Page 13 of A Constant Surprise

After walking around the large home for a few minutes, I found him in what looked like a large family room right off the kitchen.

“Hey,” I said meekly at the door pausing to see if it was okay to come in.

“Hey, you.” He looked up at me from his phone. “What’s up? Everything okay with your room?”

“Oh yes. Everything is perfect with the room. Thank you.”

He simply nodded.

“I was just trying to procrastinate from unpacking some boxes and wanted to know if you wanted to watch a movie or something.”

A big grin crossed his face. “Of course, come on in and sit down.”

He set his phone down on the table and picked up a remote. I figured it would turn on the tv, but when he hit a button, suddenly, four very large, floor-to-ceiling cabinets slid open to reveal hundreds upon hundreds of movies.

Holy shit.

“Pick whatever you want, and I’ll go grab us a couple of beers and make us some popcorn.”

I’d always considered myself a movie buff, but lately, I hadn’t had much time for them. I loved being able to get lost in a story for a couple hours and forget the world existed.

A few minutes later, Tyler returned with popcorn and beer in hand, but I was no close to picking something to watch.

He laughed at me pacing back and forth trying to look at every single title. “I have an idea. Close your eyes, spin around in a circle, and stick your hand out and grab one. We will watch whatever it is. No matter what.”

He set the food down and walked toward me setting his hands on my shoulders. I covered my hands with my eyes as he slowly spun me a few times. His large hands on me sent waves of heat rushing through my veins.

When he stopped spinning, he whispered in my ear, “Now point.”

When I did and uncovered my eyes, I realized I had picked a super girly chick flick. When I busted his balls about having this movie, he scoffed and said it must have belonged to his sister.

As we watched, we ate popcorn and drank beer and made fun of the sappy romantics in the movie. Despite being female, chick flicks were never really all that for me.

“Look at her…thinking her Prince Charming is just going to ride up and save the day. I hate it when movies do this,” I complained.

“Do what? Don’t you believe in love?”

His words took me aback for a moment. “Of course, I believe in love, but I wish they’d make more movies about what love really is. It’s not all puppies and rainbows. It’s being there through everything…the good and the bad. It’s late nights and early mornings and figuring out how to be together through every difference. It’s learning to accept and forgive. They should make a movie about that.”

He replied, “I think they’re just trying to give people hope that love is out there. Hope is all that some people have.”

I looked at him. “Should they have hope even when it’s false?”

“Maybe it’s not false. Maybe it just hasn’t happened for them yet,” he spoke his words with such conviction it made me want to believe him.

But I knew all too well that love stories could be vibrant and brilliant and still not have a happy ending.

I tried not to be such a downer the rest of the movie instead focusing on laughing at the silly jokes or poking fun at a ridiculous outfit. Maybe the love talk was a bit deep.

Two beers later, and I felt my eyelids growing heavy. My head slumped over onto Tyler’s shoulder as I began to doze right before the credits started to roll.

A moment later, I felt him lift me into his big arms as though I weighed nothing.

“Where are we going?”

“You’re falling asleep. I’m taking you to bed.”

I chortled. “I don’t think so, Mister.”

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