The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
(10th Installment)
Then their time was up. Lilly looked at her watch and told Paul they’d be getting off shortly. Only then did she take his hand, ever so briefly, under her skirt and under her panties. Just for a moment, she led his fingers into her most private space. After she let go his hand, she unzipped his fly and helped herself to a feel of him. Then she zipped him back up and kissed him one last time.
They walked slowly, hand in hand back to one of the ticket booths.
“I like you, Paul. I liked the way you looked last year and I like that you’re just you.”
“I like you too, Lilly.”
“I’m on the pill,” she said. “You can go bareback if you’re not sick. And just so you know, I’ve never let anyone bareback ever. You’ll be the first and the only.”
“How could I be sick, Lilly? I haven’t been anywhere.”
“Good,” Lilly said. “I don’t get any more breaks. I’ll be done about two in the morning. I have to be back at nine. The next three days, like today, are crazy for us. Anyway, meet me here, at this ticket booth.”
“I’m gonna find a good place to take a snooze” said Paul.
“Don’t be late, honey.” Lilly gave him a kiss on the cheek and disappeared into the booth.
4
The jeep was yellow sunshine. Lilly drove fast and wild with her cowboy hat off so her hair could fly in the wind. At the first traffic light, she kissed Paul and took his hand to kiss too. They were far apart in the bucket seats, the gearshift in between them, so that was it until they reached Paul’s apartment. She let Paul lead the way up the outside stairs, inside to the elevator and up to the fourth floor. Then they were in his apartment where she plopped herself down on the sofa.
“I am so beat,” she said. “I could just crash right here. But we had a good day. Took in plenty of money. Course that don’t mean we made a lot. But we did okay. This is always a good fair for us, I mean when the weather is nice.”
“Want a soda?”
“Got a beer?”
“How about some white wine? I don’t drink, but I do have a bottle someone gave me that’s been chilling.”
“Sure.”
Paul went to the kitchen. When he returned, Lilly had kicked off her boots and taken off her socks. She had lain down on the sofa and fallen asleep.
He stood a long while looking at her, her feet mostly because she had gorgeous feet, he thought. He didn’t know what they were going to be like, but he’d imagined they’d be like—he didn’t know—cowgirl feet, whatever that was. He imagined chubby toes, calluses and maybe not manicured. But they were slender feet with painted toenails, a French pedicure with gold tips. Looking at them gave him wild thoughts and the wild thoughts made him very, very ready. He’d been ready for many years, many, many years.
Every part of him wanted to wake her. Every part of him wanted to use her as she lay there. Every part of him just wanted her and wanted to be done with the silly virginity thing. He went to his bed and took off one of the covers. Gently, so she wouldn’t feel it, he covered her and went off to sleep. Before he fell off, he remembered she said she had to be back at nine, so he set his phone to wake him at seven. It wasn’t the first time he’d gone to bed horny. It was just another in a long string of times. Goddamn, he thought, disappointed.
to be continued
Pick up a copy of my published works here: Books by Peter Weiss.
The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
(9th Installment)
“So I got to thinking and I was thinking how you were so sweet and honest last year. And I thought how wouldn’t it be nice if we met up again and I had as much desire as you, you know? So…so…”
She paused for effect and looked at Paul. “So…just so you know, I haven’t been with anyone since we met and I haven’t done anything with myself for about two months. Crazy, huh?”
“Not at all. I’m totally flattered.” Paul flashed her a big smile, pulled her tighter to him and squeezed her hand.
“Your turn. But don’t say anything stupid. I bet you’ve been having lots of girls now that you’re a big football star.”
“Actually,” said Paul, “it’s easy to get girls now and I…Aw, what the hell, Lilly. I decided I would wait for you, to see if we met up again. I thought it would be really special if I gave you my first time.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“Not at all.”
“What makes you think we’re gonna, you know?” Lilly made a little face and nudged him to indicate what she was talking about.
“Well, I was hoping. It’s something I wanted. Of course it’s all up to you.”
“You really are a silly little boy,” said Lilly. “You have a place to take me, I mean if we decide to? I’m not going back there in the hay.”
“That’s where my friends went last year.”
