“Well, whatever happened in the past is in the past,” he shrugs. “And it seems to me like you’re being given a second chance.”
“Second chance?”
He nods. “Berlin’s sudden reappearance in your life?” he grins. “She gave you her number, dude. Maybe this is your chance to get right what you fucked up so horribly back in school.”
A wry grin touches my lips. “I wouldn’t say I fucked it up totally horribly.”
Rider laughs. “You weren’t seeing it from the outside. I’ve seen plane wrecks with less fire and carnage.”
“Eat shit.”
I laugh along with him, but his words are really resonating with me, simply because that was my first thought when I saw her step to the lectern. When I realized who she was, the surge of those old emotions hit me and almost knocked me on my ass. I had to do something.
Rider’s laughter trails off, and his expression grows serious. “Honestly man, if you still have feelings for her, I think it’s important that you explore them,” he says. “I think you should call her, Sawyer. Get together. See what sparks.”
I nod. “I’m not getting my hopes up, but I plan on it.”
“Good, go ahead.”
I chuckle. “I’ll get to it. Right now, I just want to enjoy a beer with my good buddy.”
“Don’t be a pussy. Call her.”
“I will. Don’t you worry about it.”
He keeps laughing and shakes his head. “Fine, fine,” he says. “Have it your way.”
“Thanks. Your permission means the world to me.”
“You’re such an asshole.”
We laugh together for a minute, but it eventually tapers off. Rider looks at me again, a weird look in his eyes. I can tell he has something to say.
“Spit it out,” I say.
His smile is wry. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, but it just occurred to me that you and Berlin are on a nasty collision course.”
“What do you mean?”
“How do you think she’s going to react when she realizes you’re Compass Development, and it’s your project forcing those people out of the Atwell?” he poses. “Given how – passionate – she was in front of the borough board, I can’t imagine how big the new hole she’ll rip you will be.”
I sigh and sit back in the booth, processing what Rider said. I guess I was so caught up in the novelty of seeing her again and all the emotions it stirred up, the fact that Berlin and I are on opposite sides of this massive divide never even entered my mind. But now that he’s brought it to my attention, I want to kick my own ass for not realizing it myself.
“Well, I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,” I state.
Rider raises his glass to me and grins ruefully. “Good luck to you, my friend. You’re going to need it.”
An hour later, Rider and I call it a night and say our goodbyes. And after that, I went on home. Where I’m now standing on the balcony of my condo with a beer in my hand, overlooking the heart of Manhattan. I’ve always loved it here – the city is so vibrant and so alive, it fills me with life-affirming, electric energy. Way better than any drug I’ve ever taken.
The lights of the city sparkle in the darkness, and the sound of the streets below float up to me. Most people think New York is too crowded, too loud, and too dirty. Yeah, like any major city, it has those areas, but that’s not what defines it. And maybe it’s because I grew up here, but I see it differently. I see a certain beauty everywhere, in most everything. It’s dripping with history and culture – art, food, music from a hundred different countries on every street corner. What’s not to like about it?
I take a swallow of my beer and look down at my cell phone. Still thinking about the different sides of the divide Berlin and I are standing on. While there’s a small piece of me wondering if that gap can even be bridged, the other part of me doesn’t care and figures we can deal with it when – and if – the time comes.
Without giving myself another minute to think about it, I punch in her number and press the phone to my ear. It rings once, then twice – and then an automated voice picks up, informing me that the number I’m attempting to reach has been disconnected. I look down at the phone again, feeling the rueful grin cross my face.
I hang up the call and slip my phone back into my pocket. I stare out at the city lights again as I drain the last of my beer, amused by the fact that she gave me a bum number. I suppose I should have seen it coming, but I was so caught up in the moment with her, I didn’t even think about it. It was a rare oversight on my part. One I wouldn’t have normally made with a woman.
But that’s okay. I’m a man who gets what I want, and what I want right now is Berlin Roth.
“The chase is on,” I mutter, laughing to myself.
Chapter Five Berlin
“You gave him a bad number?”
“Well – yeah. I mean, it’s not like we were ever close,” I admit. “I thought he was a cretin back then, and that probably hasn’t changed much. How do you even know who he is, anyway?”
“Please,” she scoffs. “Sawyer West is in the tabloids like every other day.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s a great selling point.”
My best friend Gabby is sitting across from me a couple of days after the meeting with the borough board, her jaw on the table, and her eyes so wide they’re
