his hand. Our physical contact had been minimal so far, but there was this unspoken thing happening between us, especially with these light teasing touches, that something much more would happen soon. I only hoped I’d be ready for it and not a complete novice. I realized now that I’d never really had a satisfying physical relationship with a man. I’d never truly enjoyed myself during sex. I hoped it would be different with Ledger.
He looked down at our intertwined hands and then tightened his grip even more.
Something deep down told me it would be different, very different.
***
I cheered and clapped as the ball shot straight through the tower of milk bottles, taking them all down in one loud clatter.
The carnie behind the game stand looked a little less excited. “Pick your prize from the top shelf.” He smiled at me from under his straw derby hat. “Looks like you brought the right date today. First big prize I’ve given away.”
I stared up at the line of stuffed animals and tapped my finger against my chin, noticing that it was still sticky from all the sugary treats. “The giraffe,” I said confidently.
Ledger looked at me. “I had you figured all wrong. I took you for a unicorn person.”
“I gave up believing in things like unicorns long ago. Unfortunately.”
The carnie handed me the giraffe. I hugged it to me. “You really do have a good arm. Did you play baseball in high school?”
“Nah, I didn’t have the grades, or the attention, or the discipline I needed to be on a team. I know it was especially hard for my dad to swallow, knowing I had all the talent but couldn’t get my ass in gear to do it.”
A group of women, who were waiting in line for hot dogs, tried their hardest not to stare at Ledger as we walked past. I hugged the giraffe. “See, told you the other girls would look on with envy.”
“Should I win you another one for the other arm?” he asked. A man like him should have had a big head, but I hadn’t seen it yet. And that, along with him helping Mike this morning, were big bonus points.
“Pretty sure they weren’t ogling my stuffed giraffe.” I held the toy out at arm’s length. For a carnival prize it was well crafted and almost looked like a replica of a real giraffe. “Although Newton is extremely handsome.”
“Newton?”
“Yep, just named him. What do you think?”
He inclined his head toward the giraffe. “I don’t mind, but I think he might have an opinion.”
I tucked the toy under my arm again. “My redo is almost complete.” I gazed up at the Ferris wheel and cast a questioning look toward Ledger.
“Ferris wheel it is.” He took hold of my free hand and led me in that direction. We were first in line for the next ride. The woman running the Ferris wheel was kind enough to let me leave Newton with her. We climbed into our bucket and sat down. The wheel moved a few notches for the next seats to be filled.
“No one ever talks about this, and maybe there are just some things better not discussed when it comes to the Ferris wheel, but it seems to me that way more time is spent waiting for the wheel to fill up and unload than in the actual ride.”
“Good point. Guess if it is being discussed, the pro Ferris wheel people are squashing it before it hits the big media.”
Yet another bonus point. The man understood my sense of humor. Somewhere along the line, I was certain I’d run into a flaw, an anti-bonus point, but I had to stop looking for one and enjoy. With any luck, if one did surface, it wouldn’t be a big deal, something easy like a habit of leaving peanut shells on the coffee table or drinking milk right out of the carton.
Ledger stretched out his long legs so that his feet dangled past the edge of the bucket. We rocked back and forth with the movement. I startled and grabbed the edge of the seat.
“Sorry about that.”
“No, it’s not you. I was just reminded of a terrible ride I once had on a Ferris wheel.”
“Since
He looked down at our intertwined hands and then tightened his grip even more.
Something deep down told me it would be different, very different.
***
I cheered and clapped as the ball shot straight through the tower of milk bottles, taking them all down in one loud clatter.
The carnie behind the game stand looked a little less excited. “Pick your prize from the top shelf.” He smiled at me from under his straw derby hat. “Looks like you brought the right date today. First big prize I’ve given away.”
I stared up at the line of stuffed animals and tapped my finger against my chin, noticing that it was still sticky from all the sugary treats. “The giraffe,” I said confidently.
Ledger looked at me. “I had you figured all wrong. I took you for a unicorn person.”
“I gave up believing in things like unicorns long ago. Unfortunately.”
The carnie handed me the giraffe. I hugged it to me. “You really do have a good arm. Did you play baseball in high school?”
“Nah, I didn’t have the grades, or the attention, or the discipline I needed to be on a team. I know it was especially hard for my dad to swallow, knowing I had all the talent but couldn’t get my ass in gear to do it.”
A group of women, who were waiting in line for hot dogs, tried their hardest not to stare at Ledger as we walked past. I hugged the giraffe. “See, told you the other girls would look on with envy.”
“Should I win you another one for the other arm?” he asked. A man like him should have had a big head, but I hadn’t seen it yet. And that, along with him helping Mike this morning, were big bonus points.
“Pretty sure they weren’t ogling my stuffed giraffe.” I held the toy out at arm’s length. For a carnival prize it was well crafted and almost looked like a replica of a real giraffe. “Although Newton is extremely handsome.”
“Newton?”
“Yep, just named him. What do you think?”
He inclined his head toward the giraffe. “I don’t mind, but I think he might have an opinion.”
I tucked the toy under my arm again. “My redo is almost complete.” I gazed up at the Ferris wheel and cast a questioning look toward Ledger.
“Ferris wheel it is.” He took hold of my free hand and led me in that direction. We were first in line for the next ride. The woman running the Ferris wheel was kind enough to let me leave Newton with her. We climbed into our bucket and sat down. The wheel moved a few notches for the next seats to be filled.
“No one ever talks about this, and maybe there are just some things better not discussed when it comes to the Ferris wheel, but it seems to me that way more time is spent waiting for the wheel to fill up and unload than in the actual ride.”
“Good point. Guess if it is being discussed, the pro Ferris wheel people are squashing it before it hits the big media.”
Yet another bonus point. The man understood my sense of humor. Somewhere along the line, I was certain I’d run into a flaw, an anti-bonus point, but I had to stop looking for one and enjoy. With any luck, if one did surface, it wouldn’t be a big deal, something easy like a habit of leaving peanut shells on the coffee table or drinking milk right out of the carton.
Ledger stretched out his long legs so that his feet dangled past the edge of the bucket. We rocked back and forth with the movement. I startled and grabbed the edge of the seat.
“Sorry about that.”
“No, it’s not you. I was just reminded of a terrible ride I once had on a Ferris wheel.”
“Since
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