Rex’s smile widened, his eyes sparkled, and then he upended the bag of Reese’s Pieces into the bucket of popcorn.
I gasped. “Heathen.”
“It’s good, I promise.” Rex gave the bucket a shake and then held it out to me. “Go on. Give it a try.”
I indulged his whim and took a handful of popcorn, making sure to get some of the candy. They weren’t melted, but they were warm and kind of gooey and the sweet paired nicely with the salty popcorn.
“I don’t regret trusting you,” I told him, reaching for another handful. “What movie are we going to see?”
Rex laughed. “Weren’t you paying attention when we pulled in? There was a big sign.”
“I was staring at the even bigger screen. I never even knew this was here.”
“They do get some new releases here, but mostly they play older things. I think it plays into the whole vintage experience kind of thing.”
“How old are we talking? Black and white? Silent movies?”
“Disaster flicks from the late ‘90s are on the menu this month.Volcano. Dante’s Peak. Armageddon.”
“Those were all before my time.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat because tonight is a double feature. Prepare to suspend your disbelief. Forget everything you know about lava and volcanoes because these movies also forgot.”
“Who needs accuracy when you have entertainment, right?” I said as the sound in the car suddenly swelled to life.
Rex fiddled with the volume and told me that I could adjust my seat for maximum comfort. I followed his lead and reclined the seat a little.
Dante’s Peakwas up first, and I had to admit that I couldn’t fault the mayor for her mad crush on Harry Dalton. If Pierce Brosnan rocked up into my town all hot and confident and shit, I’d have jumped his bones too.
“I’m pretty sure you can’t drive on lava,” I whispered to Rex as Pierce Brosnan navigated a truck over a moving lava flow, even managing to rescue the dog from where it had been stranded. It wasn’t all that realistic, but at least the dog didn’t die.
“I’m pretty sure Hollywood cared about what’s entertaining more than they cared about what was accurate.”
I reached for another handful of popcorn. “I’m definitely entertained.”
The truck on the lava wasn’t the only time I had to tell my brain to shut up and let me enjoy the film, but by the end of themovie, I didn’t care about all the things they’d gotten wrong. I’d been thoroughly entertained.
“How did I never know about this movie?” I asked Rex as the end credits rolled.
“The late ‘90s were rife with disaster movies. It was a beautiful combination of the advancement of special effects and the willingness to completely ignore logic and science for the sake of entertainment.”
“It sounds like a magical time.”
Rex furrowed his brow. “How old are you? I can’t believe I never thought to ask.”
“Twenty-nine and a half. You?”
“I just turned forty.”
I let out a low whistle. “That explains why you like the old movies.”
He tossed a piece of popcorn at me. “The 90s were a magical decade.”
“I was there too.”
“Barely.”
“Am I too young for you, Rex?” Discomfort squiggled through me.
