Chapter 99: Just for Today

Chris POV

I finally managed to get my expression under control before Helen could tease me any further. Looking at her clothes, I decided to change the subject. “What about you? Are you going to wear the same thing?” Helen glanced down at herself before looking back at me. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? I think I look perfectly fine.” I was about to answer when she smiled and added, “Unless you want to spend the rest of the afternoon helping me choose clothes too. We can do that, but I thought you’d prefer going somewhere else.”

That immediately made me stop. I looked at her for a moment before answering, “Out. I’d definitely prefer going out.” Helen laughed softly before nodding. “I thought so. Why don’t you wait by the car? I just need to speak with Margareta for a minute.” I was curious about what she wanted, but since she’d gone through the trouble of arranging this little outing, I decided to let her have her surprise.

I started going towards the entrance, but before leaving, I glanced back and saw Helen approaching Margareta. She leaned closer to the older woman and said something I couldn’t hear. Of course, if I really wanted to, listening to their conversation wouldn’t have been difficult. I could have heard every word without either of them noticing, but for some reason, I didn’t want to. I was actually curious about what Helen was planning, and finding out beforehand would ruin the surprise.

I went outside and waited beside her Audi. A few minutes later, Helen came out of the shop with something hidden behind her back. I raised an eyebrow as she approached, but she only smiled and unlocked the car. After that she finally brought her hands forward and held something out to me.

I looked down and found a hoodie and a pair of sunglasses. For a moment, I simply stared at them before looking back at her. “All that buildup was for a hoodie and glasses?” Helen laughed at my reaction before answering, “Well, I thought you might appreciate something a little more comfortable.” I took the hoodie from her and looked at it again. It was a simple dark gray hoodie without any expensive brand or design that stood out. The glasses were just as ordinary.

I was about to ask why she’d bothered buying them when Helen spoke again. “I just thought it would be nice if you could spend a few hours without everyone recognizing you. No luxury stores, expensive restaurants or people trying to approach you because you’re Christopher Sterling. Just a normal day out.” She looked at the hoodie in my hands before adding, “I know it won’t completely hide you, but it should help a little.”

I looked at the clothes again. It was such a small thing that I couldn’t understand why it made me happy. Yet somehow, the thought of spending a few hours without anyone caring who I was sounded surprisingly nice.

I put on the hoodie and glasses before looking toward Helen. “How do I look?” She studied me for a moment before reaching forward and pulling the hood over my head. “There. Much better.” I looked at my reflection in the car window. With the hood covering part of my hair and the glasses hiding my eyes, I looked like an ordinary teenager. Well, ordinary enough. I lowered the hood again before getting into the car.

Helen settled into the driver’s seat, and I immediately asked, “So where are we going?” She started the engine before answering, “I was thinking we could watch a movie. It’s been a while since I’ve gone to a theater just to enjoy myself.” That caught my interest. It had been a while since I’d gone to a normal theater without booking an entire screening room. I turned toward her and asked, “Which movie?” She thought about it for a moment before answering, “I was thinking of something romantic. What do you think?”

I nodded. “Okay. That sounds good.” Helen glanced toward me before asking, “Are you actually interested in watching something romantic, or are you just agreeing with me?” I looked at her in surprise. “What’s wrong with agreeing with you?” She smiled and shook her head. “Nothing. I just want you to enjoy yourself too. If there’s something else you’d rather watch, I’d be happy with that.”

I thought about it for a moment before asking, “Can I choose when we get there? I don’t know what’s playing.” Helen nodded. “Of course. We’ll see what’s available.” With that settled, she pulled away from the parking area and started driving.

For the next twenty-five minutes, we talked about different things. Nothing particularly important came up. Helen asked whether I liked the clothes Margareta had chosen, and when I told her they were comfortable, she suggested I wear things like that more often. I reminded her that Gwen had already taken it upon herself to choose most of my clothes, which made her laugh.

She also told me a few stories about Mother and how the two of them used to go shopping together. Apparently, Mother had been quite different before marrying Father, and the more Helen talked about her, the more I realized there were plenty of things about my parents I still didn’t know. I asked a few questions, and Helen seemed happy to answer them.

