Page 74 of If This Was a Movie

“We don’t have time to go on a full-out movie date, but this will do.” I feel it then, my heart skipping a beat, yet another part of me falling for him despite the risks.

This was a bad idea, the cautious voice inside my head that sounds a lot like my mother says.

“How much time did you guys have to plan this?”

He smiles wide.

“Fifteen minutes, maybe. She approached me about my slacking while eating breakfast. I think she’d been planning to ambush me about my lack of effort when you weren’t around.”

“Hmm,” I say. “Sounds very Sophie.” So what’s this grand plan you got together?”

“Buddy took Jovie on a date through New York based on what he thought was the best date ever.”

Another skipped beat of my heart as I stare at him, my books clicking on the concrete as we walk out of the garage and into downtown. Everyone is preparing for the town lighting and every surface is wrapped in garland and lights, making it look like a winter wonderland. The only thing missing is a dusting of snow.

“We’re not in New York,”he continues, “but I have to say I think most people would agree Evergreen Park at Christmas time is even better than the city.”

I don’t disagree: While I made the trek to Rockefeller Center in December, the bustling crowds and utter chaos of New York weren’t for me.

I prefer our cozy small town.

“So we’re…” I start.

“First, we’re going to get the best cup of coffee,” he says as we turn a block and see my favorite coffee shop glowing brightly.

In the front is a chalkboard bistro sign that readsBest coffee in the world, as proclaimed by Jules Everett! Come in and get the Jules Latte, one pump vanilla, one pump almond!

My heart stops beating, I think.

“When did you do this?” I ask, but he ignores me, continuing to explain our upcoming date.

“Then we’re going to go look at the windows on Main Street and come to a consensus on who decorated theirs best. We’ll gothrough the revolving doors at Evergreen Department Store, but only once, twice max.” He smiles at me, and I give him a shaky one back because I feel the wave of uncontrollable emotion coming. “It would be a bummer for our date to be cut short because I got arrested.”

“Yeah, probably. I don’t think your sisters would like me anymore if I got you arrested,” I say breathlessly.

“Not true, they’d definitely blame me. But then we’re going to lunch at the diner. I thought about taking you to a steakhouse or something fancy, but it didn’t feel very Elf. So we’re getting pasta, though the maple syrup on top is optional.”

“Thank god for that,” I say with a smile as we stop outside the coffee shop. “So you’re taking me on the Elf date?”

“I know you like Love Actually, but I think Elf is much more of a romantic comedy.”

“You said it was stupid.”

“And then I watched it with you, and it wasn’t,” he says, his voice low, his eyes sincere. I bite the inside of my cheek to fight another wave of emotion but clearly fail. “Hey, hey, I’m sorry. Fuck. I’m fucking this up.” He pulls me in close. “I think Love Actually is great! Really! If you want, we can skip all of this and go back home and watch it. Three times if you want! This was silly, I–”

I push on his chest and glare up at him.

“Absolutely not, Nathan Donovan. I’m not upset, I’m… overwhelmed.”

He raises an eyebrow at me.

“Overwhelmed?”

“Yeah, I mean, this…” I wave. My hand at the coffee shop. “You didn’t have to do this. It’s too much.”

He looks at me, confused, before shaking his head.

“It’s a sign at a coffee shop, Jules. It’s not too much.”

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