Leonard, a cheerful and outgoing young man, worked skillfully at the machine while apologizing profusely. “Sorry about this. I don’t know what’s up with this machine today. It’s being a bit temperamental. I hope it’s not causing too much trouble for you.”
Karina smiled back warmly. “It’s no problem at all.”
As Leonard glanced up at Karina and Wilfred, he couldn’t help but comment, “You two look great together! Are you on a date?”
Karina’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she opened her mouth to clarify, but Wilfred cut in first. “Thank you. It’s a rare day off, so I thought I’d take her out to relax.”
Startled, Karina glanced at him in surprise, but the unexpected sweetness of his words brought a quiet warmth to her heart.
Leonard grinned knowingly. “This movie’s been super popular lately. Lots of couples have been coming to watch it. You’re lucky to have snagged tickets—later in the day, it’s almost impossible to get seats.”
Wilfred nodded politely. “Is that so? Then I suppose we’re fortunate.”
After retrieving their tickets, the pair stopped at the concession stand. The staff greeted them with a bright smile. “Hello! We’re running a special today. If you buy a large popcorn, you’ll get a free small popcorn in either chocolate or caramel flavor. The chocolate popcorn is made with imported chocolate, rich and creamy, while the caramel is crafted in-house, perfectly sweet and aromatic.”
Intrigued, Karina turned to Wilfred. “What do you think? A large one shouldn’t be too much for us to share.”
Wilfred looked at her sparkling eyes and nodded. “Sure, whatever you’d like.”
Karina ordered a large classic buttered popcorn and chose the chocolate flavor for the complimentary one. Hugging the popcorn buckets to her chest, she beamed like a child with a new toy.
She picked a piece of buttery popcorn and held it up to Wilfred. “Try this—it’s fresh out of the machine. Smells amazing, doesn’t it?”
Watching her happy expression, a gentle tenderness filled Wilfred’s gaze.
*
After the movie ended, Karina noticed that Wilfred seemed distracted at times, his eyes holding a faint trace of worry.
Even though they had just shared a lovely experience, she knew the shadows of his past still lingered in his mind.
Determined to help him unwind, Karina suggested, “Now that the movie’s over, why don’t we try that new escape room? I’ve heard it’s really thrilling and a lot of fun!”
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