“It’s alright. I’ve said some shit about you in the past.”
“To my face?”
“Behind your back, too.” I spin on my heels to head inside, only to be caught in Fox’s eyes, so fucking pretty, so big and vulnerable, and waiting for me, right in the cinema doorway.
“Asshole,” he snickers, oblivious to what’s right in front of me.
How fucking disrespectful am I to say what I’ve said and deny the very things he saw with his own eyes.
For acting hurt that he called me a liar.
When I am.
“Uh… Movie’s gonna start soon, so I’ll talk to you later. Tomorrow, probably.” I drag my free hand down to smooth my shirt. “Take care of my niece, and don’t forget to make Alana drink water. She’ll dehydrate if you don’t.”
“Thanks,” he drawls. “Do I need to remind you she’s mine and not yours?”
“Nope. I know where everyone sits on the pecking order. I’m hanging up now.” Instead of waiting for his goodbye, I kill the call and slip the phone into my pocket, and glancing left, then right, to make sure we’re alone, I gift Fox with a wide smile and meander closer. “Hey. Where’s Franky?”
“Inside already.” She chews on her lip and takes a step back. “I needed to pee, so he’s minding our seats and watching the trailers. I was heading back in when I saw you out here on the phone.”
“Oh, yeah…” I’d rather be inside, hidden in the dark, where it’s entirely okay to touch where no one can see. Where I could lean in and bury my nose against her neck and no one, not even Franky, would be any the wiser.
Knowing I can’t grab her hand out here, I dig mine into my pockets and start through the door. “Tommy needed to talk for a second.”
“He okay? Is Alana alright?”
“Everyone is fine.” I grab the heavy cinema door and pull it open to reveal a dark room, with a massive screen on one wall and a few dozen all-but-empty seats rolling toward the back wall. Best of all, this cinema isn’t like those fancy kinds in the city, with cameras watching every angle and every seat filled.
In fact, besides Franky, there ain’t a soul here who could attest to the fact Fox and I wander in together.
“Wanna sit beside me, Fox Tatum?” I slide my fingertips over the small of her back. “Please?”
“Sure.” She brushes my hand away and heads up the stairs toward the boy, who hugs his bucket of popcorn against his chest.
But he doesn’t eat a single piece.
Not until the movie begins.
“Looks like we have the whole cinema to ourselves.” She moves into hisrow and folds her seat down, giving herself somewhere to sit. “Thisneverhappens in New York.”
“That’s ‘cos there are more people in New York.” His eyes remain plastered to the screen, an ad for some other Marvel universe movie flashing over the lenses of his glasses. “Statistically, it’s just not possible to be the only person going to the movies in New York.”
“Well, of course.” Fox settles in, folding one leg over the other and bringing her seductive eyes my way. She sets her hand on what would be my chair, pushing it down in offering. “Will you sit here, Christian?”
“Can I sit in the next row?” Franky swings his gaze around, excited and jittery. “Since there’s no one else here. It doesn’t really matter if I sit in the next row, right?”
“It doesn’t really matter.” Fox snatches a piece of his popcorn, infuriating the boy—rightfully—and grinning when he scowls. Then she gestures forward. “You can sit in any of the seats you want. Your choice. Just make sure you tell me if you need to get up and go to the bathroom. Don’t sneak out in the dark.”
“Can I take my popcorn?” Slowly, he leans forward on his chair. Not yet committed to his plan. “Do I have to leave it behind? Because I don’t want to take all your popcorn, but I want some, too.”
“You can take it with you.” She rubs her belly in slow, dramatic circles. “I’m still digesting my dinner. Don’t eat that too fast, though, okay? You know it’ll give you a stomachache if you do.”
“Okay!” He bounds to his feet, his chair flipping back now that his weight no longer holds it down, and charging toward the end of the row, he moves down one stair and considers… then another… and considers that row, too. Finally, three rows away, he nods and steps in, counting seats until he finds the very middle one, before plopping to his butt and twisting back to give us a thumbs up. “I’ll just be here!” he shouts above the roar of… something. Iron Man, maybe. “I won’t move after this.”
“Okay.” Amused, Fox settles back, smoothing her skirt down to cover her delicious thighs, and when she’s comfortable, she grabs her soda and takes a slow sip.
“You didn’t even ask me to come to the cinema with you.” I adjust my position on the not-very-comfortable chairs, and since we have the privacy to do so, I set my fingers on the hem of her skirt and drag it up just an inch. Not inappropriate. Not even revealing. Just a little something for me to see. “I thought we were getting along, but you make a movie date and don’t even think to ask if I have plans?”