‘SPOILER ALERT’

The movie begins as we’re introduced to a 12-year-old boy named Andrew. At the moment, he’s at a party, where he innocently admires the party manager who is dancing. Moments later, he pulls his mother away, claiming he has something important to discuss.

She asks him what happened, and he tells her that he has fallen in love. His mother, excited, asks about the lucky girl, and Andrew says that it’s the party manager. He is confident that the woman is interested in him as well. Hearing this, his mother is surprised, but she says she’s happy for him.

Once the party ends, Andrew walks over to his crush, and strikes up a conversation with her. After a brief talk, he takes the chance to ask her out on a date.

However, she merely laughs and refuses him since he’s too young. This breaks Andrew’s heart, and he cries all the way home. His mother gets sad and consoles him, even though she knows that it’s a mere infatuation.

The scene shifts to 10 years later, where we see grown-up Andrew having fun at a party with his girlfriend Maya. Later, Maya discusses their future since she’s moving to Barcelona.

Turns out they both recently graduated from college, and Maya has been granted a scholarship to study in Barcelona. However, unlike her, Andrew has not decided what he wants to do. He tells her he will go with her, but Maya doubts it. So, he promises her that he will soon save up enough money to move there with her.

Days later, Andrew lands a job as a cashier at a place called Meat Sticks. He hates his mundane job, but cannot leave because he needs the money to be with Maya.

During this time, he constantly texts and calls Maya, even though she doesn’t seem to care about him. 

Later, we learn that Andrew still lives with her mother and his stepfather, Greg. Although Greg is nice to him, Andrew dislikes him and often insults him every chance he gets.

That evening, Andrew’s mother tells him to take his younger brother, David, to a party. He asks her why she can’t go, and she explains that she had a manic episode due to her bipolar disorder. With nothing else to do, Andrew agrees to take David to the party.

When they arrive at the location, Andrew runs into a childhood friend named Macy. They go inside, and the party is very boring.

Macy asks him if he has a job, but he gets embarrassed about his Meat Stick work, and avoids the question. She then points him out to a woman named Domino and her daughter Lola.

Lola is autistic, and her mother enrolled her in school three years late because of her condition. Later, Andrew notices that everyone is bored, so he changes the music and urges everyone to dance with his sweet talk. Eventually, the atmosphere changes and people start having fun.

Meanwhile, Lola feels totally out of place at the party, and struggles to fit in. Domino urges her daughter to join the other children in the dance, but she refuses.

Despite this, Domino supports her daughter, and sits with her in a quiet area away from the crowd. Moments later, Andrew notices them and invites them to dance, but Lola feels awkward and declines. So, he decides not to bother them and goes to the dance floor. 

After dancing for a while, Andrew approaches Domino again and talks with her. He tells her that he can convince Lola to dance with him, but she is confident that he can’t.

So, he challenges her, saying that if he can persuade Lola to join him on the dance floor, she has to give him $300. Domino agrees, and Andrew goes to approach Lola immediately.

He whispers something into her ear, and the two head to the floor and begin dancing. Domino is delighted to see that her daughter is finally dancing. 

After the party, Domino approaches Andrew and thanks him for everything, and also pays him. Soon after, several mothers approach him and praise him for transforming the dull party into a fun one.

Impressed, they decide to hire Andrew as a party starter for their upcoming parties. Andrew also accepts the job, thinking it will help him earn extra money, while he figures out what he wants to do next.

Back at home, Andrew shares the news of his new gig with his parents. His mom is thrilled and supportive, and he decides to quit his restaurant job.

However, Greg suggests that he should consider reducing his hours instead of quitting right away. But this only seems to anger Andrew, and he immediately begins to insult his stepfather. 

Meanwhile, Domino is seen putting her daughter to sleep, while gently scratching her back. Curious, she asks Lola what Andrew whispered to her earlier. The teenager reveals that he promised to buy her a magic cube, with the $300 her mother was going to give him.

Domino is impressed and asks if Andrew would be a good sitter for her. Lola admits that she does not get along with sitters, but he is different as he does not treat her like a baby. 

The following day, David tries to create a video to promote his brother on social media. Andrew doesn’t like it, but their mother says it’s very sweet that his brother is helping him. In response, Andrew mentions that he doesn’t need a promotion, because he’s planning to move to Barcelona as soon as he saves up enough money. 

Hearing this, his mother is shocked and wonders if it’s because of Maya. She feels upset that he is making such a significant decision for her. Andrew clarifies that he has always wanted to go to Barcelona, but never told her cause he didn’t want to make her sad. 

