Modern Romance: NYC  

“I’ll be wearing black, so it’ll be easy to spot me,” Sue said toward the end of our first call.

“OK, I’ll be in black and white, so I should also be easy to find,” Hank said.

“Maybe you don’t know New York very well. Everyone wears black. Especially women wear black, so that was a small joke. No one in New York wears any white in autumn.”

“Yes, I knew it was a joke, so it was black-and-white back at you, as in old movies. You said you had a background in films.”

“Clever, but sly. At least you’re a cute sneak, judging from your photo on Match. Thank you for introducing me to Jim Hall. ‘Deep in a Dream’ was a delightful selection. I love delicate and evocative guitar playing.  I’ll send your first song via email: Sara Bareilles’ ‘Gravity.’”

Thanks. I’m looking forward to that and to meeting you on Saturday,” Hank said.

 Hank arrived early at the French restaurant he’d chosen on the West side of midtown New York, checked in with the hostess, took a seat at the bar, and ordered a Sancerre. He spotted Sue in the bar mirror as soon as she entered. She was tall, maybe six feet, slim, and with wavy dark brown hair. After speaking to the Maître D, she turned toward the bar and cast a radiant smile in Hank’s direction.  

“You really are in black and white!” she exclaimed as she reached the bar and took a seat next to him.

“As I said, I would be,” he said. “Can I order you a glass of Sancerre? Our table’s not ready for another half hour.”

“Sure, that’d be great.”

He gazed at her in the mirror as he ordered the wine. She was younger-looking than he expected and stunning but in a shy, nervous way. She was wearing a simple black dress with a white scarf, complementing his black cashmere sport coat, white shirt, and dark grey slacks. He hoped his nervous anticipation wasn’t too evident.

“True confession: I Googled you. Thanks for giving me your last name on the phone the other day, Sue.”

“Again, you prove yourself to be a cunning guy. I’m going to have to be careful around you. And, you never told me your last name.”

“You seem to be very accomplished at film editing. You’ve tons of work out there, though most are indie films.”

“Hmmm. Pumping me for information, but I still don’t know your last name.”

“Sorry, I tend not to say it too early when I meet people because then they think that it’s my first name. My name’s Hank Terry, and if you want to Google me, ‘Hank Terry, economist’ works.”

“Interesting. You’d think that with a name like Susan Robin, I’d have thought to hold back my last name also. But, hey, we both have two first names. That’s karma, no?”

“Yes, of a sort,” he said, laughing. “Yes, I sometimes even have people I’ve known for a long time call me ‘Terry.’”

“I know! I hate it when that happens. Last week, I was called ‘Robin’ by my hairdresser. I should book my appointments as ‘Susan R.’ Also, someone in my Ph.D. program did the same thing recently.” 

“Sorry. But how is your Ph.D. in Education coming along? That’s a major shift in careers.”

“What I like most is working with children. I’m enjoying my part-time job teaching first graders. I just love seeing life through their eyes. They’re so fresh, so innocent. The Ph.D. itself is going fine, but lots of work.”

“Cool. Maybe you can become a principal at a lower school and do substitute teaching from time to time? Or, stay in academia and still have a teaching gig.”

“I’ve not sorted that out yet, I admit.”

“Though you’ve a lot of credits for film editing, you seem to have only one screenplay, so I put Ledge of Fear at the top of my Netflix list.”

“Let me make this very clear and simple. If you watch Ledge of Fear, I’ll never speak to you again.”

“Gee, Sue, I’m getting the vague impression you don’t want me to watch your film.”

“It’s totally humiliating to be associated with something so appallingly bad. There’s a long, interesting story behind it, but I’ll only relay it if you don’t watch it!”

“OK. That’s straightforward. I’ll delete it from my list.”

“And what about you, Dr. Economist? Tell me about your work.”

“Why don’t I pay up here, and we can go to our table?”

As they got seated, he replied, “Well, you know, I’m an economist working at an insurance company…so, before your eyes roll too far back in your head, all I can say is, I find it very interesting.”

“Yes, but what do you do?”

“We do PR, strategic, and marketing support. So, for me, a lot of writing, editing, forecasting, learning about how insurance markets work, and speaking at conferences and with clients. I sometimes deal with the press as part of the PR work. So, I’m often a talking head with my name and my company’s name underneath.”

Sue Googles him, “OK. Yes. There you are on Bloomberg. I’ll watch it later. You’re overly modest. And your personal life, have you ever been married?”

“Married twice, divorced twice, one daughter each marriage. No regrets. You?”

“You’ve said that line before.”

“I have.”

