of time to pull away if she wanted to.
Alana held herself still, knowing she should pull away but not really wanting to. She moaned quietly when she felt his body against hers.
He pulled back after only a short kiss. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow night. Is seven o’clock okay with your schedule?” he asked.
Alana blinked, not understanding why he had pulled back after such a brief kiss. She wanted so much more from him. The look in his eyes told her he did too. So why was he stopping? Because she’d demanded it, she told herself. Why had he chosen now to start listening to her?
She nodded her head and watched in astonishment as he nodded, then walked to his car and drove away.
Monday night, he picked her up and drove her to an old theatre in Arlington. It was called the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse. The theatre wasn’t like the others with traditional seats in a row. It was in a large warehouse like building that had a very bland entrance. There wasn’t any similarity to a normal movie theatre at this place. Instead, there were tables, swivel chairs and small couches placed all around the large, tiered room.
Alana had lived in the Washington, D.C. area her whole life so of course she’d heard about this theatre. Many of her friends had talked about it at school in high school. But she’d never ventured inside. Doing so now seemed like a forbidden treat. She peered around each corner as they walked inside, eager to see what she’d been missing all those years ago.
As soon as they sat down, a waitress came by and took their orders. Alana ordered a beer along with Gus, knowing that the wine wouldn’t be the top shelf quality but the beer would probably be cold and acceptable. She also ordered a hot dog and French fries. Gus ordered a beer, chips, a hot dog with chili and several other things she’d missed because of her horror at the first two requests.
“Oh, don’t look so shocked,” he laughed. “The chili here is spicy and hot. I have no idea what is in it, but you are really missing something by ordering a plain hot dog.”
“You don’t know what’s in it?” she cringed. “Am I putting my life in danger by ordering a hot dog?”
“Probably not. But live on the wild side for once!” he joked.
The meal arrived just as the movie started and Alana relaxed in the chair on the opposite side of Gus. The movie was a romantic comedy. It was light and funny, just enough silliness to let the audience relax without the intensity of a hard core drama.
After the movie, he walked her across the street to a small diner. “How about some pie?” he suggested.
Alana nodded her head, in the mood for something sweet and decadent. “Sounds good. What kind?”
“Apple?”
“I can’t believe you’re suggesting apple pie,” she admonished.
“What’s wrong with apple pie?”
“Possibly the same thing that is wrong with vanilla ice cream.” She thought she’d score with that parallel but he wouldn’t give her the point.
No such luck. “No way. Have you ever tried to make an apple pie?” he asked.
Alana laughed and leaned back against the vinyl of the booth, crossing her hands over her chest. “No. What’s your point about apple pie.”
“It’s extremely difficult to make a good one. You have to have the perfect apples,’ he explained. “They have to be cut in a way that isn’t too thick or too thin.”
“Why?” she asked, curious despite herself.
“If the apples slices are too thick, they don’t cook all the way through and are too hard. If they are too thin, they turn out mushy. Mushy apple pie is not worth the effort,” he explained.
Alana eyed him. She didn’t trust him but since she wasn’t really sure how to boil water, she wasn’t going to challenge him on culinary trivia. “If you say so.”
“I do,” he said and ordered a slice of lemon meringue and apple pie with ice cream on top.
“The real test of an apple pie isn’t the apple slices though. It is about the filling as a whole. You have to have the right amount of sugar and butter.”
“Okay, I’ll bite, no pun intended,” she chuckled, “why is the butter and sugar so important?”
“Apparently, that’s what makes the slice come out correctly.”
“How can a slice not come out correctly?” she asked, fascinated but not sure if she believed him or not. He looked too sophisticated, sitting on