In the Gloaming

Prompt: County/Country Fairs are in full swing this time of year.
Write me a tale that involves a romantic/sexy tryst at a fair.
Anything goes from a quickie behind a tent to frisky foreplay on the ferris wheel.
Let your imaginations run wild and write me a steamy encounter that gets me all hot and bothered.

  

"Seriously, Josie. Isn't it a little too warm to be dressed like Nanook of the North?" Lizzie asked, taking in her best friend's outfit. "You borrow that sweater from your grandma or something?"

Josie looked down at herself, her sandaled feet barely peeking out from under her floor-length skirt. "It's October. It'll be dark in an hour." She wrapped the cardigan a little tighter. "Besides, it'll be chilly on the Ferris wheel."

"And what if we run into Luke? I know you're hot for him. If he wanted to play Super Granny he'd download the game onto his computer."

"Oh, my God. Shut up, Liz!" Josie closed the front door behind her. "What if my mom hears?"

"Whatever, Josephine." Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Like your mom's never been hot for anyone. I swear, you should've been born a hundred years ago. You and Laura Ingalls would've been BFFs."

"I've told you before, if I'm ever alone with Luke I'm going to make it count."

Dappled afternoon sunlight played tag across the sidewalk, skittering bilaterally to the safety of the overgrown lawn as the girls approached. Josie speared her fingers through her hair, sliding the black elastic off her wrist to secure the chestnut ponytail. "How much money did you bring?" she asked.

"Thirty. They close in five hours, so I figured ten to get in and twenty for rides and food. How much did you bring?"

"Dad gave me fifty for my birthday yesterday."

"Is that your consolation prize for only getting to see him once a month? Did you tell him the price goes up now that you're seventeen?"

"It's just his way of showing me he loves me." Josie looked away. She didn't like it when Lizzie made fun of her dad, even though she knew he deserved it. "He's not a hugger or a Hey, I really love you, kid  kinda guy, you know? He tries."

They turned left onto Fairground Avenue toward Lake Lowell and city center. Traffic backed up for blocks and there wasn't an open parking space in sight.

"Race ya!" Lizzie blasted off like a rocket, her galaxy-colored hair whipping behind her as she raced away.

"Wait! I can't run in flip-flops!" Josie walked faster, her sandals thwap, thwap, thwapping the soles of her feet.



The setting sun caressed the back of Josie's neck, encircling her in its warm embrace. I'm so gonna burn, she thought, turning right to even out the browning process as they awaited their turn at the ticket booth.

"Thanks a lot for waiting for me, a-hole."

"Jesus, Jos! It's just me. You don't have to spell your swears. Call me a fucker, why don't ya? Live a little."

"Language!" an angry-looking mom chastised, covering her toddler's ears with her hands.

Lizzie snorted. "Sorry. Didn't see the kid there. My bad."

"What can I getcha?" The man in the ticket booth bit into a peeled orange like it was an apple. Fruit juice hemorrhaged down his leathery forearm, dripping to the ground under the man's bent elbow.

"Um ... admission and fifteen ride tickets?" It sounded more like a question than an answer. Josie forced herself to look away from the dirt mooned under the man's fingernails. "Is thirty enough?"

"Yeah, twenty-five'll do."

"Make that two." Lizzie tossed her money between them.

"Gates close at nine. Bathrooms are in the north-west corner by the petting zoo. Maps are free."

"Thank you," Josie said, slipping a map from the countertop display.

"Next!" The man nodded, dismissing them.

"Where to first?" Lizzie snatched the map. Opening its accordion folds she pointed to a green swatch near the center. "Best to hit the rides before we eat. Ferris wheel? Rollercoaster?"

"Or you could go on a hayride with me."

The girls jumped, spinning to see Luke Collingham standing behind them.

"You scared the crap out of me, Collingham!" Lizzie punched him playfully in the arm.

"Hi, Josie." Luke smiled, tugging the bill of his baseball cap to shade his cobalt eyes. "Old man Montague brought his horse and wagon. Wanna take a ride around the lake?"

"I ... we...." She looked to her friend for support, but Lizzie just grinned. The bottom of Josie's stomach dropped out and she thought she might collapse in a nervous heap. She wanted to run--run to him, run from him. Her legs began to shake, and she locked her knees with effort.

"Go ahead." Lizzie gave her a tiny shove. "I'll meet you at the Ferris wheel after."

"I think the wagon rides are a one-day deal. It'll be great, I promise. A hayride around the lake at dusk? What's not to like?" Luke beamed, reaching for her hand. "Whaddya say? My treat."