Days later, Andrew goes to his next party, where Domino and Lola also arrive. He makes the party atmosphere fun, and everyone starts enjoying themselves.

However, Domino suddenly begins feeling unwell and rushes to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Andrew notices that Lola is being bullied by a boy, and rushes to help her. He inquiries about the situation, and Lola reveals that the boy mocked her for being older than her classmates.

Angered by this, Andrew confronts the bully and scolds him. The situation escalates when the parents of the bully arrive, and an argument ensues. To make matters worse, they notice that Andrew has been drinking, so he is immediately thrown out of the party.

Outside, Andrew finds Lola sitting alone and asks where her mother is. She responds that she doesn’t know, so he sets out to find Domino.

Moments later, he finds her in the restroom, where she is bleeding heavily, and her dress is stained. She tells him she can’t leave like this, and asks him to help her. In response, Andrew gets her some paper towels and offers his jacket to cover her.

However, she says that she doesn’t want to be seen in his clothes, because people will gossip about them. Left with no options, Andrew calls David and Lola and requests them to bring some t-shirts, since he isn’t allowed to go inside. After this, all four of them put on the same T-shirts and leave the party together. 

Following this, Andrew offers to drive them home. When they arrive, Domino leaves to take a shower, while Andrew and Lola spend time together.

She introduces him to her pet hamster, and talks about her school. Later, when he exits Lola’s room, he encounters Domino, who has just gotten out of the shower. She thanks him for everything, and asks him to stay a while longer.

After Lola falls asleep, Domino comes downstairs, and Andrew asks her if she has a husband. She tells him that she has a fiancée named Joseph, and this house belongs to him.

However, he is always traveling due to work, which makes her feel lonely. Hearing this, Andrew tells her that she can contact him, if she ever needs someone to stay with Lola while she is busy. Domino agrees, and he leaves his phone number on the kitchen counter. 

After that, the two sit on the couch, and Domino admits to him that the earlier incident wasn’t a period. In fact, she had a miscarriage. Taken aback, Andrew asks if Joseph was aware of her pregnancy, and she says he didn’t. Andrew then assures her that he’s there to talk if she ever needs someone. After this, he leaves the house.

Later, Andrew calls his friend Macy, afterward, he heads to the bathroom and scrolls through his social media, where he sees pictures of Maya with another man and gets upset.

He then returns to Macy, and they discuss how strange they did, as they’ve known each other since childhood. However, they both agree that they don’t have romantic feelings for each other, and decide not to do it again.

The following day, Andrew comes across another picture of Maya with the same guy, and it seems like they’re dating. This deeply upsets him, and he starts working out, so that he can compete with that man. However, he eventually realizes that it is meaningless because he and Maya will never be together again.

That afternoon, he attends a job interview at an NGO called Hope, which is dedicated to improving education for special needs children.

However, he becomes very nervous and begins talking about random things. He also says that his only experience is working at a restaurant. The interviewer tells him that they will contact him, but Andrew is convinced that he has blown this opportunity.

Several days later, Andrew hosts another party where he meets Domino again. She mentions that she wanted to call him, but lost his number.

After that, she introduces him to her fiancé, Joseph. Joseph says that he’s heard positive things about Andrew, and reveals that they’ve decided to hire him as their new sitter. He claims he’s mostly in Chicago for work, and Domino suggests they should move there permanently. However, Joseph appears hesitant about the idea of moving there.

After this, Andrew returns to the party and enjoys dancing and having a good time.

Later, he meets Domino again and thanks her for the job. She informs him that she’ll be attending a birthday party next week, and asks if he can watch Lola. Without hesitation, he agrees to it.

In the next scene, Andrew arrives at Domino’s place to look after Lola. The two of them have a great time and play with her toys, until she drifts off to sleep.

When Domino returns home, she and Andrew spend some time together. During their conversation, he asks her if she has ever been depressed. Domino admits that she has always been depressed, especially before Lola was born.

However, raising Lola helped her and made her feel better. Andrew also opens up and shares that his mother has been suffering from depression for quite some time. 

When Andrew returns home, he meets his mother, who asks where he was. He lies to her, claiming he spent time with some high school friends. She then asks about his plans for Barcelona, but he informs her that Maya is now dating someone else.

Hearing this, his mother assures him that he is far too good for Maya, and deserves someone better. This makes Andrew sad, but his mother consoles him by assuring him that his memories are not going anywhere. 

Days later, at another Party, Andrew meets Domino and her family once again. Joseph requests that he look after Lola, while they go out on a date the following evening.

