Jeff Buckley’s set at Sin-é has ended. Outside, the East Village is rapturous and electric. It’s nearly midnight, and the hot, sticky August air is thick with anticipation and the aching sadness of summer slowly coming to an end. The night is perfect for a house party, but Lili finds herself wanting something more. Reid studies her for a moment and seems to pick up on her energy. He can immediately sense what she wants, and something unspoken passes between them.
“We’ll meet you guys there,” he says to Nisha and Cat, who exchange very unconvinced looks.
“Don’t be late,” Nisha says, already knowing they have no plans of showing up.
Once they vanish into the sweaty crowd, Lili and Reid both visibly exhale.
After a beat of awkward silence, Reid slips his hands into his pockets, suddenly appearing quite boyish and shy. “So,” he says, inching a little closer, “what now?”
Lili feels her heart flutter and realizes she hasn’t thought this far ahead. She’s still stuck on the fact that he basically just read her mind. Part of her wants to do the typical thing with him, grab drinks at a crowded bar. But another part of her is begging for something more intimate. Something more like her.
“There’s a bar on Delancey that I like,” she says, then catches herself. “Or we could just walk.”
He smiles slowly. “Whatever you want. Lead the way.”
They head down St. Marks Place, passing a cast of characters only New York City could produce. Two girls dressed in all black disappear into a tattoo parlor. Taxi drivers aimlessly cruise with their windows down. A group of college kids loiters outside a bodega. Reid seems mesmerized by it all and pauses to take it all in.
“What kind of music do you typically listen to?” she asks, gently pulling him out of his trance.
He snaps back into the present moment. “I’m an R&B guy,” he says. “I love The Isley Brothers and Marvin Gaye. Curtis Mayfield is pretty great, too. What about you?”
Lili hesitates. She’s been playing Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside on repeat for months and hasn’t ventured beyond it. The beat of “Wuthering Heights” annoyingly rattles in her head as she considers his question. She’s embarrassed by the narrowness of her answer, but she’s trying to be braver these days.
“I’m not going to lie, R&B is kind of my musical blind spot,” she admits. “I don’t listen to it as much as I’d like to. I don’t even know where I’d start.”
His grin widens. “That’s the best thing you could’ve told me. Now I get to introduce you to all my favorites. Maybe some will become yours, too.”
Her pulse quickens.
A few blocks later, they see a diner. The smell of fried food and cigarette smoke drifts through the open door.
“If we’re going to be walking for a while, I’m going to need some food,” Reid says. “Mind if we stop inside?”
She’s grateful for the pause. “Sure.”
Inside, Janet Jackson coos faintly from the speakers. Her new album, Janet, has just come out, and “That’s The Way Love Goes” fills the space with its lazy groove.
The hostess, sporting a purple buzz cut and a gold septum ring, seats them by the window. When they slide into the booth, their knees lightly graze under the table. Lili’s nerves make it impossible to eat much, so she orders an iced tea and a fruit plate. Reid, on the other hand, gets a strawberry milkshake, a double cheeseburger, and fries.
“Are you gonna share any of that?” she teases.
“No way,” he says. “I’m starving. And you should probably know early on, I don’t usually share food.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Are you a Taurus?”
“I have no idea what that means,” he says, somewhat bewildered.
“Astrology. Tauruses have a reputation for being territorial.”
He smirks. “That sounds accurate.”
When their food arrives, he asks for an extra plate and slides half the fries toward her anyway. She offers him a few strawberries in exchange. They eat, and the music fills the gaps in conversation.
“Okay,” he says, after finishing the last bite and paying the bill. “I’m awake now.”
“You weren’t before?”
“I was. Just a little distracted. Now I can give you my full attention.”
Outside again, he spots a record store on the corner called Lovers Rock.
“Now that we’re properly fueled, the night can officially begin,” he says. “Let’s see if they’ve got anything good.”
They’re the only customers inside. The owner is too absorbed in his copy of The Bluest Eye to look up. The quiet feels like it was made just for them, and they saunter around the shop until Reid finds a section to dive into. She watches him meticulously flip through stacks of records with intense focus.
