But I took a step out and looked down.
The spiral staircase led directly onto a ledge down below, maybe ten feet wide, with a concrete path down the middle and grass and trees on either side. I took a breath and followed him, my hand on the railing, praying that the thing wouldn’t break apart and send me falling.
I made it to the bottom and jumped off the last step. I stumbled but he caught me, a little smile on his face.
“Careful,” he said. “Dangerous down here.”
I blinked and looked around. It was a path that led through some bushes, some small trees, and rocks on either side. He took me along it, strolling slow. There was nobody else around, though I spotted old needles in the grass near the gray stone retaining wall, some empty Doritos bags, some plastic water bottles.
“Wow,” I said. “I didn’t know this was here.”
“Not many people do,” he said. “It’s not really advertised. They renovated it a few years back, made it nicer, but that just made it more appealing to homeless people.” He walked on and tugged me with him.
I looked out at the river, at the water moving slowly beneath the bridge that connected West Philly with the rest of the city. Cars crawled along fifty feet above the gently lapping waves. I bit my lip and breathed deep, and the air smelled like gasoline and grass.
He took me around a bend and toward a rock that jutted out over the water. I hesitated as he walked out along it then gestured for me to join him.
I took a few hesitant steps. The stone was large and definitely natural. I guessed whoever had made this little spot decided to keep it. The rock sat out above the water by a few feet, and Vince walked right to the end with a smile on his face.
I joined him, though stayed back from the edge.
“This is the best place in the city,” he said. “Quiet, secluded.”
“Dangerous,” I said.
He nodded and didn’t look back. “Dangerous,” he said. “Imagine if someone came. They could shove us right into the water. What could we do to stop them?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “But you don’t make me want to stay here.”
He turned and faced me. I was very aware of how close we stood, maybe three inches between us, both of us shoved together on a boulder out above the Schuylkill. I had the crazy idea that he might throw me in and leave me there to drown, all because I had the nerve to approach him.
But then I looked into his eyes and my heart skipped a beat.
He stared at me like he wanted me. His head tilted to the side, his handsome lips smiling ever so slightly. I wanted to touch the stubble on his cheek and barely managed to stop myself.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He tilted his head. “I’d like to do it.”
I blinked and took a step back out of sheer surprise.
“Really?”
“Really.” His smile got bigger. “But I have conditions.”
“Of course,” I said too quickly and stopped myself.
He laughed and stepped toward me. I stumbled back from him and my foot slipped. I nearly fell backward, back onto the concrete sidewalk, but he grabbed my arm then slipped his other hand behind my lower back.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” I said. “You just surprised me.”
“Don’t worry,” he said then helped me down off the rock. “Come on.”
My heart raced as I followed him down the path again. We headed toward the waterworks, and he stopped at a large bench built in around a tree near steps that led back up to the main park. He sat down and crossed his legs.
I sat down next to him, leaving a few inches between us.
“This is what I’m thinking,” he said. “The most obvious thing is you can’t ever use my name. And you can’t use my associates’ names. Everyone get fake names, and the details have to get screwed up. It can’t be obvious that you’re writing about me.”
“I think I can manage that,” I said. “I’m not sure exactly how, but I’ll try.”
“Good.” He nodded and stared out at the water. “I want you to show me what you write before you publish it. I won’t try to stop you, no matter what you say, unless it’s too revealing of my identity. Do you think that’s fair?”
I bit my lip and shook my head. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I can’t give you say over that. If I put my time into this, you can’t be able to just… shoot it down.”
He frowned at me for a moment then shrugged. “Fine then. But still, show it to me before you publish.”
“That’s a deal.”
“All right then.” He shifted in his seat and looked at me. “Last condition is the most important one. I want you to come stay with me.”