Genie was incredulous on the phone later that night.
“You practically threw yourself at him. He just wants to get in your panties.”
“I’m telling you, it wasn’t like that at all.” Kristen was snuggling down to sleep, but she had to tell Genie all about her chance encounter with Joe. “He was sweet and so cute.”
“The cute ones always have girls falling all over them. The way you described it, it seemed like that was what he was expecting from you.”
“Well, you can see why he might have and it was kinda awkward the way I asked him to coffee.”
That was when the call waiting clicked in. Kristen peered at the caller ID box on the night stand beside the phone. She didn’t recognize the number and felt creeping annoyance at being bothered so late by a stranger.
But it was Joe. It took her a moment to register who he was, but when she did she was veritably choking down her excitement. When she told him she had to get rid of a friend on the other line he apologized and offered to call back at a more opportune time, but Kristen refused to let him go.
After some awkwardness, an elongated second batch of hello’s, and Joe explaining that he had only called to chat the two settled into easy conversation very different to their earlier meeting. It was as if he had reached some sort of conclusion about her. Whatever it was, Kristen liked it.
Despite his tight lips that afternoon it was clear Joe liked to talk. And talk he did on a score of subjects, all the while deftly keeping Kristen involved by asking her opinions on everything and gently prodding her to choose topics to discuss.
She learned quite a lot about who Joe was and all of it was marvelous. Kristen wasn’t exactly sure where it happened, but after a while she found she was doing most of the talking as he displayed excellent listening abilities.
Laughter was abundant when stories of friends and family were told and there were a few intense moments as politics and religion came into the exchange, but things never got strained nor were there any uncomfortable pauses. It was as if two friends who had known each other for a lifetime were catching up after an absence.
The next thing they knew it was pushing two in the morning and both noticed this fact at the same exact moment.
“Whoa, did you see the time?” said Joe at the precise moment Kristen said, “Jeez, it’s two o’clock!”
They decided to call it quits for the night, promising to talk more soon. Kristen hung up and lay back down on the pillow that might as well have been a cloud supporting her head. She smiled broadly and regardless of the time and her physical exhaustion had a difficult time getting back to sleep thinking only of speaking with Joe again.
And speak again they would. Joe called right about the same time every night for the next seven days straight. Kristen found herself waiting for his calls each evening; salivating like Pavlov’s dogs. If by chance the voice on the other end of the receiver turned out to be her mother, Genie, or Phil, her gay friend from across the street her disappointment would be palpable. She would rush to clear the line so it would be free for Joe. And if she was bothered by call-waiting during her chats with him, she would comment that, ‘if it was really important whoever it was would call back tomorrow’ and would usually ad, ‘people know not to phone me this late anyway” as they waited for whomever it was to hang up.
Despite all these hours of conversation, Kristen was still never able to get around to asking him about the time he spent in the cemetery, nor confess she had watched him there. What they mostly spoke about was what happened to each of them during their respective day. Joe, it turned out was an unemployed actor; very very common in Los Angeles. Though ‘between jobs’ as he put it, he wasn’t as poorly off as some of Kristen’s other friends and acquaintances who were in the same profession. Invariably they would chat for a while on what had been eaten for lunch and dinner, or even breakfast if it were a particularly fine one. Both of them enjoyed cooking and more especially eating and a score of times each offered to prepare a favored dish for the other.
Tonight’s conversation began a bit differently, though. Joe was a little strained and stumbling. It didn’t take long for Kristen to find out why.
“I’ll bet you’ve already made plans to see “The Longing Heart” with that friend of yours, Jennie?”
“Genie”, she corrected, “Yeah, we’re set for opening night this Friday. Hey would you like to come with us? I’ve told Genie all about you and she’s dying to meet you.”
“Well, I…”
Kristen could imagine that last thing Joe might want was to see a chick flick with two crazy girls who would be sobbing all the way through it.
“Actually, I kinda scored tickets to the premiere on Wednesday and thought maybe you’d like to go. “ He was clearly disappointed, “But if you already have plans…”
“The premiere! Wednesday? You mean like tomorrow?” Kristen had been praying for Joe to get around to asking her out for the better part of the week they’d been chatting. She’d dropped a few subtle hints with no success. But could she really stand up her best friend who’s been dying to see this movie since she found out it had been made months ago. “Hell, yeah, I’ll go to the premiere with you!”
The rest of the nights chitchat was more typical. They laughed until two in the morning again the conversation ranging all over, but always returning to discuss their ‘date’ set for Wednesday night.
Kristen considered all sorts of inventive lies to tell Genie, but decided to just not mention anything and go on Friday to see the movie as though for the first time. However, when her friend phoned the next afternoon she confessed in a gush before Genie even had a chance to say hello.
