# Chapter 7: Brian and Emily Rooftop A few days after the leap, I was back on Staten Island and I got a call from my good friend Brian. "Dude, you will never believe it." "What?" I asked. "I met a woman last night at the pool hall and I am totally in love!" A wide smile came across my face as I listened to Brian's good news. "Tell me more," I urged him on. > [!quote] Brian's Excitement > "Get this: we have the most amazing sex, right, and afterwards she goes to the kitchen and comes back with two Guinnesses. I flip open her laptop and see pool videos streaming on YouTube! So we're laying there naked watching pool and sipping Guinness! I couldn't believe it, man. We're perfect for each other." Brian and I absolutely loved the game of pool, and on most occasions while we hung out together, we watched pool, played pool, or talked about pool. "When can I meet her?" I asked. "I'm house-sitting Ragu's on Broadway. Come on down tonight," Brian said enthusiastically. "Perfect. I'll see you later." I hung up the phone. --- ## Meeting Emily I got to Ragu's around 7:00pm. Brian rang me in. The place was small and expensive-looking. The walls were white and the modern farmhouse furniture was rustic and elegant. Emily walked into the living room from the bathroom. "You must be Mikey. Brian has so many good things to say about you," she said in a high-pitched voice. I was busy making my first impressions before I could say anything articulate or polite in return. Emily had a strong presence. Her cheekbones protruded, and her eyes lay deep in her sockets while her eyelids smeared toward her temples. She came across as both classy and villainous. "Yes, it's great to meet you," I replied. She poured me some champagne and pulled out a pack of black cigarettes from the dresser. "Let's go hang on the roof," Emily proposed. "Yeah, the view up there is amazing," Brian added. > [!note] Brian > Brian is an elevator mechanic by day and antique connoisseur the rest of the time. He's a big dude with Hollywood blonde hair, blue eyes, and strong masculine hands, usually still tarnished with grease from a day's work. He likes to dress in dark casual clothes to offset the blue jumpsuit he's made to wear at work. "How you doing, brother-man?" Brian opened his arms toward me for a big hug. --- ## On the Rooftop The three of us walked through a small maze of doorways and out onto a rooftop landing with a string of lights illuminating a few dusty chairs. It was warm out, and the cigarettes and champagne made for an intimate conversation setting. "So, where are you from, Emily?" I asked, assuming she wasn't a native New Yorker given her subtle twang. "I'm from Cali. I moved here two years ago to make it on the women's pro billiards tour." Brian and I had been playing for many years, and though we were good, we didn't play at the pro level, but we greatly admired those who did. "Is that so?" I was very intrigued that she had moved cross-country to pursue her dream of becoming a pro pool player. I thought, for a moment, that the two of us would have a lot in common. > [!insight] Emily's Journey > "Yup. I had about two thousand bucks in my bank account. I had sold whatever I could and I hit the road to New York, because that's where all the big-time players hang out. California doesn't really have a pool scene, and only in New York would I be able to thrive in the way I know I can." I appreciated Emily's vision. When she wasn't playing pool, she worked as a waitress for a prestigious catering company, handling events like the Met Gala and the U.S. Open tennis championships. Brian was busy lounging in his chair, looking up at the smoke billowing from his cigarette into the sky. He had this sublime smile on his face. --- ## Finding Connection "So are you making any money out here?" I asked, doubting she made all her money from knocking balls around. Emily seemed to enjoy living well. I glanced at her smooth black dress as she twirled her champagne. "Well, not so much from pool. I am gathering new sponsorships and I'm playing much better, but for now I'm a lead waitress at Restaurant Associates—this high-end catering company that produces elite events throughout New York City." Emily looked at my eyes directly and asked, "What about you, Mikey? What are you up to?" I wasn't too sure what to say. It always befuddled me when asked what I was in the middle of doing with my life. I responded by mentioning what I thought was most significant for me at that time: "I've been practicing meditating lately. Each morning I sit for 20 minutes or so... In two weeks I'll be going away for a 10-day silent retreat in Massachusetts." > [!magic] Recognition > "Really?! That sounds incredible." Her face lit up. Emily grew up in California. She wasn't a stranger to meditation, although I wasn't sure how many people were turned on to this practice. Having just started to chisel the tip of the iceberg, I hadn't met many other people who were walking the same path as I. Emily had a butterfly tattoo on the side of her neck. She shook her head with confidence and positivity as I spoke to her about the transformation I was going through, confirming that everything was indeed happening for a higher reason. There was this undertone of spiritual wisdom that echoed behind her verbiage. Perhaps this was because I was looking for some meaningful connection or guidance. Regardless, I felt like Emily understood where I was at—that I was looking to connect to a deeper truth. "I'm excited for you, Mikey," Emily said, then sipped her champagne. --- ## Synchronicity The conversation grew quiet. We all sat in silent thought. I got up to gaze off the rooftop down at the stream of traffic slowly parading down Broadway. The whirl of red and white lights blurred with the outlines of taxis. I felt a sense of magic and synchronicity being there, talking to Emily about her cross-country journey. Fresh off my cliff dive, overcoming the fear of travel, and now I sit across from living proof of the possibility of starting a new life in a new city. "Cheers," Brian exclaimed. "Get your glass, Mikey." "Sure." I walked back over to the cluster of chairs with my glass already in hand. Emily and Brian were gazing into one another's eyes, gripped by attraction. She grabbed him by his shirt subtly. They rose to meet me when I got closer. "What should we cheers to?" Emily asked. I listened close to my heart for a moment and then spoke: > [!toast] To Synchronicity > "To divine synchronicity, to good friends, and to love." The glasses clinked and we each took a big healthy sip of that golden bubbly serum. I knew I had to call Anthony right away. --- *Next: [[Ch 8 - Mom, I'm Leaving]]