"Go on. I'm gonna check out the log-sawing competition. Hot, sweaty lumberjacks," Lizzie said, pumping her eyebrows for emphasis. "I'll catch you later." She turned, disappearing into the crowd.

Josie willed her hand not to shake as she laced her fingers through his. "Okay, lead the way."

Luke's long legs cut a path through the crowd. The sweet aromas of funnel cakes and kettle corn wafted past as they weaved between the food kiosks. Delirious children shoved bacon-topped maple bars into their mouths while anxious mothers corralled them in an attempt to maintain a semblance of control.

"There he is." Luke pointed with his free hand. Old man Montague stood under an elm smoking a half-bent Lovat. His graphite-colored draft horse, Max, waited impatiently for the day's next customers as he raked the ground with one feathered hoof.

Montague spotted them, tapped the bowl against the tree trunk, and crushed the embers with the toe of his Tony Lama. "Luke," he said with a nod, climbing into the bench seat. "Ready when you are."

Luke helped Josie into the wagon, settling next to her against the headboard of the hay-covered bed. He knocked, Montague snapped the reins, and the cart jolted to a start.

As they pulled onto Lake Loop, overhead branches reached across the divide, blocking out the last remnants of the setting sun. Marmalade, crimson, and butterscotch-colored leaves crunched under the hickory wheels. The temperature dropped, and Josie was thankful for her cardigan.

"Are you cold?"

"A little." Josie shivered.

"You can have my coat." Luke shrugged out of his varsity jacket. "Come here," he said, raising one arm. "I promise I won't bite."

Josie snuggled against him and he draped the jacket over their shoulders, blanketing them in rich-scented leather. She closed her eyes, inhaling him deep into her lungs and holding him there. This is it. This is the moment. I told Lizzie I'd make it count, she thought, snaking her arms around his waist. He was warm and inviting, and his breathing quickened in response to her touch.

"Better?"

"Mm-hmm. Thank you."

Max's hooves clopped on the hardpack, swaying the wagon gently as they made their way around the lake. They'd left the crowds behind; they were alone, or as alone as two people can be in a horse-drawn wagon.

"Can I tell you something?" Luke whispered into her hair.

Josie nodded against his chest.

"I've had a crush on you since seventh grade, but you're so smart and so pretty--I didn't think I had a chance."

Her heart leaped inside her. Oh, my God. Oh, my God! she thought. He likes me. Luke likes me! She clapped a hand over her mouth to contain her euphoria.

"And you never date," Luke continued. "You're so shy--always studying or reading. The only person you ever spend time with is Lizzie, so I started to wonder if ... well, you know ... if you two are more than just friends."

Lizzie exploded with laughter. "Me and Lizzie? She ditched me to go watch ... how'd she say it? Oh, yeah. 'Hot, sweaty lumberjacks.' She pumped her eyebrows for emphasis.

Luke smiled, his relief barely visible in the gloaming. He sat, his back against the headboard, and sighed. "So you're not ... the two of you aren't--"

Josie hiked her skirt and straddled him, supporting her weight on her knees. "I'm definitely not gay," she whispered, taking his hands in her own and placing them on her hips. "I'm not that shy." She lowered herself onto his lap. She could feel his erection pressing against her lace panties. She rocked her hips forward, wrapping his head in her arms. "And I've had a crush on you since fifth grade," she breathed in his ear.

Luke slipped his hands under her skirt, cupping her ass in his palms as he pulled her toward him. "Am I dreaming? Is this really happening?" He stroked her breast with his mouth, teasing the nipple erect through the knit sweater. "Old man Montague," he whispered, her warm flesh against his crotch making him ache. "He's right there. Maybe we should wait. Maybe--"

"You talk too much," she teased, unbuttoning his shirt and sliding her hands inside. "Kiss me, Luke."



As promised, Lizzie was waiting for her at the Ferris wheel. "You kids have fun?" she asked around a mouthful of bagel dog. "I was ready to give up on you and head home."

Josie smiled and squeezed Luke's hand. "Tomorrow then? Six o'clock?"

"Looking forward to it," Luke said, kissing her on the cheek. "See ya, Lizzie."

The girls watched him walk away, his silhouette easy to spot above the crowd.

"So, what happened?" Liz held the bagel dog vertically below her mouth like a caricature of an on-the-spot reporter. "You two looked pretty chummy."

"Just what I said would happen." Josie smiled, wrapping her cardigan a little tighter. "I made it count, and Luke didn't seem to mind my granny clothes at all. In fact, I think he rather liked my skirt."



1,769 words (prompt not included) according to Microsoft Word
Written for August 2016's

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