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Rebecca can’t quite believe what a perfectly lovely evening it’s been so far, sitting on Ted’s couch, curled up beside him as they watch Julie & Julia (Ted’s idea) and drink white wine (hers). At one point, while Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are giving each other puppy dog eyes, Ted reaches out his hand to entwine their fingers. She looks down, strangely moved by the gesture, and forgets the film for a moment, lost in the easy touch of Ted’s rough hand in hers.
“You know,” she tells him. “I think I used to believe that handholding was just something teenagers did. Rupert and I... it happened on occasion, but there was never truly any tenderness to it.”
"Yeah well, I guess tenderness is in the hand of the holder.”
She smiles at that, at the tenderness of Ted, and he gives her hand a comforting, firm squeeze.
“How is it that whenever I need it, you’re there for me?
“I guess that’s just the power of love, baby,”
“Was that a Celine Dion reference?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of Huey Lewis and the News.”
“It still baffles me to no end that I ever managed to find you attractive, knowing your frame of reference.”
“Too cheesy?”
“Exceedingly so.”
“Well, you know what they say…”
“Don’t!”
“It’s hip to be square.”
She cringes, but can’t help but laugh, and he just looks at her, so much love in his eyes. There’s something in that look that makes her lose focus all together, and she allows herself to move closer to him still, her free hand carefully trailing up his leg.
“Rebecca!” he says, mock-scoldingly. “You looking to ditch the movie in favor of some more adult activities?”
“I know how Merryl Streep’s Julia Child impression gets you all hot and bothered.”
“You’re joking, but Merryl’s going on the celebrity exception sex list.”
“We are not making celebrity exception lists.”
“Well, fine. But only because you know too many actual celebrities for me to risk it. Pretty sure I’d get kicked to the curb real quick if Daniel and Rachel started shopping around for a third.”
“You know full well that wouldn’t be the case,” she tells him, her hand settling on his thigh and kisses him. She relishes in the way her body seems to warm as he leans into her.