Page 24 of Hate You to Love You

‘What’s that?’ I ask.

‘That everyone deserves a happily ever after,’ he confesses, his voice smooth and low.

My heart melts and I can’t help but smile. I lift myself up so I’m now sitting on the kitchen counter. ‘So, Elliot, if you’re so big on happily ever afters now, what makes you think Harry and Sally don’t belong together?’

‘Don’t get me wrong, they make really good friends. Actually, they make perfect friends, which is exactly why they shouldn’t have entered a relationship. Their chemistry as friends is just so special.’

I disagree. We argue. I ask him if he’s seen any other Nora Ephron movies, and when he tells me he hasn’t, I explain why You’ve Got Mail is a wonderful love letter to bookstores and New York in the fall, while Sleepless in Seattle is the perfect film to watch when you feel alone.

When Elliot doesn’t answer, I pull the phone away from my ear to see if we got cut off. But the call is still going, so I bring my phone back to my ear. ‘Elliot?’

‘I’m here.’

‘You didn’t say anything.’

‘I was listening.’

The way he speaks, soft and slow, makes my heart tremble.

‘I like the way you talk,’ he says. ‘Your passion.’

‘Well, I really like movies.’ I shrug off his praise, unsure of how to take it.

‘It’s not just about the movies. It’s how you see the world. It makes me smile because it reminds me that there’s some good out there.’

I feel my cheeks heat up, and I’m not sure what to say. Elliot had come across as arrogant, but maybe I was scared? Scared that with all his probing questions, he might get too close to the real me. Somehow, though, letting him in feels right.

‘What are you doing this Friday?’ he asks.

‘I’ve got work during the day, but that’s it,’ I tell him.

‘Golden Age Cinema is doing a series of romantic comedy viewings,’ he says. ‘Serendipity is one of the movies on the line-up. Want to join me on my rom-com redemption journey?’

I smile. ‘I’ve always wanted to see Serendipity on the big screen.’

‘So, what do you say?’ he asks again. ‘Friday at Golden Age?’

My smile grows larger. ‘See you there.’

There’s a small bar attached to the Golden Age cinema, and the first thing I see when I enter is Elliot, reading a book at a corner table.

As I walk in, the last few lines of Casablanca echo around the space. Seductive dim lighting and velvet drapes add to the theatrics of the venue. The menu is small but well considered. A mix of classic cocktails as well as ones themed to cinematic classics. In the background, speakers play recordings of famous lines from different movies.

Elliot has chosen a booth that’s tucked away in a dark corner. I had him picked as a negroni guy, but instead I find him nursing a black coffee in one hand, while he brushes his other hand through his hair.

‘Good book?’ I ask as I slip into the seat opposite him.

He lifts his head slowly and flips the book closed. I catch a glimpse of the cover: Normal People by Sally Rooney.

‘So far,’ he says. ‘Have you read it?’

‘I don’t think it’s for me.’

‘Are you reading anything good at the moment?’

I consider what’s on my nightstand, then say, ‘Love, Simon.’

‘Young adult romance, yeah?’ Elliot’s voice is smooth.