“Are you surprised?” he asks.
“Yes. As far as first dates, this might be one of the best.” I throw my arms around his neck and hug him. He stiffens, not expecting the movement, but quickly relaxes. Wrapping his arms around my waist and embracing me.
“Good,” he whispers. “I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, but you can thank Marshall for convincing me to go with it.”
“Maybe I’ll tattoo him, no charge.”
“No offense, but I don’t think he’d like the SpongeBob to match my Patrick,” he laughs.
We walk hand in hand to the ticket booth. The lights becoming brighter the closer we get. I can see them bouncing in Jake’s eyes when I sneak glances at him. I’m completely surprised that he had this in him. I know I don’t reallyknowhim, but first impressions say a lot. I’m happy that he’s not who I had him pegged as in my mind.
He’s buying tickets, and my eyes wander around the carnival, trying to decide which ride I want to drag him on first.
Tickets in hand, I pull him toward the ferris wheel. It’s always been my favorite. I remember sitting next to my dad and feeling like I was queen of the world when we would stop at the top. The people and booths so very small below us.
Luckily there isn’t a line. I look to Jake for the tickets, but his face is pale. “Do you not like heights?”
“No,” he pauses. “I’m good with heights.” He turns to the ticket taker to give him the amount posted on the sign.
We climb into the chair, and while the person running the ride makes sure we are fastened in, I take Jake’s hand. It’s clammy, on the verge of being downright sweaty. “Are you sure you’re okay? We don’t have to ride this if you don’t want to.”
“I’m fine, Charleigh.” He flashes me the same charming smile he gave me the night I tattooed him, but I see the fear in his eyes.
The chance to get off the ride is taken from us, and we start gliding backward. The higher we go, the stronger Jake’s grip on my hand becomes. It’s almost painful, but I don’t want him to lose any sense of security he finds in me.
We stop at the top, and instead of enjoying the view like I used to as a child, I look over at Jake. “You obviously aren’t okay with being up here.”
He’s trying his best to look anywhere but the ground.
“Focus on me,” I lean in closer to him. “Why did you agree to the ride if you’re terrified of heights?”
“Because you wanted to ride this death trap,” he replies.
“You could have told me no. It wouldn’t have broken my heart or anything.”
“I know, but I want this to be an amazing date for you. So amazing that you’ll agree to a second one.”
This is one of those moments you dream about as a teenager. The ones you only see in movies and can’t help but swoon over. I’m not sure what comes over me, but I scoot closer to him, place my hands on his cheeks, and kiss him.
I pull away long enough to mutter, “Anyone who will put their fears aside to impress a girl, definitely deserves a second date.”
This time…he pulls me to him. His tongue sweeps across my lips, asking my permission, waiting for me to part my lips wider. And I do. Everything else fades away as his tongues glides around mine, setting all my senses on fire.
I’m not sure where this is going to go. But right now, I am so glad I text him, and I don’t want this night to end.
Eleven
Jake
I open my eyes,slowly taking in my surroundings. There are frames with people I don’t know, though I pick out Charleigh and Corey in a few of them. But those aren’t what draw my attention. It’s the artwork pinned randomly on the walls, unmistakably Charleigh’s creations.
I can’t believe I fell asleep here last night. She wasn’t kidding when she said she didn’t want the night to end. We stayed clear of the rest of the rides after my ferris wheel freak out. I told her I was fine, but I think she felt bad about dragging me on there when I was clearly uncomfortable.
She kept finding games to play, and try to beat, even though they are rigged. I even managed to win her one of those giant teddy bears, and I won’t mention how much I spent to get it. It wasn’t cheap, but it was worth it. Seeing Charleigh hug that damn bear made me beam with pride.
After stuffing ourselves we food, I dropped her off with every intention of going home. She grabbed my hand when we got to her door, and she asked me to come in. The rest of the night was spent watching comedy shows on Netflix until we apparently fell asleep.
I look down and see a mass of hair. How in the hell can she still breathe with all that hair in her face? As gently as I can I brush her hair aside until she comes into view. She looks so peaceful in her sleep, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to get off this couch without waking her up.