Page 25 of Hate You to Love You

‘Yes. It’s a great coming out story, and it feels so nostalgic. I think it’s, like, the perfect coming-of-age book.’

‘Well, Normal People’s got a love story, you know.’ He pushes the book towards my side of the table.

‘But is it romantic?’

‘I guess that’s open to interpretation. Kind of like the ending of When Harry Met Sally.’

‘It’s one of my favourite movie endings. Billy Crystal showing up at the New Year’s Eve party and confessing to Meg Ryan that he loves that she gets cold when it’s seventy-one degrees out, and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her… It’s iconic.’

He sips his coffee. ‘I’ll admit that the script was impressive. So, I decided to do the other two big Nora Ephron films.’

‘You watched Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail?’

‘They were good.’

‘For what they are, right?’

He frowns. ‘I didn’t say that.’

‘Am I wrong?’

‘What if I admit that I was wrong?’

‘All right, what was your favourite then?’

He leans forward, his eyes looking directly into mine with curiosity. ‘You’ve Got Mail.’

‘That was a fast answer, did you rehearse it?’

‘I’m serious, I really did love it. Kathleen Kelly’s passion for her bookstore reminded me of why I love working in books.’ He taps on the cover of his copy of Normal People. Something shifts in the air as Elliot’s tone softens. ‘So I want to apologise. I was wrong about rom-coms.’

‘Really?’

‘Besides the Nora Ephron catalogue, name your three favourite romantic comedies. Go!’ he says suddenly, breaking the serious mood.

‘Notting Hill for one,’ I begin, my voice excitable. These movies had formed the foundation of how I saw the world. They were part of me. ‘It’s the perfect celebrity romance. The love story evokes this warmth and comfort because the chemistry between Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant is so sweet. Oh, and the yearning! We can’t forget the yearning.’

Elliot leans back in his chair. Not quite smiling, he’s listening to me with this look of reverence on his face.

‘13 Going On 30 is one I rewatch once a month,’ I continue.

‘Once a month?’

‘It’s the epitome of a feel-good 2000s movie. The soundtrack. The lighting. The atmosphere. Everything about it. I love how it’s about the fact that you can always learn from and fix your mistakes. But I also love that Mark Ruffalo’s character doesn’t ditch the woman he’s with just because Jennifer Garner wants him back. She learns her lesson the hard way.’

‘One more,’ he said.

‘While You Were Sleeping,’ I say. ‘It’s one of the best portrayals of loneliness I’ve ever seen. The movie is about Sandra Bullock’s character learning to open up the heart she’s closed off for so long.’

Even though he only asked for three, I continue listing movies to Elliot. I tell him that Just Like Heaven is truly unique and severely underrated. The same for Raising Helen.

‘That’s a lot of romantic comedies,’ he says.

‘They make me happy,’ I say, shrugging my shoulders.

‘You really love this genre, don’t you?’

‘I guess they just always remind me that true love does exist. That one day it will be my turn. That life can offer that kind of happiness if you really look for it.’