“Bye for now, Mia.”
“Bye, Numbers. Stay out of trouble,” I threw in.
“Haha! Nope. I’m trying to get into some trouble with you,” he said mischievously.
The day wore on and as it got closer to my next date with Numbers, I found myself getting more and more excited about it. I decided to go with a flowery summer dress, perfect for carnival riding.
When the sun dropped in Holbeck, I knew it would be a balmy summer night. The cicadas were humming, the air was still and the birds were calling. I refreshed myself by putting on a little makeup, a swipe of mascara, and a smear of lip gloss.
The rap of knuckles at the door made me jump as I opened it. “Numbers.” I grinned.
He stood there looking as hot as ever with his cute grin. He had a two-day beard, shaped nicely, and his blue eyes were grazing over my body from top to toe. He wore jeans and a collared shirt, and his hair looked silky and shiny. It looked a little damp as if he had just gotten out of the shower.
“Mia. You look fantastic.” He closed the gap, wrapping a hand around my waist and running dangerously close to the top of my ass. He kissed my lips.
My arms involuntarily wrapped around his neck as I soaked in the soap and spice that made up the raw essence of Numbers. We came up for air and I licked my lips.
Numbers kissed my temple. “Shall we?” He held out his hand as he enclosed it over mine like a well-fitted glove.
The air was thick with that Mississippi magic in the air as I walked easily with Numbers behind my street where a path led to the carnival rides. I was smart enough to bring a jacket. When the sun went to sleep, the temperature could drop quite quickly. As we drew closer to the rides, I could see the twinkling lights of the Ferris wheel and the carousel I used to ride when I was a kid. Children’s laughter echoed, as the hosts of the rides bellowed.
“Step right up, step right up for the ride of your life if you dare!”
Children were squealing, and it gave my heart a boost as we reached the ticket booth.
Numbers squeezed my hand as he paid for us, and we floated into the carnival.
To the right was a cotton candy machine, which I hadn’t seen in years. A machine whirred as the pink sugary substance formed a cloud of pink goodness.
He saw me looking at it. “Want a stick of diabetes?” he enquired in jest.
“When you put it that way, maybe not.”
Behind the cotton candy machine was a haunted house tour and I could hear the kids screaming as the automated voices imitated a scary monster. Beyond it was a ride that looked like a flying saucer, rotating and spinning on its axis with lights on the side of it, jerking the people in the seats back and forth.
I scrunched my nose up at it.
Numbers watched me. “I’m guessing you don’t want to go on that one.”
“Nah, I’ll leave it. I do want to have a corndog for old times’ sake. Can we find one?”
“Sure. I might have to break down and get some cotton candy. I might even share it with you if you’re lucky.” He winked as he leaned over for a quick peck on the lips.
We both got what we wanted. I got my corn dog and he got his cotton candy. We didn’t miss out on the Ferris wheel either. I didn’t have a fear of heights, but hanging in the balance at the top of the wheel did give me a little of the heebie jeebies.
“This is incredible; you can see the whole of Holbeck up here. See that over there.” Numbers pointed off in the distance to a building. “That’s Glenam right there. That’s Wheelz and that’s my house.” His face lit up as he showed me the landmarks.
“Wow. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to come back here. It’s so close to my house. I feel like I’ve been missing out,” I lamented.
“No, you haven’t. It wouldn’t have been as fun if you came with someone else.”
I beamed at him. “Maybe that’s it.”
After the Ferris wheel, we walked in sync together, oblivious to time. He did win me a stuffed toy; he kept his promise.
By the time we made the walk to my house, the Holbeck skyline was calling it night. Stars were starting to glitter on the violet canvas, and it seemed like we didn’t have a care in the world.
“You know when I first met you at the police station, you seemed… I don’t know, sad. Did you have something going on then?” he asked delicately as the moon reflected on his pupils.