“First off, I wouldn’t call them friends. Then I’m just dying to know what they told you.”
“Not much. Only that they got laid back there in the hay.”
“They said that, huh?”
“Yup.”
“Well, maybe they did and maybe they didn’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I said. I see everything here, and what I can’t see, my people see.”
“They said they were sorry it didn’t work out for me.”
Lilly leaned in and kissed Paul. As she did so, she took his hand to hold in both of hers. “You’re precious,” she said. “Maybe they were sorry it didn’t work out for them.” She kissed him more, and more, each time deeper and fuller. “Do you have a place to take me? Cause it’s gonna work out for you.”
“My place. It’s a small college apartment but it has a comfortable bed and it’s private. I didn’t drive here. My friend Alan did. So I don’t have my car.”
“I have a jeep,” said Lilly. “It’s open and fun.” Again she unleashed a long, intimate kissing session. This one lasted nearly the entire time they were on the ride. While they kissed, the Ferris wheel spun. It started, stopped, did its thing. People got on and off, the noise got softer and louder. At the times they were stopped up top, they took a moment to look out over the fair, to take in the lights, the other rides, the people.
The first time they were stopped up there after they’d decided where they were going later, Lilly led Paul’s hand over her body. Paul remained passive, allowing her to show him the way. Lilly seemed content with this, even relieved maybe. Paul wanted to be considerate, to be patient. Once the decision was made, there was no hurry, he thought. Besides, he didn’t understand the circumstances Lilly had to contend with, the rules she had to obey. After all, she was at work.
to be continued
Pick up a copy of my published works here: Books by Peter Weiss.
The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
(8th Installment)
Like last year, they waited on line. Unlike last year, Paul knew they didn’t have to. “This gives you a chance to explain why you weren’t here last night, why you left me to think I might never see you again.”
“I had an early football practice this morning.”
“And?”
“Well, this is big-league ball, Lilly. Last year, after we said bye, I had no plans to play. I didn’t get a scholarship or even apply for one. But then I saw a sign over at the athletic field saying they accepted walk-ons and it listed the dates and times. So I decided to try out. Don’t ask me why except it popped into my head and I went with it.
“I made the cut. Then I had to lose weight, gain speed and muscle and get myself back into prime shape. Took me six weeks, but I beat out one of the starting linebackers and had a pretty decent season.
“This year, I did great in camp. I did great in the scrimmages and pre-season games. The way the schedule worked out, we were lucky and got the weekend off, but the coach worked us really hard this morning. Actually we worked all day. No way I was going out last night knowing we were working out hard today.”
“And the point is…”
“I couldn’t risk messing up the practice.”
Lilly laughed. She let go Paul’s hand as the line moved forward. “Put your arm around me, Paul. You mean you couldn’t even come to see if I was here?”
“Honestly? I was afraid if I saw you I wouldn’t be able to drag myself away.”
“So playing ball is more important than me?”
“Well, yes and no.”
“What kind of answer is that?”
“An honest one.”
“Explain.”
“When we’re up there,” Paul said pointing to the top of the Ferris wheel. He drew her face close to his and kissed her. Lilly kissed back and their tongues said hello. “Damn I missed you. I thought about you. I dreamed about you lots of times.”
“I wondered about you,” said Lilly. “I dreamt about you, but not lots of times.”
“You pick up any guys?”
“You want the truth?”
“For sure.”
“When we’re up there,” she said.
Like last year, when it was their turn, Lilly stepped off to talk to the operator. Then the Ferris wheel turned a bit, until the number nineteen carriage came down and the people in it got out. Paul and Lilly stepped in and sat down.
“We’ll be on for awhile,” said Lilly.
“Good.” Paul put his arm around her but didn’t kiss her until they were quarter way up. Lilly kissed back, hard. She took Paul’s free hand in hers in her lap.
“So start talking.”
“You first.”
“Choose you.”
“Deal. Rock, paper, scissors.”
Paul won. “Well? You pick up any other guys?”
“A year’s a long time,” said Lilly. “A girl gets lonely. Specially one like me on the road all the time. I had plenty of chances you know. And I’m not getting any younger either. I turned twenty-one. That’s a damn big day.”
