Caroline and the Surprise Shower
Chapter 3
Inside the movie theater, Caroline and Richard settle into their seats. Caroline grins goofily, a Coke by her side, and a giant tub of popcorn on her lap. Richards's eyes roam around the Palace Theater. He has been here many times before. The theater is a proud old lady, gracefully aging. It was built in the 20's, as a showcase for vaudeville talent, just in time for the death of vaudeville, and was quickly converted for movies. Richard appreciates the ornate trim and finish typical for décor of theaters of those bygone days. Large for a movie theater, especially in this day and age of cookie cutter multiplexes, it is never crowded nowadays. As a result, the owners can never afford to show first run movies. Richard has stopped by after work several times to watch documentaries, and the occasional "art" film. The Palace also shows "classic" movies – "Casablanca", "Lawrence of Arabia", and this one, he supposes – although Richard has never heard of it. The lights begin to dim, the opening scene starts.
Caroline whispers "Richard, I really appreciate you sitting through this with me."
"No problem. This should actually be somewhat interesting for me. I know a little something about events during this period of history" Richard replies softly.
"Oh Richard! Don't analyze this, enjoy it!" Caroline scolds, still whispering.
They hear a "Shhh!" from two rows back, and their eyes return to the screen.
……
Richard nearly chuckles during a dramatic moment of the movie, but manages to suppress it into a silent grin. "Ridiculous! This movie's version of history is utter nonsense… Still, as entertainment, it's not half bad."
……
Caroline, tearfully watching the movie, without thinking, instinctively leans her head onto Richard's shoulder. Subconsciously she thinks "This feels so right". He immediately tenses for a few seconds, then relaxes, and puts his arm around her.
……
Caroline's closeness is nearly driving Richard insane. He turns his head, his face just above her head, and closes his eyes. Richard inhales deeply, savoring her fragrance. His heart starts to race. He turns towards the screen and opens his eyes "I'd better try to concentrate on the movie."
……
Still leaning on Richard, Caroline whispers "Sean Connery sure was sexy when he was younger."
With feigned shock, Richard whispers back "Caroline! You're getting married in a few days!"
"That's right! I'm getting married… not buried. I'm still gonna notice sexy guys!" Caroline giggles. "Besides, I notice you're pulse is racing. You must be noticing how easy Candice Bergen is on the eyes" Caroline kids.
Struggling to repress his feelings, Richard thinks "I'm aroused alright. But not by a blond on the screen in a faraway country. No, by a redhead that's very, very close."
……
Despite the fact that she loves the movie, Caroline's mind begins to wander. "Hmm… I never noticed how taut and muscular Richard's body is. Of course, I did see him shirtless that one time at his apartment, the night I accepted Del's proposal. But I've never felt it before. You know, without those glasses, Richard's not bad looking, with that blond hair and those blue eyes. I wonder…" as Caroline snuggles closer.
……
The final credits begin to roll, the lights come up. Richard's arm is still around Caroline, she's still snuggling close to him. Caroline looks up, their faces are very close, almost touching. They gaze at each other a few seconds, then Caroline begins to speak "Richard…"
"Caroline…" Richard struggles internally with what to say, then withdraws his arm. "Uh… so, what do you want to do now?"
Disappointed, Caroline backs away, and replies "I don't know. Let's go outside, then decide."
……
Outside, Caroline asks "So, what do you want to do? Are you hungry? You didn't have much lunch."
"No, not really. I mean, Annie ruined my real lunch. I didn't have much at Remo's, but on the other hand, it wasn't that long ago. How about you, Caroline?"
"I'm not hungry, either. Do you wanna go back, Richard? It's five o'clock."
"Five o'clock… uh… No, no! Uh…" Richard pauses, as he tries to think. Desperate, he offers "Let's take one of those carriage rides around Central Park".
"Richard?!"
"What?"
"A carriage ride? That's so unlike you."
They both know she's right, but Richard weakly defends himself "There's a lot of things about me that you don't know."
"Uh-huh" Caroline replies, dubiously.