~~~~Part 6~~~~
2045 est
AMC Skyline 12
Skyline Mall
Falls Church, VA
(Harm's POV)
The mall is crowded tonight. I knew it would be. That's one of the reasons I decided not to go to Union Station...at least this is a smaller mall.
"I hope we at least get tickets for our show." "Harm, are you just going to stand there, or are we going to watch a movie?"
"We're going to watch a movie. Don't worry, Mac, you'll see your gnome."
"Elf, Harm. Legolas is an elf."
"Whatever." I can't help myself. I love to tease her.
"Geez, what did you do, sleep through the first movie?"
Well, to be perfectly honest, I was paying more attention to her.
"If I recall correctly, Mac, you were the one who fell asleep."
"Yeah, leaning against your chest." Oh, yeah, I remember that vividly. "Yeah, but I saw it with Chloe when it came out in theaters. I just wanted you to see it."
"Well, if I find myself lost anywhere in this one..."
"Be sure to keep it to yourself until after the movie, because I haven't seen this one, yet."
"Yes, Ma'am, that's exactly what I was going to say," I answer, and fire off a mock salute.
She rolls her eyes at me and says, "Come on, Commander, or we're not going to get tickets."
We miss out on the tickets for the show at 2100, but there's one that starts at 2230, so I get those, knowing full well that we won't get out of there until 0145 in the morning, but not really caring, because it's the only thing worth seeing that isn't sold out.
So, with about an hour and a half to kill, we start walking around, occasionally stopping to look inside the shops, but mostly just peering through the windows. The jewelry stores are the most crowded of all of the stores in the mall. It's in front of one such store that we both hear someone call out, "Sarah!"
We both turn at the sound, and she says, "Oh, my gosh! Kevin?" and then runs over and hugs him, and he kisses her on the cheek.
I am not jealous.
They start talking immediately, and I think Mac has forgotten that I exist, because she doesn't turn around once to make sure she didn't lose me. I'm trying to hear what they're talking about, but they're a good fifteen feet away, and it's really crowded and noisy because I'm standing right in front of a jewelry store, and all the men are buying stuff to give to their women next Friday.
I am not jealous.
I tear my eyes away from Mac's happy reunion and gaze at the display in the window that's in front of me. Diamond engagement rings. It figures.
I wonder what kind of ring Mac would like...hypothetically speaking, of course. Through the glass, I can see a guy with his girlfriend, and they're checking out the selection of engagement rings inside. They can't be much older than 25.
Okay, I'm jealous.
"Harm, I really don't think any of those will fit on your finger."
I turn around to a smiling Mac, and right behind her, a smiling Kevin.
"I think I can get one custom-fit," I shoot back. She just smiles and shakes her head.
"Harm, this is Kevin, the guy who recommended the place we ate at tonight. Kev, this is my friend, Harm."
"Pleasure to meet you...I've heard nothing but good things about you from Sarah. I'm glad she has such a great friend to watch her back." He extends his hand, and I immediately lose my feelings of hostility towards him. This is the same Kevin with the wife and kids. I extend my own hand and give him a hearty handshake.
"Kevin, good to meet you."
"Well, I'd love to stay and talk with you some more, Sarah, but Mandy's waiting for me, and I still haven't found her a gift."
"Alright, Kevin. It was so great to see you...call me sometime, huh? We could get together for lunch or something. I haven't seen the kids in forever."
"Will do. And I'll tell Amanda you said 'Hi.'" He leaned down and gave her another kiss on the cheek, and then shook my hand again. "Harm, good to meet you again. You take care of our Sarah. She's the best friend anyone could ever have."
"I know it. Good to meet you, Kevin."
"Bye!" And with that, he heads into the store that we're standing in front of.
"He's a nice guy, Mac."
"Yeah, he and his wife are good friends of mine."
We just stand there in silence for a moment, and then she says, "So, what have we got over here?" She motions to the display containing the engagement rings.
"Oh, I don't know...just jewelry," I say nonchalantly.
"Ah, just jewelry, huh?" She stares through the glass at the sparkling rings with a look of...is that longing?...on her face.
"Maybe one day..." "Should we get going, then?" she suddenly asks.
"What? Oh, yeah." I wonder what she was thinking.
"I wonder what he was thinking."
************************************************************
We've walked around the entire mall, and now we're on our way to the movie. We get inside and go straight to the concession stand. I order our snacks while she heads to the theater to find seats.
I come into the theater and spot her sitting in the middle. She's not alone, though. There are two guys sitting one on either side of her, and she looks really annoyed with them.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, I believe one of those seats is mine."
"Oh, yeah? Who are you?" the one nearest me asks.
I look at Mac and then back at the guy. "I'm her husband."
"Oh...uhm...sorry." Then they both get up and move all the way up to the top row.
I sit down next to Mac and look at her and say, "Hey, honey, did you miss me?"
She looks at me and smiles and answers, "Yes, sweetheart, I did."
I put my arm around her shoulders and she leans into me for effect, and I glance up at the two men, just to be sure that they're watching. They are.
We laugh and I give her the snacks that I got for her.
"There is butter on this popcorn, right?" she asks before trying it.
"Now, Mac...how well do I know you? Of course it has butter on it."
"I don't know what's going on with him today, but whatever it is, I like it."
Yeah, I think I'm starting to like it, too.
