"A box of Milk Duds, please." The candy counter girl bent over and picked out a box, straightened up, and laid the sweets in front of the pretty, blond girl. She picked up the five-dollar bill, rang up the sale and handed the change to the young woman. Patti felt a bit guilty for eating candy, but she was slim and wasn't concerned about her weight.
As she turned to go to the inside theater, a woman approached the counter next to her and said, "Hello. Do you come here often?" and laughed at the corny line she had just uttered. "Sorry, I just couldn't help saying that. I've always wanted to fit that in somewhere but never had the opportunity before." The counter girl overheard her and rolled her eyes. She had heard the woman say that to other girls several times in the past.
If it had been a man, she would have called the manager.
"My names Jennifer but please call me Jen." She put out her hand and Patti hesitantly took it and shook hands.
"My name's Patti. That is a funny thing for one girl to say to another." She turned away from the older girl and walked toward the theater door. She realized that Jennifer was walking with her.
"Are you going in to see this movie?" Jennifer asked. "I am, too. May I sit with you?"
"Well, sure, but the place is almost empty. You could sit anywhere."
"Yes, I know, but I feel odd sitting alone. Do you mind?"
"I guess not, but I have to sit near the back. I'm far sighted."
"That's fine, Patti. I prefer sitting in the back anyway or even up in the balcony. Would you like to sit up there? It's empty as far as I can see. I guess not too many people come to matinees. We have the place practically to ourselves. There are only four other people in the theater, and they're way down front."
"I think the back row downstairs is fine. It's so dark though that I can't see the seats."
"Oh Patti, take my hand. I'll take you to the seat. My eyes are used to the dark already."
She leads Patti to the back row and moves along to the middle seats. They sit down, but Jennifer is still holding Patti's hand in hers. Patti is afraid of hurting the girl's feelings if she pulls her hand away, so she decides to wait until she has a reason to let go. When the movie starts, Patti pulls the Milk Duds from her purse and lets go of Jennifer's hand, so she can open the packet. She offers the pack to Jennifer who declines.
"I prefer Twizzlers," she says and pulls the package from her purse. Patti realizes that the older girl had already visited the candy counter before she did. She thinks it odd that Jennifer returned when Patti was there. Maybe she really dislikes being alone or is afraid that some man will think she's alone and accost her. Two women together might make a man think twice before approaching them.
After a while, Jennifer whispers to Patti, "This mystery movie is making me nervous. May I hold your hand again?"
Without waiting for an answer, she reaches her left hand across her body, takes Patti's left hand in hers and holds both their hands in her lap. Patti becomes aware that back of her hand is against the woman's crotch. The woman's dress is so thin and she is pressing Patti's hand so tightly against her, that Patti can actually feel the woman's unshaved pubes. Again, she is concerned about hurting the woman's feelings if she jerks her hand away, which she would have to do to break the woman's grip.
Finally, the movie ends and the two girls go into the lobby.
"Patti, I've seen you here at the theater several times in the past months. You must be a movie buff."
"Not really, Jen. I attend university several blocks from here. Since I have three and a half hours between classes with nothing to do, I come see the new movies. I do all my studying in the evening. What do you do, Jen? Do you go to school?"
"No, Patti, I'm a dispatcher for the fire department and work the four to twelve shift. I have all day free, and I love movies, so I'm here, like you, to see the new movies. With six theaters here, there's at least one or two movies that I haven't seen. I even get a free pass because of my job. Hey, the passes are for two people, but I don't have anyone else to use them. Why don't you meet me here, and I can get you in free."
"Gee, that would be super. I miss a lot of movies I'd like to see because I run out of pocket money by the middle of the month. I'd love to get in free. How would you want to meet?"
"Well, today is Tuesday. How about Friday at two o'clock when the theater opens? We can do it twice a week if you have the time. Tuesdays and Fridays."