Angel Falling (Falling #1)(82)
“Nope. I’m not. I want you today, tomorrow, and every day after that. I’ve laid it all out there, Darlin’. I’m not scared. I know you’re it for me. In order for us to work for good, you have to be convinced of that as well.”
Her gaze scanned across the room and into space. She nodded. “So then what do you want to do today?”
“You mean aside from holding you hostage while I ravish you?”
She laughed. “Well yes, after that.”
“I want to take you out. I have a surprise planned.” My not-so-secret smirk was fully displayed.
After a blessed morning spent reacquainting our bodies with one another, we arrived at the location. I made her wear a blindfold as the limo drove us. I led her out of the car and the faint sounds of the carousel music could be heard even at the entrance. The smell of cotton candy was sugary sweet as it filled the air while we exited the limo. It reminded me of being at the local fair back home. I pulled off the blindfold and she gasped. “Coney Island? You brought me to Coney Island? Hank, you are such a goof!”
“I may be a goof, but you, Darlin’, need to learn how to let loose and have fun!”
The first order of business was the Wonder Wheel. “Have you ever been to Coney Island?” I asked her as we boarded the huge contraption. It took us up and away with a perfect view over the beach and ocean.
She smiled and seemed to think back to a time long ago. Her face got this dreamy quality and her smile grew as she pondered the question. “Yeah, back when I was a kid, Dad snuck us. Mom didn’t want us seen at amusement parks. She thought they were low rent.” Her lips pinched together into a scowl. “Dad was big on showing us how the other half lived so we appreciated what we had. Mom thought that was ludicrous and a waste of time.” She shrugged her shoulders.
After the Ferris wheel, we moved on to the Cyclone. It was an old-school wooden roller coaster that sped through its curlicues and giant humps as fast as a whip. Aspen screamed and dug her nails into my pant leg at each dip.
We moved onto the games. I was dead set on winning my Angel the biggest prize I could muster. I popped balloons with darts, shot water into a clown’s mouth, fished with magnets, even knocked over bowling pins with a softball, but still couldn’t get the big prize. She had an armful of stuffed animals, including a frog, a chicken, a bear, even a snake. But I was determined to get her the big dog. The mother of all prizes. The stuffed tiger. It would be mine.
Finally, after an endless battle with the strong man I struck gold. The strong man was no match for me. Plus, it added to my desire to prove my strength after the surgery. Of course, I didn’t use the wounded shoulder, but overall it had the wanted affect. She was fawning over the giant tiger, kissing me, kissing its stuffed face then kissing me some more. I was in hog heaven.
We walked with my right hand tucked in the back pocket of her skinny jeans. Lord only knew why she referred to them as such. She had a slight body with curves in all the right places. Weren’t all jeans considered skinny jeans on someone who was her size? Women’s clothing just didn’t make sense.
“Hank, this has been the best day,” she beamed. Before I could respond, she was rushing over to a booth covered in navy blue curtains with white stars imprinted on them. The sign boasted “Fortune Teller” in fancy cursive lettering. “Let’s do it!” She practically jumped up and down with excitement. I couldn’t deny a purdy little thing like her.
“Whatever you wish. And I bet she says that, too!” I added as she tugged me into the dark space. We were ushered through to a woman who sat at a round table with a crystal ball dead center of the space. She had a candy apple red scarf around her long black hair and bright lipstick on to match. She had flowing glittery clothes on and long purple nails. She gave me the creeps. She cocked her head to the side.
“You,” she pointed a long purple-nail-tipped finger at me. “You’re a nonbeliever. You sit over there!” She pointed to a chair off to the side. Apparently I wasn’t going to get a reading today. Better be half price then.
She ushered Aspen to sit in front of her. She held her hands and petted the inside of her palm with one of those long nails. Made me shiver. It was weird that she didn’t ask what service she wanted, nor did she offer payment information up front. She was probably a swindler. She was going to charge us out the ass after the services were rendered and we’d have no choice but to pay. I was about to speak when she pointed one of those fingers at me again.
“Don’t speak.” I held my tongue only because she was wicked strange and had my girl’s hand in hers. Aspen seemed completely taken with the odd woman.
“Angel,” she whispered and Aspen gasped. “Your true love will call you that. It’s important somehow.”
I tried to think back to whether or not I’d addressed her since we entered. I knew I hadn’t.
“You have a lot to offer the world. Not only are you smart, you’re creative and you do well in business. Better than most I’d say, looking at how long your success line is here.” She continued to inspect Aspen’s hand. “See this line? It’s your life line. You will live a long, happy life.”
She started to cluck her tongue. “Ah, but you see your Line of Heart, it has some breaks in it. You will or have had a couple heartbreaks already. But there is one, the one of your true love, it breaks for a short distance here, then comes back and follows you to the end of your days.” She smiles. “You must hold out for your true love. You’ll know it, Angel,” she whispered.