Chapter 16
ALEX
I do prefer to pick up my dates, but when the woman I’m spending the evening with is in charge of the event, I have to agree to meet her there.
The park in Rebel is half a block wide and six blocks long. It’s bordered on one side by Main Street and on the other by Otter Avenue. Magnolia trees line the sidewalks along the edges, and one end of the park has a huge gazebo, while the other end has a small amphitheater.
The soft grass is broken up by park benches and flower beds and crisscrossed with cement paths.
Movie night is set up near the amphitheater end of the park, and I shouldn’t be surprised to see it is colorful and over-the-top.
I immediately notice the purple, blue, and lime-green balloon frame around the gigantic sheet stretched between two wooden poles, which will act as the screen.
Then I take in the twenty-foot-long table that is draped in a purple plastic tablecloth and covered with treats, including the multitude of popcorn toppings and add-ins at the end of the table near the popcorn machine.
The lawn in front of the screen is dotted with lawn chairs and blankets, and there are already easily thirty people sitting and standing around chatting and snacking. But there are just as many people still walking toward the area with me.
It takes me ten seconds to figure out what movie we’re watching tonight.
I smile, pleasantly surprised. I love this movie.
Not that anyone here knows that. In any interview where I am ever asked, I say my favorite movie is The Dark Knight, the Batman movie. And I do like that one a lot. It also seems like the kind of tough, adult-guy movie I should claim as my favorite.
If I’m completely honest, however, Monsters, Inc. is absolutely my favorite, and I find myself smiling even more widely as I search for Nora in the crowd.
As soon as I spot her, laughing at something someone has said as she ties a character balloon to the framed area where people can get their photos taken next to full-size cutouts of the monsters, I realize that I have been anticipating seeing her all day.
I head straight for her.
“Oh my gosh, hi, “she greets, her smile brightening when she sees me.
I don’t give her any warning or ask for permission. I wrap my arms around her in a big hug and kiss the top of her head. I’m her fucking boyfriend. She’s lucky that that’s all I do to her in front of all these people.
She looks up at me, surprise in her eyes.
“Hey, Wildflower. This is impressive.”
Her surprise disappears and excitement replaces it. “Do you like it?”
“Of course. I was expecting a simple movie projector and a few lawn chairs. This is a whole production.” I give her a little eye roll. “But of course it is. You don’t do anything small.”
“It’s some balloons and snacks,” she laughs. “It’s not like it’s a red-carpet premiere in Hollywood.”
“They should completely put you in charge of movie premieres in Hollywood,” I tell her. “People will talk about them for weeks after.”
“Thank you,” she says sincerely. “I love when people talk about something I put together long after the fact.”
I believe her. And I also believe that it happens on a regular basis.
“Come check out the snacks,” she says excitedly, pulling me toward the table.
In addition to the buttered popcorn that people can add everything to from cheddar cheese flavored powder to mix-ins like M & M’s and pretzels, there are also lime green popcorn balls with a single eye-ball on the front, sugar cookies in various monster shapes and colors, and what would essentially amount to a charcuterie board, but the meat, cheese, olives, and fruits have been added to little wooden skewers.
“What are those bright blue balls?” I ask.
They are stuck on the skewers with pieces of ham and salami, large green olives, and cherry tomatoes.
“Those are herbed cream cheese balls,” she says. “Dyed blue for Sully.” She grins as she names one of the main monsters in the movie.
“Monster balls?” I ask, grabbing one.
She laughs. “Not like that.”
“Good. Because they’d have to be way bigger.”
She swats my arm. “Alex! It’s a kids’ movie!”
I look around. “And there is a surprisingly large number of adults here.”
She shrugs. “We do a different person’s favorite each time, and since most of the attendees are adults, often they’re R-rated, so it’s not necessarily kid-friendly.
We leave it up to the parents and sometimes kids come if it’s a kid movie, though.
” She looks around. “This one was kind of last-minute, though. I just sent the movie name out late last night so it’s possible a lot of families didn’t have time to watch. ”
“Wait,” I say. “Time to watch what?”
But she’s already heading toward the movie screen.
I follow simply because she’s the entire reason I’m here and I don’t know where she’s set us up to sit.
Nora picks up a wireless microphone.
“Hey, everyone!” she greets.
The crowd choruses a “Hi, Nora!” back to her as people head for their seats.
“Anyone want to guess whose favorite movie this is?” she asks.
