I rub my palms, slicked with cold sweat, on my jeans andswallow down the lump in my throat. “If you’re not, uh, into it anymore, we can, uh, do something else.”
“Are you kidding me?” Pure joy radiates on her face and she throws her hands up, gesturing around us. “We have the whole place to ourselves and don’t have to wait in any lines. This is perfect.”
“The perfect date for the perfect girl.” Leaning forward, I drop a quick kiss to her lips.
Taking my hand, she pulls me toward the attractions and stops in front of the one I was hoping to avoid—Terror Train. It’s one of those rides where you go down this creepy tunnel and shit pops out at you.
Using the back of my hand, I wipe away the beads of sweat that trickle down my temple. “D-d-do we have to go on this one?” I ask, my voice trembling.
“We’re going on all of them!”
Reluctantly, I follow her as she dashes inside and slides into the front seat.
The train lurches forward and I grip the bar in front of me, my knuckles turning white. Chills race down my spine as we enter the dark, ominous tunnel. My eyes dart to Annalise and she’s just sitting there, as calm as can be, with her hands folded in her lap. It’s as though we’re going through some magical fairy garden instead.
We turn a corner and a woman with long black hair and no eyes pops out, shrieking at the top of her lungs.
“AHHH!” I scream, wrapping my arms around Annalise. She cackles, clearly entertained by my fear.
After what feels like an hour, the ride comes to a stop and I rush toward the exit like my life depends on it.
“I should’ve told the workers to shut this ride down for the night,” I say, shaking my head.
Annalise clutches her stomach while laughter rumbles through her. “You are such a big baby.”
“You’re made different. I can’t believe you didn’t even flinch.”
She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “It wasn’t even that bad.”
Annalise walks over to look at the screen displaying the photos taken during the ride. She points to one where I’m mid-scream, my eyes wide with fear. “Oh, we have to get this one,” she says, turning to the attendant. “Could you please print this for me?”
The attendant nods and presses the print button on her screen. The photo ejects and she hands it over. With a smile, Annalise takes the picture and places it inside her purse.
“Wanna go again?” she asks. A playful smile teases her lips.
“Absolutely not,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s my turn to choose.” Taking her hand, I lead her toward the game booths and stop in front of Hoop Shoot.
There’s something about carnival hoops that make them more challenging to shoot at than a regular basketball hoop. The worker tosses the ball to me and I stand behind the line.
“Since you’re an NBA player, shooting from there would be too easy,” he says, rubbing his chin.
“You’re right, Sam.” I nod, looking at his name tag. “There would be no fun in that.” I start walking backward and he motions for me to continue.
“Keep going… Keep going… There you go!” He gives me the okay sign with his hand, signaling for me to stop. “Three shots in and you get the prize. You get four tries.”
I dribble the ball and begin to plan my move.
“You got this, Dimples!” Annalise cheers me on, and I immediately get a boost of confidence.
I release the ball and watch as it arcs through the air. It sinks through the net and Annalise jumps with excitement.
A smile eases across my face as I reminisce on the days when she would cheer me on at my games. Hopefully, one of these days, she’ll be sitting courtside and wearing my jersey.
The next shot goes in easily. The last one isn't as smooth, but it finds its way through the net. I jog over to Annalise and wrap my arms around her waist. She giggles as I pepper her with kisses.
“I should’ve made you do that with your eyes closed,” Sam says, flashing me a toothy grin.
“I bet he would’ve made those, too,” Annalise says.