“And?”
to be continued
Pick up a copy of my published works here: Books by Peter Weiss.
The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
(7th Installment)
“I’m so glad you found me.”
“I didn’t know if you’d be here. You weren’t here last night. We opened yesterday.”
“Yeah,” said Paul. “I couldn’t make it last night.”
“Heavy date?”
“With my eyelids.”
“Whoa. Didn’t see me in a year and didn’t come to see if you could find me the first night? I’m really hurt.”
“I can explain.”
“Well it will take a lot of explaining, mister.”
“Let’s get something to eat.”
“I only got twenty minutes. I get an hour at ten.”
“What time you get off?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said Lilly. “The BBQ is super. C’mon. I’ll show you where to eat.”
They walked hand in hand, Lilly staying close by him and leading him to one of the BBQ stands. They didn’t talk until they were seated under the big canopy under which was a boatload of picnic tables where the people could sit and eat. She sat next to him, flush against him.
“You grew your hair.”
“I did.”
“You lost weight too.”
“Yeah, but I put on muscle. You’re wearing a skirt and makeup.”
“Am I pretty?”
“You need me to tell you?”
“I want to hear you say it if you think so. But remember, no lies, no BS. We only have the time we have, and I gotta go in ten minutes.”
“You’re gorgeous, Lilly. I could eat you all up.”
“Just eat your BBQ, big boy.”
They laughed and they leaned against each other as they ate. Then it was time for her to go. She didn’t hesitate or dawdle. She insisted Paul walk her to the booth where she had to report.
“Ten o’clock, sharp, right here,” Lilly said. “Don’t you be late. And if I am, you wait here for me.”
Paul went to kiss her bye but she stopped him. “Not here,” she said as she walked off to the side door of the booth.
3
Elliot and the three musketeers came by where they’d said they’d meet at nine-thirty. They weren’t alone, and of course they didn’t bring a girl for Paul. The girls introduced themselves, not that it mattered, but interestingly one of the girls said she knew him, that he was in her lit class. She told her friends that he played for the college team, and she fawned over him till Steve, who she was with, pulled her to him and said they were heading off to go on some rides. As a courtesy, they asked Paul if he wanted to join them. Paul told the truth, that he was tired and was gonna sit awhile before he went home. “Long, long day,” he said. “Anyway, have a great night. Guess I’ll see you in class on Tuesday.”
Thank you God, Paul internalized as he watched them head away. Considering everything, it couldn’t have gone any better. He wasn’t angry, upset or resentful that his friends had taken care of themselves and not him, as they always did. He was happy and content. Happy and content, he sat and listened to the music till it was time to walk over to the booth.
Lilly was several minutes late. Paul watched her as she walked up to him, noted that she had eight ride tickets in her hand. “I thought we’d go on number nineteen on the Ferris wheel,” she said. “Okay with you?”
Paul smiled and took her hand.
to be continued
Pick up a copy of my published works here: Books by Peter Weiss.
The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
(6th Installment)
They were supposed to meet up at nine-thirty. By then the bands would be in full swing, one set after the next until the early morning hours. Paul sat a long time by himself. He didn’t want to move around because he was tired. His team had had a heavy workout in full equipment through the whole morning and into the early afternoon. The coach worked them hard with three days off upcoming, so they had a full scrimmage after the regular drills.
Biggest rule for the defense was not to hurt the running backs and receivers and never to take down the quarterback. Paul had found multiple clean shots at all of those protected species, and once, in an awkward moment turned funny, he was almost unable to stop himself from whapping the QB. At the last minute, uncharacteristically, he had opened his arms and smothered him in a bear hug. The coach caught it on film, and in the afternoon they showed the film. Paul hugged him, said something to him which could not be heard, then he took off his helmet and kissed the QB on his. He and the QB had had a big laugh and a Kodak moment. The offensive lineman and the running back had been sentenced to ten laps for missing their blocks. The coach asked Paul what he’d said but Paul told him he didn’t kiss and tell.
