“I’ll give you my Saks’ Fifth Avenue charge card. It seems to work with all the rest of the women in my life.”
“S’okay. I don’t expect Saks will stock my taste in clothes, anyway.” She mumbled, starting to rip at the napkin she had placed in her lap.
Philip’s eyes softened, as he saw her sad expression.
“I never got to tell you how sorry I was about last year. I know that Olivia and I didn’t treat you as well as we should have, and I know that I neglect you sometimes. I’m not going to go into all the reasons why it’s hard for me, and I’m certainly not going to talk about how difficult things have been between your mother and me. But I’m going to try, okay? I’m going to do my best to be a better father.”
Hanna couldn’t meet his eyes. “Okay.”
She looked down at her burger, picking it up and taking a huge bite, glad to have a diversion. No matter what her father said, or did, or tried to do, there was always a little part of her that would doubt him. Hanna wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to change that.
ON HER SECOND DAY in New York, she took a trip to Columbia University to meet Richard Larsen for coffee. Since October, she had been exchanging emails with him regularly. When she told him she was coming to Manhattan, he suggested a meet-up.
It was a clear, bitterly cold day, and Hanna decided to take a hike up to the academic acropolis of Morningside Heights. When she got there, she spotted Richard standing on the steps, his blue woolen pea coat buttoned up to the top, a striped scarf hooked around his neck. Hanna stopped for a moment, feeling suddenly shy. Should she go and hug him, or would he be expecting a pretentious air kiss? Maybe a handshake would suffice.
Then he saw her, and his face erupted into a huge smile. All thoughts of embarrassment left her mind, and she ran over to him, throwing her arms around him. “Oh my God, it’s so good to see you.”
Richard hugged her tightly. “It’s great to see you, too.”
“Thank you so much for meeting me. I’m so happy to see a friendly face.”
“I was going to suggest we hang out on the Low Steps, but it’s way too cold. Let’s go get a coffee in the diner instead.” Throwing an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her to his side as they started to walk. “There’s a coffee shop in the library, but I thought you might like Tom’s Restaurant better.”
“Why’s that?” Hanna asked.
“You’ll see.” Richard started humming under his breath as they walked down the street, so quietly that Hanna couldn’t quite hear the tune.
As soon as they turned the corner onto Broadway, she realized what he was singing.
“Hey! That’s Tom’s Diner from that Suzanne Vega video.” The corners of Hanna’s mouth turned up as she looked at the stone and glass façade. “I love that song.”
Richard took her hand and pulled her through the open door. The warmth of the diner contrasted sharply with the freezing outside air.
“You know, this is the second time in two days I’ve been in a diner.”
“Welcome to New York.”
“Can I get you a drink?” The waitress asked, putting napkins down on the table.
Richard glanced up. “I’ll take a coffee.”
“Could you make that two, please?” Hanna added, watching the waitress as she walked over to the filter machine.
“So, how’s the visit going?” Richard asked.
“Okay, I guess. We’re both trying our hardest not to antagonize each other. It’s easier said than done sometimes.”
“In what way?”
Hanna sat back and took a sip of coffee, the hot liquid warming her mouth. She scrunched her face up in concentration. “I suppose we’re walking on eggshells. We’re not really being ourselves, in case we upset each other. And then, when I do say something that reveals the real me, it’s like he reverts back to type. Last night I was telling him that I want to go to see a band on Thursday night, just so I can write about it for the paper, and he started to go off on one. He was shouting that I was underage, that I couldn’t be seen in a drinking establishment, and that I didn’t have an escort, so I’m not allowed to go.”
“But you’re going anyway?”
“Damn right I am.” Hanna caught his eye. “There’s an unsigned band I really want to see. They’re a regular at the Mercury Lounge. Could be the next big thing.”
“I kind of understand where your dad is coming from. It probably isn’t safe for an eighteen-year-old to be wandering around Manhattan late at night.”
“I wander around late at night all the time at home.” Hanna shrugged.