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Blair returned with their sandwiches and announced loudly, “Two specials!”

The townies in the bar started a drum roll on whatever surface was in front of them. Blair lit their shots on fire, the lights went out. Maye could see Chris illuminated by the flame, his eyes wide with wonder. They tapped their glasses and shot back the fiery drink. Maye nearly coughed it all back up but managed to recover and steady her breath.

After lunch, both Maye and Chris agreed they could use some rest before the big night so they spent the afternoon watching a Housewives marathon, dozing on Maye’s couch.

The energy around the ring that evening was pulsating. Dance versions of fall classics thumped through the sound speakers, interspersed with Halloween standards like “Thriller,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Disturbia.” Vendors walked around hawking their fried dough, cider, and donuts to ensure everyone was stocked with snacks for the show. Maye and Chris were well-rested and ready for the final event. They had signed up to face one another and both promised not to hold back. The crowd hushed as Mayor Mayer stepped into the ring.

“Welcome everyone to one of our final events this Fall Fest!” the mayor announced to cheers. “We have a spectacular show tonight. Even the one and only Christoffer Robert R. Walker will be participating! That’s right. But don’t hurt him, Maye.” The mayor pointed at Maye. “Seriously, his manager reached out and threatened legal action if he experiences physical or reputable harm while he’s here, and our legal fees budget is tapped out at the moment. Needless to say, a portion of the funds from Fall Fest will be diverted, all above board, of course, but we gotta look out for ourselves in this lawsuit economy. Anywho…let’s get this party started! First up, two of our very own Lunch Ladies! Sandra versus Laura. Come on up, ladies!”

“Ooo,” Maye leaned in to Chris. “See how Laura decorated her pumpkin with a book? That’s bonus points for incorporating your business into your design. The Little Book Shop on Main will see a spike because of that, too.”

“And Sandra?” Chris observed. “Looks like she has incorporated her wine store into her design as well.”

“Ehh…” Maye hesitated. “But you see how she’s painted the bottom half of her pumpkin purple like wine? There’s a fine line between creativity and laziness in the judges’ eyes. We’ll have to see how they interpret that.”

Sandra didn’t waste any time when the bell dinged, charging straight at Laura and bumping her against the ropes. Laura quickly rolled out of trouble, though, and ran to the nearest corner. She took a step up onto the first rope and leaped at Sandra, sending her tumbling to the mat. The crowd began chanting, “1…2…3…4…” as Sandra struggled to stand up.

“If she’s down for ten seconds, Laura wins,” Maye said.

“…7…8…9…10!”

“And our winner,” Mayor Mayer rushed into the ring. “Laura from Laura’s Little Book Shop on Main!”

The crowd chanted, “Laura! Laura!”

Maye noticed the mayor make eye contact with her and give her a nod. “We’re up next!” she said to Chris. “Let’s go!”

“Next up,” the mayor announced, “you’ve seen them battle on the internet, and now they’ll battle in the ring! Please welcome Maye Daniels and Christoffer Robert R. Walker!”

Inside the ring, Chris did his best to hype up the crowd and keep the cheers going while Maye conserved her energy. Before she knew it, the bell had rung, and Chris was lumbering toward her. She quickly dodged him, sending him bouncing off the ropes. While Chris tried to regain his balance, Maye charged and surprised him by bouncing into him while his back was turned, knocking him down to the mat.

“Maye! Maye! Maye!” the crowd chanted.

Chris scrambled to the ropes and used them to get to his feet. “Is that the best you’ve got?” he taunted her. While keeping an eye on Maye, he climbed up the corner ropes and waited for her to move closer.

“You getting ready to jackknife split twist me from the top rope?” She jeered.

“That’s not even a real jump, Maye. But get a few steps closer and we’ll find out.”

Maye inched toward the corner, tempting him to follow through. Suddenly, he leaped into the air and bumped her down onto the mat. As he sauntered around the ring, feeding off the crowd’s energy, Maye was able to get back to her feet without him seeing. He had no clue that Maye had regained her footing and was charging as fast as she could at him. He turned at the last second, just in time for Maye to connect and send him flying into the ropes and onto the mat. Maye quickly tossed herself onto him to keep him down as the crowd began to count.

“I think that corned beef was a mistake,” Chris gargled as Maye continued to press him to the mat.

“7…8…9…10!” Ding ding ding!

“We have a winner!” Mayor Mayer shouted as he entered the ring and held Maye’s arm high in the air.

As the adrenaline wore off and her heart rate settled, Maye walked with Chris through the downtown market. Vendors were already making the switch from their yellow, orange, and brown fall color schemes to red, green, and white, and putting out their Christmas decorations. Pumpkin Spice and Warm Apple Streusel goat milk soap was swapped for Peppermint Bark and Sugar Plum, and pumpkins were collected and replaced with wreaths, garland, and poinsettias.

“I’m coming back to get that title next year,” he joked.

“Start training now.” Maye said. “How’s your ankle, by the way? I hope that didn’t make it worse.”

“Oh, no, it feels alright. The only thing hurting right now is my ego, and that is actually more painful.”

“Well,” Maye heard a familiar voice. “That was fun to watch.”

Chris suddenly stopped walking. “What are you doing here?” he said, sounding shocked.