He remembered. He remembered what he said. He remembered what he said to the offensive lineman who missed the block. He remembered that the next play, he smacked that lineman with a forearm and told him he’d better never leave the QB naked like that again. If it had been a game, that QB would have been out for the count. The lineman said something nasty back to Paul, so Paul decided to put him on his ass, which he did two plays later, flat back and down on his butt. That cost the lineman another ten laps and so at the end of the practice the lineman did twenty laps, five miles, and the running back did ten laps. Paul ran the whole five miles with the lineman, something he did for the team because bad blood had no place on the team, in season or off, and though there was always bad blood, Paul was damned if he’d be the cause of it.
So he was tired. He had shaved and showered after practice and taken a quick nap at home before meeting up with Elliot and the musketeers. He sat quietly now and stayed within himself. He was hungry and didn’t even get up to get something to eat. In fact, despite the noise and the music and the lights and the tumult, he was almost dozing off.
“Did you see me in your dreams?” Lilly nudged Paul with her arm. She stood by him looking down at him where he sat.
Paul looked up at her, noticed she wore a skirt and blouse. She still had cowboy boots and her cowboy hat on, but he saw she was wearing lipstick.
“Hey,” he said. He scooched over a bit so she could sit with him. He smiled at her and reached out to shake hands.
“Well, did you?”
“What?”
“See me in your dreams.”
“Lots of times,” he said. “Lots of times. You see me?”
“I did.” Lilly shook his hand and kept it in hers. Then she leaned in toward him and kissed him once, a hello kiss. “Goddamn you look good. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
to be continued
Pick up a copy of my published works here: Books by Peter Weiss.
The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
(5th Installment)
They didn’t select any girls to approach in the first hour. They saw horses, pigs, lots of cows and chickens, some really neat Harleys and a fleet of John Deere. They even saw prize-winning tomatoes, all varieties, and prize-winning apples, peaches and peppers. Tired of walking, they decided it was time to get on some rides, though what they were actually going to do was check out the groups of girls waiting on the ride lines so they could maybe ride together. Paul didn’t feel like doing rides and said if it was all the same, he’d just sit awhile and listen to the music. He didn’t know if they would meet up again or not, but they set a meeting time for right there at the stage. Of course, they said, if they picked up chicks all bets were off. So much the better, Paul thought.
As they’d walked the grounds, each time they passed a ride booth where tickets were sold, Paul had looked for Lilly. He hadn’t seen her. He wasn’t even sure he would recognize her if he did. Not having seen her didn’t mean she wasn’t there, and since all the rides were the same and in the same place, he surmised it was the same ride company. He’d shrugged his shoulders and told himself the night would unfold, that all secrets would be laid bare.
The first band started after eight-thirty. Paul watched a magic show on for the kids till then. Darkness was full now and the crowds were getting established. Young kids were home readying for sleep, their parents home with them. They had come during the day to avail themselves of the all-you-can-ride special available until four PM. Young teens were out in full force, the young boys looking to get it wet, the young girls hoping to get kissed and maybe give up a little more. These girls were dressed and made up like older girls. Paul always wondered where their mothers were at times like this, but then he’d known a lot of Catholic school girls who left their houses in modest school attire then got to school heavily made up and with their skirts rolled high on their thighs.
Next were the groups of boys and girls like his friends. It was still early for them and a lot of them were busy getting their buzz on. Elliot and the musketeers had done just that, smoked weed and drank beer before Alan drove them over. Paul was in training. No way he was messing up. He was lucky enough that their schedule had afforded him the whole weekend off. Tonight and tomorrow he’d come to the fair and let his bruises and aches heal. Sunday he was working out, and if he and Lilly hit it off, he thought he might see her Sunday night too. If not, he was going to sleep early and working out Monday morning. Tuesday and Wednesday were heavy practices. Thursday started the tapering and fine tuning for the game Saturday.
He sat. He watched the illusions and magic tricks. He took in all around him that he could. He was excited and couldn’t deny it. He was hopeful, anticipatory, and like he did all the time on the field and in his life off the field, he looked up to heaven and prayed to God. He didn’t pray to lose his virginity. He prayed that Lilly was there and they would find each other.
to be continued
Pick up a copy of my published works here: Books by Peter Weiss.