“Anything you’d recommend?” she asks.
He looks up, and for the first time, she studies him without distraction. He’s even more gorgeous than she initially thought. Something in her settles, and all of her nerves slowly melt away.
“Depends,” he says. “What kind of mood are you in?”
She unexpectedly feels a new wave of confidence and rests her hand lightly over his. “What mood do you think?”
His eyes squint as he bites his lower lip. He pulls out Go for Your Guns by The Isley Brothers. “Ever heard this?”
She shakes her head. He guides her to a record player in the corner and places the vinyl down carefully before lowering the needle. The opening guitar of “Voyage to Atlantis” fills the air. She closes her eyes, letting the melody wash over her. She doesn’t realize she’s holding her breath until the first lyric arrives.
Can I go on my way without you?
How can I know?
If I go on my way without you, where would I go?
Set sail with me.”
“Good, right?” he whispers.
“It’s beautiful,” she says. “I almost feel like I want to cry.”
“Ah, yes,” he says. “The Isley effect.”
They stand there for a moment listening to the song. He steps a little closer, just enough for her to feel the warmth of his shoulder brushing against hers. Then, very slowly, he leans in, and they lock eyes. Lili stares at his mouth, still pink from his diner milkshake, and he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear before pressing his lips softly onto hers. The kiss is careful at first, but then she deepens it, letting her tongue gently meet his. His hands then slide down to her waist, just above her belt, and she gently moans in his mouth. When they finally pull apart, they’re breathless, flushed, and a little stunned by how quickly the music has unraveled them.
They both immediately need some space to collect themselves, and they separate for a moment, pretending to browse. Reid goes back to scouring R&B records, and Lili drifts toward soft rock. She can’t really concentrate, though. A few minutes later, Reid appears at her side and kisses her cheek. “Ready?” he asks.
Once they step back outside, he slips a paper-wrapped package into her hands.
“What’s this?” she asks, surprised and confused. She opens it carefully. It’s the Isley Brothers record, still warm from the shop.
“I saw your face when those guitar riffs came in,” he says. “You should have it.”
Emotion catches in her throat, and she kisses him. “Thank you.” The album will certainly be her next hyperfixation.
They wander a couple more blocks and eventually find a quiet stoop to rest on. He drapes an arm around her, and they sit in silence for a moment. They linger, letting the city hum around them like their own private soundtrack. Lili caresses the record, absently turning it over in her hands.
“Do you always give girls records?” she asks.
“Never. You’re the first and only.”
“I’m honored. I need to figure out what to give you next.”
“Honestly, this has been one of my favorite nights in a while. Just being with you is the best gift.”
How does he always know what to say? She can’t help but want to learn everything about him.
“When did you first fall in love with music?” she asks.
He ponders this for a moment and lands on a memory. “My dad played music constantly when I was growing up. No genre was off limits. That’s actually how he met my mom. They were both front row at an Earth, Wind & Fire concert. As soon as ‘Devotion’ came on, they locked eyes. And the rest is history. They got married soon after and had me. So music has always been part of my story.”
She smiles faintly. “They sound great. I wish my parents met in a cool way like that. They were just set up on a blind date. They hated each other at first.”
“People fall in love in all kinds of ways,” Reid responds. He pauses, then adds lightly, “Like, if we ever have kids, we can tell them that we met at a Jeff Buckley show before he blew up, and then wandered around Manhattan for hours.”
She laughs. “We’d have the coolest kids.”
“We would. And they’d have great taste in music. I can’t have uncultured offspring running around.”
They both laugh at the absurdity of it all, and also the slim possibility. Eventually, they start walking again and reach Washington Square Park. The energy is a bit calmer there. Lili slows, letting Reid take it all in. “It’s beautiful here at night,” she says. “This is where I come when I want to clear my head. And it’s also the best place for people watching.”
He glances around. “You ever play chess with those guys?” he asks as he motions over to the slew of men sitting in front of chess boards, beckoning tourists to engage.
