They pulled out of the campground ten minutes later, joining the slow snake of vehicles trying to merge into the highway traffic. Drivers were considerate of each other, knowing the reason behind the delays. Their own schedules were secondary when emergency vehicles were passing them with lights flashing.
While they waited at a dead traffic light for a Mountie to wave them through the intersection, Mattie asked, “What kind of shows are you doing in Hopewell?”
“I have two magic shows on the Family Stage of the Diamond Willow Festival. One on Saturday morning, the other Sunday at noon.”
“How did you land something that big without a bunch of reviews? Not that your act isn’t great,” she added in a rush.
“I worked with a guy from Bonnyville whose cousin is on the committee that books the acts. He recommended me.”
“It must have been a fabulous recommendation for them to blind hire you for two shows. I’ll be in the audience leading your cheer team.”
“Maybe afterwards, you’ll let me take you out for a supper date as a thank-you.”
They’d been sharing meals for the last two days, but that was out of necessity, not by choice. A date with Dave was something entirely different, something she wanted to try. They’d already discovered several things they had in common, like a love of podcasts and road trips. She was sure they’d find a bunch more. “I’d like that a lot.”
Dave inched closer to the intersection. “It’s a date then.”
It took them almost till noon to navigate the highway to the east side of Regina. They were more than ready to pull over and enjoy a stretch and a real meal instead of the granola bars that had sustained them all morning. While Dave concentrated on finding a place long enough to accommodate the van and the trailer, Mattie’s attention was drawn to the gaggle of people standing in the corner of the restaurant’s parking lot. “What are they looking at?”
“We can check when we head in for lunch.”
It was nothing either of them wanted to see. Thick, black clouds were gathering on the southern edge of the horizon. A small whirlwind of paper scraps formed by one of the gas pumps and moved across the pavement toward the highway. “Oh, no, not again,” Mattie whispered.
Dave clapped his hands loudly, then said in his attention-commanding Dave the Magnificent voice, “Ladies and gentlemen, I think we should move into the building now. We can keep an eye on the storm from safely inside.”
About half the crowd listened to him, including Mattie, who walked a little faster to ensure they got one of the tables by the windows so she could see the trailer. Two overworked waitresses did their best to take orders from the crowded tables, but the patrons quickly grew restless between the delays in receiving their menus and the stress of waiting for the storm to arrive.
The clouds were moving fast, bringing wind and rain with them. The sky darkened so quickly that the automatic floodlights outside came on, fooled into thinking the unnatural darkness was night. Mattie’s mouth dried out as she watched the storm draw closer.
“Mattie!”
Dave’s tone told her it wasn’t the first time he’d called her name. “Sorry. What?”
“I want to try out my new trick on you.” He pulled a deck of cards from a pocket in his cargo shorts. He shuffled them on the table, then let them fall in a cascade from one hand to the other. He fanned them out in front of her. “These are ordinary playing cards. Pick one.”
Mattie heard a tiny gasp behind her. Dave’s gaze flickered over her head but quickly returned to her face. “Okay, Dave the Magnificent.” She slid a card from the deck and held it so anybody over her shoulder could see the ace of hearts. “I’ve picked it.”
“Memorize it.”
She squeezed her eyes together. “Got it.”
“Now put it back in the deck.”
Mattie slid the card back into the fan at a different spot.
Dave’s hands danced over the cards as he flicked and shuffled and cut the deck. “Lacka Toot Pate Halitosis!” He tapped the top card and flipped it over. “Is that your card?”
Mattie didn’t have to fake her astonishment. “It is! How did you do that?”
“Magic.”
“Not funny.”
“It’s a little funny,” Dave teased, looking over her shoulder again. This time, a little giggle in her ear answered him. “If your grown-ups say it’s alright, you can pick the next card.”
A moment later, Mattie squished herself into the corner as a little girl reached over the booth and took a card from Dave’s outstretched hands. “Rooty Tooty Stinky Booty!” The girl gasped as Dave turned over the queen of clubs. Dinah, the girl, and her parents Angie and Tim, applauded politely and told Dave they had been in Regina for their tweenaged son’s baseball tournament the night before. Now they were on their way home. Like a lot of the others in the restaurant, they had pulled over when they saw the gathering storm.
Dave pulled quarters from the ears and noses of members of the 13U baseball team heading back to Estevan. Then he gifted a rose he pulled out of thin air to a young woman in a wheelchair who was travelling to a medical appointment with her parents. Dave’s running patter kept the patrons’ attention on him instead of on the dark skies outside and overwhelmed waitresses inside.
