Page 32 of The One Where They Fall in Love

“I was trying to give you a compliment,Eloise,” he says, barely able to say Lucy’s nickname for me without cracking a smile.

“It didn’t sound like one.”

“Well, it’s not every day that you meet someone who can name the constellations and talk about the effect the lunar phases have on the tides.”

“Still waiting for the compliment,” I murmur, gently knocking into him.

“It’s impressive, that’s all. You and your yoga and the deep-seeded musings on the universe. You’re kind of brilliant,” he says with a shrug. We make eye contact for a second, but he quickly looks away.

I’m not sure what to make of that comment. “Thank you, I guess.”

We walk in companionable silence for a while before I speak again. “And because of my brother, I think.” Oliver scrunches his brows. “To answer your question about why I’m interested in it. I mean, I always liked it on my own, but I loved teaching Nicky about the stars and the moon. It made him so happy.” I don’t realize I’m smiling until I see a soft smile on Oliver’s face as well.

I lead us to the pier, which is a long building that stretches out into the Hudson. There are some public spaces, playgrounds, a few sports courts, and grassy areas for people to lounge on. Oliver and I stop for ice cream at one of the markets, and take it out to the end of the pier with us. I get a bit of déjà vu. I was eating ice cream withanother guy recently, and it felt very different.

Part of me really wants to understand why Oliveronlywants to be my friend. I don’t want to sound conceited, but Idothink he is attracted to me. The way he looks at me sometimes, I can see there is something more behind his eyes. I think about our moment in the coffee shop doorway, how being close to him made me…breathless. I can’t be making that up, can I?

But if heisattracted to me,whywould he want me to go out with his best friend? Why would he tell me that Henry is the best guy he knows? Honestly, it’s all a bit confusing, and I’m not sure how to handle it. It’s one of those times when having my own hype girl would be helpful. My heart aches when I think of Lucy. I miss my friend.

As the sun starts to slide behind the Jersey City skyline, I tell Oliver to look behind us, at the glow that illuminates 57th Street. I watch Oliver as he takes in the orange and yellow haze along the street. His eyes widen ever so slightly, and a contented look comes across his face. I feel a big smile squeeze my cheeks. I am so happy that he appreciates this. This isn’t a big New York City landmark or tourist trap. It’s just a small thing that makes me smile most days, and I can see it has the same effect on him. I can only hope it’s changing his mind about New York, even just a little bit.

“That is a pretty good sunset,” he says. He looks down at me, his smile growing, and I don’t look away. I feel a warmth in my chest, a burning that moves my body closer to his, just by an inch. When I notice myself gravitating towards him, I pull back and clear my throat.

“I wish it was Manhattanhenge. That would have made this way more dramatic,” I say, leaning over the rail towatch the river play with the shoreline.

“What’s that?” he asks, either ignoring or oblivious to the moment we just shared.

“It’s when the sunset lines up with all of the east-west streets of Manhattan. Like Stonehenge—”

“Shut up,” he interrupts. “That can’t be a thing!”

“It is! It happens three weeks before and after the summer solstice. If my New York City tour was a few weeks later, this could have been even more awesome.”

“There’s no way they could have planned that,” he replies, still skeptical.

“They didn’t, you goose. It’s just one of life’s coincidences.” Oliver looks at me for a moment, and I get lost in his eyes. They’re the kind of dark brown that feels like melted chocolate—a pool of it that I could drown in.

I walk over to a nearby bench, coaxing Thor to sit with me. He can’t manage the jump with his short legs, so I pick him up and hold him in my lap.

“He’s not a baby, you know,” Oliver scolds, sitting beside us.

“Do we know him, Thor? I don’t think we do,” I say in my baby voice, smushing Thor’s face between my hands. Oliver shakes his head at us. He yawns and leans forward, placing his head in his hands.

“These hours are killing you, huh?” I ask. Oliver nods, interlacing his fingers behind his neck. “I’m not sure how you’re doing this when it’s not something you’re truly passionate about. I can’t imagine losing sleep over a job unless it was a lifelong dream come true or something,” I say, ignoring my instinct to reach out and rub his back. “Actually, no, not even that could sway me from a full night’s sleep.”

Oliver turns his head towards me, still holding it with both his hands. A shy smile appears on his face. “You’re weird,” he mumbles.

“Duly noted.”

He sits back and puts his arms along the back of the bench, and his hand just barely grazes my shoulder. “It is a lifelong dream. It’s just my father’s, not mine,” he says, his voice gravelly. “I thought he was going to disown me when I didn’t match for a surgery residency.” I tilt my head at him, unsure of what that means. He clarifies, “After med school, you have to match with a hospital to do your residency.”

“Like on a dating app?”

He lets out a short laugh. “Kind of. Well, I didn’t match with anyone. I’m not the most personable guy—”

“Nooooo!” I say sarcastically. Thor licks my face, surprised by my deep voice. Oliver scowls at me. “Sorry, so how did you get here?”

“Good old Andrew Cole and his connections,” he says, flipping his hands up. “Straight-up nepotism.”