Midnight Run

by Charity Hillis

  “Lady, you owe me a date.” He ran his hands carefully through his blue-tipped hair. “Let’s go out!”

  Nora shook her head. “I’ve got to get up early to run.” She paused, considering. “I better enjoy it while I still can.”

  Her roommate sighed heavily. “Takeout again,” he said, pulling out his phone and hitting speed dial. While he was on hold, he glanced at Nora. “What do you mean, while you still can?”

  She told him about the job offer while he ordered. “I’m seriously thinking about it. I mean, a raise and a 401k? That’s, like, a real job.”

  Carl nodded thoughtfully. “I’d go for it.”

  “But what about running? I was just thinking today that I might want to start training for the Half this spring.”

  “Why not run at night?”

  She glared at him. “In Central Park? I’m not that stupid.”

  Carl rolled his eyes. “I’m sure there’s a midnight runners’ club around; why don’t you look online?”

  “I’ve never heard of anything like that,” she said slowly. “Do people seriously run at night?”

  “All the time. And hey, this is the city that never sleeps, right?” He joked.

  Nora rolled her eyes. “How do you even know about something like this?”

  Carl’s smile slipped, and he started to fiddle with the gauge in his left ear. “Reggie was into running.”

  They hadn’t really talked about Carl’s breakup since he moved in, and Nora mentally kicked herself. “Oh.” She’d known Carl and Reggie were serious enough to move in together in Philly, which is why their breakup combined with Carl’s desire to get away had given Nora a new roommate, but Carl hadn’t wanted to touch the subject the few times she’d asked, and after a couple of months, Nora had let it drop. At a loss, she gave him a quick hug, but he swatted her arms away and popped off the sofa.

  “No sympathy, girl. I’m fine. But I bet you’ll be able to have your cake and run it off too if you find a running group.”

  Nora considered it. “Maybe. I’ve never really trained with a group before; part of why I like running is being alone.”

  Carl shrugged. “I wouldn’t know, but group sports always seemed like more fun to me, anyway. All those sweaty bodies getting physical together! And,” he added slyly, “maybe you’ll bring home a fine running buddy for me.” He reached for her hand and gave her a clumsy twirl.

  She laughed. “I’ll do my best, but if they seriously run at midnight, I might be too tired to remember!”

  Carl winked. “I’ll leave you a note to remind you.

  ***

  Carl’s right, Nora thought as she skimmed the Meetup group for the New York Midnight Run. The group met every day, rain or shine, in Central Park. There were tons of smaller sub-groups, too; people training for a five k, a ten k, and even the upcoming half marathon. Bingo. Nora clicked on the group training for the half, and before she could talk herself out of it, sent in a request to join. The site asked for a user picture, and Nora uploaded a photo she’d snapped of her running shoes right after she bought the newest pair. She’d sprung for quality that time, and although it might have been silly, she couldn’t resist the urge to take a picture of the neon stripes and tight laces.

  She filled out her profile, keeping it short and sweet, and set her phone down on the nightstand. I’ll tell Todd tomorrow, she thought, and she fell asleep with a smile, and this gives me an even better reason to call home on Sunday!

  That weekend, Nora laced up her shoes and headed uptown for her first midnight run.

  Although parts of the city were still lively, their neighborhood was deathly still, and Nora breathed a sigh of relief when she got off the mostly deserted subway car at Central Park. Even at that hour, the park’s station was lively, and Nora smiled at a busker with a guitar and harmonica as she climbed up the stairs.

  The website had said that the group met near the station, and when Nora emerged into the darkness, she didn’t have to look very hard before she spotted a small clump of people in spandex and sneakers. A few of the runners had reflective stripes on their pants, and one guy was even wearing a flashing red light like the kind bikers wear strapped around his ankle. Nora stifled a giggle at the sight as she approached the group.

  A tall woman with a clipboard was chatting with an older man, and Nora gave a little wave as she walked up. “I’m new,” she began nervously, and clipboard woman smiled.