Eventually, we reached a shopping complex with a movie theater. Helen parked the car, and we headed inside together. There were plenty of people around, but nobody seemed particularly interested in us. A few people glanced in our direction, mostly because Helen was an attractive woman, but nobody approached or tried to speak to me.

I was starting to understand why she’d bought the hoodie and glasses. It wasn’t as if I couldn’t go somewhere without being recognized, but recently, almost everyone I met either knew who I was or wanted something from me. Being able to walk through a crowded place without worrying about any of that felt surprisingly nice.

Once we reached the theater, Helen stopped near the movie posters and looked toward me. “So, anything you want to watch?” I looked over the movies currently playing before one particular poster caught my attention. It showed a man in a black tactical suit standing in front of a building with a burning bat symbol behind him. After reading the title, I pointed toward it. “The Dark Knight.”

Helen followed my finger and looked toward the poster. I glanced at her before asking, “You know Batman?” She nodded. “I’ve watched a few. They’re entertaining, but sometimes they feel a little too cartoonish for me.” I looked back at the poster before answering, “I think this one will be different.” Helen raised an eyebrow. “You sound pretty confident. Have you heard something about it?” I shook my head. “Not really. I just have a feeling it’ll be good.”

She considered that before nodding. “All right, then. Let’s watch The Dark Knight.” I looked at her before asking, “You’re sure? You wanted to watch something romantic.” Helen shook her head. “That was only a suggestion, Chris. Besides, I don’t mind watching Batman.” She smiled before adding, “And if it’s terrible, I’ll just blame you for choosing it.” I laughed at that and followed her toward the ticket counter.

Helen bought two tickets, and I was about to offer to pay when I remembered what she’d said earlier about this being her treat. Once we had the tickets, we headed toward the entrance. Before we could go inside, however, Helen stopped near the food counter. “Should we get something to eat?” I looked toward the counter, where several people were buying popcorn, drinks and nachos. There were different combinations displayed above it, along with the usual overpriced snacks that movie theaters somehow managed to sell.

I was about to tell her I didn’t need anything when something occurred to me. Since we’d left the company, she’d been taking care of almost everything. She’d bought my clothes, driven me here and even paid for the tickets. Now she was asking what I wanted to eat. I turned toward her before asking, “Helen, am I a child?”

Helen looked surprised for a moment before asking, “No, Chris. Why do you think I’m treating you like a child?” I gestured toward the food counter. “You’ve been taking care of everything since we left the company. Even now, you’re asking what I want to eat.” Helen seemed to understand what I meant and smiled. “And is there anything wrong with me taking care of you for once?” I was about to answer when she continued, “You’ve had a lot on your mind lately. I thought it might be nice if someone else handled the little things for you today.” I looked at her for a moment before asking, “So that’s what all this is about?”

“Partly,” she admitted. “But more importantly, I want you to enjoy yourself. Just for today, don’t worry about tomorrow or what might happen next. Don’t think about your company, the people you have to deal with or everyone you’re trying to protect.” She glanced toward the food counter before continuing, “Right now, the only thing you need to worry about is whether you want sweet or salty popcorn, what flavor of cold drink you like, or whether you’d prefer spicy nachos.”

I stared at her for a moment, not quite knowing what to say. It sounded simple enough, but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d spent an entire day without thinking about something that needed to be done. Even now, part of my mind was occupied with Valentina, Sara and Emily, and everything I’d planned for later. Helen seemed to notice my expression because she smiled and added, “I’m not asking you to forget those things forever, Chris. They’ll still be there when we get back. I just don’t want you to miss what’s happening right in front of you because you’re always thinking about what comes next.”

I thought about that before finally nodding. “All right. I’ll try.” Helen looked pleased with my answer, but before I could turn toward the counter, she suddenly added, “Actually, I think I know how to encourage you a little.” I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And how are you planning to do that?” Her smile became slightly more playful as she stepped closer.

“Well, if you can spend the rest of our outing enjoying yourself without worrying about tomorrow, I’ll give you something you’ve been waiting for.” That immediately caught my attention. “And what would that be?” Helen looked directly at me before answering, “I’ll give you the answer to the question you asked me in your office.”