My heart is fluttering, and I take a moment to realise what he’s said. “What? Oh, yeah. There were a lot of four and five stars—”
“Don’t tell me,” he says, covering his ears.
“Why not?”
“I never look at reviews before I watch anything. If I have preconceived expectations, it’ll ruin the whole experience.”
I shake my head. “It won’t. It’ll prepare you and having expectations is good.”
“I’d rather be surprised,” he says.
I stare at him for a moment. “You must think I’m super uptight.”
“No.”
“Oliver.”
“Well, you are a little. But in a good way.”
Our faces are close. I can see the different colours in his eyes.
“Besides, it’s not as if this is a surprise. I’ve known you forever,” he says, leaning back into his seat.
The cinema screen turns on and a video tells the audience to turn their phones off. “It’s starting!” I say.
The trailers begin, and while I try to give them all my attention, Oliver sometimes whispers in my ear to comment on them.
“We should see that one,” he says in response to a romantic comedy.
“Shh!” I respond before I can think, but Oliver’s unruffled. Instead, he bumps my shoulder before moving away.
That’s one thing I like about Oliver — and Ruby, too. They don’t get annoyed or offended at my bossiness. Ruby tolerates it because she’s like me, but Oliver is relentlessly calm. He smiles at me when I’m ignoring him … I wonder if he’s so confident because he knows how I feel about him.
The film starts and I try my best to get sucked into the story. Despite that, I can’t help being conscious of Oliver. My heart jumps when he laughs at the jokes and nods his head at the twists and turns. My body is stiff and alert because I want him to touch me — press his leg against mine, put his arm around me. That’s what would happen if this was a date.
But he doesn’t, and while the movie was great, I can’t help but feel disappointed by the end. I suppose this is a friendship date after all.
“You know, I guessed it was the father,” I say as we leave our seats. “He had that creepy look about him.”
“You did not,” Oliver teases.
“I did!” Around us, everyone else discusses the twists and turns of the movie. Though it was a long movie, there’s still a hint of light outside. “I could tell the maid was a red herring from a mile away.”
“I refuse to believe you suspected the father. I didn’t at all.”
“I suppose I’m a genius.”
He sighs. “The next time we watch a mystery, I’m going to guess the culprit before you.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.”
We exit the cinema and stand by the trees and benches. Around us, concrete buildings and closed shops are shrouded in twilight.
“Um,” I begin. “Does Ruby know you’re here?”
Oliver’s brows jump up. “No. Ruby doesn’t pay much attention to me, Eve.”
I nod.
