Please stay ...”
Kate thanked God when she found a parking
place. She knew most people thought the Almighty had better things to do than
to manage such conveniences, but she swerved into the lone open spot
gratefully, paid for it, and dashed down the pier.
Kate pressed through the meandering
crowd, searching for Brad’s now familiar face as she hastened toward the Ferris
Wheel. “ Please still be here ...” Kate hated herself for being late. It
wasn’t that she blamed Dustin for coming over as much as she blamed herself for
giving into him. She resolved that it would be the last time.
Finally, Kate skidded to a stop at the
ticket gate below the Ferris Wheel. She scanned the nearby crowd, searching
desperately. “Brad! Brad...” Not seeing
him, Kate slumped in defeat. How long had he waited for her? Surely,
she’d missed him. Sadly, Kate turned to go
Suddenly, the ride’s attendant called out
to her. “Hey, are you Kate Valentine?”
Kate’s eyes brightened with hope. “Yeah,
yeah. That’s me. I’m Kate Valentine.”
“Some guy told me to give these to you.”
With that the attendant handed Kate a ticket for the ride and a fluffy white
polar bear with a VM heart logo on its chest.
Kate glanced around. “Did he leave...the
guy who gave you this?”
The attendant nodded. “He said to tell
you he had to go, but he hopes you have a good time.” With that, the attendant
opened the gate to the ride.
There was something dreamlike to Kate
about accepting Brad’s gifts and walking through the gate. It felt as if there
were much more to the steps she was taking than met the natural eye. Though she
walked through and boarded a Ferris Wheel car all by herself, somehow she
sensed that she was far from alone.
As the attendant started the ride, Kate
set the polar bear beside her and lowered the security bar. Then, just as the
Ferris Wheel began to turn, Kate’s cell phone rang. Private Caller flashed on her screen.
♥
♥ ♥
Charlie pulled the brim of his cap low as he waited for Kate to answer her
phone. He watched, a safe distance away, obscured by the throng. He had set it
all up with the attendant on his way home. He’d raced back over to be with
Kate, unnoticed.
“Hello?”
Kate answered.
Charlie
couldn’t help but melt at the sound of her voice. It had a musical lilt to it,
just like his mom’s used to have.
Taking
on Brad’s persona, Charlie answered. “ Hey, there Katie-girl. I’m so glad you
came.” Charlie watched as Kate glanced around below, confident that with
hundreds of people milling around the pier, she’d never pick him out.
“Brad, where are you?”
Below, Charlie hung back as he watched
Kate’s ascent on the Ferris Wheel. “Closer than you think, Darlin’. I’m afraid
my boss was monitoring my IMs with you this afternoon. She said if I met you in
person she’d have to let me go.”
“Oh, no.”
Encouraged by Kate’s sympathetic tone,
Charlie continued as Brad. “That’s why I brought Bubba along to keep you
company. I warned him not to get fresh.” Charlie saw Kate as she looked over at
the polar bear, charmed.
“So far, he’s behaving himself very
well,” she replied.
Charlie breathed a bit easier. It was
working. “Anyhow, I figured this way we could at least be together without me
breaking any promises. Much as I want to be right there beside you, I have a
thing about bein’ true to my word.”
“And you’re really right here?” Kate
asked.
“Not a stone’s skip away. Close enough to
see how cute you look with your hair blowin’ in your eyes like that.”
Kate brushed her hair behind her ear.
“Thanks for staying. Sorry I was so late.”
“Don’t you worry ‘bout that a second,
Girl. You are so worth the wait.” Charlie craned to see as Kate’s car crested
the top of the Wheel, giving her a breathtaking view of the city lights.
“I always liked Ferris Wheels,” Kate
replied. “But it’s been forever, since the county
Kate thanked God when she found a parking
place. She knew most people thought the Almighty had better things to do than
to manage such conveniences, but she swerved into the lone open spot
gratefully, paid for it, and dashed down the pier.
Kate pressed through the meandering
crowd, searching for Brad’s now familiar face as she hastened toward the Ferris
Wheel. “ Please still be here ...” Kate hated herself for being late. It
wasn’t that she blamed Dustin for coming over as much as she blamed herself for
giving into him. She resolved that it would be the last time.
Finally, Kate skidded to a stop at the
ticket gate below the Ferris Wheel. She scanned the nearby crowd, searching
desperately. “Brad! Brad...” Not seeing
him, Kate slumped in defeat. How long had he waited for her? Surely,
she’d missed him. Sadly, Kate turned to go
Suddenly, the ride’s attendant called out
to her. “Hey, are you Kate Valentine?”
Kate’s eyes brightened with hope. “Yeah,
yeah. That’s me. I’m Kate Valentine.”
“Some guy told me to give these to you.”
With that the attendant handed Kate a ticket for the ride and a fluffy white
polar bear with a VM heart logo on its chest.
Kate glanced around. “Did he leave...the
guy who gave you this?”
The attendant nodded. “He said to tell
you he had to go, but he hopes you have a good time.” With that, the attendant
opened the gate to the ride.
There was something dreamlike to Kate
about accepting Brad’s gifts and walking through the gate. It felt as if there
were much more to the steps she was taking than met the natural eye. Though she
walked through and boarded a Ferris Wheel car all by herself, somehow she
sensed that she was far from alone.
As the attendant started the ride, Kate
set the polar bear beside her and lowered the security bar. Then, just as the
Ferris Wheel began to turn, Kate’s cell phone rang. Private Caller flashed on her screen.
♥
♥ ♥
Charlie pulled the brim of his cap low as he waited for Kate to answer her
phone. He watched, a safe distance away, obscured by the throng. He had set it
all up with the attendant on his way home. He’d raced back over to be with
Kate, unnoticed.
“Hello?”
Kate answered.
Charlie
couldn’t help but melt at the sound of her voice. It had a musical lilt to it,
just like his mom’s used to have.
Taking
on Brad’s persona, Charlie answered. “ Hey, there Katie-girl. I’m so glad you
came.” Charlie watched as Kate glanced around below, confident that with
hundreds of people milling around the pier, she’d never pick him out.
“Brad, where are you?”
Below, Charlie hung back as he watched
Kate’s ascent on the Ferris Wheel. “Closer than you think, Darlin’. I’m afraid
my boss was monitoring my IMs with you this afternoon. She said if I met you in
person she’d have to let me go.”
“Oh, no.”
Encouraged by Kate’s sympathetic tone,
Charlie continued as Brad. “That’s why I brought Bubba along to keep you
company. I warned him not to get fresh.” Charlie saw Kate as she looked over at
the polar bear, charmed.
“So far, he’s behaving himself very
well,” she replied.
Charlie breathed a bit easier. It was
working. “Anyhow, I figured this way we could at least be together without me
breaking any promises. Much as I want to be right there beside you, I have a
thing about bein’ true to my word.”
“And you’re really right here?” Kate
asked.
“Not a stone’s skip away. Close enough to
see how cute you look with your hair blowin’ in your eyes like that.”
Kate brushed her hair behind her ear.
“Thanks for staying. Sorry I was so late.”
“Don’t you worry ‘bout that a second,
Girl. You are so worth the wait.” Charlie craned to see as Kate’s car crested
the top of the Wheel, giving her a breathtaking view of the city lights.
“I always liked Ferris Wheels,” Kate
replied. “But it’s been forever, since the county
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