Andrew agrees, and the next day, he arrives and hangs out with Lola. The two plays for a while, until Lola gets tired and goes to bed. Later, Domino and Joseph return from their date, and Andrew gets jealous seeing them together.

Joseph then starts talking rudely to Andrew, claiming that he’s just a kid. Because of this, Domino asks him to leave, saying they’re quite drunk and it’s not the right time to talk.

Some days later, Andrew receives a call from the NGO with the good news that he has secured the job. He’s thrilled to know that he won’t have to work at Meat Sticks anymore. Just then, he receives a text from Domino, asking him to look after Lola for the evening while she’s away.

However, he claims to be busy and refuses her request. Following this, he calls Macy and invites her to hang out at a club later.

That evening, while dancing at the club, Andrew accidentally runs into Domino. He asks where Lola is, and she replies that she is with her grandparents. Later, Macy texts Andrew, inquiring where he is, but he simply ignores her.

He then steps outside with Domino, and asks her why she wants to marry Joseph. Domino explains she’s looking for commitment and stability, but Andrew thinks she needs a soulmate, who can truly understand her.

Suddenly, Andrew falls and cuts himself, so Domino takes him to her house and cleans him up.  During this, he asks why she wants to go to Chicago and in response, she reveals she wants to attend college there. Andrew suggests that she can go to college here instead of Chicago, and he’ll look after Lola, while she focuses on her studies.

Domino laughs and thanks him for being kind to Lola. However, she mentions that she doesn’t want him to be their sitter anymore, because she wants him to enjoy his 20s.

Days later, Andrew hosts another party, which Joseph and Lola attend without Domino. Joseph informs Andrew that Domino is unwell, so she can’t come. Furthermore, he shares that they no longer require Andrew as their sitter, since they’re moving to Chicago.

This causes Andrew to behave very rudely with Joseph. However, Joseph handles the situation with maturity and excuses himself from Andrew.

Sometime later, Andrew notices Lola being bullied by a group of kids again. So, he immediately goes to protect her and fights with the bullies. However, things escalate when the parents of the bullies arrive and start fighting Andrew.

When his mother tries to intervene, the bully’s father slaps her across the face. This causes Greg to intervene and punch the man.

As a result, his family is kicked out of the party. Later, in the car, the family bonds over Greg’s heroic moment. Andrew also says sorry to him, and finally admits that he is good for his mother.

That evening, while Lola and Joseph are still at the party, Andrew goes to see Domino. He tells her that he loves her and knows that she does not want to marry Joseph.

In response, Domino says that she feels alive and special with him, but he is only 22 and has no idea who he is. She clarifies that she wants to marry Joseph and she is happy with him. She’s just afraid because her first husband abandoned her.

Tearfully, Domino tells him that he deserves more than what she has to offer, and that he must discover who he is. Hearing this, Andrew is devastated as he realizes she was never into him.

Following this, Andrew walks to his car in tears, and at the same time, Joseph arrives home. Joseph immediately approaches him and knocks on his window.

While trying to start the car, Andrew says sorry and says he’s just a stupid kid. Joseph then leans close and asks him to look him in the eyes. After this, he thanks Andrew for looking out for his family tonight. 

In the following days, Andrew moves on with his life and enjoys his new job at the NGO. He tells his mother that he no longer wants to go to Barcelona. He plans to move out of the house, but will look for a place nearby because he wants to be near her and David. 

Days later, Andrew and Domino meet for the last time, when he comes to pick up David from school. As they chat, Domino shares that she had Lola at a very young age, and ever since, her life has been defined by her.

She misses the freedom of going anywhere, doing anything, and not being answerable to anybody. Therefore, she suggests to Andrew that he has the opportunity to be single and figure things out, which she never had.

Hearing this, Andrew laughs, realizing that this is the final conversation they’ll ever have. He confesses that he believes he’s her soulmate, but admits that Joseph is too.

Before leaving, he promises that he will always love her and his memories of her will not go anywhere.

Later, we see Andrew crying in his car, as he watches Domino and Lola leave the parking lot. Soon after, David arrives and tells his brother that he just had his first full mark in the exams. This makes Andrew happy, and they leave.

Later, at home, David approaches Andrew in tears. He says he is heartbroken because his big brother is leaving and the two hug each other. 

Following this, the scene shifts to six months later when Domino and Joseph finally get married.

Meanwhile, Andrew is out living his twenties and discovering himself, just as Domino advised him.

Cha Cha Real Smooth.