Tanja joined the film club for the films and stayed for the discussions. At work she spent all day arranging deliveries and listening to people who wanted every conversation finished as quickly as possible. Here she could spend twenty minutes explaining why a final scene bothered her. Ivan contradicted her most often. He worked in a school kitchen and spoke calmly, even when describing her favorite film as beautiful packaging with nothing inside.
Several members began deliberately seating them opposite each other. Tanja disliked it because it turned their conversations into entertainment for everyone else. One evening she said nothing about the film. After the meeting Ivan asked whether she was tired. She replied that she did not always want to play the argumentative woman. He said he had never listened to her that way. She did not immediately believe him.
The next time someone announced their expected duel, Ivan suggested first hearing from people who usually remained quiet. The discussion lasted longer than ever. Tanja learned that the quiet man in the back row made short films on his telephone and that the librarian enjoyed thrillers she had never mentioned. Afterward Tanja bought Ivan coffee from the machine. It was so bad that, for the first time, they immediately agreed.
They began staying after meetings. Tanja talked about a divorce that had passed without major conflict, but also without a single honest conversation. Ivan admitted that in relationships he often agreed to things he did not want, then became quiet and unpleasant afterward. He found it easier to contradict a stranger about a film than someone close to him about an ordinary Sunday lunch.
Only the two of them and the organizer attended the screening of one comedy. The film was bad, the room cold, and the sound too loud. During the closing credits, Tanja said she would like to have dinner with Ivan. The organizer assumed she was inviting both men and began looking for his jacket. Tanja blushed but explained what she had meant anyway. Ivan did not try to rescue the situation with a joke. He said he would gladly go.
At dinner they disagreed about where to sit. Tanja wanted the window, while Ivan preferred a quieter corner. Each explained why, and they chose a third table. It did not seem particularly romantic until she realized how long she had waited for such an ordinary agreement. Before they parted, she kissed him. At the next club meeting they sat together and once again disagreed about the film.