“Sure.”
I bend at the waist and force her forward, raising her over my shoulder like a firefighter and she instantly squeals in my arms.
“John!”
“Relax,” I laugh. “I won’t drop you.”
“I meant… you know, tell me when to step down and stuff.”
“But this is way more fun.” I spank her once and she lets out another scream, laughing with me as I carry her out into the hall.
“Wait—” she says, slapping the door frame. “Lock the door, please…”
I fish into her jacket pocket for her keys and secure the door behind us. “Okay, hold on.”
Rose grunts playfully with each step, feigning discomfort as I pretend to almost drop her. The ruckus forces at least one of her neighbors to inspect what’s happening and I do my best to explain in passing that I am not kidnapping her. Not that they’d believe I was anyway, considering how hard Rose is laughing the entire way to the ground floor.
I reach the van and I set her down next to the passenger’s side. “All right,” I say, opening the door. “Hop in.”
“Can I take the blindfold off yet?”
“No,” I answer, helping her step up. “Leave it alone. Watch your hands.”
“But blindfold.”
“Hands in lap.”
She lays them on her knees. “So bossy. Wait, is this a van—?”
I close her door and rush around the van to enter the driver’s seat.
***
We ride passed the city limits after six, just like I planned but I push on the gas to speed up a little.
My heart thumps a little faster. Each mile brings me a little closer to kickoff, so to speak. I’m not much of a perfectionist but I want to get this right.
I turn onto a dirt road and we ride up the pathway through the woods.
“Okay, seriously,” Rose says. “Where are you taking me?”
“We’re almost there,” I laugh.
The road ends after a few short miles at the edge of the hilltop and I crank the parking brake on. Rose’s neck twists around as if she’s scoping the place and I wave my hand in front of her face again.
She leans back, sensing it. “What are you doing?”
“Just making sure you’re still blind.”
“Oh, I am,” she says. “I definitely am.”
“Good.” I step out into the grass and walk around the van, stopping in the back to pop the rear door open.
Rose once again cranes back, listening closely as the door slides upward. “I knew this felt like a van. When did you get a van?”
I don’t answer. Instead, I walk over to her door and pull it open. “Hand, please.”
She hesitates for a moment before extending hers and I take it to help her out. “Okay… smells like woods. Sounds like woods.” She stomps her feet. “Feels like woods.”
“We’re in the woods,” I confirm.
“Why are we in the woods?”
“Shush.” I lead her through the grass and stop just after the back of the van. “Okay, stand here. Don’t move. You don’t want to fall.”
She stiffens. “Fall?”
“I’m going to remove your blindfold now…”
“What do you mean fall ?”
I pull the knot loose. “Rose…”
“John…”
“Open your eyes.”
The cloth drops from her face and she gasps.
I stand beside her and stare out across the world.
It’s just before sunset, so most of the city’s lights are shining below us in the valley. At the center of it all sits the football stadium with the brightest lights of all, surrounded on all sides by passing cars and street lamps.
“Holy crap…” she says, taking a step back as she looks down the rather steep hill below her feet. “Where the hell are we?”
“A few miles outside of town,” I say. “I grew up around here, so I used to do a lot of camping and hiking in these woods.”
“This is beautiful, John…” Her eyes gaze straight ahead at the setting sun and she smiles.
“I thought you’d like it.”
She turns around to look at me but her eyes instantly snap towards the van. “Okay — hold on . Is this…?” Her mouth drops again. “Is this the Junior-mobile
I bend at the waist and force her forward, raising her over my shoulder like a firefighter and she instantly squeals in my arms.
“John!”
“Relax,” I laugh. “I won’t drop you.”
“I meant… you know, tell me when to step down and stuff.”
“But this is way more fun.” I spank her once and she lets out another scream, laughing with me as I carry her out into the hall.
“Wait—” she says, slapping the door frame. “Lock the door, please…”
I fish into her jacket pocket for her keys and secure the door behind us. “Okay, hold on.”
Rose grunts playfully with each step, feigning discomfort as I pretend to almost drop her. The ruckus forces at least one of her neighbors to inspect what’s happening and I do my best to explain in passing that I am not kidnapping her. Not that they’d believe I was anyway, considering how hard Rose is laughing the entire way to the ground floor.
I reach the van and I set her down next to the passenger’s side. “All right,” I say, opening the door. “Hop in.”
“Can I take the blindfold off yet?”
“No,” I answer, helping her step up. “Leave it alone. Watch your hands.”
“But blindfold.”
“Hands in lap.”
She lays them on her knees. “So bossy. Wait, is this a van—?”
I close her door and rush around the van to enter the driver’s seat.
***
We ride passed the city limits after six, just like I planned but I push on the gas to speed up a little.
My heart thumps a little faster. Each mile brings me a little closer to kickoff, so to speak. I’m not much of a perfectionist but I want to get this right.
I turn onto a dirt road and we ride up the pathway through the woods.
“Okay, seriously,” Rose says. “Where are you taking me?”
“We’re almost there,” I laugh.
The road ends after a few short miles at the edge of the hilltop and I crank the parking brake on. Rose’s neck twists around as if she’s scoping the place and I wave my hand in front of her face again.
She leans back, sensing it. “What are you doing?”
“Just making sure you’re still blind.”
“Oh, I am,” she says. “I definitely am.”
“Good.” I step out into the grass and walk around the van, stopping in the back to pop the rear door open.
Rose once again cranes back, listening closely as the door slides upward. “I knew this felt like a van. When did you get a van?”
I don’t answer. Instead, I walk over to her door and pull it open. “Hand, please.”
She hesitates for a moment before extending hers and I take it to help her out. “Okay… smells like woods. Sounds like woods.” She stomps her feet. “Feels like woods.”
“We’re in the woods,” I confirm.
“Why are we in the woods?”
“Shush.” I lead her through the grass and stop just after the back of the van. “Okay, stand here. Don’t move. You don’t want to fall.”
She stiffens. “Fall?”
“I’m going to remove your blindfold now…”
“What do you mean fall ?”
I pull the knot loose. “Rose…”
“John…”
“Open your eyes.”
The cloth drops from her face and she gasps.
I stand beside her and stare out across the world.
It’s just before sunset, so most of the city’s lights are shining below us in the valley. At the center of it all sits the football stadium with the brightest lights of all, surrounded on all sides by passing cars and street lamps.
“Holy crap…” she says, taking a step back as she looks down the rather steep hill below her feet. “Where the hell are we?”
“A few miles outside of town,” I say. “I grew up around here, so I used to do a lot of camping and hiking in these woods.”
“This is beautiful, John…” Her eyes gaze straight ahead at the setting sun and she smiles.
“I thought you’d like it.”
She turns around to look at me but her eyes instantly snap towards the van. “Okay — hold on . Is this…?” Her mouth drops again. “Is this the Junior-mobile
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