"What are we doing?"

Andrew laughed, his arm wrapped securely around my waist as he guided me through the busy New York City streets. We'd left his apartment forty-five minutes ago, after eating a suspiciously rushed dinner, and he insisted that I change into the dress Val bought me earlier this week. The navy blue fabric draped along the curves of my body without being uncomfortably tight, and I was grateful that the dress had long sleeves to ward off the uncharacteristic chill of the summer evening.

"Don't make me quote Aladdin at you," Andrew warned, guiding me to the side as I felt another body whoosh past. "You know I will."

I groaned, rolling my eyes beneath the silk blindfold that he'd knotted carefully over my eyes. I felt like an absolute idiot, walking the streets of New York City with a blindfold over my eyes while my celebrity boyfriend led me through the busy sidewalks. Luckily, it was already dark out, and - beneath the shadows and the blinding mass of city lights - we didn't draw much attention to ourselves.

At least, I didn't think we did. I couldn't exactly tell.

"Thank you," I heard Andrew say to someone, maneuvering me in front of him as he placed one hand on my shoulder and the other slipped to the curve of my waist.

The temperature rose slightly, the wind no longer dancing around my bare legs, and I could smell a hint of roses in the air. His lips brushed my ear suddenly, causing goosebumps to erupt down the left side of my body, as he directed me off to the left.

"Almost there," he whispered softly.

I frowned, "Why are we whispering?"

"I'm guiding a beautiful woman, blindfolded, through a building," he responded sarcastically. "Last thing I need is for a bunch of strangers to overhear our conversation. They probably already think I'm that dude from Fifty Shades."

Barely stifling a snort, I slapped at Andrew - or, where I thought he was - and my hand landed on his thigh.

"Careful there," he warned. "A couple of inches to the left and everyone here would definitely think we're reenacting Fifty Shades."

"I hate you," I hissed, quickly pulling my hand away as my cheeks burned bright red. "You're so embarrassing."

He chuckled, "And to think you agreed to be seen in public with me."

"See or be seen," I replied cheekily. "I couldn't stand the sight of you, so I thought it was high time that everyone else's eyes suffered."

Andrew laughed, the sound echoing through the area, and he dropped his grip on my waist to slide his hand into my own. Our fingers tangled together, and warmth flooded through my body at the sensation. Even though we'd been dating for six months, nothing about our relationship ever got old. The way his skin felt on mine managed to give me butterflies even now.

"Can I take the blindfold off yet?" I asked, glad to have him so close to me.

This entire process was entirely too disconcerting for me, especially now that we were walking side-by-side, and I really didn't want to trip and fall flat on my face. Who knows who was watching?

He squeezed my hand gently, "Not yet, mi alma."

My heart fluttered at the nickname he'd started calling me a few weeks ago, shortly after he returned to New York after spending three weeks filming in Dallas. I'd visited him on set a few times, but he'd managed to hide the fact that he been trying to brush up on his Spanish skills in his free time between takes. He told me that he'd always loved the Spanish language, and he now he had an excuse to practice with me.

Okay, and he said he hoped I would think it was sexy.

I laughed at him, rolling my eyes, but really...I couldn't wait to tell Val. It was absolutely sexy.

My hip bumped against something solid - possibly a doorframe - and I swore under my breath. Andrew dropped my hand, immediately wrapping his arm securely around my waist, and guided me away from whatever I collided with.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "We're almost there."

I nodded, allowing him to take my right hand into his as he led me forward. I could practically feel him behind me, my body buzzing even though a few inches of space separated us. He'd positioned me in front of him, one hand on my waist and the other one entwined with mine, and he started whispering directions in my ear.

"The floor is slanted here," he told me, steering me straight ahead. "Go slowly."

I nodded, noticing the sound of voices on both sides of me. I couldn't quite understand what they were saying, a jumble of hushed tones of varying volumes hitting my eardrums, so I focused on taking one step forward at a time.

Andrew pulled me to a halt, turning me to the side and placing my hand on a smooth and flat surface. I ran my fingers across it, noticing a slight curve, and dipped my hand down the front where I was surprised to feel some sort of padded fabric cushion. A chair?

"Do you want me to sit?" I asked, turning back to where I assumed Andrew was standing behind me.

"Not yet," he said, urging me forward. "Use your hand to go in eight seats."

I wrinkled my forehead, trying to figure out where the hell he had taken me. Eight seats? Was this a movie theater or something?

I did as he instructed, running my fingertips across the smooth wood on the top of the chairs, counting the dips between them until I arrived at the eighth chair. Andrew pulled my clutch from my hand, turning my body so I was ready to sit down, and gently helped me lower myself down into the seat. The cushion was soft and plush, much more luxurious than I was expecting, and - as I stretched my feet out cautiously in front of me - I discovered that there was no row of seats in front of us. Either that or this theater had a lot of leg room.

"Where are we?" I asked again with equal parts excitement and impatience.

He sat next to me, or so I assumed from the sound of movement next to me, and I kept myself from jumping when he interlaced his fingers with mine once more.

"You'll see," Andrew crooned. "We're a bit early, so you'll have to wait a few minutes."

He kept talking to me over the next few minutes, distracting me from the voices around us by idle chatter about dinner and how Val was doing. I answered his questions quickly as if willing the time to move faster with each rapid response until finally I heard the sound of footsteps shuffling against wood in front of me. The sound of various instruments followed, including the soft tones of strings being plucked in preparation for a performance, and I gasped.

"Andrew," I whispered, gripping his hand tightly.

Squeezing my hand in return, he used his other hand to reach up and release the knot holding the silk against my eyes. The impossibly soft white fabric fell from my eyes, allowing my eyelids to flutter open, just as the lights dimmed on the music hall around us. On the stage directly in front of us was a massive orchestra with over one hundred musicians, each one immaculately dressed as they stared at the conductor poised on the platform front and center. We were in the front row of a massive concert hall, in the center of the parquet, with the perfect view of the stage.

I watched in amazement as the conductor raised her arms in the air, signaling for the various musicians to ready their instruments to be played, before giving a preparatory beat with the baton in her right hand. In the blink of an eye, the music began and the introductory notes to Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 in D Minor hit my ears.

My favorite piece by my favorite composer overwhelmed my senses, a smile erupting over my features, as we sat in what I recognized to be the famous Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall.

"Happy birthday, Cait," Andrew whispered into my ear.

Happy (belated) New Year! I thought you'd all appreciate a little bit of Andrew + Cait to kick off 2017 on the right foot. Plus, I redesigned the cover today! Thoughts?

ALSO: If you're looking for some more feels, I wrote a short story called "Together" that is now available (and completed) on my profile. Check it out!

Enjoy!

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