Two tickets to love, please

Nora and Dale meet during a Star Wars screening, and while bonding over the film, a spark of romance soon begins to grow

- Vicki Cox

Nora Andrews glanced at her ticket stub, H9, then at the eight pairs of legs between her and her seat. She sighed.

“So sorry. Excuse me,” she murmured as she sidestepped across the row, popcorn bag in one hand and drink in the other. Some people moved their legs sideways; others pushed back in their seat. She looked at the last pair of legs awaiting her. There was no place for them to go. Their knees pressed up against the row in front of them, and their owner was already scrunched into every inch of the seat.

“Pardon me,” she said. “I’m headed to the other side of you.”

“Certainly,” he said, quickly standing and leaning against his seat. But as she pressed past him, her heel caught the edge of his shoe. Wobbling for balance, he bumped her overfull bucket of popcorn, spilling half the contents onto his jacket.

“Oh, no,” she cried. “Quick. Don’t let the butter stain your nice coat.”

“Easily fixed,” he said with a smile that traveled down to her toes. He quickly flicked the kernels off. “No harm done. I should apologize for bumping you. Let me hold your popcorn while you sit down,” he said, taking the bucket from her hand.

“Thank you,” she said, sinking into her seat. “There’s just not enough space between rows.”

“You’re right. Unfortunately, the theater renovation followed the original 1937 design,” he explained, “which doesn’t accommodate today’s tall people.”