Oops, My Boyfriend

第10章

Reflecting on the past twenty years, it brings a bittersweet feeling. Every Ghost Festival, I was brave enough to venture out. Yet, every Valentine's Day, I dared not step outside my home. But now, the dark days are behind me, lit up by Caleb's charming smile. Long ago, I looked forward to this beautiful day, seen in the distance past Christmas, New Year's, my dad's birthday.February 14th.That day, there was a gentle breeze, and the sunlight was just right.I descended the stairs in my prettiest dress, like a butterfly fluttering into the arms of the man who had waited for me so patiently.Robert Frost once said, "Don't sweat the details."So don't ask why Caleb took a half step back when he caught me.I looked up, "Oh, sporting a new hat?"He smiled, showing his bright teeth, which glinted in the early spring sunshine.He said, "What do you think?"I wrapped my coat tighter around me, feeling a sudden drop in temperature.I pulled him towards a more crowded place.In broad daylight, the area was already filled with couples, and it seemed I wasn't the only one who liked to show off.A little girl selling flowers blocked our path, "Brother, buy a bouquet for your girlfriend."Heaven knows how many years I had waited to hear that.I was so excited I almost wanted to pay for it myself.Caleb crouched down, smiling at the girl, "How much for the flowers?"The little girl, not understanding his charm, quoted a steep $30.Clearly a rip-off.I said, "Little sister, for $30, I could buy six cacti, or even eight wholesale. Your price is too high, I'd rather buy those."Caleb laughed, "And they all have thorns."The girl looked up, her nostrils flaring as she recited, "Mom said the lowest is $15."I was about to haggle more when Caleb patted my head, "That's enough."He crouched again, paid the girl, and picked a rose.The moment Caleb handed me the rose, I was so moved I almost told him, "You might as well do my laundry from now on."Mother of God! No wonder they say flowers are a woman's ultimate weakness.That day, the movie theater was showing only romance films.We bought tickets for an afternoon show.As we entered the theater, Caleb's phone rang.He glanced at it and seemed to press reject.I asked, "Who was it? Not one of your buddies, right? Calling on Valentine's Day, that's just asking for trouble."He just smiled and didn't speak, pulling me into the theater.Sitting down, I said, "Caleb, Caleb, watch this."Then I threw popcorn into the air and caught it in my mouth.He said, "If you can catch two at once, I'll be impressed."I really started trying to catch two at a time.But they just wouldn't land together; once, Caleb even caught one.As I kept trying, his phone buzzed again.This time it was a text alert.Caleb didn't even look.I asked, "Aren't you going to check that?"He flicked through the popcorn, picked one, and popped it into his mouth, "It's just those guys, nothing worth looking at."Then he winked at me, "If you can catch two with your mouth before we leave, I'll give you a special gift."I was curious, "A special gift?"But before I could practice more, the lights dimmed, and the movie began.In the dark, I continued to try the "two-at-a-time" technique.Finally, I tossed too high.A man in the back exclaimed, "Hey, what's that?"A woman replied, "Popcorn."The man asked, "Who threw it?"The woman joked, "It jumped straight out of the popcorn machine."Frightened, I buried my head in Caleb's chest, and he couldn't stop laughing.During a movie, couples rarely watch the film itself.By the end, all I knew was that it had a happy ending.As the lights in the lobby came back on, I playfully nudged Caleb.I tied two pieces of popcorn with a piece of squid strip and tossed them up, catching both in my mouth.Caleb asked, "Don't you have another nickname?"I asked, "What?"He said, "Cheeky Audrey."I shook the flower, "I don't care, you promised a special gift, and if you don't give it, I'll use this flower to get you."