The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
(4th Installment)
It took him some time to finalize the decision, but after that night with Lilly, Paul decided he would stay a virgin until he saw her again. He thought it would be spectacularly super if he lost his innocence with her. She wasn’t the best looking girl and she wasn’t what he might have called his type. But she was the one he thought he wanted it to be with.
So he was at peace in the girl department this year as he, Elliot and the three musketeers descended upon the fair. On one level, he felt stupid for holding off since he didn’t know if Lilly would be there, and even if she was, if she would go with him. On another level, the girls hanging around the football team were air-heads. They didn’t want him. They wanted bragging rights to having screwed a starter. He wanted someone who wanted him for him.
They walked in shortly after seven. Darkness was already peeking around the corner. The others were dressed for scoring, fashion jeans and nice shirts. They were made up, spruced and smelling pretty. Paul was low-key. He wore plain jeans and a T-shirt with a sweatshirt tied round his waist. He could have worn his varsity jacket with his name and the football logo on it. But he didn’t. He kept that to himself, just like he’d never mentioned Lilly to anyone.
Elliot complained about it. He argued that Paul should wear the jacket and lead the way now that he had celebrity status. He argued that the girls would see the letter on his jacket and flock to him, to them, so they’d have their pick of the litter. The three musketeers agreed, but they didn’t care one way or another. They had girlfriends, not steadies but regulars, friends with benefits. They were getting it anytime they wanted.
The fair being once a year, once a year they took this opportunity to come out, hang out and do what they did. It was free time. Their girlfriends, since they weren’t steadies, did the same thing with their friends, came to the fair in a group hoping to get picked up. Paul had dreamt once that he’d unknowingly picked up Steve’s girlfriend and had his way with her. Remembering the dream, he’d had a good laugh.
First thing this year, they took their bearings. They decided to walk the grounds and look at the livestock barns, the motorcycles and the tractors. This night was the collision derby where cars were crashed. Paul didn’t see much in that. He wasn’t a NASCAR fan or a racing enthusiast. It was all he could do just to drive safely. One of his other friends was big into motorcycles. Paul was reticent. He stayed away from things that could potentially hurt him, not that he was planning on being a pro football player, but because he just didn’t want to do anything stupid. Getting hurt when he still had three full years to play seemed stupid.
On the stage, still being early, bands were arriving and setting up or storing their equipment. Big loud speakers played music at the moment. They watched as that happened, checked out the groups of girls that were starting to hang around where the musicians congregated. Paul noted the different types of girls, those that were just kind of country, somewhat like Lilly, he imagined, and those that were dressed to kill, to score with the musicians or their boys, and if not that, then just to flatter themselves by seeing how many boys they could attract. Paul knew some of those types of girls.
to be continued
Pick up a copy of my published works here: Books by Peter Weiss.
The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
(3rd Installment)
Lilly turned her head and kissed Paul. She kissed him hard, deep, pushed her tongue into his mouth and allowed it to meet his tongue. Then as abruptly as she’d begun the kiss, she ended it.
“Don’t get any crazy notions, Paul. You can kiss me and maybe fondle me a little. But when the ride’s over, it’s over. I go back to work and you go on with your life.”
Paul looked at Lilly. Suddenly he was quite sad, so sad he felt he could cry. “It’s okay, Lilly. I don’t need charity.” He withdrew his arm and moved apart from her.
“Ain’t charity, stupid. I would have picked you. Everyone has their own taste and you’re mine. But it’s okay. We can just enjoy the ride.”
They didn’t kiss or touch the rest of the way. They hardly spoke. They watched the darkness sweep over the fair and were fortunate to be able to look down at the bright lights from high above. Then the ride was over and they walked to the booth where Lilly had to go back to work.
“I have to relieve all the ticket sellers,” she said. “I don’t get another break till ten.”
“Want me to wait around?”
“Not if you’re gonna keep sulking.”
“That what I was doing?”
“Like a baby got his nipple taken from him.”
“Where should I meet you?”
“Right here.” Lilly kissed him, a goodbye kiss. “I’m glad you’re coming back,” she said as she headed off.
