Page 76 of Nuts

With my eyes fixed on the rollercoaster, I climbed off and removed my helmet. “Are we going to ride it? The rollercoaster?”

“Rumor has it you can see the horizon from the top of it,” he said. “Sun’s going to set in a bit. Thought it might be cool to see it from up there.”

I gazed at the massive structure. The string of cars crept to the top of the first hill. The riders anticipated what was next, proven by the sight of their hands shooting up into the air. After reaching the crest, the cars shot down the other side.

The evening air filled with their screams.

“It’d be awesome,” I said.

He stepped to my right and extended his left elbow. “Come on.”

I slipped my arm through his and walked at his side as I took in the sights. A boardwalk separated the beach from the amusement park. Other than the rollercoaster, old-school rides like bumper cars, a tilt-a-whirl, and a carousel were within my view, and a several other rides were positioned at the other end of the park.

The excitement of riding a rollercoaster with Percy filled me. It seemed like an odd choice for a first date with a biker, but I loved the idea. The thought of it turned my legs to rubber.

We stepped onto the platform, behind several others in line waiting for the ride. I counted the people, then counted the cars as they crept up the last hill. I grinned at the thought of us getting on the next ride.

When the ride stopped, my heart began to race.

“Have you ever been one of these?” he asked.

“Not yet.”

“Me neither. We’re both virgins, I guess.”

“I suppose so.”

The people were smiling and laughing as they got off the ride, all seemingly happy with what the rollercoaster offered them. Then, the cars inched forward, coming to a stop directly in front of us.

Percy paid, and we climbed into one of the small cars. After securing ourselves inside, I held my breath and waited.

The cars crept forward.

I glanced at Percy, and then at the upcoming hill. Slowly, we climbed, inch by inch, until we were near the top of the first hill.

He raised his hands in the air. “Come on.”

I did the same.

We reached the top, paused, and then shot down the hill like a rocket.

With our hands over our heads, we both screamed. Before I could catch my breath, we’d reached the next hill.

Down we went. My heart rose into my throat. A joyous shout escaped me, but was promptly swallowed as we cascaded down the next hill.

The cars shot to the left, tossing us into one another. As it crept up another long hill, we shared a look.

He leaned forward and kissed me softly. It wasn’t a long kiss. It was simply a peck on the lips. At that moment, however, it took my breath away.

The car careened down the hill, and we eventually came to a stop right back where we started.

“Holy cow,” I said. “That was a blast.”

“Want to go again?”

“Can we?”

“Let’s go until the sun sets.”