Diamonds Are Forever - Brooke St. James Page 0,38

want you to meet me there. I made reservations. I'll leave here at the end of next week and head back to the States. I'll arrive in New York on the seventeenth. The eighteenth is a Sunday. Meet me at the top of the Empire State Building on Sunday the eighteenth at 6pm. We'll stay at the Four Seasons. We'll spend a week in New York."

He paused, staring at the screen as if he was giving me time to let all of this sink in. I was thankful. I needed time to let it sink in. Both my heart and my mind were racing. I felt a wave of nauseating anxiety when it hit me that he was talking about the eighteenth of September, which might have already passed.

"Moooooommm!" Mac yelled, startling me.

I reached out and stopped the tape again, blood pumping.

"Yeah?" I said, trying to be calm.

"I'm finished!"

"Okay, good job!" I yelled.

I waited a second or two for him to say something else, and when he didn't, I reached out and press the play button again. I felt cold sweats as I watched Drew continue.

"I know it's a lot to ask. I know I'm asking you to trust me with a lot right now. I know you'll have to make plans for Mac and flight arrangements." He smiled. "But I know you can do it. I know you can find a way to get to me if you want to. So, there it is, Lucy. Please come. Please come to New York. Meet me Sunday the eighteenth at six o'clock, and spend a few days with me over there. We talked about New York. Remember that? I know you want to see all of the museums. Just stop this tape, and start making plans to get over here." He put his hands out, palms up, smiling. "I'm not changing my mind about you, so if you want me, just go to New York and get me. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, okay? I love your guts, Lucy."

And just like that, the screen flashed black for a few seconds and then went to static.

I quickly stopped the tape.

Chapter 14

I sat there for several seconds before tears sprang into my eyes. I didn't mean to start crying, but sometimes you just can't help it. I felt so many emotions. They hit me like a ton of bricks. First of all, I love your guts was something Mac and I said only to each other.

Mac heard someone say I hate your guts, and he made it up. But we only said it to each other, and I wondered if Drew knew it from Mac or if it was just coincidence. I couldn't imagine that he knew it from Mac. I also couldn’t imagine that it was a coincidence.

It didn't matter. Honestly, I was relieved that Drew had gotten in touch with me at all.

I had to figure out the date.

I went to a calendar that was hanging in the kitchen, and sure enough, today was Tuesday, September twentieth. I went to the living room and watched the tape again just to make sure that Drew was talking about the same September eighteenth that had already happened two days ago. He was.

I cried the whole time I watched it. I wasn't trying to be a baby about it. I just couldn't get the tears to stop flowing. I was relieved and desperately in love at the sight of him, and I loved the fact that he wanted to see me. And then I felt extremely angry when I realized how long it had taken for the package to get to me. My anger turned to hopelessness and fear as I imagined Drew waiting there, at top of the Empire State Building, only to have me never arrive.

I wondered how long he waited there.

I was nauseous at the thought.

All of this was going through my mind as I watched the video a third time.

I sat there after it played through.

I had no idea where to begin.

I was ready to leave on the quickest flight to New York. Part of me wanted to get into the car and drive to the airport. I could work it out with my parents and do that, no problem. But would Drew still be there? He had said we could stay a week in New York. Surely, he was there, right?

I went to the kitchen and picked up the phone, dialing 4-1-1 for information. I had