Lisa looks at him, hearing the teasing in his voice. She finds herself struggling a little with his voice, the familiarity of it, but she can't put her finger on why. "Umm, not with random guys, no." She laughs softly. "I try not to make it a habit to pick up strangers in the mail room."
Alex chuckles. "What was different with me?" He looks at her, appreciating her sense of humor.
"You didn't laugh at me when I tripped and you gave me a ten on my performance." She shrugs. "It was cute." She grins at him.
"If you had fallen on your face, though, I would have rushed to make sure you were okay. Once I knew you were, I’d have had no qualms about pointing at you and laughing, then giving you a ten for the performance."
Lisa gasps and her head snaps to Alex. "You wouldn't!" She laughs and the tension of almost falling on her face, then her obviously checking him out fades. He gives her a comfortable feeling, almost like she’s known him all her life.
"Oh, I so would!" He chuckles as they reach the train station.
Opening the door, Alex steps out, then leans in and pays the driver. Taking Lisa’s hand, he helps her out, closing the door behind her. The train station is surrounded by many different makes and models of cars, trucks, and SUV's. People are coming and going…Wall Street traders, street vendors, families with children, and the occasional tourist.
"Well, at least I know where I stand with you then." Shaking her head, she reaches into her purse and pulls out her wallet.
"Put it away. It's my treat today. You're showing me around town. At least allow me to cover the expenses."
Lisa looks up to Alex, smiling. "Okay.” Placing her wallet back into her purse, they approach the automatic ticket dispenser. Alex pulls out his wallet and fishes out a twenty dollar bill. Feeding the money into the dispenser, he purchases two tickets. Turning to face Lisa, he hands her a ticket and their fingers brush against one another. "Thank-you Alex. How many rides do we plan on taking today?"
Smiling down at her, he says, "Who knows? We can play it by ear and see where we end up…and you're welcome, Lisa."
He looks around. The station walls are a golden brick with hanging banners from the Museum of Natural History; the ceiling is painted a mossy green with windows letting in the natural sunlight; an American flag hangs in the center of the ceiling, a matching one hanging on the wall; screens displaying the train arrivals/departures line the walls, and the information contained within those screens updating every few seconds; escalators carry passengers to and from their stops; ticket booths are set up for a more personal experience, as well as automated booths for the more experienced traveler. Alex watches a few servicemen walking with their luggage, and children stop and wave; a few others stop them to thank them for their service. Alex nods to one of them and the Marine nods back. Nearby, a hopeful musician plays his drums.
Alex shrugs. “I figured I'd get us enough, you know, just in case."
"Just in case of what?" Lisa asks him, smiling shyly.
"Just in case we end up having so much fun together that neither of us wants to return home."
Lisa blinks at him, eyebrows raising. She laughs, not able to hold it in. "Well, okay then."
Alex chuckles and they stand there for a moment longer. Hearing the sound of the oncoming train, Lisa looks towards the platform. "That's us." She looks back at him.
Placing a hand on the small of her back, he leads her forward to wait behind the yellow line. The train's horn blows as it speeds past, the wind whipping at their hair and clothes. Reaching up, she pushes a few strands behind her ear as the train begins to slow to a stop. Some people are getting off the train, some are getting on. Alex slips his hand into Lisa’s and pulls her on board. His hand tightens as they find two empty seats, Lisa taking the seat next to the window. The inside of the train is lined with pictures of the city; advertisements of restaurants, museums, attractions; and maps of each train line. Lisa watches Alex as he looks around the train, taking in all the people.
As the train takes off again, he crosses his right ankle over his left knee. Lisa glances at him, catching him looking across the aisle at the people around them. A child smiles and he winks at her. She giggles and turns to her mother. Curious, Lisa smiles and speaks softly, “That was sweet.” He turns and smiles at Lisa.
After a few stops, it’s their turn. Lisa nudges Alex. “This is us."
Alex stands up and offers his hand to her. Glancing at his hand, she smiles to herself and reaches up and takes it. Standing, she holds onto him. As they step off onto the platform of Grand Central Station, the sounds of the area fill their ears. A local band is set up, accepting tips as they play. Men and women walk through the station with their Smartphones and briefcases. Alex pulls Lisa a little closer to him, enjoying the closeness.
"Okay, so where to first?" he asks her.
"Have you ever seen the Statue of Liberty?"