  “Great! It’s always good to see another face. Just need you to sign this waiver that you’re here because you want to be, and that you won’t hold the group accountable if you injure yourself.”

  Nora skimmed the page and signed it quickly. “Anything else?”

  “Stretch out however you like; we’ll start with a warm up mile of walk-jog intervals, but then the fun will really begin.” The woman winked at her, and Nora grinned in response. Only another run junkie would define a midnight half-marathon training session as fun, and Nora already felt at home.

  Still, she’d always been shy, so she stretched off to the side in the shadows as she listened to the conversations of the other runners. Most of them had obviously been coming to the group for a long time; there was an easy sense of camaraderie as they greeted one another, laughing and joking while stretching out hamstrings and bouncing on the balls of their feet. Nora felt the same anticipation fluttering in her stomach that she’d felt at her first race, even though she knew this was just a training session, not a competition, and she closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose to calm her nerves.

  “You new to the group?” A twangy voice near her face asked, and Nora’s eyes popped open in surprise. I’d know that voice anywhere.

  She was right; the Texan from the coffee shop was standing beside her. He almost blended in with the shadows of the park, but Nora’s eyes traced his outline, his lean body even more apparent under his tight running leggings and dark mock turtleneck. For a minute, Nora just grinned at him stupidly, but finally, she found her voice. “Hi!”

  “Hi, yourself,” he said with a smile. “Haven’t seen you before.”

  Her heart fell. Did he seriously not remember her from Books and Brew? Nora cleared her throat, grateful that the shadows hid her blush, and wondering if it was just too dark for him to recognize her. “Yeah,” she said finally, “I’m new to the group.”

  “You’ll love it.” He flashed his smile, brilliant even in the dark. “I’ve been doing midnight runs back home for years.”

  She bent down to tighten her laces, even though she knew her shoes were fine, and snuck a glance at his lean legs. God, he’s all muscle. I wonder if he’d look as good without those running tights? “How long have you been in this group?”

  “About two weeks; new to the city.” Unaware of her scrutiny, he stretched one leg out and sank into a low lunge. Involuntarily, Nora’s eyes followed his hips, and she tried to ignore the way her stomach suddenly sprouted butterflies as she checked him out. What in the world is wrong with me? Her face flushed even deeper and she stood up with a jerk.

  Thankfully, she was spared from having to make any more small talk when a whistle sounded, and the woman with the clipboard waved her arms. “We’re all here. Let’s get started!”

  Tex smiled down at her, and Nora belatedly realized that she’d been so busy checking him out she’d forgotten to ask his name. Before she could say anything, though, he moved to the front of the clump of runners, and the whistle blew again and everyone started to jog slowly.

  The lights of the city were visible through the trees, and Nora was reminded of an old movie she’d seen once, with Fred Astaire dancing a magical duet with a dark haired starlet in Central Park. Her eyes darted to the front of the group, instantly picking out the Texan’s tall form, and she sighed, wondering what it would be like to feel his strong arms cradling her during a slow dance. At first, the easy pace did nothing to distract Nora from the fantasies her mind was spinning, but after they finished the first loop of the park, No
ra’s breath started coming a bit harder, and she slowed her pace, dropping to the very back of the group. The park felt different at night; Nora had expected it to be silent and sinister, but there were a handful of other people out besides the runners. Nora even spotted three different police officers, each strolling through the park unhurried and alone, and she felt a little safer. Everything looked different, too. It was almost like walking into an old-fashioned photograph; the bare trees glistened whitely under the street lamps, and even in the dark, Nora could see the frost covering the ground, adding to the strange effect.

  When they finally finished running two short laps around the park, Nora’s legs were ready to give out, and she was drenched in cold sweat. I really should have started half marathon training alone before joining this group; she thought. A few of the other runners seemed as tired as Nora, though, and the guy who was wearing the flashing light was breathing even harder, so Nora tried to check her self-criticism as they went through a cool-down together. Now that she’d had a chance to catch her breath, her thoughts kept straying to the lanky Texan stretching out on the ground a few feet away from her. He must have felt her eyes on him, because after a moment, he looked up and gave her a broad smile. Nora looked away fast, feeling as if he’d caught her doing something she shouldn’t. Well, he did; he has a girlfriend, Nora reminded herself, thinking of the leggy blond from the coffee shop. You shouldn’t even be dreaming.

