I averted my eyes, looking at the side of the tent, but I hadn’t done it quickly enough so that I didn’t catch a glimpse of his tight, sculpted abs. Another wave of that unfamiliar attraction washed over me again, and I shifted in my seat, swallowing and fighting the urge to just turn and watch him dress.
“Sure,” I agreed, my voice barely above a whisper. At my side I could hear him fumbling around, the sounds of clothes rustling and a zipper being fastened, but I didn’t allow myself to turn around.
After a minute a hand was placed on my shoulder. “I’m done. You ready?” Zach asked. He tossed a carrier bag across the tent towards where their other gear was stacked. “Guys, I’ll see you in the week. Someone collect the money from the organiser guy before you leave. I’m now off,” he informed his teammates as he held down a hand to help me up from the chair.
As I put my hand into his, the other boys all bid their goodbyes, congratulating each other on a job well done and agreed who was going to go and collect the fee from the person that booked them. “I’m not an invalid you know,” I muttered, allowing Zach to pull me to my feet.
He smiled sweetly, dropping my hand. “I know. Just being my usual helpful self,” he replied. “So, how are you with fairground rides? Scaredy-cat I bet,” he mused, taking a couple of backwards steps towards the entrance to the tent while he smirked at me cockily.
I raised one eyebrow at the challenge in his voice. “Actually, I like them. Bet you scream like a little girl though,” I joked.
He grinned. “Let’s go see. You up for it?” I nodded in agreement, following him out of the tent. “Okay to walk? I could give you a piggyback if you want,” he offered, looking down at my ankle worriedly.
“I’m fine. I might take you up on it later though,” I agreed, knowing that it would only feel worse and not better the longer I walked on it. He smiled, and we slowly wove through the crowd, heading towards where they had a waltzer ride set up at the end. There was a small line waiting for the ride so we joined the end and I perched precariously on the metal fence that cordoned the ride off at a safe distance, lifting my foot off the floor for a while. We would be waiting for a few minutes anyway.
“I bet you’re tired after all that running around, huh?” I asked, looking up at Zach’s happy, smiling face.
He shook his head in response. “Takes a lot more than that to wear me out.”
A group of pretty, giggling girls walked past, accidentally bumping him as they did, smiling flirtatious smiles. “Oh I’m so sorry,” the one at the front gushed, chewing on her bottom lip and looking at him through her long fake eyelashes.
He smiled and shook his head, barely even looking at her or her chest that was obviously being given a helping hand by a padded bra. “No worries.”
“Hey, aren’t you one of the guys that just did the freerunning presentation?” the same girl asked, faking shock as if she hadn’t just followed him over here and bumped him on purpose just for an excuse to talk to him.
“Yeah,” he agreed, smiling awkwardly.
She stepped closer to him, putting her hand on his arm and placing her other hand over her heart. “I have to tell you, it was incredible. The stunts you did were great. Do you perform a lot? Where can I see you next?” The suggestion in her voice was blatantly obvious; she didn’t mean that because of his freerunning, she meant when can she see him next.
Zach missed it though. Grinning and digging in his pocket, he pulled out a flier for the village fair that was happening in a couple of weeks. “We’re performing here in a few weeks. You should come along. Our routine will be different there because there’s less space there than here,” he replied, handing her the flier and turning back to me. I grinned as the girl frowned, seeming thoroughly confused at his knock-back. Zach cocked his head to the side. “You hungry? Want to get something to eat while we wait for the ride?” he asked me.
“I’m fine,” I refused, chuckling because the girl and her friends were still standing there waiting to be acknowledged some more and he hadn’t even really noticed. “Maybe you should do the girls an autograph?” I suggested, chuckling wickedly as she shot me a dark look.
Zach looked at me like I was crazy and the girls turned on their heels, marching off, probably whining about me. “I don’t think they were after an autograph,” he muttered, shaking his head and laughing under his breath.
“Oh you did notice then?” I joked, rolling my eyes.
