“Eggs benedict, please.”
“Excellent choice, madam. May I interest you in mimosas from our bar, or fresh squeezed juice?”
Lisa smiles. “I’ll try a mimosa and a glass of ice water, please.”
“I’ll have some grapefruit juice and some ice water, as well.”
“Excellent,” Tanner replies. “I’ll be back shortly.” Turning, he leaves the terrace.
Alex looks at her. “Have you eaten here before?”
Lisa shakes her head. “No, this is a first for me. It seems nice so far.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
After the two enjoy their brunch, Alex pulls out his wallet and pays. Lisa thanks him as they stand up. She picks up her napkin, wipes the corners of her mouth, and sets her napkin down. Alex turns to face her and she giggles. “Come here.” She picks up his napkin and wipes the corner of his mouth.
“Ahh, Lisa, I was saving that for later.” She smiles, then sets down the napkin. He winks at her. “Thank-you.” Taking her hand, he leads her to the terrace exit.
~~~~~~~~~~~
They spend the day walking through the village, then take a stroll through Central Park. The sunshine provides a perfect day for an afternoon of relaxing and being lazy. “Come on. There’s something I want to show you.” Lisa leads him towards the sidewalk. She loops her hand through Alex’s arm as they walk, side-by-side. The grass is a radiant green color, and the trees sway in the gentle breeze. Families running and laughing caused them to smile. “Here it is.”
Lisa steps up to the Alice in Wonderland sculpture. The bronze sculpture has Alice forever frozen atop the giant mushroom. The March Hare and Mad Hatter are on either side of Alice, as a small cat approaches her and the Cheshire Cat watches above them. “Have you ever seen Alice in Wonderland, Alex?” Lisa turns to face him.
He shakes his head. “Unfortunately, I have not.”
“Oh, you must! It’s one of my favorite books!” Turning back to the sculpture again, Lisa begins to explain the premise of the story…how Alice fell through the looking glass in hopes of escaping her own reality. Alex watches her and smiles, enjoying her storytelling. “Another favorite place of mine is the Bow Bridge.”
“That’s a beautiful spot.” He steps closer to her as children come running to jump on the sculpture. He chuckles as he watches the children run around the sculpture playing tag.
Lisa grasps the inside of his arm as they turn to leave the area. She notices the mothers in the park eyeing Alex. She finds herself smiling, a small laugh escaping. Alex looks down at her with a raised brow. “What do you find so humorous?”
“Oh, nothing, just the way the moms in the park are eyeing you. It’s like you’re a steak and they haven’t eaten for weeks.” She giggles again. Alex shakes his head and chuckles. She’s happy to see he’s humble about the experience, rather than boosting his ego. She leans closer to him, and he pulls his arm from her grasp to wrap it around her.
Arriving at the Bow Bridge, the entrance is adorned with beautiful purple flowers and two large trees, one on either side. Looking across the bridge, trees stand on the other side of it…some with red leaves, others with green. The cast iron bridge levels up in the middle, similar to that of the bow for a violin. Stepping out onto the bridge, the circles and eight urns provide its character. Walking out towards the center of the bridge, Lisa and Alex look at the scenery. The view’s beautiful with the lush landscaping, quiet water that runs underneath it, and the sounds of nature surrounding them.
“I’ve seen this spot in many paintings and movies,” Alex tells her. “It’s pretty famous.” Lisa nods as she leans over the railing, looking down into the water. "Although the water’s depicted quite differently in the paintings compared to what we’re seeing here." Alex makes a disgusted face and turns back to Lisa.
"Many people have become engaged here,” she tells him.
He steps closer to her, his hands resting on the side of the bridge. “I can see why. It’s memorable.”
Turning to face him, she notices how the sun lightens the blue of his eyes, shines in the blond of his hair. He looks at her and smiles. Stepping closer to him, she pushes her sunglasses up on her head, her hair pushing back with them. Alex’s smile softens as he leans in and gently presses a kiss to her forehead. His arms hesitantly move round her body and pulls her closer to him. Leaning into his frame, Lisa turns her inside cheek to Alex’s body. Her nose glides gently against his neck and she closes her eyes, breathing in his scent. If sunshine could be bottled, this is what Alex would smell like. Her arms wrap around his toned waist and her hands interlace behind him. His arms wrap around her shoulders. Alex's heart gently beats beneath where her ear lies. Lisa imagines lying in bed next to him, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. Maybe in due time, she thinks. Right now, she’s just enjoying being with him.