“And this isn’t even the main attraction,” Zach leaned over and explained. “Wait til you see that.”
She nodded mutely as a sign that she’d heard him—but only barely. She seemed mesmerized.
Zack congratulated himself on choosing to take her to the movies. He knew she’d be talking about this for weeks to come.
Then the music of the overture swelled along with the waves of a storm-tossed sea. The pirate movie had begun.
“Put your glasses on,” he reminded her.
She shook herself out of her trance and slipped the frames over her ears.
The plot involved the usual buried treasure, damsel in distress, and good pirate versus bad pirate but Zach was seeing it all through Hannah’s eyes. He guessed this was what new parents must feel like when their kids were old enough to experience their first Christmas.
Hannah was completely lost in the story as if she were living it herself. He could feel her hand grip his forearm tensely when the damsel was captured by the evil pirate.
The sword fight between the hero and villain was filmed entirely in 3-D. When the evil pirate lunged, his sword popped out of the screen and hovered threateningly over the audience. Hannah actually shrieked.
A few patrons turned around in their seats to glare at her. Others chuckled.
“I’m sorry,” she confided in a mortified tone. “You must think I’m a terrible coward, but it’s so real!”
“That’s OK.” Zach patted her arm. “If you get scared, you can hold onto my hand.” Smooth, he told himself.
The drama intensified as the forces of good and evil squared off in an epic sea battle. Pirates hurled themselves from ship to ship. The camera made dizzying cuts from one pair of duelists to another. At one point it looked like the hero got skewered.
Hannah buried her face against his jacket. “I can’t look,” she moaned.
Zach took the opportunity to slide his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m here to protect you.” Even he had to roll his eyes at his transparent motive, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“Thank you,” she murmured simply.
After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and dared to peep up at the screen. Zach noticed that she was still leaning in close to him. He kept his arm wrapped firmly around her.
They sat huddled together all the way through the stirring conclusion. Evil vanquished. Good triumphant. Full orchestra accompaniment while the credits rolled. Then lights up and people scurrying for the exit.
When the theater cleared, and Hannah took off her glasses, she was speechless.
Zach stood up and held out a hand to help her to her feet. “So, what did you think?”
“It was... it was...” She looked at him helplessly, groping for the right word. “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
He beamed at her. “I’m glad you liked it.”
“Do we have to go home? Can we stay to see another one?”
Everything in Zach’s nature wanted to stay all night and watch movies with her until his money ran out, but he shook his head regretfully. “Gamma would kill me if I kept you out late. I promised we’d be home by eleven, Cinderella.”
“Cinderella?”
“I’ll tell you that story another time. Hey, there’s even a movie about it.”
***
They stood on the front stairs to Faye’s farmhouse for several awkward moments, neither one speaking.
“So, I guess this is good night,” Zach ventured. A tiny voice inside his head was screaming, “Kiss her, you moron!”
“I guess so,” Hannah agreed uncertainly.
He had a brainstorm. “It’s a custom out here in our world that after a first date the couple swaps a goodnight kiss.”
Hannah took his statement at face value. “Well, if it’s customary then we should do that. I want to fit in.” She leaned toward him and closed her eyes.
He leaned toward her. Just before their lips met, he lost his nerve. Pecking her timidly on the cheek, he said, “Good night, Hannah.”
Her eyes flew open. “Oh, I see,” she said. Grabbing him by the shoulders, she planted an enthusiastic kiss on his cheek. “Goodnight, Zachary. I hope we do this again.”
He grinned. “Count on it.”
As he turned to go, he caught a glimpse of his gamma peeking at both of them from behind a lace curtain in the parlor. She seemed to be chuckling.
Chapter 13—Traveling Worst Class
“I just don’t understand it.” Cassie wheeled her suitcase through the door of the Margaret Ekpo airport in Calabar, Nigeria. “It’s not like we left the continent.” She gave a martyred sigh.
Her two male companions exchanged wary glances but offered no comment.
“I mean, first we had to fly from Botswana to South Africa and then all the way to Cairo just to get a flight back to Nigeria. And even then, we had to take another flight from Abuja to Calabar.”
“This isn’t like the States, toots,” Erik admonished her. “They don’t have airports every fifty feet. Get used to it.”
“Remember what Griffin told you back in Botswana. I’ll never get used to it.”
“Didn’t that sleep mask you bought help?” Erik asked.
“I felt like the Hamburgler wearing it,” Cassie growled. “And no, it didn’t help. My bloodshot eyes should tell you that.”
“You’re gonna be a real treat to be around for the next couple of days,” Erik muttered.
The trio took up a position on the sidewalk outside the baggage claim area, waiting for their contact to arrive.
Griffin tactfully changed the subject. Turning to the paladin, he asked, “Have you checked in with Maddie yet?”
Erik shot him an exasperated look. “Yeah. I’m half a world away, and she can still manage to yell loud enough to make my ears bleed. At least the one that Cassie wasn’t already yelling into. I swear when I get back home, the first thing I’m gonna do is buy Maddie a pack of cigarettes.”
“Oh no!” Griffin gasped in alarm. “I’d completely forgotten. Is it...?”
“Yup,” Erik cut in. “It’s that time again.”
Cassie looked at her companions doubtfully.
