Page 41 of One Pucking Chance

“The very one.” I laugh.

Anna leans into me and squeezes my arm with her free hand, pleased. She loves this movie and has told me on more than one occasion how great it is. I’ve heard about the imagery, themes, costume, and set design—name the attribute, and Anna has gushed over it. She says while all the movies that receive awards like the Oscars don’t always earn them, this one did. In her words, it was brilliant for its time and is a must-watch. So here we are.

We enter the theater, where the staff eagerly waits. We order half the food they have to offer at concessions and make our way into our private theater.

“Theaters have come such a long way, haven’t they?” Anna asks.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the leather loungers with a footrest and tray for your food. Back in the day, setups like this didn’t exist.”

“Yeah, I vaguely recall. I love going to the theater now, but I didn’t go much as a kid. One of the kids on my hockey team had a birthday party at a theater once, though I barely remember the setup.”

“Well, I can tell you it wasn’t as nice as this,” she says. She looks at the blankets next to our seats and runs her hand over one of them. “You thought of everything.”

“When you’re dating Annalise Sterling, you have to.” I take a seat.

She sits in the chair beside me and extends her footrest before tossing a blanket over her legs. “Speaking of, did you see the girl with her phone out?”

“Yeah,” I huff. “You pay good money for privacy, and a video will still be posted.”

“It’s always the way. Her video of our movie date will be all over social media by the time we’re done with this movie.”

“I’m not surprised, given that this movie is over three. Hours. Long,” I groan, causing her to laugh.

“It’s worth it. I promise you.”

“I’m just excited to finally weigh in on whether or not there was room on the door. I don’t even know what that means, but when people discuss this movie, that’s what they talk about.”

Anna smiles. “Well, just so you know, there was. But you have about three hours to wait to find out what that means.”

The lights dim, and the movie starts. Anna offers me the box of Sour Patch Kids, and I dig in, grabbing a few.

“The red ones are the best. Agree?” I toss some of the sour gummies in my mouth.

“Shh.” She holds a finger to her lips. “You can’t talk through the movie, or you’ll miss something.”

I laugh. “So you’re that type of movie watcher.”

“Shh.” She repeats the finger to her lips motion.

I raise my hands in surrender and make a show of clamping my lips closed.

Pushing the button, I lean my chair back as far as it will go, and I watch the movie.

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

ANNALISE

Ifind a quiet space on set for lunch and sip on my protein shake. I always get a little nostalgic on the last day of filming. It’s impossible for me not to become emotionally invested in my projects. I grow to love the character I’m playing and the world I’m living in. It’s always sad knowing it’s about to end. A good film grows on you and becomes part of who you are. There will be many other projects in my life, but I’ll miss this one.

Hell, I’m even going to miss Simon. The jerk has grown on me. Ever since our truce, he’s been decent. When his head is in the game and he’s not being an ass, he’s actually really talented. I never planned on putting in a good word for him with my “uncle” Bobby, but I just may. I suppose he deserves it, as he held up his end of the bargain. He hasn’t been annoying me, and his effort has been incredible. This movie feels special. I can only hope it’s well received.

I check my phone to see if my mom has messaged back but nothing. I don’t think I’ve had one conversation with her since I’ve been in Michigan. She’s been impossible to get ahold of. Even my father, who has an opinion about everything, has been a ghost since news of Jaden and I broke. The last time I saw him was at the Italian restaurant.

Tapping her name, I wait for the ringtone. I’m in shock when she actually picks up.

---