CHLOE BAKER'S LOST DATE

Chapter Three: We Met at the Met

Kit called me a block later, as if she had some sixth sense that my date was over.

"So? How was it?"

"How do you know I'm not still with him?"

"Are you?"

"Well, no, but I could be." The light changed and I stopped at the corner, standing too close to the curb, which is a habit I've had trouble breaking since I moved to New York. In Cincinnati it was never a problem. But the crazy drivers in this city make getting too close to an intersection life threatening. "Wait, did he call you?"

"Nope."

"You're clairvoyant?"

"Potentially."

"Pretty sure I'd know this by now."

She laughed. "How about I tell you where you are?"

The light changed and I crossed the street. "I don't even know where I am."

It was partly true. I'd never been great at directions, and I still had no sense of the points on the compass in New York, despite it being on a grid that was supposed to be easy to learn. It was embarrassing how many times I took out my phone to figure out if I should turn left or right, particularly when I was in Manhattan. I didn't like looking like a tourist in the city I lived in.

"You're about to hit Central Park West."

I checked the street sign ahead of me. She was right. "How did you know that?"

"We have Find My Friends on our iPhones, remember?"

"Oh, right." Kit had insisted I install it when I moved to New York because she was worried I'd get lost. "But that's kind of creepy that you're checking on me."

"Well..."

"What?"

"I might have an alert set up that tells me every time you're on the move."

This stopped me in my tracks. A man slammed into to me then cursed me out as he hurried away. "What?"

"You'd just moved to the city! I was worried about you."

"And the reason you never turned it off is?"

"I got used to the reminders of where you were. It was out of love, I promise."

Was it that big a deal? It wasn't as if I didn't tell Kit everything that was going on in my life anyway. "Okay, but turn it off now, all right?"

"I will. Hey, you know what? You're so close to the Met. You should go."

"We were supposed to go together."

"I know, but I'm tied up with John today and it's like fate or something that you're right there after talking about it so much."

I gazed into Central Park, thinking about the Met sitting across the lawn from where I was standing. At least, I thought that's where it was. I'd check the minute we got off the phone. "It's nice out. I was going to hang in the park."

"So do that after. Go to the museum, already. You won't regret it."

"Why do you care so much?"

"I want you to finally start exploring this place."

Now I got it. "You're worried I'm going to move back to Ohio."

"Well, yeah. Obvi."

"Love you, Kit."

"Love you, too."

I put my phone away with a smile after checking that yes, in fact, I could go straight through the park and get to the Met. I resolved to make it without checking my phone for directions as set out, taking in the park, the cool of the trees, the people buzzing along the paths, pushing carriages, riding scooters, or jogging on the internal road. As I walked past the Jackie O. reservoir, I watched the sunlight glint off the water, and listened to the happy shouts of the children running around the fresh green grass. Kit was right to worry I might leave. My apartment was small, everything was expensive, and I often felt anonymous and overwhelmed.