There’s Always a Catch Pt. 2
“What’s your name?” the younger woman from earlier asks the now bespectacled woman.
“Lorraine. And this is Allan” Lorraine says, gesturing toward her companion. Allan makes no movement in response to his introduction.
“I’m Linda.”
“And you?” Lorraine asks, turning her gaze to me.
“Jose” I say immediately. I have an issue with giving out my name to people I don’t know, so I use my given name as a personal defense. I look down at her, wondering if she will pull some womanly intuition on me and read into my mind to discover that I’ve technically lied to her. But eventually she just nods and continues to discuss how much she knows about the free movie process.
“They’re happening all over the city every week. The key is to get on their mailing list” she says. I take this as my opportunity to go back to my graphic novel, or at least let it seem to everyone else that I am.
I’m relatively undisturbed until the ticket takers come. Thankfully no one gets thrown out of line, but there is a rush to make sure that everyone gets a ticket. Everyone begins flashing their computer print-outs and variously colored fliers. I try to remain still, but the line is reforming as people receive tickets. Eventually I get my ticket and move over, only to feel Lorraine’s hand on my shoulder.
“Let’s go, Jose.” The line hasn’t started to move yet, but it’s about to. I get ready, and try to figure out how to inform Lorraine that I do not want her hand, which has now moved to my arm, on me. But instead I remain silent and assume that it will disappear once we get moving. It does, though not until we’ve nearly reached the escalator. We go up two escalators, being reminded by event workers that we must have our tickets out or we will not be let in. I hold onto my little white raffle ticket and search for a seat once I make it into the theater.
I end up in the lower-top middle, a decent seat for this side of a theatre. The center seats have all been roped off for the press. As I made my way to my seat, I hear Lorraine telling the usher how rude it is to hold of seats for the press, even if it is a press screening. I make it into my aisle in time to hear the usher breathe out in exasperation.
I reach my seat and I think, Safety at last! By luck I’ve winded up next to Linda and her husband, who seem content to keep to themselves. That is, until the person behind us starts to speak and Linda turns back around in her seat.
“Hey! Didn’t you sit next to me at the screening yesterday?!” she says, a smile spreading across her face. Indeed, this is the very same man. They continue to speak and I bury my eyes and thoughts deeper into Fables, wondering if there will be previews during this screening.
The press arrives and the movie begins, and we all laugh at the wonder of live action Disney. I forget that I’m alone and remember that I came because I thought I would enjoy the movie. An hour and forty-five minutes later, the movie ends and people begin to get up and walk out of the still dark theater. In the cloak of darkness, no one speaks to one another, choosing to leave in silence instead. I see my chance and grasp it, before Lorraine catches me in the lobby after and asks me if I want to join her and Allan for an after movie coffee. I walk past her seat, but she is so engrossed in the soundtrack and credits that she doesn’t even notice that I’m there.
I consider waving goodbye for a moment, but decide against it and continue to descend the stairs. I should make sure to bring someone next time, I think to myself. After all, human shields are a lot less noticeable.
- Spider