Moonstruck

“Is this seat taken?” 

Elizabeth turned to face the person beside her, spilling a bit of champagne on the ground as she did so. “Sorry, I’m not looking for anything like that tonight,” she said to the man standing next to her. 

The man chuckled, carefully holding his cocktail. “Me neither,” he said. “Does that mean I can have this seat?” 

A deep red invaded Elizabeth’s cheeks. “Yeah, sorry,” she replied. 

The man laughed. “You say sorry too much,” he told her. 

Elizabeth shrugged. “I don’t know. Perhaps it’s a force of habit?” She said in response. 

The man smiled. “I’m Ezra,” he said to her. 

“Elizabeth,” she said, shaking his hand. 

“Nice to meet you, Elizabeth,” Ezra said.

Elizabeth blushed as he said her name; it was so delicate and so articulate. “What brings you here on this very fine New Year’s Eve?” Elizabeth asked Ezra. 

Ezra smiled. “I know the host,” he said to her. 

Elizabeth nodded. “You do?” She asked.

“Tangentially, I suppose,” Ezra replied. “What about you?”

“I know the host’s girlfriend, tangentially,” Elizabeth said in response. 

Ezra smiled to himself. “Did you come here alone?” He asked her.

Elizabeth laughed, tossing a piece of strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder. “No,” she said, watching Ezra shift uncomfortably as she spoke. “I came with my roommate, Kelsey. She’s over there,” Elizabeth continued, gesturing to a brunette violently dancing near the stereo in the corner of the apartment. 

Ezra laughed. “Not a date?” He asked. 

“No,” she replied, laughing as they both watched Kelsey’s drunken dancing. Elizabeth turned to Ezra and asked, “Did you come here with anyone?” 

He thought about his answer for a moment too long; it almost seemed as though he was hesitating. He debated whether to tell her the truth, or a simple version of it. 

Elizabeth studied his face, finally getting a good look at him. He had dark brown hair, light eyes, tan skin, and thin lips.

Ezra took a deep breath, realizing that he hadn’t actually said anything to answer Elizabeth. “I came with a friend,” he said, nervously wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. I told her a version of the truth, he thought.

Elizabeth realized she’d been staring at him a moment too long and quickly turned away, completely forgetting about the question she’d asked him. She jolted upright, realizing she was still in conversation with Ezra. “Oh nice,” she said, trying to remember what she had asked him. 

Ezra nodded and swirled the ice cubes around in his drink with a black paper straw. “Yeah, I guess,” he replied. 

Elizabeth nodded and looked to her right, focusing on the cluster of empty champagne bottles that had gathered on the kitchen counter. She wanted to keep the conversation going with Ezra but she didn’t know what else to say to him. Elizabeth was never at a loss for words; this was a new feeling for her. 

Ezra seemed to feel similarly to Elizabeth. He had been ditched by his date for the evening, but he then found himself next to a mysteriously charming lady, and he couldn’t seem to keep the conversation going. 

“So... ,” Ezra began to say. 

“So… ,” Elizabeth also began to say. 

They both laughed, blushing as their eyes met. “You go first,” Ezra said. 

Elizabeth waved him off as she took a sip of her champagne. “No, you go first. I was just trying to think of something to say,” she said to him. 

Ezra smiled at her. “Well then,” he said, “I was thinking you’d maybe want to get out of here?” 

Elizabeth grinned and sat up straighter. “Sure,” she replied, “I’d love to.” 

Ezra nodded his head, a smile dancing on his pink lips. He set his glass down on the nearest surface and stood up, reaching his hand out to Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth laughed and took his outstretched hand. He pulled her up, and in doing so she spilled a bit of champagne on the ottoman they were sitting on. She paused and looked at Ezra.

Ezra watched her look between him and the small puddle of champagne that had gathered on the ottoman. “It’s leather; they won’t know,” he said to her in a whisper. 

Elizabeth shrugged and laughed, setting the almost-empty glass of champagne beside Ezra’s drink. They grabbed their coats on the way out, and Elizabeth grabbed an unopened bottle of champagne upon their exit. The pair left the party hand-in-hand, smiling and laughing. 

As they walked down the hallway of the apartment building, Elizabeth realized that she had no idea where they were going. She stopped walking but still held on to Ezra’s hand and the bottle of champagne. 

“Everything okay?” Ezra asked her, his eyebrows furrowed.

Elizabeth nodded. “Yeah,” she replied, “I just have one question.” Ezra motioned for her to continue. “Where are we going?” She asked.

Ezra laughed. “It’s a surprise, Elizabeth,” he replied. She cocked her head sideways and stared at him with wide eyes. Ezra shook his head and laughed to himself. “Oh God, that makes me sound so creepy,” he said.

Elizabeth laughed at his response. “Yeah,” she said through laughter, “it kind of does.”

Ezra shook his head as he led Elizabeth to the elevators at the end of the hallway. He pressed the “down” button and waited. He looked at the top of the elevator and smiled. Ezra hadn’t been this happy in months- with any girl, at least- and he felt as though he desperately needed this. He knew he’d met Elizabeth a mere ten or fifteen minutes prior (give or take a few), but he felt a genuine connection with her from the first moment they locked eyes. 

The elevator dinged to signal it had arrived, snapping Ezra out of his thoughts. The dirty silver doors slid open and the pair stepped inside. As Elizabeth went to press the button for the ground floor, she realized she hadn’t let go of Ezra’s hand. She laughed as she pressed the button while still holding the champagne. She stepped back and looked at Ezra for a moment, thinking about how long it had been since she’d been involved with someone romantically. Sure, I’m not dating Ezra, but there’s a spark, she thought, and that’s enough for me tonight. 

