Russ and Cherry were going to see a movie. Which meant they were going to the pretentious nonprofit arthouse theater where Russ knew the executive director. There was a snooty cafe in the lobby and arty plaques hanging up with the names of wealthy donors. Cherry teased Russ while they waited in line for tickets. They were holding hands. (Tom had been back in Los Angeles for two weeks. That errant kiss felt small and far away now.) “When was the last time you went to a real cineplex, Mr. Shop Local?”
Russ smiled at her. “I’m an everyman, Cherry.”
“Have you seen a single Marvel movie?”
“I have an eight-year-old son.”
Cherry laughed and leaned into him. “You’re so good at this. You haven’t answered a single one of my questions.Mr. President, have you had sexual relations with that woman?”
“The night is young.”
Russ recognized the tattooed lady selling tickets. He introduced her to Cherry, and the woman looked at her funny, but Cherry ignored it.
The theater had two screening rooms. Cherry and Russ ended up in a tiny room with maybe twenty-five seats. They were seeing some Finnish movie—“A darkly comic romance.” Russ knew the people sitting behind them and started chatting.
“I’m going to get popcorn,” Cherry said, excusing herself. (Carbs didn’t count at movie theaters.)
“I’ll get it,” he said.
But Cherry was already up. “You stay and talk. I’m gonna use the bathroom, too.”
She went to the bathroom, then stood in line for popcorn. It took a while. The same woman who was selling tickets was also handling concessions, and she was moving at a very nonprofit pace.
When Cherry walked back into the theater, the trailers had started.
Jesse Plemons was onscreen, wearing a dark blue hoodie and looking anxious. He was facing a British actress in tight black jeans and a black V-neck—who was almost definitely wearing a fat suit.
Cherry had never reversed course so quickly in her life. She practically flew back to the lobby, like a cartoon character leaving a trail of popcorn hanging in the air behind her.Yoink.
Her heart was thundering in her chest. The woman at the concessions stand was watching her. Cherry walked back into the bathroom (even though she was holding popcorn and that was gross).
She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror...
Cherry was wearing a very cute red plaid shirtwaist dress with a flared skirt, and a tulip-yellow cardigan. (Russ had really brought back her cardigan habit.) She had on dark green tights and black Mary Poppins boots. Her mulberry lipstick was perfect. Her emerald-green eyeliner was perfect. Her hair was cut to frame her round face. Her cheeks were flushed red. Her hands were trembling. She wanted to run away. She thought about calling an Uber, but she’d left her phone in her handbag on her seat.
If she went back to the theater now, Baby would be there with her. Babywasthere! With Russ, crashing Cherry’s date. Crashing Cherry’s whole life, at every turn. There was nowhere to hide from her.
Cherry was breathing heavy. Maybe she was hyperventilating. She thought about splashing her face with water, like on TV, but she didn’twant to ruin her makeup. Instead she ate some popcorn. She watched herself eat popcorn. She drank some Diet Coke.
She had to go back.
There was no real escape from all this. Cherry just had to keep moving through it.
She walked back to the theater, still breathing too hard. The Finnish movie had started. (It was black-and-white; that was a real choice in 2024.) Cherry sat down next to Russ without looking at him.
He immediately put his arm around her. He squeezed her shoulders. She glanced over at him, a stiff smile pasted on her face.
Russ smiled for real. Was he trying to make a point?Look at me smiling at you in this extremely weird situation.Yes, probably.
“Can I have some popcorn?” he asked.
Cherry held the bag out to him. He took some. He smiled at her again. He squeezed her shoulders a little harder.
Cherry turned to the screen and concentrated on acting normal. She couldn’t concentrate on anything else—certainly not subtitles. She had no idea what this movie was about. There was a lot of drinking. No one looked happy.
Russ shifted after a while and moved his arm away from her, but he settled with his hand on Cherry’s leg. He rubbed her thigh idly, tugging her skirt up so he could stroke her knee.
When she finally looked over at him again, he smiled back at her. Just for a second. He seemed invested in the movie.
