Inevitable

“Sit down, Oliver. It’s going to start moving now,” Logan explained the second a man with long red hair and an AC/DC shirt clamped down the metal bar.

Logan’s thigh pressed against mine and out of the corner of my eye, I caught his subtle smirk. I promised myself that morning that I would enjoy the day and ignore any of Logan’s flirtatious advances, so I did just that. I wasn’t about to let him have the upper hand.

Relaxing back into the seat, I ran my right hand through my hair and let it fall straight on Logan’s upper thigh. It was just high enough to cause him to react. He swallowed, his eyes shooting down to my hand and up to meet my gaze.

“Sorry.” I shrugged, squeezing my hand inches from his zipper before pulling it back as if it were accidental.

He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. Yeah I could handle this man, especially with Oliver around.

After the Ferris wheel, we rode ride after ride for the next hour until I needed a break. The ground was spinning under me from all the swirling motion and I could have sworn at one point Logan had two heads.

“Let’s get some cotton candy!” Oliver exclaimed, my hand locked in his.

I nodded in agreement and let him lead the way to the nearest stand. Logan stepped around me to order but I grabbed his forearm and pushed him to the side, catching him off guard.

“I’m paying,” I insisted, sternly.

Before he could argue, his name was called from behind us.

“Logan! Hi, I didn’t think you’d be here.”

Paying for the three sticks of cotton candy, I didn’t bother to pay attention to the female voice babbling to Logan. There had been at least a dozen women hitting on him so far that day. I handed one sticky treat to Oliver and froze mid-turn to give Logan his bright-pink bushel of fluffy candy when I saw Mackenzie with her hand placed around his arm, giggling.

My head shot down, ice dripping in my veins and closed my eyes. Everything around me grew quiet as I willed myself to think straight. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of humiliating me yet again. I righted my posture and stepped closer.

“Here you go.” I handed Logan the cotton candy before twisting to face Mackenzie with an exaggerated contrived smile.

“Oliver and I will walk around while you…have some fun,” I said with a bite staring back at Logan. “Take all the time you need.”

Turning on my heel, I took Oliver’s hand to leave but Mackenzie’s shrill voice snapped out.

“This is Oliver?” She stepped toward us ready to pounce on the poor child. “Hi, I’ve been hoping to meet you. My name’s Mackenzie. I’m a friend of your daddy’s.” She bent down to shake his hand but quickly looked back over her shoulder to Logan with a wink.

It was then I noticed her new position caused her tiny floral print dress to rise up giving Logan a full view of a hot pink thong. I made a face, repulsed. Logan chuckled staring not so much at the desperate whore putting on a show, but at me.

Oliver stood watching her, but didn’t shake her hand. Mackenzie didn’t seem to care as she let it fall to her side. She looked almost scary, especially to a child, with her giant grin full of teeth surrounded by bright-red lips and black eye liner. “Would you like to go ride the Ferris wheel with me? Your daddy can come too,” Mackenzie continued. She reached for his hand but Oliver took a couple steps back, squeezing my hand tighter.

“I already rode that,” he said. “I want to play games with Cassandra.”

“Are you sure?” she asked with a hint of desperation. She smiled back at Logan as she stood back up, not willing to admit defeat. Logan’s expression darkened as he stared at his son, reading him. “I can take you to play some games. I’m pretty good friends with some of the men running them. I can get you a prize at every one, whether you win or lose.”

“I don’t want a prize if I lose. You have to earn it. Right, Daddy?”

Logan nodded and walked over to take his son’s other hand. “Let’s go play some games…with Cassandra.”

I bit my bottom lip holding back my smile as Logan led us away without another look back at Mackenzie standing with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyebrows furrowed.

Game after game Logan won while Oliver and I found our only success at winning goldfish. Between us, we won four tiny goldfish and I had no idea where I was going to put them at home.

“One more game,” Logan said, smiling. He walked over to the darts booth and handed the man a twenty. Taking two darts, he placed them in my hand.

I sighed. “Seriously, you’re wasting your money.”

“That’s for me to decide, sweetheart.”

“Pop that one! The green one!” Oliver cheered, pointing to the center balloon.

I held up the dart and threw it straight at the green balloon, sighing as it fell before making contact.

Logan chuckled and Oliver slugged him playfully in the gut. “You said it’s not nice to laugh at girls!”

He raised his eyebrows at him, looking both stunned yet pleased.

I smiled. “Yeah, it’s not nice!” I added.

Logan held up his hands. “My apologies. Here let me show you.” Logan stepped behind me causing every nerve in my body to come alive as he placed his arm around my waist, holding me still. His other hand covered mine over the dart.

“Focus on the green balloon,” he murmured.

My eyes fluttered shut trying to find my bearings when I felt his chest connect with my back. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. I needed him to move away from me before I either turned around to maul him or passed out from lack of oxygen. I cleared my throat and threw the dart, failing to hit anything but the wood of the frame around the balloons and then quickly wiggled out of his hold.

Stepping away from him, I turned to face him and shrugged. “Why don’t you try?”

Logan looked at me, gauging my expression as the man in the booth held out two more darts. I grabbed them, thankful to break eye contact and handed them to Logan. He won three games in a row. Oliver shrieked each time applauding wildly. When Logan finished off twenty dollars’ worth of playing he chose a giant stuffed pink flamingo.

“Here you go, little man.” Logan smiled handing it to Oliver.

“Cassandra can have it. She didn’t win anything but fish.” He giggled. Logan joined in holding out the prize.

“Well, sweetheart, we’d hate to see you go home empty handed.”

“Haha.” I laughed dryly before yanking it from his grip but he didn’t release it instead he pulled me into him.

His hot breath running over my ear, he whispered, “Thank you.”

I stepped back when my breath caught, and watched his gaze flicker to his son giggling. Oliver was having a blast and I was happy to be a part of it. I nodded once to Logan, understanding before grabbing Oliver’s hand and skipping away for another game.

“I’m hungry,” Oliver complained around six so I led him toward the grassy area near the parade route while Logan disappeared to retrieve something edible without sugar in it.

“The parade should start soon. My mother is in it,” I said, stretching my legs out in front of me. The fresh cut grass mixed with the aroma from the food trucks was heavenly.

“Really?” Oliver’s eyes grew wide, staring at me.