"Popcorn?Soda?Junior Mints?"he asked.
"Are you kidding?”she asked.“Where would I put it?I'm stuffed.”
"You're not gonna fall asleep on me, are you?"
"Depends on the movie.I was so busy today, I didn’t have time to figure out the quote."
"It's a classic,” he said.“I'm sure you’ve seen it a million times."
"Can you give me a hint?"she asked.
"It’s a musical set in New York City."
Claire thought for a moment."The Jazz Singer.No wait!Guys and Dolls."
"West Side Story," he said.
“I loveWest Side Story!”
"It’s one of my all-time favorites.I don’t think I’ve ever told you this, but Natalie Wood is my ultimate celebrity crush."
Claire held up her hand.“Now hold up a sec.I thought Kate Winslet is your celebrity crush?”
He shot her a seductive look.“Who needs Kate when I’ve got the real thing?”
“For someone who claims to not be romantic, you’re killing me with these lines of yours, Mr.Avery,” Claire said.
"That’s not a line," he said, his tone suddenly deeper.“Wanna know something else?Kate Winslet wouldkillto have your eyes.”
“My eyes?”she questioned.
Jay moved closer.“I’ve debated their true color for weeks.I know your driver's license says green, but to assign them one basic color is total injustice.They’re like an ocean suspended inside a secret garden—both watery and earthy at the same time.Your eyes make it possible for me to see myself as I never have before.Because of you, I now understand that something beautiful can grow from a dark place.That good can come from bad.”
The look on his face said it all—he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman.Claire’s inside burned with familiar heat.A Jay-induced flame.
"How could I have ever given myself to anyone, for better or worse, knowing what I know now?"he asked.
He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.Claire’s heart pounded an insane rhythm at his unexpected words.Jay pulled her in and buried his face in her neck.
"You make me feel better about myself than I ever have in my entire life," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.
They stayed locked in a tight embrace for several moments.Claire breathed slow, deep breaths, fearing her heart might explode.When Jay finally pulled back, she found his most intense look yet.
“I’ve lied to myself and everyone around me.Years of pretending what Hope and I had together was enough.I’m just so, so sorry, Claire.”
"Sorry?For what?"she asked.
"For not finding my way to you sooner."
He kissed her.They forgot the movie.Clothes and apprehensions fell to the floor as they slowly made their way to his bed.Neither rushed, and Claire lost herself in each new discovery—the taste of his earlobe, the feel of her hands on his back, the way he reacted when her lips found a certain spot on his neck.
They made love softly and without a sound, letting their bodies connect the way their minds and hearts had over a string of magical days.He answered every touch with gentleness.For the first time, Claire felt certain Jay’s past no longer blinded him, but lingered as a series of misty shadows fading into obscurity.He ran his hand lightly across her pale chest and whispered these words…
"I’m in love with you, Claire."
She smoothed his hair off his forehead with a smile.“I’m in love with you, too.”
They lay in silence for a long time, Jay gently stroking her arm.These were the moments she'd longed for with Calvin.The soft, quiet moments which were as powerful as the physical exchange itself.Even more so, she knew now.