“As for me, I was married, but it wasn’t working. However, we remain friends.”

For Hank, the evening was exciting. Sue was intelligent, interesting, engaging, and very pretty. She liked to tease but only in a fun way. He couldn’t believe his luck when she said that she was also eager to meet again. 

“That was a delightful dinner. I’m so glad we met,” Hank said. “I’d like to meet again, and I don’t know about you, but I’m looking for a long-term relationship with full commitment. But, first, it’d be smart, of course, to get to know each other better.”

“That’s so funny – and charming – that you mention that. I wanted to bring up the same topic. Yes. I also am looking for something long-term. So, we’ve that in common also.”

“Great! Unfortunately, I’ve a lot of work-related travel coming up. I’m in Beijing and Australia over the Thanksgiving holidays. Then off to London and Zurich the following weekend,” he said.

“I fly out Friday, return on Tuesday the 30th. I’ll miss my kids, but I need to see my father. He’s having an operation,” she said.

“Well, that’s certainly important. I hope all goes well. Unfortunately, it looks like the earliest we can reconnect is Saturday the 11th of December. Does that work for you?” Hank said. 

“Yes, I have it on my calendar already, and I’m looking forward to it.”

They gathered their things and headed out onto the street. Hank hailed a cab for her. After it arrived, as he held the door open, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly on the lips, startling him.

“Ooh. I see you’re not used to PDA,” she smiled, got in the cab, and waved as it pulled away.

He had to admit he was blushing a bit; he wasn’t used to public displays of affection. But the evening had gone exceedingly well. He decided to stay in touch via email and phone calls while they both traveled.

#

The trip to Sydney and Beijing went well for Hank. He had a little extra time in Sydney, so he went to his favorite museums, The Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Museum of Contemporary Art. As always, he walked everywhere. It’s a healthy way to get around and very doable in downtown Sydney. Beijing was almost entirely working, but he squeezed in enough time to go to the Pearl Market to buy some jewelry for his daughters. The Pearl Market is a big, sprawling indoor market housed in one building in the Chongwen District of Beijing. The merchants sell electronics, T-shirts, handicrafts, shoes, clothes, food, toys, and lots of jewelry, especially pearls. The pearls are mostly freshwater cultured pearls, but they still look pretty and come in various colors – pink, white, black. He’d already bought his daughters white and black necklaces on an earlier trip, so he opted for coral for Zora, a favorite of hers, and a mixed stone necklace for Jenna. He’d look for an additional gift in the US when he got back. He thought about getting something for Sue but decided the inexpensive pearl strands wouldn’t do.

#

While Hank traveled, he stayed in touch with Sue through amusing, bantering emails. Also, they traded songs: he sent Chet Baker and Keely Smith. She sent Fiona Apple’s ‘Criminal,’ Norah Jones singing ‘A Foggy Day in London Town,’ and Amy Winehouse’s ‘Rehab.’ Amy and Fiona were a challenge for him but the Norah tune was familiar.

One of Hank’s emails caused upset. Hank had forgotten that after he’d scheduled the first date with Sue, but before they met, he’d accepted a third date with someone who had bought tickets for them at a Carnegie Hall concert. When his email revealed this, Sue wasn’t impressed and let him know in her responding email. So, Hank phoned her from his hotel in Zurich.

“Sue, it’s Hank. Do you have time to talk?”

“Oh, yes. It’s nice that you’re honest and open, and, of course, there’s no obligation, but I thought we had an understanding, and that was reinforced – for me – by the emails and phone calls. Now, I hear you have a Match date on the day before we meet at the Algonquin. Why don’t you just take Emily there also? I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable on Saturday thinking that you were comparing me to her.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t clear. I’m only interested in you. The person I’ll see on Friday is someone I’ve been out with twice. I met her before I met you, we went on two dates, and she then bought concert tickets for us at Carnegie Hall on the 10th.”

“Hmmm. She must really like you.”

“Perhaps, but when I met you, I was smitten. I still am, but I figured the odds of you being interested in me were at most 10% – despite some positive signals from you. I’m flabbergasted and flattered you’re attracted to me.”

“You’ve no clue how attractive you are. I find you irresistible.”

“Thank you. You’re very kind, but you’re younger, beautiful, you’ve done some exciting things in your life, and you continue to do valuable and fascinating work. After my second date with Emily, she bought the tickets. Now that I know you’re interested in me, I’ll phone Emily and clarify that I’ve met someone, but I’d like to be friends if she’s agreeable. She may choose not to see me. That’s fair also. But, to reiterate, it’s you, only you, I’m interested in.”

