"Life sounds like a boring science fiction movie, we're going to see A United Kingdom instead," Afsane Yanehsari said haughtily, and she looked triumphantly into her boyfriend Rover Jefferson's soulful brown eyes, knowing that he was going to cave in to her demands. Just like he always did. Rover hesitated and licked his lips, a thoughtful look on his face.
The two of them stood in line at the box office at the Scotiabank Theater in the east end of Ottawa, trying to decide what movie to watch. Afsane had just come back to Ottawa after a trip to a Christian conference taking place the City of Toronto. Raised in the Assyrian Church of the East, one of the oldest branches of Christianity in her homeland of Iran, Afsane Yanehsari was thrilled to see so many Middle-Eastern Christians thriving in Canada. Her boyfriend Rover Jefferson missed her sorely and decided to take her out once she came back from her trip...
"Cool," Rover said, and the burly young African-American casually pulled two tickets out of his well-worn leather wallet, and brandished them before Afsane's astonished face. Stone-faced, Rover raised an eyebrow, amused by Afsane's reaction. The young Iranian woman blinked in surprise when she read the movie titles on the tickets. Rover smiled and shrugged, and watched as Afsane shook her head. Clearly she wasn't expecting this...
"How did you know what movie I wanted to see?" Afsane asked, and Rover grinned cockily, as if he'd figured out one of the mysteries of the universe. Afsane looked him up and down, and not for the first time, she wondered if she'd been wrong in her initial assessment of him. Rover Johnson, the Detroit-born international student whom she met at Ottawa University in Ottawa was handsome and friendly, but quite adorably predictable. How in hell did he manage surprise her?
"Just a little reverse psychology, Miss Persia, I knew you were a fan of Rosamund Pike so I did a little leg work and voila," Rover said, and Afsane grinned and playfully slapped his arm. Snatching the tickets from Rover's hand, she marched to the other side of the theater. Pausing in front of the ticket checker's stand, Afsane waited for Rover to catch up.
"A United Kingdom is playing in theater seven on the right," said the ticket checker, a bored-looking and kind of plump young Caucasian woman with reddish hair. Afsane handed her the tickets, and she tore off part of the stub before handing them back. Rover was still grinning as Afsane grabbed his arm and they walked to theater seven. As was to be expected since this was a Tuesday evening, the theater was packed.
"Let's go to the front," Rover proposed, indicating the three rows of seats right in front of the big screen. Afsane gritted her teeth and shook her head, then looked at the packed rows that stretched all the way to the back. Knowing that Afsane didn't like crowds, Rover patiently waited. Nodding, Afsane went to sit on the third row from the front, right at the edge, and he sat next to her. Draping his coat over the back of his chair, Rover looked at his favorite fussy woman...
"This isn't bad, thanks for bringing me," Afsane said, and that's when she smiled and kissed Rover on the lips. He kissed her back, and returned her smile. Afsane leaned against him, as if nothing had happened. Rover smiled and let out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. It was astonishing how much he cared for Afsane, the beautiful, passive aggressive and slightly bipolar gal whom he met during International Students Orientation at Ottawa University a year ago...
In those days, Rover had a very different outlook on life, that's for damn sure. Born in the City of Detroit, Michigan, to second-generation Jamaican immigrant parents, Rover grew up in Motor City and devoured all that life had to offer. During his freshman year at the University of Detroit-Mercy, however, he joined a fraternity and got into a bit of trouble. A drunken brawl involving him and a few fellow students during a night of partying at a local establishment made the local news...
The incident could have seriously derailed Rover Jefferson's future, but the fates smile upon him. Fortunately, his uncle Milford Jefferson, a Sergeant with the Detroit Police Department, pulled strings to make the incident go away. Rover's parents, Suzanne and Edgar Jefferson decided that something had to be done. They sent their son to stay at his aunt Martha Jefferson-Keen's house in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, for a while. Rover ended up transferring to Ottawa University.
At first, Rover Jefferson didn't like the City of Ottawa, which was small and boring compared to his hometown of Detroit. Still, he grew to like Ottawa University, which he found to be racially diverse and quite lively. Along the way, he got himself a job working as a security guard and made a few friends at school and at work. While at Ottawa University, the former rogue met his match in a most unforgettable woman. Afsane Yanehsari, a newcomer to Ottawa by way of Urmia, Islamic Republic of Iran. At first, they clashed, but ended up dating...
To say that Afsane Yanehsari and Rover Jefferson made for an odd couple would have been an understatement. Five-foot-four, curvy, with light bronze skin, curly black hair and lively brown eyes, Afsane was smart, outspoken and opinionated. That much was clear to Rover from the get-go. When they met, having been seated together during a presentation during International Students Orientation, Rover spoke to Afsane...and regretted it. He thought she was Arab, his first big mistake...
"Bro, I'm from Iran, that makes me Persian, I recognize your accent as American, how would you feel if I assumed you were from Congo or something?" Afsane asked, a daring look on her face, and Rover sighed. He'd been sitting inside the auditorium in the Pasteur building, supremely bored as the tour guides spoke about international student life at Ottawa University. He thought to kill time by speaking to the Middle-Eastern gal next to him, and got more than he bargained for...
"Feisty, aren't we?" Rover said, smiling, as he looked Afsane up and down, and the petite Persian beauty narrowed her eyes, glaring at him suspiciously. Rover looked at her, both amused and puzzled by her demeanor. Afsane was feisty, and kind of reminded him of the gals he grew up with in the City of Detroit. In Motor City, the gals were gorgeous but with sassy, smart mouths. Afsane might be from Iran, but with her attitude, she looked like she'd fit right in with the people in his old neighborhood...
"A lot of awesome movies are coming out this year," Afsane said, her voice snatching Rover out of his little trip down memory lane. Rover looked at her and nodded, something he usually did while she was talking. The last thing he wanted was for Afsane to get on his case for not listening. As much as the Detroit brother cherished his favorite Persian cutie, sometimes she got on his damn nerves...