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Authors: Dara England
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bright yellow cabs zipping by on the street. I could just leave him here. I could flag down a ride and go straight back home to change my clothes and huddle under a warm blanket with Noble Hearts for the rest of the afternoon…And worry about him. I would never find him again if he became lost in this city. There was no telling what would become of him as he wandered the streets like a crazy man.
I sighed, threw my already damp hair out of my face, and hurried after him.
Chapter 10
The rain stayed light but I was drenched just the same by the time I caught up to Duke. “Couldn’t we take a cab?” I panted breathlessly after him. “One of those,” I added, pointing for emphasis to the passing taxis. He did profess, after all, never to have heard of a subway before yesterday.
“And deprive ourselves of this refreshing exercise?” He seemed to be truly enjoying himself as he strode down the sidewalk in his weird, wet outfit.
I became uncomfortably aware we were not alone. Dozens of pedestrians pushed past us on the sidewalk, umbrellas open, hurrying to get out of the rain. Even distracted as people were by the storm, Duke’s strange appearance was still collecting a number of odd glances. Did I really want to be seen with him in the subway?
We reached a busy intersection and I suddenly came out of my damp, gloomy shell to realize the “Don’t Walk” sign was lit at the crosswalk. Simultaneously, I saw that my companion had no intention of stopping.
“Duke, wait!” I cried, catching his arm and dragging him back onto the sidewalk as soon as he had set his first foot to the street. “Are you crazy? You can’t just walk out into the middle of the road!”
“Why ever not?”
On the street, the light turned and a stream of vehicles sped past.
“That’s why not.” I gestured toward the passing cars. “I don’t wonder now how you got yourself creamed the other day. You wait for the light to change to ‘Walk’ before you step into the street.”
“Really? How clever of you to know such things,” he said without irony. I couldn’t decide whether he was making fun of me or not.
The light changed and we crossed over. We were coming into a busier part of the city now. Even in the rain the sidewalks grew crowded with men and women jostling us on all sides. One woman bumped Duke as I passed.
“I beg your pardon, Madame,” he tried to say but she hurried on without letting him finish.
Duke scowled after me. “Where are all these people coming from?” he demanded quietly.
“Museums, restaurants, work. Who knows?” I wrapped my arms around myself to stave off the chill. I was shivering under my wet clothing but Duke seemed unaffected by wind or rain.
“Astonishing,” he said to my statement. “How many people live in this city?”
“I don’t know. Around half a million, I think. Close to three million if you count the greater metropolitan area.”
“Incredible.”
“No,” I said. “I’ll tell you what’s incredible. Incredible is me walking down the sidewalk with you in the middle of a rainstorm when there are perfectly good shops and restaurants all around where we could wait out the weather. Incredible is you not being ashamed to be seen walking down a busy street in the broad light of day wearing nothing but a short dress and some thin scrubs. That’s what’s incredible.”
Even as I spoke, I seized his elbow and dragged him, protesting, out of the stream of pedestrians.
“What…Where…” he exclaimed, but I ignored his questions and pulled him through the doorway of the nearest clothing shop.
“I’m not wandering the rainy streets another minute with you in that getup. We’re buying you an ordinary set of clothes.”
I led the way to the men’s department, ignoring the pointed stares of the store’s clerks as we left a trail of wet footprints across the carpet. In a few minutes, I had gathered the first men’s T-shirt I saw and a pair of denim jeans that looked
I sighed, threw my already damp hair out of my face, and hurried after him.
Chapter 10
The rain stayed light but I was drenched just the same by the time I caught up to Duke. “Couldn’t we take a cab?” I panted breathlessly after him. “One of those,” I added, pointing for emphasis to the passing taxis. He did profess, after all, never to have heard of a subway before yesterday.
“And deprive ourselves of this refreshing exercise?” He seemed to be truly enjoying himself as he strode down the sidewalk in his weird, wet outfit.
I became uncomfortably aware we were not alone. Dozens of pedestrians pushed past us on the sidewalk, umbrellas open, hurrying to get out of the rain. Even distracted as people were by the storm, Duke’s strange appearance was still collecting a number of odd glances. Did I really want to be seen with him in the subway?
We reached a busy intersection and I suddenly came out of my damp, gloomy shell to realize the “Don’t Walk” sign was lit at the crosswalk. Simultaneously, I saw that my companion had no intention of stopping.
“Duke, wait!” I cried, catching his arm and dragging him back onto the sidewalk as soon as he had set his first foot to the street. “Are you crazy? You can’t just walk out into the middle of the road!”
“Why ever not?”
On the street, the light turned and a stream of vehicles sped past.
“That’s why not.” I gestured toward the passing cars. “I don’t wonder now how you got yourself creamed the other day. You wait for the light to change to ‘Walk’ before you step into the street.”
“Really? How clever of you to know such things,” he said without irony. I couldn’t decide whether he was making fun of me or not.
The light changed and we crossed over. We were coming into a busier part of the city now. Even in the rain the sidewalks grew crowded with men and women jostling us on all sides. One woman bumped Duke as I passed.
“I beg your pardon, Madame,” he tried to say but she hurried on without letting him finish.
Duke scowled after me. “Where are all these people coming from?” he demanded quietly.
“Museums, restaurants, work. Who knows?” I wrapped my arms around myself to stave off the chill. I was shivering under my wet clothing but Duke seemed unaffected by wind or rain.
“Astonishing,” he said to my statement. “How many people live in this city?”
“I don’t know. Around half a million, I think. Close to three million if you count the greater metropolitan area.”
“Incredible.”
“No,” I said. “I’ll tell you what’s incredible. Incredible is me walking down the sidewalk with you in the middle of a rainstorm when there are perfectly good shops and restaurants all around where we could wait out the weather. Incredible is you not being ashamed to be seen walking down a busy street in the broad light of day wearing nothing but a short dress and some thin scrubs. That’s what’s incredible.”
Even as I spoke, I seized his elbow and dragged him, protesting, out of the stream of pedestrians.
“What…Where…” he exclaimed, but I ignored his questions and pulled him through the doorway of the nearest clothing shop.
“I’m not wandering the rainy streets another minute with you in that getup. We’re buying you an ordinary set of clothes.”
I led the way to the men’s department, ignoring the pointed stares of the store’s clerks as we left a trail of wet footprints across the carpet. In a few minutes, I had gathered the first men’s T-shirt I saw and a pair of denim jeans that looked
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