Page 27 of Revived

“So, you wanna get out of here then? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to waste the rest of the night free from my duties as a dad talking to women I don’t know.” I really just want to talk to you.

“Yes, please. If I see any more hairy knuckles or have to listen to one more college football heyday story, I’m going to need another martini,” she says, huffing out a teasing laugh.

“I never pegged you as a martini girl.”

“Usually, I’m not. But tonight, I felt like stepping out of the norm.” I try not to read too much into that as people start moving around us.

“Then let’s go. Surely we can find something else to do,” I suggest as I stand and reach for her hand instinctively. And when she places her palm in mine, something shifts—the energy between us, the sparkle in her eyes, the rhythm of my heart beating in my chest. They all change as she stares up at me and lets me lead her out of the club once she says goodbye to Jess and grabs her purse and jacket.

“So, what did you have in mind?” Rachel shoves her arms in her coat as the click of her heels on the sidewalk echo between us.

Honestly, I didn’t have a plan as to what to do next. I just knew that I wanted to get out of there and I wanted her to follow me. As we walk down the path on Main Street, passing by shops and restaurants that are closing for the evening, the lights on the sign of the movie theater up ahead flash like a neon sign.

“Wanna see a movie?” I turn to her just as her eyes light up like mine.

“Yes! Gosh, I can’t remember the last time I even went to the movie theaters. With so many streaming outlets now, I feel like the theaters don’t even exist anymore.”

“Oh, they do. I just can’t remember the last time I saw a movie that wasn’t the newest Disney release.”

Rachel chuckles beside me as we continue to walk. Our cars are back at the club and I know we could have driven here, but strolling next to her in the crisp air makes me come alive. I desperately try to recall the last time I felt this excited to go somewhere with someone else, drawing a blank until we arrive at the corner of the road, waiting to use the crosswalk to continue further.

A liquor store sits on the corner we’re standing on, flashing signs lighting up the windows, catching our attention as we stand there.

“We should get snacks before we go inside. The prices of candy at the theater are astronomical, and I have to have chocolate during a movie.” She pulls my hand and ushers me in the liquor store, taking me by surprise. But I can’t help the thrill of letting her lead me. We arrive in the candy aisle in a swift second as Rachel peruses the selection. I literally feel like a kid in a candy store, or at least how it felt as a little kid in line for checkout at the grocery store with my mom—drooling at the mouth as the candy taunted me and I begged for my mom to let us buy one. My sister and I usually lost that fight. But when she’d give in, the sugar high that followed was the taste of sweet victory.

“What’s your poison?” I ask Rachel as I see her grab several selections.

“Honestly, I’m an equal opportunity kind of gal. I don’t discriminate when it comes to chocolate, but I have moods where some call to me more than others.” She reaches for a few different bars, too many to decipher exactly what she grabbed as I take a Snickers and a King Size Reese’s.

“Should we get drinks too?” She turns to me, her face so bright, yet soft in the lights. Her lips are slightly raised and open, her eyes more vibrant from the dark make-up outlining them, and her body stands tall as she waits for my answer. The same enthusiasm I see her exhibit with Grayson is alive in her expression.

“Sure.” She turns and heads for the refrigerator section, reaching in for a Coke and hands me one as well.

“What if I didn’t want a Coke?” I tease her, but she’s actually accurate in her assumption.

“You’ve got to have Coke for a movie. Coke, popcorn, and candy—the trifecta of the cinematic experience.”

I nod in agreement, choosing to remain quiet as we make our way to the cashier and I pay.

Rachel shoves the treats in her purse, covering it up under her coat. Something tells me she’s done this before, and all I can do is admire how many sides of this woman there are. I trust her to take care of my kid because I know how honest her heart is and how playful she is, which is perfect for a kid like Grayson. But then she sneaks food into a movie theater in her bag, and now I sense she has a rebellious side to her as well.

Once I pay for our tickets for Bad Boys for Life, we find our theater and take our seats, getting comfortable before Rachel retrieves the sugary portion of our snacks. However, I did spring for a giant bucket of popcorn to share because you’ve got to have movie theater popcorn. There isn’t any cheap way around that.

The lights are still on in the room while we wait for the show to start. Luckily, there was a showing very close to the time we arrived, giving us enough time to settle in before the previews start.

“This is so weird being here without Grayson,” I say around a mouthful of popcorn.

“I can see that. But hey, you need to have a life too, Luke. Your kid is amazing, but you’re a grown man and need to have fun still.”

I cast her a look. “I can have fun.”

She huffs, reaching for her first candy, a King-Size Kit Kat bar. “No offense, dude, but you’re not exactly the kind of guy that screams fun. You’re so serious all the time, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” she says while tearing open the wrapper. “But I think there’s a side to you that needs to come out more. Enjoy life. Life isn’t just about work and Grayson. You need to remember to live a little.” She shrugs and then takes a bite out of the entire Kit Kat bar without breaking the pieces apart, causing my heart to throttle painfully hard in my chest.

“What…” I start and then clear my throat. “What did you just do?”

She looks over at me like my reaction is startling, which I guess it is, but she doesn’t know why. “What do you mean?” Her eyes are wide but her brow is furrowed, obviously confused by the contorted status of my face.

“You… you just bit into that Kit Kat like a savage…”

Her eyes dart to the screen then around the theater before focusing back on me. “Uh, is that a problem?”

I shake my head but then struggle to find words for a moment. “No. It’s just… not many people eat Kit Kats like that.”

“Well…” she draws out and then takes another bite, a piece of wafer floating down and hitting the top of her dress. “Why waste time breaking them apart when it’s all going to end up in the same place anyway? Taking that extra step just prolongs the chocolate from ending up in my mouth.”

I nearly choke as my pulse quickens and my stomach turns. Rachel has no idea what her little speech has done to me. But I know—because there’s only one other person in my life that’s eaten Kit Kats like that, and she offered me a similar explanation. Before I can reply, assure her that I’m not having a stroke, the lights turn down and the previews start. Rachel turns towards the screen, oblivious to the reaction my mind and body are having to this moment, and tunes into the movie, smiling and laughing as if everything is normal.

It takes me a while to get into the show, but once I do, I relax and let myself enjoy the entertainment, appreciating how hilarious Martin Lawrence and Will Smith still are together after all this time. I laugh out loud without fear of waking my son up, I ingest too many calories to care, and when I turn to Rachel at one point and see her look at me simultaneously, I smile at the thought that tonight was exactly what I needed—some fun.

Although it also cleared up my dilemma for me—Rachel is incredible, and my feelings for her are far more serious than I wanted to believe.

---