Political Science 101

Chapter Eleven

ASHLYNN GIGGLED as she spoke. "I promise, Daddy," she said, "as long as I can meet her first." She grinned.

"Fine," Mitch said hurriedly, Ana would be there any minute and Ashlynn promised to stay in her room for the evening while they ate the candlelight dinner he'd cooked, with Ashlynn's help.

The doorbell rang.

"Can I answer?" Ashlynn was already halfway to the door when Mitch replied.

"Apparently so," he said, shaking his head with a smile.

"Ashlynn opened the door with the gusto only a 14-year-old could express. "Hello, you must be Ana," she said, extending her hand enthusiastically. "My name is Ashlynn Renae Bradley and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Ana smiled a smile which seemed to say, What have I gotten myself into? She looked over Ashlynn's shoulder and saw Mitch, who could only smile and shrug.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Ana said, shaking Ashlynn's hand. "You're very charming."

"Come in," Mitch said, walking up and putting his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "Ashlynn was just heading up to her room to study, right?"

"Yep!" she said, turning and giving her father a quick hug and hurrying up the stairs. "Nice to meet you!" she yelled as she floundered her way to the second floor of the townhouse, disappearing into her room.

Mitch looked into Ana's eyes and grinned. She grinned back.

"She's charming," Ana said, still smiling. "Shades of her mother?"

Mitch looked down, but kept his smile. He estimated that this question was intended to probe his availability. "Indeed," Mitch said, and he left it at that, rubbing his forehead with his left — ringless — hand. Ana smiled.

Their dinner in the quaint but classy kitchen of Mitch's townhouse was polite and enjoyable. They spoke with the normal superficiality of the getting-to-know-you chit-chat, talking about their jobs, their interests, their origins, etc. And as the meal concluded and both were on their fifth glasses of wine, they decided to make their way to the living room - don't forget the wine - and look for a movie to watch amidst Mitch's DVD collection. It immediately became obvious, as Mitch scanned the film titles in the rack, that Mitch was very much a guy.

"Well," Ana said, "the closest thing here to a love story is Fatal Attraction," she chuckled, as did Mitch.

"Here," a voice said from behind them. They turned around to see Ashlynn, holding in her hands a stack of four DVDs. "One of these should do," she said, handing them the movies. Mitch smiled a Thank you at his daughter, she smiled a You're welcome, and she returned to her room.

Mitch fanned the four DVD cases out like jumbo-sized playing cards and they contemplated their new cinematic options. "I should mention," he said, stating the obvious about the DVDs, "that my daughter is in love with John Cusack." He pulled one DVD out, Say Anything, and held it out. "I guess," he continued, "more accurately, she is in love with Lloyd Dobbler."

Ana smiled. "What are the other three?" she asked.

"Um," Mitch said, giving the covers an awkward and inquisitive look. "Serendipity, I have no idea; Must Love Dogs, don't know about that one either; and America's Sweethearts, still not sure but I'm vetoing that one."

"Why?" Ana asked.

"It's got Julia Roberts in it," he said quickly.

"You don't like Julia Roberts?" she asked, sounding mildly confused. "I love Julia Roberts."

"I'm fine with Julia Roberts," he replied. "It's her upper-lip I can't handle."

"Oh," she said. "Wait, what?"

"Her upper lip is huge! It seriously bugs me to look at; like, you could land an airplane on her upper lip. Ever since Ashlynn made me watch Steel Magnolias, I just can't watch a Julia Roberts movie without being distracted by her massive upper-lip."

Ana turned and gave Mitch a playful slap on the shoulder. "You're mean!" she said as she laughed at his banter.

"I'm a college professor; I get that a lot," he replied in a comical all-business tone. "How about this one," Mitch said, holding up a DVD, "Serendipity, looks interesting and I can definitely handle Kate Beckinsale. She's cute."

"Oh, is she?" Ana said, turning toward the couch, squeezing Mitch's hand as she passed him. It was small gestures like this which really meant something to Mitch, more than words. Just the slightest physical gesture held volumes of meaning in Mitch's mind. Although he knew he tended to over-analyze things, he felt like this slight hand-squeeze meant something deeper, something more, and something better.

Mitch loaded the DVD and the two snuggled in Mitch's living room, both of them falling asleep before the movie was over.