I try to remove my hand as the feeling of familiar humiliation crashes over me, and I remember the time when I had tried to be spontaneous and romantic with Pete. We were at his family's estate for a barbecue, where my family had also been invited. He was talking to his friends, and I walked over to him, waited for him to finish talking and asked if I could have a kiss. For some reason, in that moment, watching him was all I wanted. I remember him laughing in my face and rolling his eyes before telling me to move along, and he’d come and see me later on. I remember turning my back and hearing them all laughing about how clingy I could be.
It isn’t until my arm jerks that I realise Nate has stopped walking and is standing stock still. He tilts his head to one side. “I guess you didn’t hear me just then?”
I shake my head. “Sorry.”
He narrows his eyes, assessing yet again before nodding once. “That’s another thing that needs to be added to your list. Hayleigh Wallcroft doesn’t apologise for being.” He steps towards me, still holding one hand. His other hand brushes the hair behind my ear. “I have an idea. Come on.” Then he pulls me along without saying another word.
We walk in a comfortable silence for about fifteen minutes. We arrive at an old, run-down building; the letters outside it are faded, but I can still make out the word ‘cinema’.
I look up and down the street, and sure enough, it’s empty. “Uhm, Nate, if you were going for romantic, then this really isn’t the place. In fact, this is somewhere I could imagine a Bundy or a Gacey to frequent.”
“Hey, didn’t anyone ever tell you never to judge a book by its cover?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, unless that cover glaringly states the obvious like ‘serial-killers-R-US’.”
He tugs on my hand. “Come on. Trust me.”
“Fine.”
We cross the road to the cinema, and Nate pushes on the door. I half expect a ton of mould spores to fly out like an episode of The Last of Us, but I’m pleasantly surprised when I smell fresh flowers and popcorn.
“Oh, wow.” I breathe out the words as my eyes adjust to the sight before me.
The cinema is like no cinema back home. This is quaint, and although we’re in a city, it screams small town, like the movies I watched as a child. The walls are a rich ruby red with golden panelling around the edges. In the centre of the room is a boothwhere an elderly gentleman with wispy white hair sits, smiling from ear to ear.
“Hey folks, two tickets?” He asks us.
Nate nods. “Yes, please.” Nate pays the man, and he hands us two tickets with ‘admission one’ written on them.
Something occurs to me. “How did he know what we’re going to see?”
Nate smiles. “That’s the beauty of this place, they place a different movie every day so it’s kind of pot luck.”
We stop off at the popcorn stand in the corner of the room; this part, at least, is a bit more modern. We take our popcorn and drinks and walk through an archway at the back of the room, which leads to a corridor. At the end stands a young man in a red suit and top hat.
He smiles at us. “Tickets, please.” Nate hands them over, and he pulls out a puncher from his pocket and punches a love heart into both of them.
A giggle leaves my lips, and I thank him, but it isn’t until we’re clear and alone that I say to Nate. “Aww, I think he thought we were on a date.”
Nate shrugs. “We kind of are.”
I roll my eyes, but I don’t say anything back to that. There is nothing I would love more than to be on a real date with him right now, but I know this is purely friendly. He’s helping me out, that’s all. Besides, it would be too soon for me to date now; people would think I’m a slut for dating so soon after breaking up with Pete.
We settle into our seats, the film rolls, and I can’t help the barking laugh that leaves me. I turn in my seat to face Nate, but before I can say anything, he holds his hands up in defence. “I swear I didn’t plan that.”
We settle in to watch ‘Singin’ In The Rain’, and the coincidence with what he said earlier makes me chuckle, but there’s anotherreason this shocked me, because my grandad was a huge Gene Kelly fan.
I smile as the familiar tune of Gene’s number plays, but I’m distracted when Nate leans over to whisper in my ear. “Cheesy romcom movie moment coming right up.” He takes my popcorn and places it on the floor.
I look at him in confusion. “What the-” Nate grabs hold of my hand and hauls me up. “Nate, let go,” I whisper through clenched teeth, but he carries on smiling like the idiot he is.
“You asked for this, so now we’re ticking it off.” He pulls me along until we’re standing in the aisle. Luckily, no one is behind us, so we aren’t blocking anyone.
“Nate, what are you doing?”
“We’re going to dance at the movies.” He brings my hands up and links them together behind his shoulders, dipping down so I can reach.
We’re standing close together as he sways us, but my movements are stiff, and I wish I could loosen up, but my stupid brain is shouting too many things at me all at once, and then Nate’s voice is in my ear. “Close your eyes and lock your hands.”
