Their eyes met. As the wind began to scream around them, Olivia had a sense of something eternal, a connection between them that went beyond this time, beyond even their mortal bodies. The feeling was so powerful that it overwhelmed her, and she forgot everything except his gaze and his soft smile.
Then, gravity struck. The roller coaster hit its first roll, and Olivia screamed as they plunged downward.
Her hand gripped Henry’s even tighter, but they didn’t have time to look at each other. The ride was a breathtaking assault on the senses. The sharp turns, high hills, and savage drops hammered at her in a storm of sensation.
As the ride neared its end, tears pricked her eyes again as a sweet sadness tugged in her chest.
Dad would have loved this.
She could almost see his smiling face, feel his kind, loving eyes. He had been one of those rare adults that never lost his sense of fun, and he would have whooped and yelped on every turn just like a little kid.
He’d be so happy to see me here with Henry.
She knew, without a doubt, her father would have adored Henry. He hadn’t been the kind of father that gave her dates hell, but he had always given her his honest opinion about them. She knew he would not just have approved of Henry … he would have welcomed him as a friend.
Imagine Mom and Dad ganging up on me and telling me I have to marry him!
The thought shocked her, making her stomach flip. No one was talking about marriage, surely. As the ride pulled to a stop and she staggered away from the rails on shaky legs, she tried to push away all her thoughts and focus on the day.
She wanted to have fun with Henry, not stress about what kind of future they’d have.
I’m assuming we have a future.
Henry gripped her hand, smiling at her as they headed down to the ground. She could tell he was exhilarated from the ride, and she was touched that he was really enjoying himself, not just playing at it for her sake.
“What should we do now?” he asked, swinging her hand as they walked along. He had a bounce in his step and a wide, innocent smile that melted her heart.
“Let’s play some games!” she said, pulling him toward the side shows. The first one was a wall of balloons waiting to be pierced by a long rack of darts.
Henry chatted with the man in charge of the game while Olivia played with the darts. She couldn’t hit a single balloon and ended up practically collapsing with laughter. Henry tried a turn and hit a few balloons, but not many. They won a tiny keychain with a sparkly unicorn on it, and Henry shook his head in mock disappointment.
“I’m a failure,” he said mournfully. “I cannot even kill balloons. My existence is worthless.”
Olivia laughed, feeling pure joy rushing through her. “Pussy!” she cried, digging an elbow into his ribs. He turned to her, grinning, a strange light dancing in his eyes. It was as if there was a joke there that she wasn’t getting.
“I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself,” she joked, putting the moment aside. “Let’s try here.”
They approached a stall with cans set up in elaborate towers to be demolished by baseballs. Olivia was haunted just slightly by Henry’s strange look a few seconds ago.
Maybe he doesn’t like being called a pussy. Either that, or he’s secretly a giant cat.
The idea amused her. It was so ridiculous. She quickly forgot about it as she watched Henry pitching at the towers, hurling the ball expertly at the exact speed to destroy the cans. Both Olivia and the young girl running the stand were jumping up and down, cheering by the time he was done.
“That was amazing!” said the girl. “I’ve never seen anyone take down every single tower before. You get the big prize!”
The girl reached up to the very top rack where the massive plush toys hung. She pulled down a humongous spotted panther that was almost as big as Olivia. She could not stop giggling as she struggled to get her arms around it.
After that, they found navigating the crowds almost impossible. The cat’s big, fluffy tail stuck out to either side of him, smacking into random people. Both Henry and Olivia couldn’t stop laughing. They were so immersed in the playful feeling they had come to share.
After pigging out on a bit more carnival food, Olivia suggested they head home. On the drive back, they talked enthusiastically about the day they’d shared, all their favorite moments. Olivia was enjoying herself so much that she barely noticed when they pulled up in front of her place.
Olivia felt that playful feeling rising in her again as they sat in the dark.
If I feel like a teenager, I might as well act like one.
She leaned forward, almost pouncing on Henry. She put her hands on his strong chest, her mouth searching for his. When their lips met, a moan slipped out of her, the sound of need rising from the urgency filling her body. Before she knew it, she was stretched out across the front seat with the gear stick shoving at her hip as she practically crawled across the car to get into Henry’s lap.
There was something incredibly thrilling about being pressed against Henry in the confined space of his car. Her excitement rose sharply, the ache between her legs becoming almost painful as she fought to crush her body against his.