An Interesting Couple

    She was a beautiful woman of an uncertain age…50s perhaps… with shoulder length blonde hair dancing in the breeze.

   Elegantly dressed in sleek beige trousers stopping at the ankle showing off classic flats…a white short-sleeved blouse touting her tan.

  She loped gazelle like as though her legs had a mind of their own.

  Hoops in her ears, a tank watch along with one gold bangle her only jewelry.

  Oh, how I’d love to rummage through her closet and jewelry box.

  The guy seemed younger suggesting a sibling more than a mate, his matching hair kept at the same length, an inch or two taller than she. He wore all black, a blazer tossed over his shoulder with a striking resemblance to David Bowie. A tattoo I couldn’t quite make out flashed on his forearm brushing against hers.

  It was no surprise heads turned as they ambled down the Avenue.

  I was walking behind writing in my head, making mental notes smelling old money passed down.

  A Vanderbilt perhaps? An Astor?

 They headed towards the Park so I went too.

 Why not?

 They had no clue I was tagging along, oblivious to everyone around them.

 But when they stopped at 1040 Fifth where Jackie Kennedy once lived, I knew to stick around.

 I casually crossed Fifth to perch on a bench to see what they’d do next. To my delight, they came right to where I was and sat adjacent to me, their voices carrying.

 It felt like a dream.

 I heard her say how close she was to dating him. The fella said, “Yeah, could’a been you up in that f–king plane.”

 I got a chill, his words like ice water hurled down my spine since now knowing she meant John Kennedy Jr.

 “When I think how jealous I was when he married her,” she said, looking intently at his mother’s house. “If I had only timed it differently, not gone to Italy when I did.”

 “He did pursue you. I remember that. But sweetie, he wasn’t smart enough for you. Admit it. Yeah, he was good looking, could never deny him that, but he had no weight, just his family history that was the wrong kind.”

 Wow! I was stunned by the Bowie lookalike’s blunt perspective as she just listened.

  “I was sweet on you, even then” he said. “I was so damned jealous of him.”

  “You were still such a kid,” she said.

  “Yeah, but not anymore.”

   It was then I saw they were hardly siblings as he drew her to him and said, “It was the poor fool’s loss, and more than worth the wait.”

   It would have been cheesy if he hadn’t been so sincere.

   As they kissed I quietly took leave.

   When I got home scribbling notes, I stopped at one point thinking it was amazing to be privy to such a random exchange…

  …once again getting a chill.

                                              Only in New York

  SB