The Bucket List

Chapter Four

The New York skyline stretched out across the horizon and Sarah stared in awe of its beauty. It was better than anything she could have imagined. In all of the movies, they always made it look amazing, but she had convinced herself it was some form of camera Hollywood trickery, and that real life could not be that impressive. But she had been wrong.

She took out her phone, and snapped photos as they came over the Brooklyn Bridge. Rolling down the window, she made sure that she caught the edge of the yellow taxi in a photo that showed the sweeping skyline. She was determined to complete all the gimmicky aspects of being a visitor in New York City, and that had started with the yellow taxi ride.

Comically, she had tried to whistle at the airport to attract a taxi, and was politely advised that it wasn't necessary as it was a designated taxi rank, and they would pull up regardless. She had sheepishly apologised, and climbed into the back of the next one that came along. Embarrassing as it was, she was glad she could write off 'attempt to hail a cab by whistling' off her own list. This wasn't just Josh's bucket list she was doing.

The cold weather had well and truly set in throughout the city. There was a slight covering of snow on the ground, and the roads were lined with icy slush where the salt had worked to keep them clear. The city looked even more marvellous as they drove through the streets, and she gazed up at the sky scrapers that lined every side.

She was booked in to stay at the Millennium UN Plaza hotel, opposite the United Nations headquarters and overlooking the East River. Leah had spent hours pouring over all the different hotel options when booking, and had decided that this would be the place Josh would choose to stay. She'd booked a double room that boasted views of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building.

Arriving at the hotel, she stepped out of the taxi, and thanked the driver as he placed her bag on the street, she was just about to pick it up when it was swept away from her, and placed on a trolley. Looking up, she saw a small man, in his late forties, smiling at her. He had a balding head, and was dressed in a smart suit, with a gold name badge showing "George".

"Hey, let me take your bags. Would you like to follow me to check-in?" George seemed very friendly, and she nodded, following him as he turned and began towards the door. "Not talking huh?" George said, and she realised she hadn't spoken a word.

"Oh, sorry! I'm just a bit, erm, shocked, I think. New York is amazing. It feels like a dream to finally be here!" She was beaming now as she spoke, and she realised how excited she really was to be there in the big city.

"Well, I hope you have a great stay, it's a wonderful city, and it will surely provide you with a great experience while you're here. Many people fall so much in love with it that they never leave us!" He pushed the trolley through the large golden doors, and into the lobby area.

It opened up into a high ceilinged room, decorated with gold all around, and a perfectly polished black tile floor which shone under the dazzling lights. To her left, she could see the reception desk, and a tall, slim man with glasses and grey hair waiting to speak with her. To her right, there were chairs, sat next to side tables with vintage looking lamps, and she felt like she had walked into the 1920's.

Approaching the desk, she fumbled with her handbag, trying to find her booking reservation details. "Welcome to Millennium UN Plaza Hotel, how are you today?" The man was smiling at her as she was still searching her handbag.

"I'm really good thank you. I'm just looking for my booking details. I can't seem to find them." Fumbling around, she started to pull out everything in her bag and place it on the desk. Her passport, purse and the perfume she had bought in the airport all ended up on the desk followed by a huge pile of paperwork that she was desperately searching through.

"Not to worry, I can look you up with your passport details. We'll get you sorted in a jiffy, then you can get up to your room. Are you here alone?" An innocent enough question, but it sent daggers through Leah's heart. She wanted to tell him the whole story, she wanted to stand there and pour her heart out and tell him all about Ireland and the amazing time she had, but she knew she shouldn't, instead she gathered her thoughts and replied, "Yeh, just me. Travelling on my own, I'm looking for an adventure."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find it here. New York is a magical city, and you're here for New Year's Eve too which will be wonderful. Perhaps you'll find a prince to kiss at midnight." He smiled, and winked as he did so, and Leah smiled back. She thought about Josh, she wasn't ready for a prince; he had been her prince and the only person she could ever imagine kissing at midnight.

After checking in, she thanked the desk clerk and made her way to the lift. He had upgraded her room for her, and said that she had a corner room with views 'to die for'. Excitedly she swiped the door card, and walked into the room. It was amazing, and she realised that he hadn't been exaggerating. There were floor to ceiling windows through which she could see what seemed like the entire city. To her left, she could see the East River, and the United Nations building, looking out over to Queens and Brooklyn across the water. To the right she could see the Empire State Building, and if she pressed against the glass slightly she could make the Chrysler building to the right.

She stood and stared, taking in every part of it. It felt surreal to be there, stood in a hotel in New York over looking Manhattan. She knew that Josh would have loved this, and he would have been excited like a small child about exploring the big city.

The rest of the room was just as impressive, with a huge bed, twice the size of her double at home, and a TV which covered the entire wall. The bathroom had black tiled floors which sparkled under the spotlights set into the ceiling, and the walls were white and pristine. There was a large roll top bath with gold taps, and fresh dressing gown and slippers hung neatly next to it.

Leah considered going straight in the bath and relaxing there for the afternoon after such a long flight, but she was too excited. She just had to get out and explore, and so she quickly got changed into fresh jeans and a t-shirt, and reached in her case for her hat and gloves. She had planned in advance for snow, and she was glad of it now.

Stepping out onto the street, the cold air hit her face, and she wrapped her coat tightly around her and headed up 44th street. Grand Central station was only a couple of blocks away, and she figured that would be a good place to start.

The city streets were relatively empty as she walked, and those who she did past kept themselves to themselves, and passed by without so much as a smile. Not letting this deter her, she kept walking, and after ten minutes or so she really Grand Central Station. The building really was bold, and it looked more like a British courthouse than it did a station. She thought of the stations near where she lived at home, and they were barely more than a bus shelter next to a train line, but this, this was amazing. She crossed the street and began to take some pictures on her phone.

People were going about their lives, walking past this amazing place as though it was the most usual thing in the world, Sarah felt envious of the people who lived here and saw this every day. After a few minutes, she stepped inside, and continued to be amazed. The station opened up into a huge room, with lights all around the ceiling edge, and the Grand Central Station Clock shone brightly above the information centre. She had only been in New York for a couple of hours, and yet she was already in love with it.

She stood for a while and took photos, snapping the clock, and the people going by. She wanted to capture every moment, every thing that she saw; she wanted to remember this trip for the rest of her life. A pang of grief shot through her as she stood there, she had thought it, and it had broken her heart, she had thought about showing her children the pictures, and describing the trip to them.

This upset her more than she could have imagined. They wouldn't be Josh's kids; they would be someone else's. She couldn't even believe she had considered a life with someone else for a second there. It caught her off guard, and she took a moment to gather her thoughts.

Shaking it off, she walked around for a few more minutes before stepping back out into the street. The air was still chilly, and there was a breeze that was picking up. It would be dark soon, and the city was beginning to light up around her.