“No . . . No way . . .” My throat felt as dry as the sagebrush desert. No, no dates. I promised myself no more dating. It always overcomplicated everything. Dating led to making plans and talks about happy futures. Two things I wanted nothing to do with.
Rose and Faith hopped down, each grabbed one of my arms, and pulled me toward the crowd.
“Oh, this is happening.” Rose’s grip tightened.
“Guys, but my rules! Remember?” I was pleading now. I would beg, borrow, and yeah, I might even steal to get out of this one. What are the odds there would be a dating event at a fair? Ugh. I tried to slow our steps. I needed to think.
“Yeah, we know,” Rose smirked. “You don’t date . . . and I don’t eat junk food, and Faith hates all things scary and crowds.” She glared at me. “This was your idea, Marissa, and remember . . . ‘No backsies’.” Rose emphasized with air quotes around my stupid rule.
“I didn’t know a date would be an option. If I had, I wouldn’t have done this.”
Rose shrugged but showed no signs of weakness. “Maybe if you planned, you could’ve avoided it. I’m sure they listed it on the schedule, but we know how you feel about plans.”
I searched my mind for any other option, my knees aching from my stiff steps. “Maybe I can try seafood instead?” I asked.
Faith shook her head. “Marissa, you’re allergic to seafood.”
“Not happening.” Rose tugged me forward through the crowd.
A woman in khakis and a blue polo yelled into a megaphone. “Help save our animal shelter and win a hot date in a corn maze.” She gestured to the lineup. “Come on guys, let’s give them a show.”
Men were flexing, blowing kisses, and showing off the backside of their jeans that were tighter than mine. Then there was the man at the end. He just stood there in a suit, straightening the paper with his number.
Yikes! Did he dress in a suit for this? Desperate much?
“I don’t know about you, Faith, but I have this sudden urge to save all the puppies.” Rose sauntered over to the ticket booth manned by a guy wearing dog ears and a tail.
“Oh, don’t pretend like this is for them. You hate animals,” I called over the crowd.
Faith gave me a side hug. “This was your idea . . .”
“Yeah, but my rules. No dating, especially since Tyler?—”
“Tyler and his mom are stupid, and it was like four or five years ago.” Faith reached down and squeezed my hand. “You might not get picked, and if you do, you'll never see the guy again. I think you are getting off lucky after that haunted house.”
Faith was right. At least here no one knew me. I could pretend to be anyone for a night. No pressure, no second dates.
And maybe I wouldn’t even get picked.
“Hot date for charity! Hot date for charity!” The dog-eared man jumped up and down, chanting behind the ticket booth.Some old ladies punched their canes in the air as the crowd latched on to the chant. I felt like I was going to be sick.
I met Rose’s eyes as she turned and flashed me a huge grin over an enormous pile of tickets.
“The odds of me not getting picked aren’t looking great . . . I think Rose might have single-handedly saved the shelter.”
Faith chuckled.
“Before I draw our winners,” the woman in the polo shirt said, “the prize for the winning couple is two twenty-dollar gift certificates for Bella’s Cookies, tickets for the petting zoo, and fifty dollars off any pet adoption and supplies at Clifton Pet Rescue. The first team to make it to the center of the maze and bring back the doggie treats, wins.”
I still wasn’t happy about the idea, but if I had to go through this, I wanted to win those cookies.
Deep breaths.
Cookies with sprinkles.
Never see him again.
Maybe not even picked.
