Chapter 27: Connection
"One if by Land, Two if by Sea," at 17 Barrow Street, was the restaurant Bruce had booked for his New Year's Eve dinner with Grace.
With the holiday approaching, Bruce had called dozens of places only to hear they were fully booked. Just as he resigned himself to settling for some chain restaurant, he remembered his alma mater—New York University.
Back when he was a student, several restaurants near campus had become regular spots. On a whim he flipped through the Yellow Pages, found a few numbers, and started calling.
All the earlier calls ended with the same response: fully booked. When he finally reached the restaurant famous for being "one of the most romantic in New York," he expected nothing, but someone had just cancelled their reservation. Bruce jumped on it immediately.
Dusk settled over the city, the sky heavy with the threat of snow. As Bruce drove across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the lights of New York Harbor glittered along the water like scattered diamonds.
The car descended from the bridge onto Main Street on Roosevelt Island and stopped at number 560.
He parked, took a breath of the cold river air, and pressed the intercom outside her building. Grace's voice came through: "Bruce, is that you?"
"Yep. Ready to go?"
"Absolutely—be right down!"
Moments later she appeared at the entrance. Bruce flashed the headlights; Grace walked over, opened the door, and brought in a rush of cold air mixed with a hint of perfume.
She slipped off her coat and tossed it onto the back seat, revealing a fitted black turtleneck, dark-wash skinny jeans, sleek black ankle boots, and a loosely draped burgundy scarf. The dim interior light highlighted her cheekbones.
Bruce smiled. "Wow, Grace, you look absolutely stunning!"
Grace laughed. "Thank you! You clean up pretty well yourself."
"I figured tonight deserved the effort. I'm really glad we're doing this."
Grace settled into her seat. "Me too. So where exactly are we going?"
Bruce pulled back onto the road. "It's a surprise, but I promise you'll love it. It's supposed to be incredibly romantic."
"Ooh, mysterious! I like it."
As they drove toward Manhattan, Grace asked, "So how's the writing going? Still working on that sequel?"
"Yeah, finished the outline. Should have the full script done in the next few days. The money from the first one actually helped me buy this car."
"That's amazing! Your career is really taking off."
"Thanks. What about you—how's work been?"
Grace leaned back in her seat. "Busy, but good. The holidays always bring in more clients. Everyone wants to look perfect for New Year's parties."
"Well, you definitely succeeded tonight."
Grace smiled, then looked at him thoughtfully. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Your mom mentioned something at Christmas that got me curious. She said your personality changed a lot recently—like you became more confident, more focused. What happened?"
Bruce kept his eyes on the road, choosing his words carefully. "I guess I just finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life. When you spend so much time unsure about your direction, and then suddenly it all clicks into place... it changes you."
"That makes sense. You do seem different from when we first met—in a good way."
"Different how?"
"More sure of yourself. Like you know exactly where you're going. It's attractive."
Bruce felt his pulse quicken. "Well, I'm glad you think so."
They drove in comfortable silence for a moment before Grace spoke again. "You know what's funny? We're both Americans trying to figure out who we are. We grew up in American schools, speaking English, but there's still this whole other heritage that's part of us."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes I feel caught between two worlds."
"You're probably better than you think. Language is like riding a bike—it comes back with practice."
"Maybe. What about you? Your English and French seemed pretty good at Christmas."
Bruce shrugged. "I've been working on it. Figured if I'm going to write stories, understanding different perspectives and cultures can only help."
"That's really thoughtful. Most people our age don't bother."
"Well, it's part of who I am, you know? Seems wrong to just ignore it."
Grace studied him. "You're full of surprises, Bruce White."
"Is that a good thing?"
"Definitely a good thing."
As they continued toward the restaurant, the city lights grew brighter. Grace asked, "So can you at least tell me what kind of food we're having?"
"American fine dining. They're known for their romantic atmosphere—candlelight, intimate setting, the works."
"Sounds perfect."
"That's what I was hoping for."
Grace reached over and squeezed his hand briefly. "Thank you for planning this. It really means a lot."
Bruce felt warmth spread through his chest. "Thanks for saying yes."
As they pulled up to the restaurant, Grace's eyes widened. "Oh wow, I've heard of this place! How did you manage to get a reservation on New Year's Eve?"
"Sheer luck and perfect timing. Someone cancelled right when I called."
"Well, I'm impressed. This is going to be an amazing night."
Bruce parked the car and turned to her with a smile. "It already is."
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