Chapter 21
He’s already waiting for me in front of the theater, when I arrive, leaning against the flaky grey facade of the building, one leg bent and pressed against it, wearing his usual black all over and a huge grin. He looks good enough to be in a movie. He’d play the bad boy that breaks all the girls” hearts until he finds the one who steals his. I’m thinking I’m that one girl. And that is so childish I can’t even…
But it also makes it hard to be mad at him.
“You’re early,” I say as I walk up.
“And you look amazing.”
His eyes caress me from head to toe, the gaze hot and growing hotter as it slides across my curves which the simple, floor-length black dress I’m wearing doesn’t hide in the slightest.
So. Many. Questions.
Why won’t you even kiss me for more than a minute then?
Why did you just run out the two times we did manage to kiss?
I think he senses those questions because he peels off the wall and the grin disappears from his face.
But instead of answering them, he pulls the tickets from the inside of his shirt pocket and wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“I think we should go in,” he says. “We don’t wanna get bad seats.”
I actually chortle at that.
It’s us and maybe four other people waiting to go see this movie. I almost wasn’t one of those people. He’s the one who ran out on me. Rejected me. I almost didn’t come here today. And a part of me wants to leave. He won’t talk. He won’t acknowledge what happened. He wants to just skirt by like nothing happened? I don’t think so!
But his arm around my shoulders is making me feel things which are completely at odds with all those other frustrating thoughts. Makes me feel safe and protected and like I’m the only woman for him in the whole wide world.
“I just think we should take it slow,” he whispers into my ear. “Rushing kills all the fun.”
I’m not even sure I heard him right and when I look into his face he’s staring straight ahead.
“So you do like me?”
The words just spew from my mouth and I’m sure I’m as red as the thread-bare red carpet covering the entryway of the theater. Thank God the light is so dim in here.
He looks at me, shock vying with amusement in his eyes. He probably can’t believe a woman my age can be this childish and inexperienced.
“Oh, yes, Eden,” he says. “I like you very much. That’s why I don’t want to fuck this up.”
You won’t.
What’s the use of waiting?
You like me, I like you let’s get it on.
All things I could say to him.
And all exactly the things guys have said to me in the past—guys wanting to get with me before I was ready. My first time with a guy was a mistake I still don’t like remembering. There hasn’t been a second time. I was never ready. But I am now. I imagine being with Tyler for the first time will erase all my bad memories of my first time. Not just erase, obliterate them.
What the hell is wrong with me? Am I turning into one of those guys that’ll do or say anything just to get into a woman’s panties? Have I been around bikers and their talk too long? I sound like one of them.
I focus on the movie theatre itself to try and gain some kind of control over myself. It’s a classic small-town theatre with the awning outside announcing the feature in black letters and a poorly lit main room. The foyer leads off into three screening rooms, and red curtains with golden tassels cover those. The tassels have seen better days and only one of the rooms is open. The popcorn stand is dark.
That always makes me sad. I used to love going to the movies when I was younger. But back then, movie theaters were happening places and you could always get a big tub of steaming, buttery popcorn, and more soda than you could drink. But those times are well and truly behind us now, it seems. All movie theaters seem to be run down messes like this one. It’s a wonder this theatre even managed to stay open.
“Come on, the show is starting,” he says and takes my hand to lead me into the dark screening room.
He chooses seats in the middle of the middle row, and I see no one when I look around. It’s as though we’re the only ones here. The silver light as the projection starts bathes everything is a soft, moonlight-like light.
There are no previews the movie just starts.
“I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into here,” I whisper to him. “There are no action-packed scenes or car chases in this movie.”
He grins at me. “Not even a horse carriage chase?”
I shake my head. “Not even one of those.”
He cringes. “Too bad. But I think I’ll manage.”
It feels good to be just bantering like this, the way we did before I turned into a sex-crazed teenage guy and messed it all up. I almost wish we weren’t in a dark movie theater, but somewhere where we could talk instead. Almost. Because I haven’t seen this movie in ages and it’s one of the better adaptations of the novel Wuthering Heights.