He shrugged. “I noticed. I’m just not interested. Blondes don’t do anything for me,” he said, faking sadness. The line moved then so we inched up a little further towards the entrance of the ride before stopping again. Suddenly Zach’s cell phone started ringing in his pocket. He pulled it out, answering quickly. “What’s up, Newt?” His eyes tightened as he listened for a few seconds. “Yeah? That’s great news. Yeah tell him we’ll do it for the same fee as today. Why can’t you deal with it? You have our bookings calendar there in that stuff. I’m in line for a ride; we’re almost at the front. Seriously, Newt, you just book it. You’ll see what days we’re already busy. Why does he want to talk to me?” He sighed deeply, closing his eyes. “Seriously? This sucks! Yeah fine I’ll be there in a minute.” He disconnected the call, looking up at me with apologetic eyes. “I need to go back to the tent. Apparently the guy who booked us today wants to book us for a series of six shows too.”
I gasped excitedly. “That’s fantastic,” I chirped proudly. “Congrats!”
He smiled and nodded. “Thanks. But apparently the guy wants to talk to me and for me to book it seeing as I was the one that dealt with him last time. I have to go back and meet him now.” He nodded over his shoulder back the way he came. “I’ll only be a few minutes and then we can come right back here and go on this.” His voice was slightly annoyed as he spoke, obviously not happy with having to lose our place in the line.
I looked back over his shoulder, seeing the tent about two hundred yards away. I groaned thinking about walking all the way over there again on my now aching ankle. “You go. I’ll wait for you here and then we can go on,” I suggested.
He didn’t look like he was going for it though. “No way. I’m not leaving you here on your own,” he protested.
I pouted, really not wanting to walk again. “Zach, I’ll be fine. I’ll wait right here for you until you get back. I’m surrounded by people; nothing’s going to happen to me. I seriously can’t walk all the way there and back again. I’ll wait here. Go, hurry up,” I insisted, waving my hand at the tent.
“Maisie,” he whined, his expression pained.
Placing my hand on his shoulder, I gave him a little push away from me. “Go talk to the guy. I’ll be right here. I promise I’ll be fine.”
He groaned, looking down at my ankle before he nodded and stepped closer to me, his eyes fierce and warning. “Stay right here. Don’t move,” he huffed.
I smiled and nodded. “You’re so bossy,” I joked, turning my nose up at him playfully. He chuckled and turned, running off quickly towards the tent. I watched him until he was out of sight, and then adjusted my weight on the fence to get more comfortable. I busied myself by looking around at the crowd. My friends were probably around here somewhere, but I couldn’t see anyone I knew. The line moved again, so I waved the people behind me on, telling them I was waiting for someone. The noise and laughter circulated around me; the smell of popcorn and hot doughnuts made my mouth water as I sat there, just enjoying the atmosphere.
After a couple of minutes my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, grinning down at it, expecting to see a text from Zach asking if I was alright. Instead, the screen announced that I had a message from an unknown number. My eyes widened before I even opened it. My skin prickled as the hair on the nape of my neck stood on end.
Not again, please!
I barely had the nerve to open the message. For a few seconds I just looked down at the notification, wondering if I didn’t open it whether that would somehow make it disappear. In the end my fingers got the better of me and I opened it, holding my breath as I read the words.
‘Comfortable, sitting there all alone? Want some company?’
The words weren’t sinister, but for some reason my heart plummeted down towards my toes. They could see me again. Had they followed me here, were they watching me all the time? I jumped to my feet, almost falling when my ankle gave way, making me lurch forward into a tall guy who swore and grabbed hold of me in a bid to keep himself upright. I gasped, looking up into a pair of angry eyes as he frowned down at me.
“Sorry. Sorry,” I muttered, shoving myself away from him. My eyes darted around quickly, seeing if anyone was watching me or paying too much interest in me or something. Was the person who sent it hidden in the crowd, laughing at my clumsiness?
My cell phone vibrated again in my hand, and I looked down at it in horror. I swiped my thumb over the message tab and up popped another one from the unknown number.
‘If I were you, I’d run’
Run. The word echoed in my head. Run. Run. Run. I didn’t think twice, I took off in the direction of the tent, knowing Zach was there, silently scolding myself for suggesting that nothing could happen because I was surrounded by people. Wrong again it seemed.
Tears built in my eyes as I did my best to dodge around people, wincing with every step because my ankle was burning and almost giving out with each movement. People scolded me and griped as I narrowly avoided bumping into them as I stumbled past. The tent was getting closer and closer, and I could feel my hope building up. Zach was in there; once I got in there everything would be fine again.
But as I burst through the door at full speed, I was greeted by nothing but the empty chairs and a few empty water bottles. My eyes widened. Where the hell is he? “Zach?” I shouted, spinning on the spot, hoping he’d materialise from somewhere, but no such luck.