“From my viewpoint,” Sue said, “I’m just not willing to return to duplicitous relationships filled with the accompanying anger and upset.”

“Agreed. I’ve been there also. All I can say is that I’ll always be honest and faithful as long as we’re together.”

“OK. Thank you for that. I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

“No. Perfectly understandable. It was a poorly written email. Look, we clearly could benefit from some more time together. If you’re available, we could also meet on the 9th, if you like.”

“I thought that was the day you were returning from London?”

“It is, but I arrive back early and can recover in the afternoon. How about a light dinner and an early evening? It’d be super to catch up and see each other, rather than phone calls and emails. How about Mexican food and we can meet at 7 p.m.?”

“Great. I love Mexican food. Until then.”

After hanging up, Hank breathed a sigh of relief. To celebrate, he drank a whiskey from the minibar before going to bed.

#

The work and travel made the days pass quickly. The emails involved a lot of teasing and chatting and usually included the exchange of songs. He sent some more Chet and Les Paul with Mary Ford singing “Prisoner of Love.” She responded with more of Sara B. and Amy W. 

The 9th came, and predictably, the Mexican place was packed, but they had a reservation, and the hostess found a reasonably quiet table on the upper floor.

 “How’d your talk go in London?”

“It went well. Only one person fell asleep out of 20. I’ve found that five percent of the audience will invariably be asleep soon after I start talking.”

“That’s impressive! I’m so happy for you that it was only five percent. The real statistic is that 20% of the population are sleep-deprived, so you kept 75% of those souls awake. You should be basking in the glory of your almost-snooze-free event.”

“I like your way of looking at it. Hey, I’ve been trying to find Ledge of Fear – the book, not the movie – to read, but failing miserably.”

“Ack! If you’re sure you want to read it, maybe I’ll lend you a copy. Ledge of Fear began as a tender story about an obscure folk singer, Amelia Desert. It should never have been a film, but the shame is that the film didn’t reflect Amelia’s life the way she saw it. Sad. She was more invested in the project than I was, and it came out badly. She liked my script because it was her story, but the director made the film he wanted, focusing more on her life’s negative parts. The book, as well as the movie, has some ugly scenes.”

“For us,” she continued, “I’d hope we can stay in a more peaceful place. I’ve had enough anger and upset in my life and don’t care to go down that path again.”

“I agree. I’m the same way.”

“Which reminds me, I hope you found time to have some fun in London?”

“Yes, I saw some friends on Friday night and went to the Tate Britain on Saturday but flew back to Zurich and worked on Sunday. You?”

“Well, mostly work, work, work, but the students in my program had a party last night. They take any excuse to have a party, and it was Megan’s birthday. The other students are so accepting of me, even though I’m much older. It’s so sweet.”

“Maybe that’s because you look so young and are young at heart.”

“Thank you. You are adorable. Anyway, it was amusing and a good break from all the coursework.”

“I almost hate to bring it up, but I did talk to Emily, and she still wants to meet tomorrow and seems amenable to being friends.”

“OK. Don’t have too much fun tomorrow.”

“Absolutely. No fun whatsoever. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Guaranteed.”

“That’s good to hear.”

This time the PDA came before Hank could call a cab. Sue hugged him and gave him a long lingering kiss, followed by a strong hug and a sigh.

“It’s good to know the physical attraction is there, also,” she said.

As they separated, he said, “Agreed. I’ll see you at the Algonquin on Saturday.”

“I’ll bring my favorite Dorothy Parker quotes. Until the 11th, my loveable economist.”

#

As was his custom, Hank reached the Algonquin early. In working for a Swiss insurance company, Hank had learned to be overly punctual, arriving promptly everywhere. To his surprise, Sue showed up only moments after he sat down.

“So, I forgot to ask about your father on Thursday. Jetlag, I guess. How did his operation go?”

“Everything went fine. It was good to be with my Dad, helping him to recuperate from the surgery. Also, my sister stopped by for a day with her two sons. So, it was great to catch up with her. We don’t see each other often. My nephews are both musical, so they gave us a concert. Alex, the older one, played the piano and Michael the violin. To top it off, my Dad’s become somewhat more liberal as he ages, so the family get-togethers go a lot more smoothly these days. I’m not sure why he’s evolved, but it’s so pleasant because we can talk about politics and not just about the weather.”

“Yes, several days talking only about the weather, especially in New Mexico, could be a bit dry. Does the weather ever change?”

“That was an awful pun.’

“Agreed. Sorry.”

“Occasionally, one does see a cloud. Sometimes it rains.”

