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She pops another bite gently into her mouth. “Last night, you also told me I was easy to like.”
Ah, so she does remember. I smirk and pick up my hot dog like a normal human. I take a large bite to settle my growling stomach. “Yes, I—” I blink at the explosion of perfect spice that falls across my tongue. “Hold up. These are amazing.”
She shrugs, taking another forkful of hers. “I don’t lie about good food.”
I swallow and look at the delicious morsel in my hands. I want to inhale it as fast as I can, but I return my attention to Sophie. “Yes, I did tell you that you’re very easy to like. You’re also very easy to be pissed at, but I left that part out.”
Shock crosses her face, but I wink as I take another bite.
She smirks. “Well, I was going to say thank you, but I retract that now.”
I laugh. “Well, you’re welcome anyway.”
She gives me a playful glare.
We finish our meals quickly, shifting the topics of conversation away from last night’s ordeal. I’m glad we’ll have another rehearsal because after all that’s happened, I already feel rusty.
When we’ve both paid and are walking back up the boardwalk, I stop beneath the Ferris wheel. “I think we should ride.” I nod my head up toward it.
She looks appalled. “Not a chance.”
“Oh, come on. It’ll be fun.” I smirk, stepping toward the ticket counter.
Sophie wraps her fingers around my arm and tugs back. “I’m not going on the Ferris wheel with you, Kai. Ferris wheels are for couples and kids. We are neither.”
I ignore her, pulling out my wallet. “Well, I’m a kid at heart, and you can just pretend you’re Elaine and I’m William. We’ll count it as research.”
She groans, trying to pull harder. “You’re not getting me on this thing.”
“Two tickets, please.” I hold out a folded bill to the ticketer.
“Kai…” she pleads.
I chuckle and turn around, holding two tickets between my fingers. “Too late. I want the full Coney Island experience.”
She rolls her eyes and pouts, but she follows me into the ride car and sits down next to me with her arms crossed.
“I’ve never seen someone so distraught about a carnival ride.”
“This is embarrassing.” She grimaces.
“No, it’s not. Elaine, look,” I use my ‘William’ voice as we begin to ascend. “We’ll almost be able to see our garden from here.”
“Stop it.”
“Maybe I’ll get you some of that strawberry ice cream you like so much.”
“You’re the worst.”
I laugh. “Ok, I’ll stop. But seriously, look, wasn’t this view worth it?” I point out at the sea, which is now expanding deep across the horizon.
As she glances out in the same direction, she uncrosses her arms and the breeze blows through her hair. “I’m only doing this to make your Coney Island dream come true,” she replies defiantly.
With a smirk, I nod. “That’s all I ask.”
We sit in silence for a full rotation, watching the horizon rise and fall, and the people below us shrink and then come into focus again. She’s right—most of the other passengers are small children. There are a few school-aged couples as well, sitting much too close in their ride cars, but I don’t mind that we’re out of place. I’m enjoying myself, and as the minutes tick by, Sophie starts to relax too, leaning back on the bench and studying the city in the distance.
When we come around to the top of our third rotation, she speaks again. “So, you don’t like Maureen, then?”
