“Hi,” he said against my cheek. “I’m happy to see you, too.”
I gave him one last tight squeeze and let him go. “Thanks for taking me out tonight. I needed this.”
“I hope it’s not disappointing. I feel like I’ve built up some big event since your birthday. Like you now expect me to lasso the moon or something.”
“Lasso the moon? If that’s not what is happening tonight, I will be completely disappointed.”
He kicked at the sidewalk between us. “But seriously, it’s not a big thing. You know I’m trying to save every penny I have, so it’s not even an expensive night or anything.”
I grabbed his hand. “Seth, I would be happy if we sat in your car and did nothing.” Or we could sit in his car and do something, I thought, my eyes going to his lips and then quickly darting away like he could read my thoughts.
He nodded, then intertwined our fingers together and led me down the walkway and to his car. He climbed in and shut his door. He put his keys in the ignition but instead of turning them, he shifted in his seat to face me.
After several beats of silence he said, “You didn’t mean sit in my car and do nothing, right? Can we at least sit in here and talk?”
I laughed. “Yes, what shall we talk about?”
He smiled, then started the car. “I do have something a tiny bit more exciting planned.”
I wasn’t necessarily a girl who liked surprises. After all, I made plans to make plans. But I was going to be better about this, loosen up, let go of some control. At least with him.
“How has your week been?” he asked as we drove along.
“Not great,” I responded truthfully.
“Why not?”
So many reasons. “I think my parents are going to get a divorce.” That was the first time I’d said that to anyone, even myself.
“I’m sorry. That’s hard. Why do you think that?”
“Because the only time they don’t fight is when they aren’t in the same place together.” I sighed.
“That’s not good. Another thing you can’t control and wish you could?”
I let out a huff. “For sure. I was trying to for a little while, but I’m learning that it’s not up to me.” I shook my head. “Let’s not talk about this tonight. Let’s talk about happy things.”
“Like what?”
“Like Maddy and Leth finally going out.”
He smiled. “Leth has been waiting a while.”
“Has he?” The butterflies were back to flapping around in my stomach.
“You have no idea.” He winked at me. “But that makes for a better story, right? Buildup. Tension.”
I laughed.
Seth pulled into the Mini-mart, and the way the store was lit I could clearly see Maxine sitting on her stool behind the register.
“Do you need gas?” I asked.
“No, just a quick stop for a few snacks before we head on.” He parked and turned off the engine.
“Can I wait in the car?” I asked.
His brow went down.
“I’ll give you some money for my snacks but I’d rather not go in.”
“First of all, I’m paying for your snacks. What do you think this is, a friendship outing? Second of all, why don’t you want to come in?”
“I just … Maxine … ” I realized he might not know her name. “The cashier and I don’t get along.”
He laughed. “Join the club.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t like her either. Now don’t make me face her alone.”
“Why don’t you like her? I saw you guys laughing together last time.”
“Let’s see, our exchanges go like this. She says, Wow, you don’t even have an accent. I say, You don’t either. Then we both laugh, while I secretly curse her. This is the routine every time.”
As much as the story sucked it made me feel better about my initial instinct of not giving her any money. I owed her nothing. “Why do you keep going in there, then?” I asked.
“I can’t avoid every place where people say ignorant things or I wouldn’t have anywhere to go.”
I squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged.
Either way, Maxine wasn’t going to be the one to break the news about my lottery win to Seth. I was staying in this car. “I promise I’ll go in with you next time, but tonight … ”
“That’s fine. Stay. I’ll be right back.” He smiled at me, kissed me on the cheek, then went to face Maxine alone.
I put my hand over my cheek after he was gone, unable to contain the wide grin that had taken over.
Seth came out carrying two big drinks and a bag. When I tried to look in the bag after he set it by his feet, he pushed my hand away. “No way, now you have to wait. Mostly because I can tell surprises aren’t your favorite, but also because Maxine was especially annoying tonight.”
“How do you know I don’t like surprises? Maybe I love them.”
“Because when you’re nervous you talk five times as fast as you normally do.”
I shoved his arm and he laughed.
I tried not to talk the rest of the drive. I didn’t want him to know how right he’d been.
My attention had been so focused on him, on the night, that I hadn’t been paying attention to the landscape until he pulled into the parking lot of the zoo.
“We’re going to the zoo?”
“This is where we met.”
For a second I thought we were just going to sit in the car and eat whatever was in the bag and stare at the front gates. This would’ve all been perfectly fine with me. But he opened his door. “Stan gave me his keys.” He pulled a key out of his pocket and held it up for me.
I smiled. “Did you tell him it was for me? He might’ve taken them back.”
Seth sighed.
Taking me here was a sweet gesture. I didn’t realize how sweet until we were inside, though. Seth had lit the walkways with strands and strands of white lights. They were wrapped around railings and poles and tree trunks and signs … and my entire insides. Or at least it felt like my body was glowing.
“Didn’t you have school today?” I asked.
“I came over here right after the zoo closed with a few buddies.”
Nobody had ever done something so nice for me. My eyes stung and that reaction embarrassed me. I hooked my arm in his elbow and laid my head on his shoulder as we walked. “I thought you said it wasn’t a big thing.”
“It’s not. Just a little time.”
“Thank you.”
“Totally worth it,” he said.
His lit path led to the Farm. The carousel and its horses were lit up as well, and he held his arm to the side, gesturing for me to climb on.
“Do you have the key for this, too?”
“I do.”
“Wow. Stan really likes you.”
“Everyone likes me, Maddie.”
“I know.”
He laughed. “He told me that if we got hurt here tonight, though, he’d say we broke in.”
“Nice.” I climbed up and searched for the perfect horse. Seth went to a panel in the center of the ride.
“You ready?” he asked.
I held the pole and smiled his way. “Ready.”
He turned the key. Music poured from the speakers above and my horse lurched forward. Seth jumped onto the horse next to mine.
As the carousel went around I put my head back and looked at the sky. “I’ve never been here at night. It’s really cool.”
While Seth’s horse went down, mine went up. “This thing has a tight turning radius. I can see why kids barf after riding this thing.”
“Are you getting sick?”
“What? No, because that wouldn’t be very romantic.”
“Are we going for romance here on a kiddie ride?”
“No, not at all, why would we? Kiddie rides aren’t for romance, they’re for fun.” He stood up on his horse. “And for showing off.”
“Sit down or Stan will say we broke in.”