“No, never. You want to?”
“Eh, maybe next time,” he says. “It’ll give us another excuse to come back here.” After a beat, he asks, “Hey, do you still have your camera with you?”
She lifts the strap from her shoulder.
“Let’s have someone take our picture,” he says. “We need to capture this moment.”
They wave down a girl with headphones on and ask if she could do the honors. They walk over to the arch and stand beneath it, hand in hand. The girl takes a few photos. They do one with a silly face, and another in a tight hug. In between shots, she remarks, “You guys make a lovely couple.”
Rather than correcting her, they both say, “Thank you.”
Afterward, they walk over to the fountain’s edge and dip their fingers into the cool water to distract from the summer heat. Lili notices faint scars on his wrists. She doesn’t comment on them, but makes a mental note, wondering what pain they might carry and what he may have gone through. She quickly shifts the conversation elsewhere.
“What do you think Nisha and Cat are doing right now?” she asks.
“Ha, probably still waiting for Jeff Buckley to show up,” he says. “I’m surprised you didn’t want to tag along. You seemed to really enjoy his set.”
“I don’t know. Parties aren’t usually my thing.”
“What’s your thing?”
“I like reading, taking photos, wandering around the city. All the boring stuff, I guess.”
“Not boring at all,” he says. “I like all of those things, too. And I’m glad we bailed. Getting to have our first kiss in a record store was pretty romantic. It would’ve been so cliche if it had happened at a random house party.”
She blushes a little. “I agree. It was kind of perfect.”
She leans forward and rests her head against his shoulder. It’s almost four in the morning, and the city is beginning to pick up speed. The sky has started to pale, quietly making room for the imminent sunrise. Surprisingly, neither of them feels tired. She slips her hand into his. With the other, Reid reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small cassette player. Somehow, he’s managed to carry it with him all night.
“One last song?” he asks. Lili nods. He presses play on something unfamiliar. A young woman’s voice ever so gently fills the air, and tender harmonies float across the fountain water. He picks up on Lili’s confusion.
“My buddy is interning at a record label this summer,” he explains. “He’s been letting me hear a few unreleased demos, and I’ve been listening to this one on repeat. The artist’s name is Aaliyah, and she’s apparently going to be the next big thing.”
“What’s this song called?” she asks.
“‘At Your Best (You Are Love).’ Incredible, right?” Lili agrees and shuts her eyes as the song softly plays. They sit close, once again letting the music fill the silence.
At your best, you are love.
You’re a positive, motivating force within my life.
Should you ever feel the need to wonder why, let me know.
At this moment, Lili couldn’t be more grateful that they canceled those plans with Nisha and Cat. No party could ever compare to this. Moments pass, and once the song ends, Reid exhales, pulling back just enough to look at her. “Her debut album is supposed to drop next year,” he says. “Let’s make a deal to go see her in concert whenever the time comes.”
“Deal,” she says, excited for the chance to hold him when Aaliyah performs that song.
Lili smiles faintly. The adrenaline is starting to wane, and exhaustion begins to kick in. But she doesn’t leave just yet. They sit together for a little while longer and let the night stretch as far as it can.
“Do you have any plans for the rest of your day?” he asks.
She blinks, realizing she’s completely forgotten all the things she needs to do before school starts in a few weeks. “Well… I should prep for the new semester, but realistically? I’ll probably sleep for most of the day. I can’t believe we’ve been out all night.”
“I know. It doesn’t feel like it, though,” he says. “I’ll probably crash, too. But after we sleep it off, can I see you again?”
“Yes,” she says, smiling a little wider than she intends to. “I’d like that.”
They exchange numbers and make plans for later tonight. There’s a new Thai restaurant she’s been dying to try, and she’s heard the playlist alone is worth the visit. They stand and share one last kiss before heading their separate ways. She clutches the Isley Brothers record against her chest and places her camera strap back on her shoulder, already imagining how their photos will look once she gets them developed.
As she walks away, she feels him glance back, and she turns, too. He blows her a kiss and gives her a slight wink. And a new day begins.
