Mid Life Love (Mid Life Love #1)(91)

“Anastasia. Why?”

“The cartoon?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but—”

“And you laughed at me about Harry Potter?” He rolled his eyes and made a sudden U-turn, driving in the other direction. “Have you eaten anything since lunch?”

I shook my head and he pulled out his phone. “Greg? Miss Gracen and I would like to see a movie...No, dinner will need to be delivered—no seafood...Yes, that would be perfect actually...Anastasia...Yes, I’m aware that it’s animated...An hour more than likely...Thank you.”

“You shut down movie theaters too?” I looked at him as he put his phone away.

“Something like that...” He pulled over at a small convenience store. “I’ll be right back. Do you want anything out of here?”

I shook my head and he kissed me before walking away. As I sat in the car alone, I wondered if he was really capable of shutting down a theater just so he and I could watch a film that was thirteen years old.

I leaned back in the seat and shut my eyes, thinking about “us” once again. I was starting to believe that this thing we had might actually go somewhere—even though I was still afraid to completely embrace it. I was starting to believe that—

“Claire, stop it right now.” Jonathan got back in the car and I opened my eyes.

“Stop what?”

“You know what you were doing.” He handed me a small carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream and a pink spoon. “I figured this would help cheer you up a bit. It’s going to be a long drive and you might get hungry on the way...”

I smiled, shocked that he’d actually remembered my favorite comfort food. “Tell me the truth. Do you really record our phone conversations?”

“No, Claire.” He revved up the car. “I just have a good memory. It’s also pretty hard to forget anything about you.”

He drove away into the night and I savored every bite of that ice cream; it always did make me feel better.

As the car cruised out of the city, I started to wonder where the hell we were going. We weren’t anywhere near a movie theater—or civilization for that matter. There was nothing but open fields of grass everywhere I looked.

I thought about asking him where he was taking me, but I knew he wouldn’t tell me. I looked over at him and he placed his hand on my thigh, gently caressing it as he drove.

I started to shut my eyes, but the car came to a sudden stop in front of a huge white billboard.

“Did you run out of gas or something?” I stretched my arms up. “Do we need to start walking?”

“No. Get in the back seat.”

I didn’t move. I didn’t understand why I needed to get in the backseat for him to drive the rest of the way to the movies, didn’t understand why he’d changed our plans from a night at the theater to random car sex.

“I swear...” He pressed a button and the top of the convertible folded down. He stepped out of the car and moved to my side, picking me up and placing me in the backseat.

He slid in next to me and began fiddling with a black device.

I was thinking of something smart to say, fixing my mouth to ask a myriad of questions, but out of nowhere, a projector light flashed onto the blank billboard, and the opening credits of Anastasia began to play. The sound seemed to be coming from all around us, but I couldn’t see where the speakers were.

“I figured that since you’re still hesitant about being seen in public together, we could watch the movie this way.” He kissed my cheek. “Plus, the chairs here recline a lot further than they do in the regular theater...” He tapped a button and our seats slowly set back. He slid closer and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “I’m sure we’ll take advantage of them after our dinner gets here.”

I snuggled up to his chest and kissed him. “Or we could take advantage of them now...”

Chapter 20

Jonathan

“I think that went rather well,” my mother said as our therapist left the office.

“It did...” I wasn’t sure if it was because we were actually sorting out our issues, or if being with Claire so much made me calmer, but my mother and I had completed several therapy sessions without blowing up on one another.

She pulled a purse over her shoulder and stood up. “Did I tell you I got a raise last week?”

“No...You have a job?”

She nodded. “I didn’t want to say anything until I was past the probation period, but—”

“You don’t have to work.”

“I know, but I need something that’ll occupy my time and keep me on the straight and narrow. I don’t want to fall back into my old habits.”

Jesus...She really is trying to stay clean this time...

“Would you like a ride? I can have Greg take you. Where is it exactly?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m in a buddy program; my ride should be here in any second. It’s a small shop near the eastern docks. It has the most amazing view of the ocean.”

I stepped around my desk and gave her a hug. “I’m proud of you...” I wanted to say more, to say that I would meet her down there some time for lunch, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

I couldn’t let myself hope that she would actually change for good; she’d let me down way too many times for that.