"Is there any popcorn left?"
"Yes."
"Pass it to me?"
"No."
She looked at him with a humorous look of shock on her face as he passed the bowl to her without making eye contact, smirking. She loved being near him and how he made her feel. She also knew that he loved being near her.
Rick and Amanda had become fast friends over the last several months. They had met at work when she first came on board, and although their daily activities didn't generally bring them into contact with one another, Rick always made the effort to visit her desk each day, even if it was just for a few minutes. They also made a point to go to lunch together several times a week.
Rick and Amanda never failed for conversational topics, although they were as different as night and day. She wanted to have a house full of children one day; he never wanted children. Ever. Also, both had religious backgrounds, although Rick had chosen to walk away from the church, and to question the existence of higher powers, while Amanda had remained true to her upbringing, and attended church regularly. The topic of religion had come up from time to time, and while neither shared the other's point of view, they each respected it. They had also reached a point, after a few heated debates, which they both chose to not discuss it.
Rick had developed a crush on Amanda, and made no attempt to hide it from her. He would shower her with heartfelt compliments, surprise her with the occasional small gift, or simply pick up her lunch tab. He knew that because of their differences, they would likely never have a successful relationship, but he also knew that he cared for her, and felt more deeply for her every day.
Amanda felt the same thing for Rick, but she chose to keep those thoughts and feelings more to herself. She had alluded to him, from time to time, that she felt something for him other than friendship, but she also knew that their pairing could be a recipe for disaster. She loved Rick's company, though, because he treated her with the utmost respect, something that she felt like she hadn't experienced enough in her 28 years.
One thing that both had in common, other than enjoying time with one another, was their love of movies. They had developed a weekly Saturday night routine of watching various DVDs, each choosing one to watch. They alternated visiting one another's homes, each selecting a different movie, and they would then analyze and critique them after viewing, discussing various symbolisms within each. Rick admired Amanda for her analytical mind, and was attracted to her intelligence, as well as her physical features.
"So, what did you think, Mandy?"
"I liked it, but I didn't love it. I thought that the biblical overtones were interesting."
"WHAT?! Are you kidding? Amanda, this is
Star Wars
. It's a cinema classic, and I think you're reading WAY too much into it to draw any biblical parallels."
"No, Rick, it's so obvious. Let's start with the innocent farm boy..." She launched into one of her overdrawn analyses that Rick loved to verbally spar with her over.
Amanda was of average height, with shoulder length black hair and green eyes. She had a very nice body that was usually hidden beneath conservative clothing. She sometimes wore tinted glasses, which although they concealed her gorgeous green eyes, Rick found a sexy quality to. Rick couldn't think of a quality she possessed that wasn't sexy to him, including her intelligence. Few things were as sexy to him as an intelligent woman.
Rick was in better than average shape, standing close to six feet in height, with short black hair and green eyes to match Amanda's. He went to the gym on a regular basis, and ran a few days a week, as well. His lower torso was incredibly toned, and he'd become health conscious in recent years, although he had a weakness for Mexican food.
Another Saturday had arrived, and Amanda showed up at Rick's house with a bag full of Mexican food. She also had brought her copy of "Casablanca" over, while Rick had chosen "Apocalypse Now" as his selection that evening. They put in Amanda's movie first, then dug into their food. Sitting on the couch, Amanda's attention was focused on the television. Having seen the movie already, and not really caring for it, Rick sat staring at Amanda. He studied her profile, trying to memorize every possible detail of her face from a few feet away. Amanda's legs sat curled behind her on the couch, separating the two of them. Rick decided to try a little experiment.
He took her legs, and placed her feet into his lap, and began to massage them. It was also noticeable how smooth her legs were. He had hugged Amanda several times, but this was really the first time he'd felt her skin. He was fascinated with it. Not wanting to be too obvious in his admiration, he turned his attention back to the movie.
"What are you doing?" Amanda asked, with a half-smile on her face.
"You just looked like you needed it." he replied with confidence.
Her half-smile blossomed into a full one, and she just looked at Rick for a moment. His eyes didn't turn back to meet hers while she was looking. She thought what an amazing man this was, and how happy she was to now be a part of his life.
"I have a question to ask you, Rick."
"O.K."
"I have a friend who is getting married two weeks from today. I'm one of the bridesmaids. I'm not going with anyone, so I was wondering if you'd like to...you know..." Amanda had never been good with dating, and was even worse when trying to initiate the date.
"What?" Rick anticipated her question, but wanted to see if she would actually say the words.
"Will you be my date?" Amanda looked away nervously, as if she thought his answer would certainly be 'no'.
"I would be honored to escort you anywhere you like."
Amanda's face lit up with a huge smile, erasing the uncertainty she was feeling. Her smile lit up the room, and Rick never understood why she didn't seem to receive more attention from men.
