Page 42 of Game Misconduct

Since this question had come up over and over with the people here, I’d been thinking about it, trying to come up with a better response.

“The only thing I can think of is movies. I’m not really into who the director is, or the actors or anything like that, but when guys play video games on the plane, I watch movies.”

She perked up. “Okay, so what’s your favorite? I know you like action, but specifically, what’s your favorite movie or series?”

“The Marvel Universe.”

She paused. “Like the superhero movies?”

I nodded.

She eyed me, lips pursed, and finally answered. “I haven’t ever seen a full one.”

I hesitated, finally stunned by something about her. “Any of them?”

She shook her head. “I’ve seen bits and pieces, but I’ve never sat down to watch one of them.”

“How have you managed to avoid them for so long?” It seemed impossible.

“I haven’t really tried. I tend to only have girlfriends, and when the option of going to the movies comes up, we choose something else.”

It didn’t make sense she could watch terrible romantic comedies that had no plot, but had never seen even one of the well-done films from the Marvel Universe. “There are so many, and they’ve been coming out for over a decade. How could you not see even one?”

She shrugged, almost laughing. “I’m sorry to have offended you.”

I opened my mouth, then snapped it closed. “We’re watching them.”

She narrowed her eyes. “All of them?”

I started looking for the remote. “Starting now.”

“But…” She paused, then shook her head. “Should we watch Thor or Iron Man?”

I stared at her. “You can’t just jump in wherever you want. We’re watching Captain America. We’ll work through them chronologically.” I took a big bite of my melting ice cream.

“I didn’t realize there were rules.” She picked up the remote and selected the movie.

“We’re doing this right,” I said. “And we’re not stopping until you’ve seen them all.”

She laughed. “Fine.”

I didn’t mention that there were twenty-three, so far. There was no way we’d finish in a in the next few days, so she unknowingly extended our friendship by several months. I’d keep that information to myself for now.

Before the opening credits were done, she reached forward to put her empty bowl on the coffee table, then pulled a gray and teal blanket from off the arm of the couch and draped it over her legs.

I finished and placed my bowl next to hers before settling back. There was about a foot of empty space between us and I wanted to shift closer, but I wasn’t sure how. The memory of the feeling of her so close to me the last time we’d been here wouldn’t fade, and I craved her heat touching me.

I was losing myself. I put my hands in my lap and focused on the movie, but I knew it line for line, so it wasn’t an adequate distraction. She was right there. All I had to do was spread my legs out a bit more and our knees would touch. No, that would be unnaturally wide. She’d know I wasn’t sitting normally.

But would that be enough? Just some knee contact? If anything, it would only intensify the urge.

Pretending like nothing was going on was like having an intense itch I couldn’t scratch.

This was worse than when I was thirteen and at my first boy and girl birthday party. I hadn’t known how to act then, and now twelve years later, I was no better off.

How could she be so comfortable with me, yet I couldn’t bring myself to physically move closer to her?

It wasn’t like I wanted to put my arm over her shoulder and sneak a kiss. No, that was too far.