"So, do you see movies with Kennedy frequently?" Liam asks, breaking the silence.
"Half of our dates are movies," I say in a tired voice. I know Liam already thinks I'm a clueless boyfriend, given how Kennedy feels about movies.
"You know, the cinema is a bad idea for all dates, not just you two," Liam says, oblivious to my weariness. "I read this in a magazine, that you should never go to the cinema for a first date. Because you don't get to talk, you just sit there in silence and watch a movie."
"It's a good idea for socially awkward people," I say. "Besides, for many people cinemas aren't about getting to know each other, or watching the movie, but…"
"But?" Liam prompts.
I look at my feet. "You know. Fooling around."
Liam doesn't reply, and I regret speaking. I've just made the whole conversation awkward. Quick, think of something to say.
"What are people meant to talk about on dates, anyway?" I blurt out.
"I wouldn't know. I've never been on one," Liam says.
We're quiet for the rest of the walk, leaving the park and trekking into town, past the surf shops and expensive clothing stores, past a brick post-office and quaint library. We arrive at the small cinema which is attached to the local shire. It's a stone building, with sharp peaks and windows that remind me of a vampire's castle. Inside the lobby, though, the air is warm with walls covered in colourful movie posters.
"There are a lot of couples here," Liam comments, looking around at the overwhelming number of couples holding hands. "Weird for a thriller."
"It's not that weird," I protest. "Girlfriends get to be scared and hide in their boyfriend's arms. Or in their girlfriend's arms," I say, catching sight of a lesbian couple holding hands.
"Or in their boyfriend's arms," Liam says, grinning at me.
"What?"
"I bet you're the one that hides in Kennedy's arms," Liam says.
I roll my eyes. He's wrong, of course. Even if we're watching a scary movie, Kennedy and I are oftentimes too distracted to get scared because we're focused on the hands underneath our clothing.
The back of my neck prickles when I think of my conversation with Kennedy in the ensuite. I watch the movies, I'd argued like a five-year-old. Well, yeah, sometimes I'm distracted, but sometimes I pay attention, and I wouldn't mind watching movies with Kennedy, doing nothing more than holding hands.
"I pre-bought snacks when I bought the tickets online," I say, leading Liam over to the only counter in the lobby. Two teenage staffers alternate between selling tickets and food from the display behind them.
"Let me pay you back," Liam says.
"That's not necessary."
Liam bores his chocolate eyes into mine. I return the stare. I only break away when we arrive at the front of the line and Liam lets out an amused huff.
"Good evening. How can I help you?" A worker asks. He looks to be around our age, with a nose smattered with freckles. Probably a side effect of living in a beach town.
"Hi," I say, "I booked tickets and snacks online, under the name Curtis Claridge."
The worker nods and looks at a computer screen tucked under the counter in front of him. "Yep, found it. Couples package for Curtis and Kennedy. "Kennedy, it says here that for your snacks, you prefer vegan options…" The worker looks up and his eyes drift to Liam before doing a double-take.
I bite back a sigh. "This isn't a date," I say.
The worker looks up at me, then at Liam, who's wearing an amused smile. The worker looks away, appearing a little flustered. "Pardon?"
I'm feeling a little flustered too. "This isn't Kennedy. Kennedy's my girlfriend. This is Liam. He's with me because —"
Liam takes a small step closer to the counter. "It doesn't matter. The main thing is that I'm not vegan, so I can just have whatever."
The worker blinks. "Okay. So the combo includes one large box of popcorn, one large bag of sweets, and a soft drink each."
"I'll have a water please," I say, wanting this whole interaction to be over.