“Are ya mad?” Kristen sat on her bed beside a dozen different outfits she had been deciding between, twirling the phone cord around her finger nervously.
“No, not really. I know how much you like the guy. Hell, you haven’t shut up about him since you met him a week ago.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be”, said Genie, “It’s good to hear you so happy again. I hope things work out.”
“Thanks.” She’d thought it before and knew it was true; Genie was such a good friend.
“But there is one thing,” Uh-oh, that was a catch phase Genie used which always led to sorrow for Kristen. Genie was good at getting favors from people in circumstances just like this. There had been times when Kristen had been forced into some pretty crappy double dates, an all night drive to Vegas, and a few essays she’d written on the fly during their college days because of these situations, but today she felt that no matter what was asked of her it would be worth it. “I do want to go again with you on Friday whether you like the movie or not…”
“Absolutely, definitely…” Kristen kicked out quickly hoping this was all there was.
“And… You can’t ruin it for me at all.”
“I promise.” Kristen was cheerful again and put her attention back on your clothes.
“That’s not the ‘One Thing’”, continued Genie, “It’s that I’ll be cool with you seeing the movie before me as long as you promise to tell Joe about seeing him in the cemetery before we see the movie on Friday.”
Whoa. Harsh. But, it only took a moment to realize that Genie was again only being a good friend and truth be told Kristen really had wanted to tell him already anyway.
“Deal.”
“Good. Then enjoy the show and if ya get lucky tonight, you have to tell me every last detail!”
Kristen stayed off her legs the entire day so they would be strong enough to carry her the entire evening without crutches. She dressed simply, but elegantly beginning her routine well earlier then she normally would so Joe wouldn’t have to wait on her. A dab of perfume. Classic black dress. Pearl earrings. She was ready for a Hollywood escapade.
Joe arrived promptly at seven with a bouquet of multicolored daisies and seemingly couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He made repeated complements almost to the point of making Kristen blush with happiness. She returned them as Joe looked spectacular in his evening clothes.
He opened all the apartment doors for her as well as the car door, bowling her over with chivalry as they left to see the show. Once seated and off, Kristen couldn’t control herself.
“Is this act just for the first date or are you always this sweet?” she asked with a wink.
“I guess you’ll just have to spend some time with me and find out.”
They arrived at the theatre and Joe surprised her by leading her to a back door. He knocked discreetly and waited, flicking Kristen a nervous grin. Momentarily, the door opened and a uniformed usher who couldn’t have been older then nineteen opened it and motioned the couple inside.
“Right this way.” The usher smirked and led them through a back alley that ran the length of all the theatre houses. He opened a door and suddenly they were standing beside the screen before row upon row of stadium seating.
“Thank you sir”, Joe quickly handed the usher a bill of a denomination Kristen wasn’t able to catch. The door closed and Kristen and Joe were alone in the huge room.
“I thought you said you had tickets to this.” She said wryly.
“I do.” Joe shrugged.
“Then why are we sneaking in like we’re performing a bank heist?”
He looked bashful, “Cause, it’s more exciting this way?” he grabbed her hand and they made off down the aisle. “Come on. The doors are gonna open any second.”
And indeed no sooner had they reached their seats then the guests poured inside. It was a very large theatre, perhaps the biggest Kristen had ever been to, but in no time every seat was taken. Joe had brought her to a back corner and sat her against the wall. He sat next to her, turned his back to the crowd and flashed that shudder-inducing smile.
“Well?”
Well? Kristen had to admit this was pretty cool. Though she wasn’t into the whole Hollywood glitz thing she had already noticed a few celebrities over Joes’ shoulder and it was all she could do not to point them out to him in amazement and keep her jaw attached to the rest of her skull.
“This is really awesome, thank you.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. It came as a surprise to both of them, but Joe looked as he might burst from bliss. His grin became wider still and his dimples practically engulfed his cheeks.
“But I need to confess something to you.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Joe was now glancing about himself, checking out who was in attendance in the audience.
“You remember when I met you at the Laundromat?” Kristen stumbled about, just wanting to tell him, find out about the dead girl in the cemetery, and forget the subject. She really liked Joe and had concluded that his past didn’t mean as much to her as she had thought.
“Of course, what about it?”
“Well, that wasn’t the first time I’d seen you…”
Joe’s face fell completely slack. It turned from the crowd back toward her and she realized that maybe she had made a huge mistake by divulging this info.
“Oh yeah?” was all he could manage. Finally he composed himself and that same distrustful smirk he had worn at the Laundromat returned for the first time since then.
