The New York Project

2. Central perk

Central Park was exactly as she remembered, and more, much more.

When, at breakfast, Robbie had asked her what city landmark she wanted to see first on their private New York tour, she hadn't hesitated for one second.

She stayed in awe for a while, even if it was far from her first time there.

So much green in an otherwise cold sea of concrete and glass, the immensity of it, preserved in one of the biggest cities of the planet. A green island inside the island.

Robbie took her to some of his favourite spots and she revelled in the contrast between the crowded areas and the desert ones. She produced little squeaking sounds at each squirrel, each pond and each cute bridge, with her guide's smiling eyes on her.

She would have rather stayed in the park all day; however the quest for the perfect place was waiting for her. They met with a realtor near Washington Square Park to see a few flats.

They later went pounding the pavement to get a feel for the area, and took a break in a coffee shop. They debriefed the flats they just saw: the first one was too expensive, and the second one needed to be refurbished.

"Anyway, living in this neighbourhood would make me feel old," Victoria joked while thoroughly enjoying the perfect foam of her vanilla latte, "I know that during the school year it is crowded with NYU students."

Robbie chuckled and took a sip of his cappuccino.

"Is it weird to be back in your old room, by the way?" he then asked.

"I've never considered it as my room. All in all, I didn't spend much time here. Christmas or New Year's Eve, thanksgiving or Easter, and half of the summers. And some weekends during my year at Harvard, four years ago."

"True. And why haven't you come back since then?"

"Oh, I don't know. Time flies and all that. Also, you know that my mother got sick a couple of years ago, and died, so I was pretty stuck there."

"Yes, I heard about that. I'm sorry for your loss. And, um, incidentally, I'm sorry for not having reached out to you at the time, to offer you my condolences and just be here for you."

No doubt sadness and awe were competing for the first place in her hazel eyes.

"Oh, Rob, cheers, I appreciate that, but come on, you were just a kid, and we weren't even in touch."

"Still, I should have said something. I suppose it has been terrible for you."

"It has. We were close, it was bloody awful. One minute she was perfectly fine, and the next one she had cancer. It moved very fast, and just like that, she was gone forever. We got to say goodbye, though. Some don't have this chance," she answered, shivering at the thought, and added after a sigh: "Sorry, it went dark rather quickly."

A grim smile was touching the edges of Robbie's mouth. She remained amazed by his maturity. The guy she was seeing back then, a strong Londonian entrepreneur, barely supported her during this ordeal. She could tell that her grief frightened him, even if he tried to hide it.

"I'm really sorry," resumed his guide after a nod and a sip out of his drink, "I can't imagine what you had gone through, but at least the two of you had a wonderful relationship, and you had more than two decades to enjoy it. With my mother, it's rather different. Nothing I do ever seems to please her. Thanks by the way for taking the defence of Columbia yesterday at dinner."

"You're welcome. It was unfair from Brooke, in my opinion."

The slender, cold and blonde figure of her stepmother and her thin disdainful lips floated in front of her for a split second. She felt sorry for him and Charlotte, because she knew how a parent's love and affection could fill a soul with laughter, warmth and confidence. They seemed nonetheless to be turning out rather well, so she decided to let go of her resentment towards her father's new wife.