3
Holding a large bucket of popcorn, I walked into the theater, completely satisfied.
As luck would have it, Chloe Jordan's seat was right next to ours, to Aiden Hale's left.
The moment we sat down, Chloe Jordan grabbed Aiden Hale's hand and launched a full-on coquettish assault.
"Aiden, you haven't taken me to a movie in ages. Do you like this one?"
Her brother, sitting beside her, was mortified. Chloe Jordan was his own sister, so he couldn't really say much, and just tried to quickly pull her back.
"Aiden is obviously on a date with Hanna. Stop bothering them."
"Why? How am I bothering them? I'm sure Aiden won't mind, right?"
'What a joke. Why don't you ask if *I* mind?'
Aiden Hale shot her a glance. His eyes fell on her hand, which was gripping his sleeve, and he immediately yanked his arm away.
I watched their little back-and-forth and laughed to myself.
The movie began. Back then, everyone online was saying it was a must-see romance for couples.
I was expecting some touching love story, but to my surprise, it turned out to be a film with definite horror elements.
Ten minutes in, we'd already had the third jump scare, and Aiden Hale's face was white as a sheet.
Don't be fooled by his usual cocky, I'm-six-feet-tall-and-don't-give-a-damn attitude. In reality, he's a firm believer in the supernatural. He's never set foot in a haunted house and exclusively watches comedies.
The plot built to a climax, and everyone was completely engrossed. Right at that moment, a jump scare hit, and the entire theater screamed.
As someone with nerves of steel, I calmly observed from the side, watching with my own eyes as Chloe Jordan let out a scream and, quick as a flash, threw herself into Aiden Hale's arms.
???
'Her brother is sitting right there. Is she for real?'
But the best part was, Aiden Hale's expression changed instantly. Before anyone could react, his reflexes kicked in and he shoved the person beside him straight to the floor.
With a loud THUD, Chloe Jordan hit the ground before she could even process what happened, staring dumbfoundedly at Aiden Hale.
"Aiden, I..."
"What the hell are you doing? Keep your hands to yourself!"
Aiden Hale was clearly terrified. All his usual refined manners had vanished without a trace.
The man in the row ahead of us couldn't stand it anymore. He turned around and glared at Aiden Hale, displeased.
"Hey, buddy, how can you be so rough? Shoving your own girlfriend onto the floor like that. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find one these days?"
"So what? She's not my girlfriend. My girlfriend is right here."
As he spoke, Aiden Hale pointed at me.
I was still laughing my head off when I was suddenly put on the spot.
Everyone's eyes landed on me, then shifted to Chloe Jordan on the floor.
"Whoa, that girl has no shame."
"I know, right? Throwing herself at a guy when his girlfriend is sitting right next to him."
In the end, her brother apologized to us profusely before dragging Chloe Jordan out of the theater. Aiden Hale, still shaken, pulled me out with them, and we left early too.
We were much quieter after we left the theater. The streets were bustling with people, but I'd lost my appetite for dinner with Aiden Hale. I just lowered my head and started walking home.
"Hey, what are you going to say back home?"
Halfway there, Aiden Hale suddenly spoke up, and only then did I remember that we were on a blind date.
"I'll just say we didn't hit it off."
"No way. I got the feeling Mrs. Hale really likes me."
He rubbed his chin, a smug look on his face. "With a face like mine that charms young and old alike, there's no way she doesn't like me. If you say you weren't interested, Mrs. Hale will just say you have terrible taste."
"Then what am I supposed to say? That we used to date but broke up? Speaking of which, you still owe me a dog's bark!"
