Date Night

It had been a long week. Alexis was exhausted and wanted to just relax at home, but her boyfriend, Sam, had different plans.

“C’mon, lazy, I got something special for us to do.”

“Noooo, Sammy, I’m tired,” she whined. “Can’t we just sit at home, watch some Netflix?”

He sighed. “Alexis, we do that every weekend.”

“Nuh-uh, what about the time we went to that place for that thing?”

He looked at her, thinking for a moment about what she could possibly mean. Then it clicked. “You mean that charity event Luke threw?”

“Yeah that thing.”

“Baby, that was three months ago.”

She paused, thinking that it couldn’t have been that long ago, could it? Honestly, she couldn’t remember, she had been so busy at work with the new project that she had lost track of time with everything. She had ended up spending hours overtime at work trying to meet the deadline. And Sam had been so patient and understanding about all of it. He knew she was exhausted but he also wanted to spend time with her.

Alexis looked up into his pleading eyes. She had missed spending time with the big guy so with a sigh, she sat up from her comfortable and well-worn spot on the couch and got up.

“Okay, okay, I’m up,” she said, trying not to smile at his big grin.

“Great, okay so I have it all planned out,” he started pulling her into the bedroom. “Just go get changed, nothing fancy, just something comfortable.”

She changed out of her comfy sweatpants and Sam’s old air force t-shirt into some jeans and one of her soft cotton tops. When she was dressed, she came out and spun on the spot for him to see. He nodded his approval. He was dressed similarly in jeans and a t-shirt, but he made them look as good as when he wore one of his bespoke suits.

“All right, let’s get this over with,” she said with mock irritation making Sam pout a little. She laughed at his face and kissed his pouting lips. “I’m kidding, big guy. I’m excited. Let’s go!”

--------------------------

Alexis sat in the passenger seat wondering where Sam was going to take her. She had asked several times but he wouldn’t tell her; eventually he stopped answering her and just turned on the radio and sang along to the song that was playing. Every time she asked, he cranked up the volume a bit.

It was her turn to pout, and all that accomplished was him laughing at her.

“Aw c’mon, Alexis, it’s a surprise.”

She didn’t say anything.

He took his hand from the wheel and nudged her shoulder, but she wouldn’t smile. Then a Bruno Mars song came on the radio. Sam got excited and turned the volume up louder. He knew she couldn’t resist Bruno. she looked over at Sam singing along and dancing in his seat and she cracked up.

He stopped mid song. “Come on, I know you know this song!”

She couldn't help it, she started singing and dancing along too. The song immediately lightened her mood. Soon the both of them were singing along and dancing in their seats like idiots. After a bit of driving, Sam slowed and turned on a country road. He went down this road for a bit then parked. She looked out the window as he killed the engine.

“Umm where are we?” she asked.

“Foster’s Field,” he said simply, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out.

She watched him as he walked around to the trunk. Why had he taken her here? She undid her seatbelt and got out too. Watching as he grabbed a blanket and cooler out of the trunk.

“Well, c’mon,” he said walking up to the big hill in the middle of the field.

She followed and once he stopped at the crest of the hill, he sat the cooler down and spread the blanket out. He gestured for her to sit and she did. This hill in this field was special to them both. It was where they had had their first date, where they went to talk and get away from the hustle and bustle of work. This was their spot. The two of them would sit out there, sometimes for hours, talking and looking up at the stars. She was happy he picked this spot.

But below their hill, some stuff caught her eyes in the distance.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Hmm?” he didn’t look up from the food he was setting out.

“Down there, in the next field over,” she pointed.

He turned and squinted down the hill. “Looks like the fair.”

“Oooh yeah I see the ferris wheel.” She got quiet for a minute. “Did you know I never have been to a fair?”

He sat next to her and handed her a sandwich he had packed. “Like never never?”

“No, sometimes never,” she said sarcastically. “Of course never never. We just didn’t have the time. Mom was always working so we didn’t go.”

“Mmmm,” he hummed while chewing his sandwich. “Well, that sucks, fairs are fun. Maybe one day you get to go.”

She rolled her eyes at him and took a bite out of her sandwich. The two sat there laughing and joking around for a while. All the stress from the previous weeks seeping out of her. One rule they had was to never discuss work while at home or together. So they talked about other things.

Eventually the picnic he packed was finished; and as he cleared up the mess, she stared down at the lights from the fair. They had become brighter as the evening wore on and were bright in the distance.

Sam had finished clearing up and was looking at her. She had this wistful look on her face. He smiled.

