So much for the best laid plans, because this day had not adhered to any type of plan. Except her car was ready on schedule. That part was fine. Everything else? Pretty much nope. Now it was all buttered popcorn, chocolate-covered raisins, and sour gummy worms.
To be clear, she wasn’t at the theater with Gavin—even though she was sitting next to him. Nuh-uh, she was there
as a chaperone-observer for Agnes and Charlie’s deep dive into matchmaking mania.
The basic rundown of how the day had gone could be condensed easily. Charlie was more than onboard with Agnes’s matchmaking scheme. Molly submitted their story, and as part of her video log, she needed to observe them on a date.
They’d decided to go to a movie.
Bummer for her? Their movie was packed. So, they ducked into the next theater over: a pretty much empty theater. The same theater as the kids.
And since Gavin sat alone in the back so the eight-year-olds could have the freedom to watch a movie without their parent sitting right next to them, Molly found herself reclined with a box of Raisinets and her new buddy.
That’s the only reason she sat next to him in Denver’s comfiest movie theater. Oh, no, no, no, she couldn’t be uncomfortable with her slide into all things Gavin. Because this wasn’t one of the normal theaters with smooshed personal space and stadium seating. No, this was a plush theater with pleather recliners, two cup holders per person, and lotsa leg room. Also, an abundance of space between guests.
Which was good because…Gavin.
The worst part of it all? She didn’t hate it. The sitting next to him part, or the recliner, or watching Agnes and Charlie canoodle across the theater.
They’d lifted the recliner arm rest between them for maximum cuddleage. Four rows in front of them? The three boys had also lifted their arm rests so they could share the massive bucket of popcorn Gavin bought them.
Gavin, whose woodsy cologne mixed with the scent of buttered popcorn and industrial floor cleaner.
Ugh. She dropped back against the pleather chair. She should hate this situation. That’s what should be happening.
But he was being. Wait for it… Charming.
Like his brothers.
She was beginning to really hate that she liked Gavin Frank.
Who was this person who had taken over his body? That’s what she wanted to know. While she’d never believed in alien abductions or been one for conspiracy theories, perhaps she should start subscribing to them.
He’d even bought her the chocolate-covered raisins when Ollie mentioned they were her movie theater favorite. Well, next to bridge mix. But they didn’t have a full bridge mix at most theaters, only some. And when they did? It was a very special day indeed.
But that wasn’t today. Today was the day when nothing was as it should be, since Gavin got a whole additional point for the candy purchase. He was up to…a million plus six? Seven? She needed to do a recount.
It didn’t really matter anyway, though, because while Gavin was there for the kids, she was there not to supervise the children but to supervise and report back on the elderly.
“Why isn’t anyone else here?” The only other people in the theater were Agnes and Charlie and the three kids.
“No idea.” Gavin tossed a kernel of popcorn, deftly catching it in his mouth.
Impressive. But she refused to be wowed. No wowing allowed. Besides, she wasn’t even going to attempt that
with her chocolate-covered raisins. She’s probably end up choking, and it’d be a whole thing.
“It doesn’t bode well for the movie that no one wants to see it,” Molly said, looking to the door. But no one came through.
“So it’s just us,” Gavin said. “We can be as loud as we want.”
Uh.
He probably didn’t mean for that to sound like an innuendo. She certainly shouldn’t take it like an innuendo.
“Who would’ve thought we’d find ourselves here?” he asked.
“On a scale of one to one thousand?” Molly said. “I’d say well into the million category.”
