Free Waiting For A Star To Fall (Autumn Brody Book 2) by A.C. Dillon Page B

turnaround. Tours were offered, but none were available during their stay. Andrew, of course, filmed the entire journey. Autumn suspected that as much as she hated being recorded, she wouldn't have much choice on their vacation.
    Looping north, they jumped off at the closest stop to their main destination for the day: Central Park. It wouldn't be a trip to New York without seeing it , Andrew had insisted for weeks. Autumn really couldn't argue with him, although she did issue an ultimatum: If we do it, we do ALL of it .
    First stop: the zoo. Crowded with parents and small children, Autumn still found herself amused by the notion of an animal collection tucked inside of a city brimming with concrete, cars and computer-driven signage. The penguins stole her heart, but it was the enchanted forest constructed within the Children's Zoo that held her camera lens captive.
    Keeping with the youthful spirit, they skipped along a pathway to the infamous antique Carousel. Three rides—and several wars over who was to ride which horse—later, they collapsed onto the grass nearby, basking in the sun as the calliope music lingered in the background. Few words were exchanged, but there was no need. Light touches, minimal contact and telling glances communicated all there was to say.
    Hand in hand, they headed north, lingering along The Mall as an enthusiastic group on rollerblades shot by in a flurry of colour. Stopping to take the occasional photo, their conversation drifted between flights of pop culture fancy and debating where to look for their own apartment back home (if her parents didn't lock her away).
    "Living closer to campus means more sleep," Andrew argued, waving her closer to the wall of trees for a photo.
    Obliging him with a reluctant smile, she immediately shook her head. "Downtown is great for the culture, but it's too loud. I'd rather be tucked away from the noise. Plus, it'll be cheaper to live further east or west."
    "But sleep ," Andrew insisted as she giggled. "I like sleep."
    "So do I, but how much sleep do you expect to get living near several major hospitals and a public square housing concerts year-round?"
    Andrew halted in his tracks, mulling her argument. After a long minute, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Ha. Gotcha, Daniels .
    "Can we at least be close to a subway line?" he begged.
    With a coy grin, she skipped ahead of him. "I could be persuaded."
    A chase gave way, Autumn scrambling through the heavy foot traffic to evade her boyfriend's pursuit. In the end, all of her wiles could not erase the biological realities: her legs were significantly shorter, and Andrew had been on the track team in grades seven through nine. She laughed and flailed as he seized her around the waist, spinning her around in circles.
    "I give, I give!" she squealed, playfully punching at his arms.
    "What'll you give me?" Andrew murmured, setting her down.
    If only all questions were so easy. "Everything."
    His lips found hers anew, not as much a kiss as a caress. A memorizing of the feel of her mouth, a taste drawn from a flick of his tongue.
    "I like that answer."
    West called to them, drawing them into the Shakespeare garden. Filled with the flora of the Bard's plays and peppered with bronze plaques bearing quotes from his work, Autumn found herself spinning in circles. She wanted to capture it all, carry it with her for years to come. The genius of the concept lay in its simplicity, the appeal universal. Love him or hate him, everyone knew Shakespeare.
    "It's gorgeous," she mused aloud, snapping another photo of the landscape.
    "Look over there. Random staircase."
    Autumn smirked. "I don't think there's anything random in this park. Let's check out the view."
    Jogging up the staggered steps, Autumn glanced around, inhaling the scent of what she believed were pansies. Andrew's arm encircled her waist as she studied the four-acre expanse surrounding them.
    "Thank you. This is the perfect first day of vacation."
    "You don't have