Ryan buttoned up his purple-sleeved shirt and put on gray pants and white shoes. Before heading out the door, he went to the side-view mirror to fix his hair. He decided to walk toward his destination, which wasn’t far from where he was. His experience yesterday made him not want to use the car for a while, even if it’d take longer to get there.

  Despite the nice weather, with a few gusts of wind and the start of the weekend, barely anybody showed up on the sidewalks or districts. Ryan looked around and wrapped his arms around his body. He cleared his throat. The air and atmosphere felt heavier than usual today. It wasn’t entirely a ghost town, but something didn’t seem right. He couldn’t wrap his brain around what it could be.

  His face brightened as he walked over to the entrance of a retro-style theater, complete with big letters, fancy wording, and a ‘Now Showing’ billboard at the top of the ticket booth. Standing at the entrance, Daisy looked over and waved at Ryan.

  She wore an orange dress with a brown mini-jacket and matching shoes. She also wore a sunhat with a daisy sticking out from the side. Despite the seasonal change, she dressed like it was still summer, with autumn-themed colors for her outfit. The two exchanged pleasantries as they made their way to the ticket booth.

  Once they got their tickets and meals, the two sat in the theater and relaxed. Ryan and Daisy stared at the screen silently, not bothering to look at one another.

  Despite being a popular movie, they were the only ones in the room with a few minutes to spare before the movie started. It seemed like a good opportunity for another conversation, but neither knew what to say to break the ice. Aside from their greeting earlier, the two hadn’t spoken to each other since then.

  Daisy polished her glasses and took a sip from her drink. Ryan balled up his hands into fists on his lap as he stared at the floor. He wasn’t sure if she gave him silent treatment the other day or out of respect for the moviegoing experience. He didn’t want to be rude and interrupt her, but he also wanted to make amends with her. Ryan had a bad hunch he’d still be thinking about it during the film, and it would distract him from enjoying it.

  He cleared his throat before speaking, thinking it would get her attention.

  “So...”

  “I’m sorry, too, about what went down before.”

  “Huh?” Ryan raised his head. “Where’d that come from?”

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  “I listened to your voice call. It was inexcusable of me to behave that way.”

  “No, you had every right to be mad at me. I was pretty selfish. I had no idea how to face you after that ordeal.”

  “I’m not mad at you, if you’re wondering.”

  “Really? I’m relieved to hear that.”

  “Although I’m a little confused why you’re apologizing for ‘everything’ though. You weren’t responsible for what happened to...” Her voice faded before she could finish the sentence.

  “I can’t help but feel like I am. Part of me wished I’d communicated with him about that sooner.”

  Daisy reached for his hand, still sitting on his lap, as they shared glances.

  “Don’t worry, it’s not your fault. He’ll get better.”

  You don’t know that. He thought about saying it, but held it back, not wanting to cause more trouble.

  “That wasn’t what I meant by that earlier, though. I’m sorry for that outburst yesterday, for not taking your feelings into account.” He looked away. “I hope I didn’t make you feel worthless back there.”

  Daisy leaned back in her seat and stared at the ceiling. “You want to know something? I haven’t told many people this, but compared to my last job, the one I’m currently in is a paradise. And even compared to my first year working on the lower floors, dealing with co-workers I didn’t like, I still felt comfortable and safe. My time there, up until I got my promotions, wasn’t so bad.” She leaned forward and glanced over her shoulder. “Now, I don’t know how Barry treats you, and maybe your actions toward him are justified, but he treats me with respect and is patient with me.”

  Ryan’s mouth gaped as he listened to her every word. “Wow, I don’t know what to say. I had no idea.”

  “You were wondering why I put up with Barry. Well, to put it simply, I respect him, and I know for a fact that he’s not a bad person. You saw how he reacted with Carl when he got sick.”

  Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually, I have a feeling he was always under the weather, and it just got worse from there.” He gripped the edge of the seat. “If you don’t mind me asking, who else have you told this to?”

  “If I remember correctly, the only other person I told this to was...” Daisy stared at the floor as she twiddled her thumbs.

  Ryan looked away; he didn’t need to hear the rest of the sentence to know who she was talking about.

  Silence hung in the air between the two in the massive, empty theater. After what felt like hours, the lights dimmed. Ryan broke the ice and spoke up in a hushed whisper.

  “Hey, thanks for the invite, and for the talk. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to talk about.”

  “Don’t mention it, and thanks for the listen.”

  “Not a problem.”

  They smiled at one another before turning their attention to the screen, finally ready to play the previews.