They went back on the Ferris wheel. Lilly told the operator to leave them for half an hour, her whole break. This time they kissed as soon as they were up a ways and they kissed just about the whole while. She allowed Paul a little liberty with her but not too much and Paul did not try for much so she had to lead the way. Then, once again it was over and they were back at the booth where they’d started.
“See you in my dreams,” said Lilly. “Have a great life.”
“See you in my dreams,” said Paul. They shook hands and went their own ways.
2
Paul didn’t care if the others picked up girls and he didn’t. He didn’t care if they chose and scored with a group of four and he was odd man out. He was a sophomore in college now running a 3.75 point average. He had been a walk-on for the college’s football team and was a starting linebacker. He’d missed camp last year, so it had taken him six long weeks to make first team. But he did it. Then he’d had a good season and had shined in camp this year. Next week was the first game of the new season. It wasn’t a league game. Their first league game was two weeks away.
Once he made the starting team, things changed. Suddenly girls wanted him and he had plenty of opportunity. He found himself amidst groupies, girls who just wanted to be around the football team. Many of them were much prettier than Lilly, much sexier. They were willing, sometimes even lewd about it, and they all directly promised him a good time. His body and his desires screamed at him. Outrageous peer pressure tore at him.
Lilly appeared often in his dreams. He made love to her many times there, kissed her, touched her, laughed with her. They were friends as much as lovers, companions. Sometimes he lay awake wondering if Lilly met him in her dreams too, and if she did, he wondered what her dreams were like.
to be continued
Pick up a copy of my published works here: Books by Peter Weiss.
The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
(2nd Installment)
“How’d you see? And how’d you get free tickets?”
“I’m on a break. Just happened to be sitting there. Seen and heard it all. Watched it too.”
“I don’t do too well with the girls,” Paul said. Then, “You a cowboy?”
Lilly was wearing cowboy boots, tight jeans, a flannel shirt and a cowboy hat. She had leathery skin and wore no makeup. A long ponytail hung down her back.
“Good guess,” she said. “But no. What’s your name?”
“Paul.”
“Well, hey Paul. Hi. Like I said, I’m Lilly.”
They walked to the end of the line which was considerable. Lilly held Paul’s arm the whole way. Paul noted she had a firm touch and when she let him go, he saw she was freckled under that cowboy hat.
“You know I could jump the line,” said Lilly. “But I was hoping we might get to know each other a little while we wait. So tell me the most important things about yourself. Fast.”
“I’m eighteen. Still a virgin. Looking to not be. Working class, smart, college freshman.”
“Impressive,” said Lilly. She took Paul’s hand. “That was great. I travel with the rides all year round. Twenty, not a virgin and no, you’re not getting laid by me. High school dropout, love music, really would have picked you.”
The line moved forward a little. Paul took Lilly’s hand. “You pick up guys a lot?”
“Just about never.”
“That the truth?”
“Odds are we never see each other again,” said Lilly. “So, what do you say? No lies. No games. No BS. How come you’re still a virgin?”
“Not what I wanted.”
“You must have had chances.”
“A couple. Never seemed right to close the deal.”
“Explain.”
The line moved forward more. They were almost up to where they’d be getting on the ride.
“Once the girl was drunk. I could have. Just didn’t seem right. Once the girl really wanted to but she was only fifteen. I was seventeen. Once it was gonna be a train. I didn’t like the idea and told my friends they ought to back off. I just walked away. I tried to take the girl with me, but she wanted to stay. Go figure!”
“Let me guess,” said Lilly. “Your friends laughed at you afterwards.”
“Much worse than that,” said Paul.
“How so?”
“They called me pussy, spread it around that I backed out and was punk. Then it went around I was gay, not from them but from the rest of the people who found out. Nothing wrong with being gay, but I’m not.”
“That’s horrible,” said Lilly. She squeezed Paul’s hand and drew him close to her. She looked at him. He looked at her. They were drawn to each other.
Dusk was descending. The carnival lights which had been on for a short while became pronounced. Lilly kept him close until they stepped through the gate to get into the Ferris wheel box. Paul got in. She walked over to the operator.