The elevator dinged once more to signal it had arrived at the ground floor. Elizabeth and Ezra exited the elevator; Elizabeth with a bottle of champagne in one hand while wearing a sparkling black dress with black heels and Ezra with Elizabeth’s hand in his while wearing a white dress shirt with black slacks and oxfords. 

Elizabeth stood still, staring at Ezra for a moment. He looked back at her and furrowed his brow. Elizabeth mimicked his expression. 

“What?” He asked her. 

Elizabeth gestured for Ezra to move forward. He shook his head to make it clear he didn’t understand. Elizabeth giggled and brushed a loose strand of her strawberry-blonde hair behind her ear. “Lead the way, Ezra,” she said to him.

Ezra nodded. “Oh, right!” He said as though it was an epiphany. 

He led Elizabeth out the door of the apartment building and began running through the streets. Ezra grinned as his dark curls blew in the cold December air. He looked at Elizabeth, who was struggling to keep up. 

Strangers- most dressed in New Year’s Eve outfits- stared at the pair as they ran down the street. Elizabeth and Ezra giggled and laughed as they ran through New York City. 

Suddenly, Elizabeth let go of Ezra’s hand. 

Ezra turned back and looked at her, completely shaken at the empty cold hitting his hand. He missed the warmth her hand provided when their hands were intertwined.

Elizabeth was standing a few feet behind him, her hands on her knees with her hair hanging over her face.

“Are you okay?” Ezra asked her, rushing to her side. 

Elizabeth nodded and waved him off. “Yeah,” she said through deep breaths, “my feet hurt. My heels are killing me- I don’t think I’ll make it.”

Ezra shook his head at her although she wasn’t looking at him. “It’s only a few blocks away, Elizabeth,” he said to her.

Elizabeth shook her head, still hunching over and gripping the champagne bottle. “No, Ezra. I seriously don’t think I’ll make it,” she replied.

“I’ll carry you if I have to,” Ezra said in response.

Elizabeth shot upright. “You’ll what?” She asked him, despite hearing him perfectly. 

“Here,” Ezra said as he leaned sideways. “I’ll carry you bridal style. Just hold the champagne.”

Elizabeth laughed as Ezra scooped her up. He began running again (a bit slower, but running, nonetheless) down the street. 

He came to a sharp halt a few blocks later. They stood in front of a tall building right in the heart of downtown Manhattan. 

“Are we going… to the top?” Elizabeth asked as Ezra opened the door for them. Ezra nodded. “How long until midnight?” She asked, staring up at the black building until it disappeared into the night sky. 

Ezra looked at his watch. He watched as one of the silver hands ticked past the fifty. “Nine minutes,” he said, “and counting.”

“How many floors?” She asked him. 

Ezra shrugged. “Twenty-seven, maybe? Perhaps it’s twenty-nine,” he replied.

“Go!” Elizabeth shouted, motioning for them to get moving. 

They ran inside and pushed for the elevator, impatiently waiting for it to arrive. The second it did, they hopped through the barely-open clean silver doors. 

Ezra pushed the button for the top floor as Elizabeth impatiently hit the button to close the doors. After a short while (but what felt like an eternity for the pair), the elevator doors opened to reveal the top floor. 

Ezra ran to the side of the elevator with Elizabeth on his heels, ignoring her blistering feet, and waited for him to open a dark grey door. 

Ezra fumbled with the lock but got it open. He pushed the door open with such a strong force it swung and hit the wall outside.

He led Elizabeth through the doorway, revealing the city skyline lit up. Buildings sparkled in the distance as numerous countdowns could be heard from various locations throughout the city. Twinkling lights peered through apartment windows as well as people laughing with loved ones. 

Elizabeth suddenly felt a hole in her heart. She was with a stranger on New Year’s Eve; she’d never intended for anything to happen. 

Elizabeth walked to the edge while Ezra watched her with a smile as she stared out at the city around her with her mouth agape. “It’s beautiful,” she said, just barely loud enough for Ezra to hear. 

Ezra followed her. “Elizabeth,” he began to say.

“Yes, Ezra?” She asked in response, turning to look at him. 

“There’s something I have to say,” he said. Elizabeth motioned for him to continue. “I came with a date tonight. To the party. A friend set me up but she ditched me within the first few minutes,” he said as he walked towards her. 

Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows and set the bottle of champagne down next to her. “Why are you telling me this?” She asked him, trying to hide the disappointment and confusion in her tone and expression. 

“Because,” Ezra said, “then I couldn’t do this.”

He leaned in towards her, cupping her cheeks. Elizabeth leaned in towards him, meeting him halfway. Their lips met and the two kissed one another. Fireworks went off in the distance. 

Ezra pulled away from her first. “Happy New Year,” he whispered to her. 

Elizabeth smiled at him. She wanted to imagine a future with him; she wanted to see not only the new year with him but also the rest of her life. 

But right at that moment, she couldn’t.

She couldn’t picture any more moments with him more perfect than that one. He’s a stranger, Elizabeth. That’s all he could ever really be, she told herself.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Thank you, Ezra, for the best New Year,” she said.

Before he could ask any questions, she quietly left the rooftop. The only sound was the gravel underneath her feet as she walked away. 

Ezra watched the door shut, a sick feeling in his stomach. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked out at the city and watched the fireworks. He smiled to himself, a sullen expression on his face. 

“Happy New Year, Elizabeth,” he whispered into the night.