“I’ve wanted to tell you so many times while we spoke on the phone, but it just never seemed like the time was right.” Kristen pressed on. She wasn’t sure why he was so upset and figured it would only get far worse when she told him the circumstances of how she had previously seen him. She couldn’t stop now, so she related the whole story as best she could; covering the cast on her leg, the painkillers, watching him each day out her window, and how it made her feel; how she’d yearned to run down and be with him. Finally she told him of her shocked excitement at meeting him abroad and her sincere desire to hear his story.
For his part Joe listened with amazement as slowly the mistrust left him to be replaced with childlike wonder and even amusement. By the end his smile was sincere again and the sparkle in his eye genuine.
“That’s how you’d seen me before?” He was shaking his head in disbelief.
“Yes,” Kristen lowered her gaze in shame and pushed on through pauses and difficulty, “I’m really sorry I waited this long to tell you, but… I still would like to know about who she was… If it’s not too private…”
Joe took her chin in his hand and raised her eyes to his. She detected no anger whatsoever. In fact, there was something quite the opposite that she wasn’t able to distinguish clearly. He peered into her eyes for a long moment as the crowd about them, which had been quite loud, quieted and the lights dimmed.
“I’ll tell you all about it after the show.”
He released her chin and snuggled down into his seat. Kristen did the same while casting furtive glances sideways toward him. If she thought the film was going to be bad before she couldn’t imagine even paying attention to it now as all her thoughts were on Joe and what he might be thinking about her.
A spot light hit the floor before the screen and the director of the picture they were about to see stood in it receiving applause from the crowd. He gave a short speech of introduction and then took his seat. The spot light died and the curtains before the screen parted. The distinct hum of a projector began and the movie started. There were no previews, not before a premiere.
As the cast went by without Kristen even noticing, she felt Joes hand creeping down her forearm. It reached her hand and held it tenderly. Her heart leapt and she peeked over finding his attention fully on the screen. She relaxed and shifted hers to it also.
That was when, to her complete astonishment she noticed that it was Joe up there on the screen in the film. It didn’t take but a moment to find out that he was playing none other then Kyle’s part in the story. Her gaze whipped from the image to the real Joe beside her. He was staring at her playfully. Then he turned back, squeezed her hand, and said, “Enjoy the show.”
And she did.
It captured all the emotion and intensity of the book in a way Kristen never thought possible. Scenes she had read numerous times and had created in her head played out almost exactly as she had imagined. The actors were perfectly cast, the story wasn’t changed a smidgen, and the scenery was gorgeous. She and Joe laughed at jokes she’d read a hundred times with freshness and misted at all the poignant parts with her head on his shoulder as if she didn’t see them coming. Finally, when Emily died she was glad she’d had the forethought to bring tissues as Kyle’s grave scene played out.
It was only then that she made the connection. The scene was cut between a few different angles and one of them was a high crane shot from in front of Kyle as he faced Emily’s stone. It wasn’t exactly the same position as Kristen was in when she would watch Joe in the cemetery behind her apartment, but it was fairly close.
HE HAD BEEN REHEARSING.
Kyle moved about, read from a poetry book, fell to his knees, and cried just as Joe had all those times this past summer. Kristen was enrapt with the performance. When it ended she felt physically and emotionally exhausted and yet thoroughly exhilarated.
Joe quickly snuck them out before the throng of paparazzi could attack them and they ended up at a diner with burgers and shakes laid out before them.
“You were awesome and that movie was perfect in every way”, Kristen gushed
“You’re sweet”, Joe slurped his chocolate shake as he dabbed a fry in some ketchup. “I hate watching myself on screen. I only see things I wished I’d have done differently.”
“I’m glad you didn’t do anything different. Everything was perfect.”
“I can’t believe you were watching me practice this summer. It’s like…”
“Fate?” Kristen smiled. She liked Joe a lot and had begun wondering if he was feeling the same way.
“Maybe. You’ve no idea what’s it’s been like the last few months with all these people hanging all over me because of this film. When I first met you I figured you were some crazy groupie.”
She chuckled, fully understanding how he would perceive her actions that way.
“But to meet someone that I’ve come to like so much who seemed to be interested in me for me and not because of the Hollywood thing… The whole wondering about my rehearsals excluded… It’s made me pretty happy.”
She couldn’t help but catch onto the words that meant the most to her and repeat them back, “Someone you’ve come to like so much?”
“Well, yeah”, he said bashfully and then added, “And also you’re so god damned hot.”
She shook her head in mock disapproval, “You are just adorable.”
They gazed at each other a moment and then as one leaned in and kissed passionately for the first of what would be many many times in their long joyful lives together.
THE END
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