“Okay, part two.” He stood up and reached down his hand for her.

“What?”

“Just come on.”

She grabbed his hand and they walked down the hill towards the lights, excitement bubbling inside her.

Once they made it to the ticket booth, he turned to her. “Well, surprise.”

“What? Wait, this was the surprise?”

“Yeah I knew they were having the fair here, so I figured from our hill you’d see it and want to go.”

She grinned at him. “Wait, up at the hill you acted like you didn’t know I had never been.”

He waved his hand “Girl, you told me that like twice before. I knew, I just didn’t want to give away the surprise.”

She hugged him tight.

“Yeah, I know, I’m the best. Let’s go in!”

Holding hands, they walked along the path looking at the booths of games and food and the people walking around having a good time. She couldn’t decide what to do first, she wanted to try everything.

Sam pulled her along in the direction of the rides. Alexis pointed at the bumper cars and he nodded. Once they got in, they raced around the track, knocking into everyone. Sam came after her but got cornered by some kids, giving her a chance to circle around and get him from behind. She hit him so hard he knocked into the wall. She drove away laughing as he chased after her.

Once that ride was over they hopped on the scrambler, which made her feel a little dizzy, but she carried on, trying nearly every ride there was. He convinced her to get on the pendulum ride, which scared her when it kept getting higher and higher until it seemed like it was going to make a full circle around its stand.

When she got off, she almost fell to her knees to kiss the ground, but stopped herself when she saw Sam laughing at her face. She decided to pay him back by getting him to go on the Gravitron. When she walked up to it, she felt him hesitate a bit, but she goaded him.

“Not scared are you, Jacobs?”

“What? Me? Never!”

Needless to say, he did not like that ride. She was sure he screamed louder than she did and when the ride stopped, he was the first off, followed by Alexis, cracking up.

“Oh, man those sandwiches are about to come back up!” he exclaimed.

“Come on, Sammy,” she chuckled while rubbing his back. “Let’s do something a little more calm.”

He straightened up, and they both walked over to the merry-go-round.

“This should be more your speed.” she grinned at him as he rolled his eyes at her.

She hopped on a chocolate brown horse while he took the tan one next to her. As the ride started, she pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of pictures.

“All right, what’s next? Ferris wheel or games?” he asked, rubbing his hands once the ride was over.

“Hm, games,” she decided. “I want to see your face after I beat you at basketball and win that giant bear.”

“You? Beat me?” he scoffed. “Not likely, girlie.”

“Girlie? Oh, I’m definitely about to whoop you. Let’s go.”

She led the way over to the booth. Picking up their balls, they started to shoot. Alexis outshot him by five. He rolled his eyes at her again as she did her little victory dance with her bear.

“You know I let you win right? Since it’s your first fair and all.”

“Sure, sure, Sammy, whatever you need to tell yourself.”

He pulled her over to the next booth, where they shot at targets. He definitely beat her at that one, and she couldn’t help but laugh at his copy of her victory dance. They next went to the hoop toss and then the darts.

They were having such a good time that she didn’t even notice the time. It was full dark now. An announcement came over the speakers telling people that the fair would shut down in thirty minutes. Sam looked over at her sad face. She didn’t want the fun to end.

“Okay, time for one more ride,” he said pointing at the ferris wheel.

They stood in line and made it to the guy just as he called out to the people waiting “This is the last ride, sorry guys.”

Alexis quickly hopped on, glad that they just had made it. She stared in wonder at everything around her as they slowly rotated up. She saw the people walking around, hoping to get one last game in or one more quick ride. As they rose higher, she saw the lights shining below, the sounds slowly fading. She looked around wanting to take everything she possibly could in. As they rode to the top, she could just barely make out their hill in the field beyond the fairgrounds. She turned to look at Sam, who was smiling hugely at her. She leaned in and kissed him as they began to descend.

Once off the ride, they headed for the exit. Alexis clutching her bear in one hand the other holding onto Sam’s hand. They walked back the way they came, heading back up to their hill. Back at the top she stopped, turning to look back down at the fair.

She felt a tug on her hand.

“Wait,” she said. “Let’s not go home just yet.”

“Okay.”

The blanket and cooler were there where they had left them, so she plopped back down sitting her bear next to her. Sam followed her lead. She scooted closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, letting out a contented sigh.

“Fun night?” he asked.

“Very fun,” she told him. “I’m glad you got me to come out.”

He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead as she looked up at the sky at the stars twinkling above her.