2045 est
AMC Skyline 12
Skyline Mall
Falls Church, VA
(Harm's POV)
The mall is crowded tonight. I knew it would be. That's one of the reasons I decided not to go to Union Station...at least this is a smaller mall.
"I hope we at least get tickets for our show." "Harm, are you just going to stand there, or are we going to watch a movie?"
"We're going to watch a movie. Don't worry, Mac, you'll see your gnome."
"Elf, Harm. Legolas is an elf."
"Whatever." I can't help myself. I love to tease her.
"Geez, what did you do, sleep through the first movie?"
Well, to be perfectly honest, I was paying more attention to her.
"If I recall correctly, Mac, you were the one who fell asleep."
"Yeah, leaning against your chest." Oh, yeah, I remember that vividly. "Yeah, but I saw it with Chloe when it came out in theaters. I just wanted you to see it."
"Well, if I find myself lost anywhere in this one..."
"Be sure to keep it to yourself until after the movie, because I haven't seen this one, yet."
"Yes, Ma'am, that's exactly what I was going to say," I answer, and fire off a mock salute.
She rolls her eyes at me and says, "Come on, Commander, or we're not going to get tickets."
We miss out on the tickets for the show at 2100, but there's one that starts at 2230, so I get those, knowing full well that we won't get out of there until 0145 in the morning, but not really caring, because it's the only thing worth seeing that isn't sold out.
So, with about an hour and a half to kill, we start walking around, occasionally stopping to look inside the shops, but mostly just peering through the windows. The jewelry stores are the most crowded of all of the stores in the mall. It's in front of one such store that we both hear someone call out, "Sarah!"
We both turn at the sound, and she says, "Oh, my gosh! Kevin?" and then runs over and hugs him, and he kisses her on the cheek.
I am not jealous.
They start talking immediately, and I think Mac has forgotten that I exist, because she doesn't turn around once to make sure she didn't lose me. I'm trying to hear what they're talking about, but they're a good fifteen feet away, and it's really crowded and noisy because I'm standing right in front of a jewelry store, and all the men are buying stuff to give to their women next Friday.
I am not jealous.
I tear my eyes away from Mac's happy reunion and gaze at the display in the window that's in front of me. Diamond engagement rings. It figures.
I wonder what kind of ring Mac would like...hypothetically speaking, of course. Through the glass, I can see a guy with his girlfriend, and they're checking out the selection of engagement rings inside. They can't be much older than 25.
Okay, I'm jealous.
"Harm, I really don't think any of those will fit on your finger."
I turn around to a smiling Mac, and right behind her, a smiling Kevin.
"I think I can get one custom-fit," I shoot back. She just smiles and shakes her head.
"Harm, this is Kevin, the guy who recommended the place we ate at tonight. Kev, this is my friend, Harm."
"Pleasure to meet you...I've heard nothing but good things about you from Sarah. I'm glad she has such a great friend to watch her back." He extends his hand, and I immediately lose my feelings of hostility towards him. This is the same Kevin with the wife and kids. I extend my own hand and give him a hearty handshake.
"Kevin, good to meet you."
"Well, I'd love to stay and talk with you some more, Sarah, but Mandy's waiting for me, and I still haven't found her a gift."
"Alright, Kevin. It was so great to see you...call me sometime, huh? We could get together for lunch or something. I haven't seen the kids in forever."
"Will do. And I'll tell Amanda you said 'Hi.'" He leaned down and gave her another kiss on the cheek, and then shook my hand again. "Harm, good to meet you again. You take care of our Sarah. She's the best friend anyone could ever have."
"I know it. Good to meet you, Kevin."
"Bye!" And with that, he heads into the store that we're standing in front of.
"He's a nice guy, Mac."
"Yeah, he and his wife are good friends of mine."
We just stand there in silence for a moment, and then she says, "So, what have we got over here?" She motions to the display containing the engagement rings.
"Oh, I don't know...just jewelry," I say nonchalantly.
"Ah, just jewelry, huh?" She stares through the glass at the sparkling rings with a look of...is that longing?...on her face.
"Maybe one day..." "Should we get going, then?" she suddenly asks.
"What? Oh, yeah." I wonder what she was thinking.
"I wonder what he was thinking."
************************************************************
We've walked around the entire mall, and now we're on our way to the movie. We get inside and go straight to the concession stand. I order our snacks while she heads to the theater to find seats.
I come into the theater and spot her sitting in the middle. She's not alone, though. There are two guys sitting one on either side of her, and she looks really annoyed with them.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, I believe one of those seats is mine."
"Oh, yeah? Who are you?" the one nearest me asks.
I look at Mac and then back at the guy. "I'm her husband."
"Oh...uhm...sorry." Then they both get up and move all the way up to the top row.
I sit down next to Mac and look at her and say, "Hey, honey, did you miss me?"
She looks at me and smiles and answers, "Yes, sweetheart, I did."
I put my arm around her shoulders and she leans into me for effect, and I glance up at the two men, just to be sure that they're watching. They are.
We laugh and I give her the snacks that I got for her.
"There is butter on this popcorn, right?" she asks before trying it.
"Now, Mac...how well do I know you? Of course it has butter on it."
"I don't know what's going on with him today, but whatever it is, I like it."
Yeah, I think I'm starting to like it, too.