?"