“I know, my mother used to live in Santa Fe, and I went there regularly, sometimes with my two daughters.”

“Oh, yes, tell me about your daughters!”

“I always say: ‘My two top accomplishments in life are Zora and Jenna,’” he said while holding up his right hand and counting off the achievements with his fingers.

“That’s sweet.”

“They’re doing extremely well. They both did well with their first degrees and seem to have no trouble finding jobs. So, no worries for Dad! We get along well. I took them on some holidays after my divorce so they could get to know each other better since they’re six years apart. The younger one hates it when I tease her, so I’m trying to cut back on that. In any case, she’s learned to push back, while Zora ignores me when I tease. I mean it to be humorous, but sometimes it may have some bite. That reminds me. Zora will be visiting me this coming week for two whole days, which is quite a treat for me. I was able to get a couple of tickets to Fela! so we’ll be able to see that together.”

“I enjoyed that play. It’s so vibrant! I hope Zora enjoys it also.”

“How about you? Did you ever want to have kids?”

“No, I never had that as a goal, and my former husband and I were very consumed with work at the time.”

“Shame. I’m sure you’d have been an amazing mother.”

“Thank you. That’s very generous of you to say that.”

Hank and Sue listened to the singer, who was perhaps beyond her prime but singing delightful Christmas tunes.

Afterward, outside, Hank commented, “I’m not sure about the chanteuse, but the food and company were splendid.”

“Oh, she was fun. But I must admit I’m tired, so I need to get home and get some sleep. I’m glad we can look forward to seeing each other next Friday. You’re coming to my place, and I’ll pretend to make dinner for us. Afterwards, we’ll watch Wall Street and you can explain all the financial dealings to me. Bring your pajamas. That’s the only way to watch a movie at home.”

“Oookaay. I like that. Pajamas. Noted.”

“And a final Dorothy P quote for you: ‘Brevity is the soul of lingerie.’ Think about it.”

“I am. Definitely.”

And then another very long kiss, and she was gone.

#

            During the week, Zora came to New York from Philadelphia where she was studying to get her MBA. Hank and she enjoyed Fela! and had a second night together at a restaurant. Hank was pleased to learn that everything was going well for her in her studies. He was also delighted to see how happy she was when she talked about her latest boyfriend and he told Zora he hoped it proved to be everything she wished for.

#

The weekend finally arrived. Hank had been careful to check in with Sue during the week because she seemed anxious about cooking. Before going to her apartment on the Upper West Side, he was to pick up some salmon from his local fish market. It was a cold, clear evening, so he took the subway up to Columbus Circle and walked the rest of the way. New York at night in winter is magical and that’s how Hank felt. The crowd at the Circle was much more friendly and festive than usual. New York at its best. Sue’d even gotten tickets to Dizzy’s for next week for them, so there was that to look forward to also.

After reaching her floor, he saw her door was ajar, so he knocked and entered. She rushed over to him and greeted him with a delightful kiss and hug.

“What a lovely welcome. Thank you! Here’s the fish, and I’m happy to help with the cooking. I’m a decent cook, you know.”

“I bet you are, among other talents. Thanks for getting the salmon. I’m just going to cook it en papillote with some fennel, zucchini, with some lemon slices and dill on top. We’ll have some sautéed potatoes on the side. Does that sound good?”

“It sounds way better than good. I thought you implied you didn’t know how to cook?”

“It’s a very simple recipe. You can slice the fennel and the zucchini, and I’ll work on the paper casing and potatoes.”

They happily prepared the meal and sat down to eat.

“This is delicious! I’ll have to invite you to my place to reciprocate.”

“I’ve some errands to run in the morning and need to work on Sunday, but tomorrow evening should work.”

“Great! I have some errands also, so that works well. If you’ve time, there’s an exhibit at the Rubin Museum I’d like to see, and there’re a lot of good restaurants nearby. So we could go from there to my place for dinner.”

“OK. That should work.”

“What work do you have on Sunday?”

“My old job is calling me back. A dear friend has asked me to review the screen edits for a Hollywood musical, and I hate editing musicals. But I’m needed to give guidance on what might be cut to tighten the storyline.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“I shouldn’t complain. I’m sure it’ll be fun, but it does distract from my studies.”

“Hopefully, it pays well.”

“Spoken like an economist!”

As a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sue’d obtained a DVD of Wall Street. Hank’s job was to provide all the financial guidance about the movie while Sue and he watched it. They got through about half the film before they realized the bedroom would be a more appropriate place than the couch for lovemaking. 

#

Over breakfast, they watched the rest of the movie and plotted their day.

