Page 31 of The Second Chance Cinema
As a result, Drake had planned a few elements that she would never have chosen herself. Their wedding was to take place at a banquet hall, which he had reserved for May 12, the three-year anniversary of their meeting at Finn’s. The decorations were to be in the style of a sweet-sixteen party. Drake also hired a DJ who focused on pop hits and slow jams circa the early 1990s. Everything, he felt, had to happen on the exact timeline he built. He’d spent a week charting every possible date and milestone, even adding some wiggle room for error or holdups. Sometimes, he couldn’t help bringing his work brain home with him.
“The cake is really up to you,” Ellie told him. “It’s your day.” She’d meant it to sound generous.
Drake scooted his chair back in response. “Myday?” He recoiled from her, visibly hurt. “Where are you in this equation?”
“Come on,” she said. “You know what I meant.”
A few minutes later, Tad slid a new plate in front of them. The beautiful chocolate square was etched with gold flakes. “Germanchocolate,” he said, fiddling with one of his many piercings. “But it’s not actually all that German. We use a spicy dark cacao I picked up in Mexico City.”
Ellie made the chef’s kiss sign with her hand.
“She doesn’t get any,” Drake said. “It’s my day, apparently.” He pouted and pulled the plate in his direction as Tad walked away.
He was right to be offended. Of course, her involvement was important to him. “Look, I’m sorry,” Ellie offered. “All this sugar is making me bonkers. I just meant, our wedding day is more for you,” she clarified, reaching her fork over to grab a bite. It was a decadent bite with a velvet texture. Heat from the spicy chocolate made her eyes water. Drake wouldn’t look at her. “What matters to me are the moments we share alone, not the moments that other people experience.”
“Why, Ellie?” Drake asked. He took a huge bite of the cake and waved his hand in front of his mouth to diffuse the heat. “I mean, you are the queen of the thoughtful experience. I figured that’s why you called off Vegas. So we could plan our perfect day together.”
Ellie had wantedhimto have a beautiful, perfect wedding, she thought. And Drake was incredibly intuitive. How, she wondered, could he not pick up on the reason why she wasn’t excited about this? People would look at Ellie on that day and see all her problems. Big events called attention to families. She didn’t want hundreds of eyes on her.
But she also didn’t want her own fears to take away from Drake’s enjoyment of their day. After all, a wedding wasn’t only about her past. It was a celebration of their future, together. A fresh start. “The blackberry is my answer,” Ellie told him with finality. “I’m choosing the blackberry.”
Drake softened as he took in her suggestion. “The blackberry,” he said. “I love it. Thanks for picking that.”
“You’re welcome.” Ellie fought him for the last bites on the plate. “I could help with some other planning stuff, too.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I could shop for decorations. Maybe a record or two to play.”
Drake gave her a playful nudge.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he told her, holding his hands up. “It just sounds to me like you’re looking for an excuse to go antiquing or something.”
After they ordered the wedding cake, Ellie told him about a vintage shop she’d wanted to check out. The two of them spent the afternoon together, hopping between stores and hunting down treasures they could add to the table settings.
At their last stop, Ellie grabbed a brown corduroy suit off the rack that reminded her of what Drake wore to his high school dance. As she held it high in the light of the store window, another item joined its side. Drake lifted a black skater dress pierced by safety pins. It was exactly like the one she’d worn to the abandoned mansion.
“I think these two look good together,” Drake said smiling, without referencing the cinema directly.
“Yeah. I do, too,” Ellie agreed, even though she wondered what the two of them would’ve been like together in high school. She guessed her outward rebellion would’ve scared Drake off. She also wondered if her younger self would have been observant enough to look beyond the bad suit and young nerves and see that Drake was perfect for her.
But that didn’t matter. Their teenage selves were fun to visit. They were also entirely different people. The person standing next to Ellie’s adult self was right for her now. Drake set the dress down and turned to kiss her in the middle of the store. For a moment, everything slid away.
Going to the cinema was starting to feel like a weekly routine for Ellie and Drake. The following night, they walked through the fog, up the alley, to the booth for repartee with the ticket boy, across the lobby with a quick wave to Natalie, up the stairs to the balcony, and then settled into their seats for the evening. They waited for the lights to lower, consumed by a growing curiosity of whatever title might summarize the evening.
At least, Ellie was consumed by this.
Then, much to her relief, a title appeared that seemed innocent enough.
TICKET FOUR:SPARK
Snow blanched the world of its color. It fainted onto the trees, the brown brick school buildings, and the slick concrete steps where twentysomething Drake sat.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” a voice behind him said.
Drake turned toward the voice. It was Melinda, again. Cold flakes dotted her windblown hair. She looked more natural now. Her face was free of the liner and pink lipstick she wore to the dance. “Drake, right?”
