“Thanks,” she said as he shut the door behind her. “But I wouldn’t mind seeing Sean shoot at things.”
“But dragons and swords and honor? How can one resist?”
Maya’s grin was friendly, but there was no mistaking the firmness behind it. “Well, then it seems we’re at an impasse.”
“I have a suggestion.” He pulled the coin from his pocket. “We’ll flip for it.”
“Are you serious? You begged me for a date, and now we’re going to flip for the movie?”
“I did not beg.” Sam couldn’t suppress his smile. “I waspersistent. And yes, we’re going to flip for it, unless you want to give in?”
“Flip your coin.”
Sam did his best to appear serious. “This coin was a gift, and it has never steered me wrong. Heads, we see Sean shoot things. Tails, we listen to Sean as a dragon.” He flipped the coin and caught it in his palm.
Maya leaned in to see. He could feel the heat from her body and his heart raced at having her so close.
“Oh! Heads!” She looked up at him, victorious. “Sean shooting things it is!”
Sam narrowed his eyes at the coin. “This coin has never failed me...”
“Ha,” Maya laughed. “Until now.” She took a moment to gloat. “C’mon, or we’ll miss the beginning.”
Sam entered the theater behind Maya, unable to believe his luck at actually being on a date with her.
Maya, it turned out, whispered to herself at the movies. She became so completely entranced by the world on the screen that she was almost oblivious to the immediate world around her. She gasped in horror, whimpered in terror, dropped her mouth in outrage, and whispered, “No way! That is so wrong.”
Sam watched her as much as he watched the movie. He watched as the light from the screen darkened and he could just make out her profile. She sat erect in her chair in anticipation. He watched as gunfire made her jump and she dropped their popcorn on the floor.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she bent down to get the bucket. Her bag fell from her lap just as she reached for the bucket, knocking it over and causing it to roll away under the seat in front of her.
From the darkness came a few shushes.
“Oh, no.” She looked wide-eyed at Sam. “I should’ve mentioned that I’m a hazard at the movies.”
Sam’s body shook with suppressed laughter. He didn’t trust himself to speak.
“Are you laughing at me?”
Sam cleared his throat as silently as possible and held up his hands in surrender. “No. Of course not. You just seem so graceful in everything else...”
“It’s an act.” She twisted her mouth and shrugged. “I’m actually clumsy—all the time. That’s the dirty truth of it.”
A few more shushes. Maya widened her eyes and put her index finger to her lips to shush Sam, who wasn’t even speaking. “The movie.” She winked at him and returned her attention to the screen.
Sam sat back in his chair. He spent the rest of the movie watching Maya. She was beautiful and clumsy and her smile was sudden and unexpected. She twisted her hair absently as she concentrated on the screen, shifting forward and then leaning back in her seat from time to time. Sam smiled to himself. She could not sit still.
Every so often, she would turn toward him and catch his eye. In those moments, Sam should have flushed with embarrassment at being caught staring at her, but she would flash her eyes or grin and all thought of trying to be cool and smooth left him, and he was bared open to her.
“That was amazing!” Maya laughed as they exited the theater. She bumped his shoulder. “You have to admit it was fantastic.”
Sam opened his mouth to protest, but found she was right. He laughed with her. “Yes, it was fantastic.” He looked at her sideways. “I told you that coin never fails me.”
“Next time, we’ll see your fantasy flick,” she said. “I actually enjoy dragons and swords and honor.”
His heart flipped. Did she say next time? Sam turned to catch her eye. His next words were just loud enough for the two of them to hear. “Next time, then.”
He tried to hold her gaze, but Maya flushed and looked away. “I thought you said something about great places to eat in Columbia? Didn’t you mention a place with excellent tacos?” She shrugged. “Let’s do that.”