I look around. I’m curious who else loves Monsters, Inc.
No one raises their hand or speaks up, which is odd. I don’t think this town has a single person in it who wouldn’t speak up to share information about themselves. Or anyone else.
“Yours?” someone asks Nora.
I look at Nora in surprise. Do we have the same favorite movie?
“How long have you been doing movie nights?” I ask her.
She frowns. “I don’t know. Three years?” She looks back at the group. “I do like the movie, but no, it’s not my favorite,” she says with a smile.
So no, we don’t share the same favorite.
But the group doesn’t already know her favorite movie? Haven’t they all watched it together here with themed decorations and snacks? In three years, they haven’t gotten around to Nora’s favorite?
I look out at the crowd. “How often do you do this?”
“What?” she asks. I’m obviously distracting her. “Monthly.” She turns to the group again. “Any other guesses? It will surprise you, I think!”
Okay, so if every single person here gets a chance at their favorite and it’s only monthly, that’s thirty-six movies. There are fifty people here. I suppose it’s possible they haven’t gotten to Nora’s. But she runs the whole damned thing and hasn’t been able to watch her favorite?
“What’s your favorite movie?” I ask her.
She shakes her head as if to tell me not now. “It’s Alex!” she announces to the group.
Oh…wait, what?
The crowd gives a collective surprised “aw” sound, and there’s light applause.
We’re watching Monsters, Inc. because of me?
I stare at Nora. “How did you know that?”
She looks smug. “I know you tell interviews that your favorite movie is The Dark Knight.”
I do. And she says this right into the microphone so the whole group is included.
“Right,” I say. “Because that’s a fantastic film.” It is. Great acting, great cinematography, great themes.
“Sure,” she agrees. “But your real favorite is Monsters, Inc.”
I narrow my eyes. There is not even a handful of people who know that. I know who told her. “You asked my sister, and she blabbed?”
Nora grins. “Yep.”
I sigh. Well… Monsters, Inc. is great. I look out at the crowd.
The group looks pleased. No one’s judging me.
I assumed sports fans and sports magazine writers want to hear that a big, tough hockey player likes dark action films with lots of crashing and blowing up.
But this group… they’re all grinning at me, not in a ‘that’s so funny that you like a cartoon movie’, but in a ‘how delightful’ way.
“How many times have you seen it?” Nora asks into the mic, then she tips it toward me so everyone can hear my answer.
“What?”
“How many times? Usually, people see their favorites more than once, and typically, you pick up extra things when you watch it again and again.”
“Uh…” I scrub the back of my neck. Do I admit the real number? Looking out at the lawn chairs and blankets, all I see are people who are watching me with open, interested expressions. And she’s right. You don’t watch a favorite just once. “Probably a dozen times.”
Nora looks thrilled by that answer. Okay then, I could probably tell her it’s more like twenty.
“Who’s your favorite character?” she asks.
Again, I’m tempted to lie. Or fib, at least, because of course I do like the two main monster characters. But I give Nora the truth. “Boo. The little girl.”
She’s clearly surprised. “Really? Why?”
“I think because I’d like to be her,” I say, a little uncomfortable.
Okay, a lot uncomfortable. “She’s vulnerable and the bad guys are out to get her, but this big monster does whatever he has to to protect her.
And his friend steps up to help because he’s a good friend.
She just has to trust them. I like that idea.
Just being able to be yourself, trust someone, and be taken care of. ”
As soon as those words leave my mouth, my eyes widen. Oh…damn. That was a lot. I’ve never said that to anyone about that movie. I don’t think I’ve ever really thought it. I’ve never thought about who my favorite character was specifically.
But Nora looks like she wants to hug me.
And maybe take her clothes off and let me more-than-hug her.
And I like that a lot, so I’m not sorry for baring my stupid mushy soul there for a second.
“And what do you like about the movie overall, Alex?” Nora asks. “What makes it your favorite?”
I wasn’t prepared for all of these questions about a movie I haven’t watched lately. I’m not sure…. Yes, I am.
“It’s funny,” I say simply. “Billy Crystal and John Goodman are the voices of the two main characters, and they’re both fantastic.”
Nora watches me, clearly waiting for more.
I shrug. “It’s a fun movie. Puts me in a good mood.”
There’s another long pause.
Someone in the group says, “It is funny. I like the way the two main characters, Mike and Sully, are such opposites but clearly care about each other and support one another. They’re good friends.”