Chapter 102: Movie Date I
Sean nodded.
"Take your time."
"I’m not going anywhere."
For a long moment, Olivia simply looked at him. Candlelight danced between them, catching the necklace resting against her collarbone.
Finally, she smiled.
"I know," she whispered. "That’s the part I trust most about you."
Just then, the waiter returned with the bill on a small leather tray, placing it beside Sean with the quiet professionalism of someone who knew not to interrupt a good evening.
Sean picked it up without making a show of it.
The total sat at the bottom in clean black print.
Total: $27,400
Scallop course: $3,500. Wagyu truffle: $8,500. Gold leaf dessert: $4,500. Wine: $6,900. Two additional courses and side items: $4,000.
The 5x multiplier fired cleanly, every dollar spent directly on Olivia returning five times over. Sean kept his face completely neutral, put his phone away, and looked across the table at her instead.
"Ready?" Sean asked as he stood, offering Olivia his hand.
Olivia slipped her hand into his and stood, smoothing the front of her dress.
"Where are we going now?" Olivia asked.
"There’s a late-night showing of a thriller," Sean replied. "Neither of us has seen it."
Olivia narrowed her eyes playfully.
"How do you know I haven’t seen it?"
"You’ve been buried in rehearsals for the last twelve days," Sean said. "I doubt you’ve had time to watch anything."
She considered it for a second before nodding. "...That’s true."
A smile spread across her face.
"Will there be popcorn?"
Sean smiled.
"There will be popcorn."
"Then I’m in," Olivia said happily.
James was already waiting outside. The Rolls-Royce idled quietly at the curb, and he stepped forward to open the rear door the moment he saw them approaching.
His eyes briefly flicked between them, noticing the easy way they walked side by side, before a faint smile crossed his face.
He said nothing.
For James, that was approval enough.
Once they were settled in the car, Olivia leaned against Sean’s shoulder, her fingers loosely intertwined with his. The necklace around her neck caught the passing streetlights, sending tiny flashes of light across the cabin.
"So," Olivia said, "tell me about this movie."
"It’s a thriller," Sean replied. "The reviews are good. Apparently it’s got a tight plot with a mystery underneath it all."
Olivia looked up at him.
"Is there a dog?"
Sean blinked.
"...Why?"
"Because if there’s a dog," Olivia said seriously, "I need to prepare myself emotionally."
She looked him straight in the eyes.
"And now that I know certain things about you, I might have to prepare for both of us."
Sean stared at her for a second before the corners of his mouth twitched.
"There’s no dog."
"Promise?" Olivia asked.
Sean nodded solemnly.
"I researched that specifically."
Olivia looked at him, trying to decide whether he was being serious.
"You actually researched whether there was a dog in the movie?"
Sean held the expression for another beat.
Then he broke into a laugh.
"Just kidding."
Olivia stared at him in mock disbelief before laughing too, the sound bright and unrestrained. She leaned her head against his shoulder again, still laughing, while Sean smiled to himself.
There was something deeply satisfying about hearing her laugh because of him.
It was exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for.
—-----------
The theater was almost empty at that hour, twelve people scattered across a room built for two hundred, which gave the whole experience the particular intimacy of something not meant to feel intimate but ending up that way regardless.
Sean bought the tickets at the counter, two for the late showing, and handed his card over without looking at the price.
[60 dollars spent]
[Balance: $3,640,020]
[ 5X Rebate Activated ]
[300 dollars received]
[New Balance: $3,640,320]
Olivia was standing slightly behind him looking at the candy display with the expression of someone who had just had a twenty-seven-thousand-dollar dinner and was now deeply interested in whether they should also get gummy bears.
"Get them," said Sean, without turning around.
"I was just looking," said Olivia.
"You were calculating," said Sean. "Get the gummy bears."
She appeared beside him at the counter. "My left eye doesn’t twitch."
"It did just now," said Sean.
"That was a normal blink," said Olivia, and added the gummy bears to the order.
Sean paid for the popcorn and snacks.
[35 dollars spent]
[Balance: $3,640,285]
[ 5X Rebate Activated ]
[175 dollars received]
[New Balance: $3,640,460]
They found seats in the back row and settled in.
Olivia leaned comfortably against Sean’s shoulder, the bucket of popcorn resting between them.
As the pre-show advertisements played across the screen, Olivia watched absentmindedly. Sean, on the other hand, found himself watching her instead.
The stage makeup was gone now.
It was just Olivia.
Softly illuminated by the dim glow of the theater, she somehow looked even more beautiful than she had under the spotlight.
When the previews finally began, Olivia turned to him.
"Okay," Olivia said. "Ground rules."
"Go ahead," Sean replied.
"No spoilers," Olivia said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "I still don’t completely trust you when you say you haven’t seen this movie."
Sean let out a quiet chuckle. "...Maybe I have."
Olivia’s eyes widened. "You said maybe."
"I did." Said Sean
She studied him for a few seconds.
"Hmm..."
She puffed out her cheeks in thought, trying to decide whether he was bluffing.
Sean couldn’t help smiling.
She really was adorable.
Without saying another word, he leaned over and gently kissed her on the cheek.
Olivia froze.
Sean pulled back just enough to admire the stunned look on her face.
"You’re beautiful," he said with a smile. "I could do that all day."
Olivia’s entire face turned bright red.
Heat rushed to her cheeks so quickly that she was convinced he could feel it.
She immediately turned away, covering her face with both hands.
"L-Let’s just..." she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. "The movie’s about to start."
--
Author Notes
Please you can support the book by gifting me power stones and golden tickets ❤️
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