  When the group was done, clipboard woman came over to Nora. “How was your first midnight run?”

  Nora grinned. “Intense! Thanks for including me.”

  “Any time. A bunch of us usually go out after; tonight, we’re headed for Spanky’s Diner. Want to come?”

  Nora paused, but she shook her head. “I really shouldn’t. I start an opening shift on Monday, and I should try and stock up on sleep before the weekend is over.”

  Clipboard woman smiled. “No worries. But will we see you again?”

  With a furtive glance at the Texan, Nora grinned. “Absolutely.”

  The other woman stuck out her hand. “I’m Lynne. Welcome to the group!”

  ***

  After spending nearly two hours running around Central Park, Nora knew she should have been ready to collapse, but despite the unbearably early hour, she was wound up. At least it won’t be hard to be at work so early, she thought to herself as she crossed the city. It’s too bad Todd didn’t want me to start right now! Although part of her had wanted to hang out with the rest of the running group, she’d been both terrified and thrilled at the thought of spending more time with the lanky Texan, so she’d used the excuse of sleep to leave the group behind and do a little thinking.

  What was it about him that set her heart racing? I really should hate him, Nora reminded herself; the guy hadn’t even remembered her from the coffee shop. But despite that, she was drawn to him in a way she couldn’t explain, even to herself. And maybe, she tried to justify, he just didn’t recognize me in the dark. It’s not like the park has the best lighting at night. Still, his reaction to her stung, and Nora secretly wondered if it was just because there was nothing memorable about her.

  She was so distracted that she almost missed her stop on the subway, and she gave herself a mental shake as she sprinted up the deserted stairs. There’s no reason to be stupid, she thought, glancing around and checking her surroundings. After spending five years in New York, Nora’s street smarts had sharpened, and she’d never really felt unsafe in the city, but she knew the quickest way to break that winning streak was to let herself get distracted in a desolate part of town. Luckily, she made it back to her apartment without issue, and quietly let herself in.

  Carl had left a note on the coffee pot for her, and Nora almost laughed when she saw it. “Don’t forget to keep an eye out for a guy!” Still smiling, Nora crumpled up the note and scribbled one in return. If only Carl knew about Tex!

  CHAPTER SIX

  Kingston had to fight the urge to check over his shoulder during the run; the new girl reminded him of the pretty barista he still hadn’t worked up the nerve to really talk to. Well, except for her hair, he thought, trying to match his strides to his breathing as the group made their first loop of the park. And the glasses. He shook his head. “You’re just so hung up on her that you’re imagining things,” he muttered under his breath, struggling to draw his attention back to the run.

  Still, his thoughts were scattered, and by the time the group had finished for the night, Kingston was already back to his apartment building when he realized that he hadn’t said good night to Lynne. All the runners had made him feel welcome, but Lynne had kind of taken him under her wing when he showed up the first time, and he liked the older woman quite a lot. She reminded him of his sister for some reason, and Kingston kicked himself for being unintentionally rude to the woman that night.

  Feeling the need to make amends somehow, he dialed his sister’s number as he kicked off his running shoes. Thanks to the time difference, the hour back home was only moderately awful, as opposed to the ungodly number blinking on the clock in his kitchen. Maybe calling Raye will give me a cosmic pass for being an ass to Lynne tonight, he thought as he grabbed a glass of water and sat down on the barstool in the corner of the kitchen.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Rachel answered the phone with her customary bluntness, and Kingston chuckled.

  “What did I do now, Raye?”

  He could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Did you even bother to check the clock before you called?”

  “It’s only midnight there; you can’t be ready for bed yet.”

