Two Sides of the Same Coin

Chapter 3

 Over the course of the next few days, you definitely find yourself thinking about James a lot more often. He's open, but he doesn't share much. He'll tell you what's on his mind, but he won't share the full story. You've only managed to nudge yourself into a smaller part his life, it seems. You wouldn't say that you mind it too much, really, but you often spend time trying to fill in the blanks of his stories. You smile to yourself a lot at work, now, as well.

Your phone buzzes on your desk at work, and you look around quickly, hoping nobody heard it. You tap your screen and unlock your phone, checking the notification. James is texting you. You hesitate, wondering if he's worth risking your job for, and decide to open the message.

J: "Hey. The theatre in town is showing one of the John Wick movies. Do you want me to get us some tickets?"

You pause for a moment, surprised that he's already asking for another date. You feel happiness bubbling up inside of you, and a certain giddiness causes you to smile brightly as you respond to James' text with positivity. You then return back to your work, and a few minutes later he texts you back.

J: "Okay. Tickets are bought for later tonight. I picked the time to coincide with the general time that I first saw you. I hope that's alright with you."

Y: "Yep! That's perfectly fine. I'll meet you at the theatre after work :)"

J: "Perfect :)"

The rest of your day went by much faster, since you had something to look forward to. Before you even realise how late it's gotten, your coworker knocks on your desk, grabbing your attention with a start. "Hey, your shift is done. I'm taking over," they say, smiling politely. You glance at the time, then nod a little. "Thanks," you say, collecting all your stuff before making your way out of the building. You get in your car and check the time again before starting your car and heading towards the theatre.

James is standing outside, looking nervous as he waits. You can tell he just got out of work, too. His hair is pulled back neater, and he's wearing what almost looks like a full suit. You make the guess that he works in some big-shot company, looking him up and down with unhidden attraction. When he sees you, his eyes light up and he holds his hand out for you. You approach him and take his hand, and he gives you one of the printed out tickets he has. You walk in together, show your tickets and pick your seats. He then guides you to the popcorn and candy, and you hesitate. "You said we'd be able to split it, so... You pay for what you get and I'll pay for my own stuff," you remind him gently. He frowns slightly, humming quietly. "You're right. I did say that. So be it," he accepts.

You each get your own items, and meet in the line to wait for the room to open. You talk quietly about your day at work, passing back some mild gossip about the current happenings with your coworkers. While most of them like you, you don't exactly like a good majority of your coworkers. James admits that most of his coworkers are afraid of him, seeming a little embarrassed at the fact. "What? How can they fear you? You're just a big ol' teddy bear!" You argue. He shrugs a little, but something in his eyes informs you that he knows the answer and is just keeping it from you. You push a little harder, and then give up, deciding you didn't want him to show you why he's so feared.

You wait patiently for the staff to finish "cleaning" and open the doors, bouncing gently in place. You get an odd look from James at one point, but he doesn't say anything; he only shakes his head and smiles. You start idly munching on your popcorn after a few minutes. "I wouldn't do that," James says softly, watching you munch. "The movie is pretty long, and you wouldn't want to run out midway through." You shrug, but stop eating the snack. He made a good point, after all. Movie theatre snacks are always way too expensive, and it sucks to have to get more of anything. Unfortunately, there was no time for snack prep, so you had no choice but to buy from the theatre.