I know the book pretty much by heart and yet the story sucks me in each time. It’s no different this time. The only truly surprising thing is that Tyler seems as engrossed in the plot as I am. His eyes are glued to the screen each time I glance at him. And he’s leaning forward whenever I am and gasping at all the right moments.
The sex-crazed part of me that he somehow managed to wake up imagined we’d be making out in this dark theatre tonight, the movie completely forgotten. But this is nice too. Maybe even better.
Whenever I wanted to see one of these movies on the big screen. Or whenever I wanted to see even modern book adaptation movies in the theatre, I usually had to go alone. My sister has no patience for romantic movies, Harper’s into music to the exclusion of all else, and obviously the guys wouldn’t even hear of it. My mom came with me sometimes, because she’s not into romantic stuff either. Mostly it was just my dad who could reliably be counted on to come with me, but I bet he suffered more than he let on.
So to find someone who actually enjoys being here with me… that’s priceless. The way Tyler was interested in the same books I liked was already a lot, this is even better. And on top of it, he’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. I could definitely grow old with him, no doubt about it. And have a great time doing it.
“Wow, that was intense,” he says breathlessly as the credits roll and the lights come on. “Not how I pictured it.”
“I know, right?” I say, unable to keep a huge grin off my face. “But you should really read the book. It’s so much better.”
“Oh, I will,” he says and stands up, waiting for me to do the same. “As soon as I get home tonight.”
“Then tell me what you think about it when you’re done,” I say, still grinning. “But let’s have some dinner first. I know a great burger place near here.”
The way he picked at his spaghetti the other day makes me think he’d prefer something meatier—most of the guys I know do—and after this date, I want to do something nice for him.
“Lead the way,” he says and once again wraps his arm around my shoulders as we exit the theatre.
This time I wrap my arm around his waist as we walk. Apart from a slight tensing as he feels my touch, it’s the most natural thing to do and we walk in step down the twilit sidewalk.
People are just starting to come out for the evening and all the restaurants and even some of the shops we pass are brightly lit.
“It’s like in the movie,” he suddenly says. “We’re from such different worlds. I want you. But I don’t want to mess everything up with you if I rush and indulge my obsession.”
I gasp, not sure what to say.
“That’s the reason why I didn’t let myself have you the other night,” he elaborates. “Even though, I very, very much wanted to.”
I’m still at a total loss as to what to say. Or think. I did not expect him to open up like this.
“Are you confessing strong obsession-like feelings towards me?” I asked, chuckling.
Of all the times to make lame jokes, I choose this one.
He stops in the middle of the sidewalk, forcing the people behind and in front of us to go around as he turns me to face him.
There’s no smile in his ice blue eyes. Only need. And desire.
“Yeah, I think maybe I am,” he says. “I knew I’d love you the moment I first saw you.”
“On the video?” I ask.
He nods. “That’s why I’m here. Because video will never be enough.”
“You rode across the country just to meet me?” I ask.
The romantic in me feels very weak in the knees right now. The realist is still wondering why he won’t even kiss me properly if that’s true.
“That’s why I want to take it slow,” he says. “So I don’t fuck it all up. You’re the woman of my dreams.”
Oh. Man. If I was holding a fan, I’d be using it to cool my face so hard right now.
“You don’t have to worry,” I say. “Because you’re the man of my dreams too. There’s no way we can mess this up.”
He looks skeptical for a moment, but then smiles one of the brightest smiles I’ve ever seen on his face. It even warms up his cold eyes.
“Then I’d like to kiss you now,” he says.
“Yes, please do.”
And he does.
The touch of his lips is electric yet soft and gently tender somehow. It makes warmth and bliss that flows through me, bubbling like a brook, soft like a warm summer breeze. Tension leaves my body like taut guitar strings getting plucked, creating a beautiful melody where there was only tense silence before.
Everything seems to flow together in perfect harmony inside me and out. And especially between us. In this moment, he’s a part of me and I’m part of him.
This. This is what I imagined our first kiss would feel like. And I was right. Without all the push and pull, it is absolutely perfect. And I am sure everything else will be too.
But I can wait.
He’s right. Waiting is better. Especially if this perfect bliss is the prize for it.
After all, if we’re going to grow old together, we have all the time in the world.