Hailey stared up at the top of the ferris wheel and shook her head. “You have got to be crazy. I am not going up in that death trap.”
“Not even if I promise it will be beautiful and romantic and I’ll keep you safe the whole time? You won’t fall out, I guarantee it.” Jordan nudged her toward the line.
Still, she did not move more than she had to, staring up at the top of the circle where one of the little buckets swayed. She vehemently shook her head. “No.”
“Why?”
“How many reasons will it take to get me out of going on it?”
Laughing, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and yanked her into line. Luckily it was a long line so she wouldn’t have to face it for a while yet.
Or better yet, she had a chance of talking him out of it.
“Jordan, I don’t want to go on the ferris wheel.” She added a little extra whine to make her point. “Why do you want to go on it so bad?”
He shrugged, looking around and pointedly not at her. “It’s supposed to be all romantic and stuff.”
“It’s not romantic if the girl doesn’t want to go.”
“Everything online said it would be perfect if I set it up right and that the ferris wheel was my best bet.”
Hailey folded her arms. “Perfect for what? Exactly.”
“Just come on the ferris wheel and see.” He pouted before his smile came back full force.
“Jordan, whatever it is that you want to have happen in that stupid bucket on the ferris wheel could happen anywhere. Especially on the ground. We could go to the merry go round or maybe do the go kart racing. They both go in just as many circles, maybe more.” She tugged softly on his arm and grinned.
He shook his head. “There’s no spectacular view to inspire us on the merry go ‘round. And it isn’t just the two of us at any point. Are you scared of heights? Because when we went hiking last week you didn’t seem bothered at all.”
Slowly the line inched them closer to the ferris wheel.
Hailey sighed. “Jordan it isn’t a thing about heights.” With a groan she laid her head on his chest.
Wrapping his arms around her waist he tugged her in for a hug. “Hailey, come one. Tell me. Help me understand. I put a lot of thought into where to go tonight and thought the ferris wheel would be the frosting on the cake. So if something is wrong, let me know and I can still make this night amazing and change plans.”
“Can’t we just change plans?” It was her turn to pout.
Hugging her close he whispered in her ear. “We should probably talk it out. I don’t want to make this kind of mistake again if it affects you this deeply.”
With a shrug she took a deep breath. “All I see when I look at the ferris wheel is it falling off its hinges and rolling away with me in it and crashing in some big crash either in the ocean or off a cliff.”
“And I’m guessing that nothing I say will make a difference.”
She shook her head.
“You haven’t ever been on one then?”
When she shook her head again, still staring up at the great big monstrosity, he nudged her hip.
“Hailey, have you ever seen one break?”
“In the movies.”
“Ok. Can I make a deal with you?” He swung her away so that she couldn’t see the ferris wheel unless she left the comfort of his arms and turned around. “We talk to the ferris wheel guy and have him only have us go around once, slowly. If you’re not ok with it we get off.”
“We can’t do that. They won’t let us do that.”
He smiled. “At least let me try my incredible powers of persuasion. Then if they say no, we don’t have to go and I’ll figure something else out.”
Taking a deep breath Hailey hesitantly nodded. “And if there is a freak accident and we end up rolling off to who knows where…”
“…We’ll die together.” He chimed in.
She laughed and tapped his cheek. “I was going to say that I’ll haunt you forever.”
“That’s assuming I live through it and you don’t. Too many assumptions there, Hailey.”
Jordan held her close for the rest of the line, slowly making their way up the line, his arms wrapped securely around her. When they were only a few people back Jordan disentangled himself and winked.
“Time to work my powers.”
He was talking with the worker for far longer than she thought it would’ve taken for the guy to tell him no. Another few minutes and Jordan was walking back with a huge cheesy grin.
“Bow down and admire my fearsome powers.” Jordan swooped in and tucked her under his arm. “One time around and he will only stop once so there won’t be too much swinging.”
“Stop?”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Once at the top so we can see the view. Then he’ll let us down. You’ll love it and thank me for the experience for eternity.”
It took a ton of steady breathing and hand clenching to get into the chair-bucket thing. Then they were up and swaying. She may have clung to his arm a little more tightly than necessary. When they came to a stop at the top she may have let out a screech.
Jordan gave a light laugh “Hailey, look at the view. It’s incredible!”
Taking another deep fortifying breath she looked out and laughed. “It’s beautiful.”
When she turned to smile at Jordan she found her lips pressed tightly against his as he pulled her in. She almost didn’t notice as they began their descent, lost in the feel of his lips.
The worker chuckled as they came into view. “Good ride?”
Hailey blushed. “Best first kiss ever.”
