As the coming attractions began to play I found myself enjoying the surroundings of the majestic old theater, and in the magical darkness of the cinema I found myself staring at Jessica instead of the screen.
There was some silly comedy being advertised, and I smiled warmly as I watched the giraffe laugh, a sweet chuckling sound. I wondered if she did this often, just getting out and away from her usual accommodation. The smile on her long face was so beautiful, so elegant. That I had brought her some joy made me feel special.
She spied me watching her and I felt her hand tighten around mine. She gave me a look of appreciation, and her eyes seemed to sparkle in the darkness. I began to anticipate finishing our interrupted kiss.
We both returned our gazes to the screen and in no time we had begun leaning into each other, my cheek pressed into the fabric of her red blouse and my arm wrapped around the tall animal's side. There was definite strength hidden beneath the soft plush of her fur, and I realized I was wondering what she looked like beneath her clothing. Just being with her was so exhilarating, and given the encounter earlier, moreso. There was more to this creature than just beauty. Perhaps a hint of sadness. I wanted to protect her.
My thoughts were interrupted by the announcement of the main feature. I settled into my seat, felt Jessica's arm slide along my shoulders, and relished the feeling of her soft fur on my neck.
We found ourselves watching - oddly enough - a movie about an evil curse that effects the beautiful daughter of a well to do family. Little by little, she starts to change into a strange hybrid animal. As her transformation gets worse, she grows more hideous, halfway between woman and beast. She struggles in vain to discover what the curse is and how to lift it, and hopelessly surrenders in depression. Her family, horrified, locks her in the basement and imprisons her as a freak. Scorned, forgotten, she eventually escapes years later, and is taken in by a handsome blind stranger after a series of adventures. The man falls madly in love with her though he cannot see what she is. It comes to the pivotal scene where he touches her face and realizes she is a freakish animal, only to come to the realization that love is blind, and love for a person runs deeper than beauty. She remains as she is, the curse unbroken, her body inhuman, and lives in true love happily ever after, better off as a beast than as a human, her old life of possession and wealth forgotten.
As the last scene faded out and the credits began to roll, I found myself deeply affected by the story and turned to find Jessica wiping away fresh tears from beneath her eyes.
"That was... moving." She sniffled, an incredible sadness overtaking her elegant face. "Sorry for picking such a sappy movie."
"No..." I comforted her, holding her one hand in my smaller grip. "It was an awesome movie." I rose with her hand still in mine, and smiled. "Come on, Jess, you still have to show me around."
Her spirits raising, my much taller date rose and we set out from the theater. As we came outside to the warm tropical air, there was a commotion coming from the other side of the street, a group of people having gathered around... something.
"What's going on over there?" I asked, trying to get a view between the people.
"Hmmm..." Jessica peered, staring over top of the people. Her eyes went wide. "Oh... uh... nothing! Nothing!"
"Are you sure?" I looked up at her quizzically. "It looks like somebody's been hurt."
"No, it's all right. It's just..." She seemed suddenly ashamed and hung her head. "It's over now."
I wished I could see as far as she could, my curiosity growing, but apparently there was nothing to see. It looked like a farm animal had escaped and made its way into the resort. A donkey. The group parted in strange bewilderment, and people stared as the animal trotted away and down the street.
"That was weird, huh?" I laughed. "How did the poor guy get loose?"
"I don't know." Jessica seemed distracted, but I chalked it up to the movie more than the dispersing crowd. "Why don't we get going while the night's young?"
She took my hand in hers and we started to walk away, missing a tattered pile of clothes on the other side of the street and a baseball cap that had once been worn backward on a young teen in a movie theater.