  “Fool. It just so happens I’ve got an interview tomorrow, and I was trying to get some sleep.”

  Feeling instantly contrite, Kingston apologized, but she brushed him off.

  “I’m up now. So what’s going on?”

  “I just wanted to chat,” he offered, realizing for the first time that that was a pretty lame excuse for calling so late. “I mean…I miss y’all.”

  Rachel softened. “We miss you, too. The boys especially.”

  Kingston had always had a soft spot for his nephews, and he grinned. “How are they both?”

  “With their dad this week.” He could practically hear her shrug. “So who knows.”

  “Be fair, Raye. You know he loves them.”

  “Yes,” she admitted, “but that doesn’t mean I have to like this whole mess.”

  He wished he could reach across the miles and give his big sister a hug. “You doing okay?”

  “Oh, I’m peachy. Nothing like a trial separation to really liven things up.”

  Kingston sighed. “It’ll work out. However it’s supposed to.”

  “That’s pretty crappy advice.”

  “What do you want me to say? That love’s a fairy tale?” The line was silent for a moment, and Kingston took another swallow of water, feeling like an ass. “Sorry, Raye.”

  “No, you’re right,” she said softly. “But this fairy tale sure seemed like it was going to last.”

  Kingston didn’t know what to say. Rachel and her husband had been married for seven years, long enough to have two charming boys, buy a big house, and rescue a pair of greyhounds, but then his sister showed up for Christmas dinner without her husband, and all she’d said was that they were separated. He hadn’t been able to get any more information from her than that, despite the fact that he kept fishing. “Do you want to talk—“

  “Are you going to ask me about the interview?”

  Kingston shook his head. “Sure. What’s the job?”

  “Managing editor for the Daily Sun.”

  His face broke into a wide smile. “Raye, that’s perfect!”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve used that journalism degree,” she said. “I just hope I’m not too rusty.”

  “You’ll blow them away. Call me tomorrow to let me know how it goes?”

  “You mean today, right?”

  Kingston glanced at the cloc
k and laughed. “Right, today.”

  “Will do. But seriously, you jerk, I really should get some shut eye.” She paused. “Everything’s seriously okay with you?”

  For a moment, he almost told her about the girl at the coffee shop and her sporty doppelgänger, but he decided against it. What is there to tell? I don’t even know either of their names! “Seriously okay and nothing to report.”

  “Then go to sleep, you loon.”

  He laughed softly. “Love you, hon.”

  “Love you, too.”

  When he hung up the phone, he didn’t go to bed immediately. Instead, Kingston grabbed a beer from the fridge and sank back onto the barstool, thinking about his sister and her failing marriage. There’s nothing I can do, he reminded himself, twirling his phone absentmindedly on the counter. But that doesn’t make it easy to watch.

  Promising himself that he’d make a point to call his nephews and Rachel more, Kingston finished off his beer and finally headed to bed, his thoughts as heavy as his limbs.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Since Nora wasn’t working on Sunday, she gave her parents a call in the midafternoon, but nobody answered. Maybe they’re at a thing at the greenhouse, she thought idly. Growing up, Nora had almost considered the small garden center downtown her second home; her mom had volunteered there every weekend of Nora’s childhood, teaching various classes on plants and garden care, and as far as Nora knew, she was still at it. A little prickle of guilt wormed its way into Nora’s mind when she thought about the greenhouse. Her mom had been after her for years to drop by and help out when she was home, but she never made the time. Gardening was a nice hobby, but she’d never caught the same passion for it that fuelled her mother.

  Her passion had started when she picked up her first pair of running shoes, but now she had other things on her mind. The next night, Nora considered smearing on lip gloss before she headed out to meet the running group, but she decided against it. It’s not like he’d notice, she told herself, trying to kill the sense of anticipation she felt at seeing the handsome guy again, but no matter what she said, her heart was racing by the time she got to Central Park, and she eagerly looked around the group for his tall, lean frame. She waved when she spotted him, and he grinned and waved back.