The Dance He Thought She Never Saw

Chapter 1: Marry me

Shannon knew the date had gone well because neither of them seemed willing to end it.

They had reached the subway entrance on Central Park South several minutes earlier, yet they remained beside the railing, talking about subjects that did not matter. Every time their conversation approached a natural ending, one of them found another question to ask.

The city moved around them without waiting.

Car horns sounded in the distance. A bus rolled past, its windows glowing against the evening. People hurried toward the subway with shopping bags, briefcases, and tired expressions. Somewhere nearby, a street vendor was packing away the final pieces of his cart.

Shannon glanced down the stairs.

“I should probably go,” she said.

He placed his hands in his coat pockets. “You said that five minutes ago.”

“I meant it this time.”

“That’s what you said three minutes ago.”

She laughed. It was the kind of laugh that escaped before she could decide whether the joke was funny. She liked that about him. Being around him did not feel like an interview or a performance. She did not have to plan every answer before speaking.