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By the time we decide to explore the carnival games, I’m three glasses of wine in, having finished Prisha’s off before ordering more. The ground is unsteady beneath my feet, and Prisha holds my arm and navigates us through the festivalgoers.
“Hey, is that Dmitry?” I ask. “Dmitry! Over here!”
I wave my hand at the tall boy playing ring toss at one of the booths. It takes him a moment to spot us in the crowd, but when his eyes land on me, his face lights up.
“I’ve seen him staring at you during lunch,” Prisha says in a low voice. “He’s got a thing for you.”
“Oh, no, he doesn’t!” My head is swimming and I giggle.
“Shh, he can hear you.” Prisha gives him an apologetic smile as we approach.
“Hi, Willow. It is nice to see you.” Dmitry’s gaze lingers on me for a moment before he introduces himself to Prisha. “It looks like you two are having fun.”
“Have you had the wine here?” I ask. “It’s delicious. I want more.”
“I think you need water,” Prisha says. “Can you watch her while I go get some?”
Dmitry nods, and Prisha pushes me toward him. I stumble into his chest, but he grabs me easily and keeps me upright.
“I won’t be long,” she says before jogging off.
I look around. “Where are your friends?”
“They went off to explore the rides. I stayed behind because of the motion sickness.” He makes a face, and I laugh.
“Well, don’t let me interrupt your game. Let’s see what you’ve got.” I grab onto the wooden column supporting the awning.
Dmitry grins at me. “Go easy on me, okay? I am a little nervous.”
He holds a set of plastic rings in his hand and tosses one like a frisbee at the wooden pegs. It latches on and spins, coming to a stop.
The carny shouts something in Russian—or is it German?
“What did he say?” I ask.
“He’s calling out the points and keeping score.”
Dmitry tosses another one, and it lands on the centermost peg marked as a hundred points. The carny whistles and shouts again.
“You’re pretty good at this,” I say.
His pale cheeks turn pink as he beams. He tosses his final ring, and once again, it lands on the same peg for another hundred points.
Some people in the immediate vicinity clap, so I join in. Dmitry and the carny exchange a few words, and he points at the largest stuffed animal available. They aren’t as big as the ones you can win at the Texas State Fair, but everything is bigger in Texas.
The carny hands him a stuffed bear, which Dmitry hands to me. His fingers brush against mine in the exchange.
“I want you to have it,” he says. “I won it for you.”
Now it’s my turn to blush, but I’m not sure if it’s from the alcohol or not.
“You are swaying a little,” Dmitry adds. “Want to sit?”
I nod, clutching my bear to my chest. He leads me over to a park bench, and I squeal when the back of my thighs make contact with the cold stone. Dmitry laughs as I jump up, but I recover and try again, perching on the edge so my skirt doesn’t ride up.
“You’re all nuts if you think this is nice weather,” I mutter.
“You get used to it.”