“Well, I must say that was probably the most fabulous evening I’ve ever had last night,” Hank said. “Delicious dinner too.”           

Sue smiled, “Likewise.”

“We can meet at the tapas place I mentioned for lunch. Does 1 p.m. work?”

“Definitely. If I think I’ll be late, I’ll text you.”

“One neat thing about the Rubin is that it never seems to be crowded, and it’s always relaxing.”

“I’ve never been, so I’m looking forward to it.”

“Cool. Gotta run, but not before saying goodbye.” He gave her a big hug and a gentle kiss and was out the door.

#

Hank reached the tapas place first and found a quiet table at the back.

“So, a New Yorker who hasn’t been to the Rubin?” he asked.

“No. It’s funny how if you can always visit a place locally, you end up putting it off indefinitely.”

“Yes, I’ve only been a couple of times. They have music events from time to time. I recently went with a friend to hear Meg Okura and her Chamber jazz ensemble. They play jazz with an Asian theme. It was outstanding!”

“I’m sorry I missed it. I’ve heard Okura perform. Though her training is in classical music, her jazz violin playing defines her. It’s extraordinary.”

#

They finished up their tapas and wine and headed over to the Rubin. The special exhibit wasn’t exceptional, but Hank enjoyed seeing it and the permanent collection through Sue’s eyes. She was much more methodical than he at admiring the artifacts. Hank looked at everything, but often superficially to get a feel for the museum experience rather than specific works of art. She carefully evaluated some select pieces and spent a long time in the Tibetan Shrine room. Afterward, they headed into the gift shop to search for gifts. Hank needed to get more Christmas gifts for his daughters, while Sue wanted to purchase some things for her nephews.

“Thanks for your help on the gifts for my daughters. I never quite know what to get them.”

“And thank you for your help! Unfortunately, I still ended up getting them musical things, but hopefully, they’ll like them.”

After paying, they headed over to Hank’s apartment, with its spacious view of the Hudson River, downtown New York skyline, and the Statue of Liberty in the distance. Hank fixed sole piccata, potato slices fried in olive oil, asparagus, and for dessert, his specialty, pear wedges sautéed in white wine and Cointreau, garnished with cinnamon and lime zest. After eating and washing the dishes, they went to the bedroom for some more intimacy.

The following day, Sue seemed a little agitated.

“Hank, I need to get back to my place and get to work on this musical.”

“No breakfast?”

“No, I often skip it, and the dinner was fantastic last night, so I’m not feeling hungry.”

“OK. I’ll get in touch later to see how you’re doing. And we have Dizzy’s to look forward to on Thursday.”

She gave him a quick hug and was out the door. Later that day, he emailed her but got no response. She often replied late at night. When on Monday morning he hadn’t heard from her, he texted her. Still no response. That evening he phoned and left a message when she didn’t pick up. Finally, she called on Tuesday evening.

“Sue, I’m so glad you phoned. I was getting worried about you. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. But I don’t know about us. On Sunday, when I got home, I felt sad and empty. I realized later that I felt ambivalent about our relationship. I’m not sure why. I’m also not sure about seeing you at Dizzy’s this week.”

“Wow. I’m sorry to hear that. Sometimes, we feel ambivalent and get over it. So, take your time and let me know. I had a marvelous time on Saturday and Sunday and very much enjoyed your company. Thanks again for the gift suggestions for my daughters. I think they’ll like them a lot.”

“No problem. Thanks for being understanding.”

Hank was a bit in shock. He’d thought all was going well. What had he missed? Hank decided to set it all aside for the time being and not think about it. It’d work out, or it wouldn’t.

#

On Wednesday evening, Hank met some friends at a local bar and had a good time. Life goes on. The more he thought about Sue, the more he realized that their relationship was unlikely to work out. He’d a fun, playful weekend while she felt ‘sad and empty.’ Such a vast difference of viewpoint on the same weekend didn’t bode well for a lasting relationship. When he got home, he was startled to get a call from Sue.

“Hi Hank, I’ve been thinking, and maybe we could meet at Dizzy’s tomorrow.”

“Ummm. I just don’t get it. Before the weekend, you seemed so positive about me and us. Then, we have what I thought was a lovely weekend together, and you suddenly feel empty about me. What were all the positive comments? A pretense?”

“You sound like you’ve been drinking.”

“Yes, I have. I was out with friends and just got back. And I know that doesn’t help with my anger. I’m sorry, but I feel betrayed. And I can’t understand what I’ve done.”

“You remember? We talked about anger. We both agreed that we wanted to put those kinds of relationships behind us.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“I think this ends it for us.”

“Yes, I understand.”