Page 36 of Wife By Accident

“I love that bagel place,” Leo said. “Everyone does — it’s the best in the city. After I started coming regularly, Igor got to know me and offered to serve me right out the window so I didn’t have to wait for ages in line.”

“Wow,” Olivia shook her head. “I’d never even think to ask for something like that.”

“Ask and you shall receive,” Leo quoted.

“Maybe if you’re rich.” Olivia glanced at him. “Anyway, aren’t we going to eat?”

“We are, but not quite yet,” Leo said. “We have a destination breakfast this morning.”

“All right then.”

After just a few blocks of walking, the city gave way to rolling green grass, tall trees, and winding paths. They were in Central Park. Olivia spotted a bench in the near distance and was about to suggest they go there, when a carriage pulled up in front of them. It was shiny and black, and it looked as if it had rolled straight out of the 1800s. The carriage was drawn by two white horses with shiny coats and bright eyes.

“Right on time,” Leo said appreciatively.

“Of course, sir.” The driver opened the door to the carriage, and Leo held out a hand to help Olivia in. She took it and climbed the steps, sitting on the wide, padded seat at the back of the open-topped carriage.

“Is this the destination you mentioned?” she whispered.

“It is. The best way to see Central Park is by horse-drawn carriage. And it’s the best view for our breakfast.”

As the driver coaxed the horses on and they started clopping down the wide path, Leo opened the bag and handed Olivia a smaller bag and a coffee in a paper cup. The smaller bag contained an everything bagel filled with what tasted like garlic cream cheese. The coffee was perfectly sweet and creamy, just how Olivia liked it.

“Yum,” Olivia said.

“Exactly. There’s a reason it’s my usual.”

Down the path they went. Olivia marveled at the lake, the small zoo, and the playground filled with laughing children. Central Park was a real oasis amidst the bustle of the city, and she loved it. It reminded her of the wide Idaho farmland near where she’d grown up. A few times, she spotted images (a nest of birds above a picnicking family, a single red flower amidst a sea of white ones, a squirrel leaping from a narrow stone wall to a low branch) that she would have liked to photograph. It was an encouraging realization.

The carriage stopped at the far side of the park just after they’d finished their breakfast.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going next?” Olivia asked.

“What do you think?”

“I think you’re going to try to be all mysterious again,” Olivia teased.

“It’s working, isn’t it? Or did you dislike the carriage and bagels?”

“I didn’t mind them,” Olivia said primly, raising her chin to make Leo laugh. It worked, and warmth surged through her chest.

“Then let me lead the way,” Leo instructed. They set off on foot again, just a few blocks this time, and entered a building. Olivia scanned the directory by the elevator for a sign of what they might be doing. Laser tag? French cooking classes? A spa afternoon? They didn’t stop at any of those, though. Instead, they rode to the top floor, and the elevator doors opened onto the roof.

Olivia’s jaw dropped. A helicopter, an honest-to-goodness helicopter, was waiting for them on a helipad on top of the building. A man in a uniform smiled as they approached.

“Is this… Are we…” Olivia found herself speechless.

“I hope you aren’t afraid of heights,” Leo said.

“I’m not. I just can’t believe this. I’ve never been in a helicopter before.”

“Well, you told me you wanted to see all the sights,” Leo reminded her. “This is the best way. Trust me.”

“I’ll try.”

They got into the helicopter, fastened their seatbelts, and put on headphones. Then the helicopter lifted off the rooftop, and the city fell away beneath them. Gone was the noise of the streets, replaced by the thwack of the helicopter blades. As they rose, an air current jolted the helicopter, and Olivia instinctively reached for Leo. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“This is completely normal,” he told her through their headphones’ intercom.