“We’re in nineteen,” she said. “See to it we stay on triple ride.”
“You know you could have jumped the line, Miss Lilly,” said the operator.
“I know,” she said.
She joined Paul in number nineteen, sat next to him, up against him. The worker closed the door and they went up just a bit so the people in the next car could get out and new people could get in. This went on for awhile. They were quarter way up, then a bit more, then finally the wheel started turning.
“Put your arm around me, big boy,” said Lilly.
Paul did what she asked. “What’d you say to the operator?” he asked.
“I told him give us a triple ride.”
“How you get that pull?”
“My father. He owns this. Well half since he has a partner. I travel all year round.”
to be continued
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Once again, happy new year to you all, my family and friends and my readers and followers. May God Bless you all and may the year be a happy and healthy one as well as a safe one.
As promised, the next ten or so postings will be the installments of a new short story called The Ferris Wheel. Here is the first installment.
The Ferris Wheel
Peter A. Weiss
Copyright © 2017 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
1
They’d made their plans weeks ago while sitting around in Elliot’s garage drinking beer. They’d look for a group of five girls for the first hour, look for groups of two and three after that. Elliot, skinny and agile, one of the popular kids with girls, a pretty boy with smooth skin and long, thin, dirty-blonde hair, swore up and down they wouldn’t take a group of four and leave one of their own solo. But Paul didn’t believe it for a second since they’d done precisely that last year.
Mike, Steve and Alan, the three musketeers, cousins, all Italian and would-be wise guys, didn’t care. They could, they would, fend for themselves. They always did. They always managed to score and to score with pretty girls looking for pretty boys.
Mike was the boss of the three. He was six feet even and a super-welterweight. He trained in a gym and boxed in the Golden Gloves. Alan invented stuff. Or he played with chemicals. He was taller than Mike and lanky. He kept one of those fifties rock and roll haircuts and made girls swoon with his sweet smile. Steve was little, just five-six, but he was built and wore clothes that showed his muscles. Like many smallish guys, he had an edge to him and wasn’t hesitant. He’d pick a fight anytime anywhere with anyone who looked at him in a way he didn’t like.
Paul was the loner, a college boy. He and Alan had always been friends so he hung out with the crew. It wasn’t his first choice but it beat being by himself. He was beefy last year. He wore a crew cut and black plastic-framed eyeglasses. He would have been picked on, but he was five-eleven and two-twenty, a solid middle linebacker for his high school. He was also smart, good in English and Math. For college he’d let his hair grow and dropped thirty pounds. He was thinner but still solid.
The fair came on Labor Day weekend. Last year, Elliot and the three musketeers got laid in the hay behind the cattle exposition. They’d left Paul on his own where, by chance, he’d met Lilly. Lilly travelled with the amusement ride people. Her father owned half-share of all the rides. It was a cash business and so he and his partner had to watch over the cash. Lilly did her share to help out and make sure they didn’t get ripped off.
Lilly was twenty last year. She was on a break when the boys picked up the four girls. She happened to be sitting by one of the ticket booths taking in everything. If the surroundings, with all the noise from the music, the rides and the loudspeaker announcements, seemed a bit tumultuous to most people there, to her it was just quite ordinary, downright routine.
She’d seen it all. Elliot, the pretty one, approached like a peacock and strutted his stuff. He dropped some sweet talk and led them over to his boys where, no surprise, gawky Paul ended up odd man out. He was gonna take off and head home, but since he was near the Ferris wheel, he decided to take a ride and think it through. He chose the closest ticket booth, the one by which Lilly sat, and not having seen her, he was surprised when she walked up to him as he was about to buy his ticket.
“On me,” said Lilly. Give me two.”
The woman in the booth said “Yes ma’am.” She handed Lilly eight tickets since the ride cost four.
“Ride with me, please?” Lilly took Paul by the arm and led him toward the Ferris wheel. “I’m Lilly. I saw what your friends did. That wasn’t nice. Anyway, if I was one of them girls, I’d a picked you.” She smiled. Paul saw she had uneven, unstraight teeth, but she had cute dimples on both cheeks when she smiled.
to be continued
