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Chase’s gaze searches my face, and I hold my breath. ‘Sure,’ he says at last.
I grab another gin on the way, downing it in my haste to get a grip on my feelings. We snicker between ourselves, because the line to the face painting is just children. I feel stupid, but at the same time adventurous. Daring. Alive.
I opt for a phoenix on the side of my face, but Chase goes for a mountain. He wiggles his brows at me as the woman paints it, and my cheeks ache from grinning. I want to ask about the mountain, but maybe it’s personal.
We’re laughing and bantering when a black woman with braids in a striking emerald dress calls to us, ‘Lovely couple. May I get your picture?’
My heart falls into my stomach. The pressure of Chase’s hand in mine solidifies, and I release it. He only held it to steady me when I staggered precariously close to a mound of bins, but I didn’t realise he held onto it.
Chase says nothing. His expression is unreadable as he stares at the woman where she stands before a makeshift frame poked with flowers that saysChapter One 2022on it. The camera strap is secured around her neck; she holds up the camera with a smile.
‘Only ten pounds,’ she prompts.
Chase gulps.
‘We’re just friends,’ I say at last.
The woman’s slight smile grows. ‘Ahh. Okay, Just Friends, ten pounds for a picture. I have many samples…’
There’s a twinkle in her eye I don’t like. It’s as if she knows something I don’t.
At last, Chase glances down at me with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘Want to jump on my shoulders again, Frankie Fart Fringe?’
I snort, because obviously he’s joking, but I blink. ‘You can’t be serious.’
‘Deadly.’
‘You nearly dropped me last time! I could have died!’
‘If we think about the consequences of our actions, we’ll never do anything.’ He glances around pointedly. ‘Besides, there’s plenty of trees around to hook you on.’
I bite my lip. ‘Fine.’ I growl the word, make it seem reluctant, but the thought of having my legs wrapped around him, his hands on my thighs…
He bends, and I mount his shoulders. ‘My hair, Frankie,’ he says.
I’m not sure where else I’m supposed to grab on to. In the end I just opt for pressing my hands on either side of his head as he rises and walks to the frame. His hands feel like they burn my bare thighs, and I just hope he can’t feel the pulsing at the back of his neck.
‘We didn’t think this through,’ he says suddenly.
The frame isn’t tall enough.
‘This was your idea! Don’t drag me into this. I’m the victim.’
‘Right. Because I just picked up some random girl and dumped her on my shoulders.’
‘You’ve got to stop doing this, Chase. I keep telling you to get help, but this has become a genuine issue. I won’t encourage your unhealthy habits.’
‘And yet, you’re making no move to get down.’
I slide to the side and try to sling my right leg off of him, but it gets stuck on his shoulder, so I just hang there like a weird lump on the side of him, and he tries to disentangle himself, and we just start laughing, and our efforts grow sluggish as we weaken, and then I sort of slide to the ground and lie there and clutch my belly.
Chase helps me stand.
The woman hands us several photos.
I can’t believe she actually snapped me falling on my ass—
The world quiets around me as I look at the first photo. I’m still on his shoulders, but he’s rolling his eyes and grinning at something I said. I didn’t even know he’d smiled.
