Dog Tags

Chapter 23

Quinn's POV

I stand there speechless for a moment as I think of what to say, "What about your girlfriend Nikki?" I ask but Nick doesn't seem to care about going to the movies without a girl that he knows nothing about. "Nikki and I are the oddest couple I know because we have very little in common with each other, I tried to be romantic and surprise her with these tickets, but she just yelled at me for not knowing her." As I young woman I know where both Nikki and Nick are coming from because Brenton and I have similar talks. "I am sure that she appreciates the thought, but girls like Nikki are very high maintenance." Nick laughs nodding his head, "You have no idea just how right you are about that one." I have to say hearing Nick genuinely laugh for the first time makes me smile.

"I am assuming that the reason she didn't want to go was because you picked out a manly movie that no girl nor woman should have to seat through." I grab the tickets from Nick and look at them and I moment I see what movie it is I almost feel myself pass out, "These are tickets to the 2-o clock showing of Casablanca."I look from Nick to the tickets then back to Nick, "Something you should know about me is that I love classic stuff like movies, music, and literature. It reminds me of a more simpler time I guess." I hand Nick back his tickets, "But when we first met you looking to buy a Felicity Blast book." Nick gives me an amusing look as he takes a deep breath before answering me.

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black, and for your information I enjoyed her writing when she started online before she became a bestselling author." I will give him this win but the more I talk to Nick the more I feel myself falling for him, and that scares me beyond the point of death. "Strangely enough I feel the same way, and I don't understand why Nikki would turn down one of the most romantic movies of all time." Nick smiles at me seeing just how excited I didn't know I was acting in front of him. 

How did you get those? The show has been sold out for days and not even my friend Chris who works at the movie theater could get tickets." Nick places the tickets back into his back pocket, "I have my ways, and I hoping that from your reaction that you will go with me?" I stare at Nick as a feeling in uncertainly washed over me, on one hand I would love to see that movie, but on the other hand I have to think about Brenton and how he would feel if I went out on a date with another guy.

 "I would love too, but just to be clear this is not a date and we are just hanging out." Nick smirks at me, "Of course we would be just hanging out, you have a boyfriend and I have a girlfriend." I sigh a breath of relief thankful that Nick understood. "Then I guess it would be okay if I went to the movies with you." Nick's face lights up as he looks at the clock on the wall. "We should get going if we are going to get good seats." Nick steps to the side of the door holding it open for me. "After you." I playfully roll my eyes as I step outside and Nick and I head to the movie theater.

Nick and I walk our way to the movie theater since it is a beautiful day outside and we finally arrive to the theater but this movie theater isn't your typical theater because it is the oldest movie theater in the city as it opened in the late 1920's and still holds true to that on the outside and well as the inside of the building. Nick opens the door for me as I step inside, the place of course has been updated through the years but the thing I love most about this theater is that the two auditoriums and the lobby have remained untouched giving you that feeling of stepping back in time to the 1930's and early 1940's. 

"Ticket's please?" The elderly lady asks in the booth, "Right here." Nick says placing the tickets down in front of her as she looks at them and hands them back, "You two will be in theater 2." I nod my head as does Nick as we walk up to the counter, "Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Nick asks and I look at him raising an eyebrow at him, "You can't go to the movies with getting popcorn and a pop, that would be an insult to movie lovers everywhere." Nick laughs again as a young lady smiles at Nick and I, "What can I get you two?" Nick looks at me giving me a look of whatever you want, "Can we get a large popcorn and two medium pops." The girl smiles as she rings us up, "That will be 6 dollars even." I reach for my wallet before I can do anything Nick places 6 dollars on the table. "This is my treat." I am not sure if I should take this gesture as him being sweet and trying to act like a gentleman or if I should take as some macho man crap. 

"Thanks Nick." I say smiling at him choosing to go with option one. The girl gives us our drinks and popcorn as Nick and I enter the old looking auditorium, we find seats right in the middle and as I look around I notice that there not as many people here as I thought there would be. "Nice turn considering the limited tickets that were available." I say and Nick looks around nodding his head as the light dim and the two of us settle in for next hour and 42 minutes to watch one of the most romantic movies of all time.

"Just because you despise me, you are the only one I trust" I say repeating the line from the movie in a low enough tone of voice that only Nick could hear me and I know that he heard me because a smile appears on his face, "Sounds a lot like whatever is going on between us." Nick whispers in my ear making me shutter a little as he takes a hand full of popcorn and starts eating it while I turn my attention back to the movie, and without noticing it at first I put my hand next to his on the arm rest. 

"Of all the gin joints, in the all the towns, in all the world. She walks into mine" Nick repeats the line from the movie just like did earlier. "And here I was thinking that I was the only one that knew this movie word for word." Nick looks at me grinning shaking his head as he turns his attention back to the screen. As I look at Nick watching the movie I see for the first time I have to say that of all the encounters I have had with Nick over the month or so this is the first time I am actually getting a glimpse of a softer side of him, and as I rest my head on his shoulder liking this side of Nick, but when it comes to me I will admit that I am starting to like every part of Nick, the good and the bad.