Charlie
“A castle?”I laugh as the gothic architecture comes into view while we walk along the path in Central Park.
He squeezes my hand gently. “You didn’t know this was here?”
“I haven’t been to Central Park since high school. We came down here to see Shakespeare in the park,” I answer, taking in the castle that seems to emerge from the rock formation it sits on.
“So, you’ve never been inside then,” he says. “Let’s go.” He leads us toward the entrance stairs. I’m grateful for the walking sandals I’d found among the shoes he bought yesterday. While I don’t need the stuff he purchased, I can admit at least to myself how nice all of it is.
The sun is bright today and there’s a light breeze to ward off any uncomfortable heat. He wasn’t wrong when he said it was a nice day out. The mile and a half walk from his condo would have been brutal on a humid summer day.
When we get to the top of the castle, the view of the park surprises me. The greenery of the lawn sprouting from the lake lies like a blanket. Lush trees sit in the foreground of the Upper East Side of Manhattan. People sit along the lake with blankets and picnic lunches, while others ride the path on bicycles.
“It’s actually very pretty from up here,” I say when he steps up beside me.
“The city or the park?”
“Both.” The breeze blows my hair into my mouth, and he pulls it free, tucking it behind my ear. “Are we able to go into the tower?” I ask, pointing at the highest peak of the castle.
He looks over his shoulder at the doors to the interior of the castle. “Sure.”
There’s a man sitting at his post ready to field any questions posed to him about the castle when we enter the visitors’ center. Nikolai doesn’t say anything while I stop to read the plaques about the history of the building and the remodeling that has taken place over the years.
“Here’s the tower.” There’s a thick black braided rope crossing the entrance with a sign stating the tower is closed today, but Nikolai simply unhooks the rope and gestures for me to walk ahead of him.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to go in there,” I say, leaning into the entrance way at the spiral staircase.
“Sir! Sir!” The uniformed city worker hops off his chair and hurries across the room and toward us with his hand raised in the air.
Nikolai turns toward him, still holding the rope in his hand.
“Oh!” He comes up short, huffing a little from his short jog, coupled, I’m sure, with the anxiety of someone stepping into a blocked area. “I’m sorry, Mr. Romanov. I didn’t realize it was you.” He throws on a grin. “Have a good day,” he says then saunters off back to his post.
I stare at Nikolai with shock.
“What?” He raises an eyebrow when he catches me gawking up at him.
“I don’t understand you.”
“What’s there to understand?”
“Other than being the third son to Igor Romanov, you own a few warehouses. Why does the Belvedere castle question guy know you, much less be willing to look the other way while you violate the rules?”
His lips kick up. “Violate the rules?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Let’s get up there before other people see us. I don’t want the poor kid to have to explain why they can’t go where I can.” He gestures again for me to get going. He hasn’t explained anything.
I hurry up the spiral staircase, holding onto the metal railing as I make my way up the narrow passageway. Even though I’ve never been to Europe to see an actual castle, this place feels close to it.
“You’ve done your homework about me,” Nikolai says when we’ve reached the top floor of the tower.
“I may have looked up a few things,” I admit. The view from the window is breathtaking; being at the highest point of the park, it’s probably the best place to see the park. “You didn’t about me?”
He leans against the stone wall beside the window. “I always have the information I need.”
“So, what did you learn in your lessons?” I ask, turning and leaning my shoulder against the stones on the opposite side of the window.