This bit, Lily knew, had needed several takes, because the puppy had kept doing little wees of excitement over Mira's jeans.
In the cinema, Dan leaned closer and whispered, ‘We could get a puppy if you like.'
On the screen, the camera panned in and you could see that the Lily character was wearing a ring on her left hand. The Dan character was saying something that was making her laugh harder.
In the cinema, real Dan said in a low voice, ‘Fancy getting married?'
Lily's heart gave an adrenalin-filled jolt. She whispered back, ‘I wouldn't mind. Who to?'
She felt Dan shifting in his seat, altering his grip on her left hand. The next moment something smooth was being slid on to the third finger, and he was murmuring in her ear, ‘Sorry, I'd get down on one knee, but there just isn't room.'
In the almost total darkness of the cinema, Lily held up her left hand and blinked in disbelief at the rectangular diamond glinting back at her.
‘Oh my God. Is this real?'
Dan was smiling. ‘Well believe it or not, I didn't buy you a ring from a market stall.'
She loved him so much. So much. ‘You know what?' Her voice quavering with emotion, she shifted towards him and reached over to stroke the side of his beautiful face. ‘I think I might quite like to marry you.'
‘Good,' Dan whispered. ‘I think I'd like it too.'
They'd managed to miss the closing moments of the film but it really didn't matter. Up on the big screen, the credits had begun to roll and everyone else in the audience was breaking into a tumultuous wave of applause that reverberated around the huge theatre. But it was all just background noise now. Lost in the moment, Lily gazed at Dan as he took her in his arms. ‘You and me … '
And when he'd finished kissing her, she saw the look of genuine love in Dan's eyes as he said, ‘Oh yes, definitely. Always.'