Page 36 of Vas

Surprise and excitement filled her. It had been a few years since she’d been to the amusement park. Grad night, in her senior year of high school, to be exact. The night had been memorable, but not in a good way. She and her best friend at the time had made the mistake of eating right before going on Turbo Spin. They’d spent the next three hours until it was time to leave, sitting on a bench and trying not to throw up, watching everyone else have the time of their lives. She’d love nothing more than a redo of the experience—this time being more cautious.

“I suppose I should have checked first to make sure you like roller coasters.”

Anna glanced at Vas. A small frown tugged at his lips and a deep line had formed between his brows as though second guessing his choice.

“I love them,” she assured to put his mind at ease. “The faster and scarier the better.”

His frown disappeared as his brows rose. “I would’ve never pegged you for an adrenaline junkie.”

“Whoa, I wouldn’t go that crazy.” She was quick to correct him. “Just to be clear, I enjoy adrenaline but only in a safe and controlled environment. I don’t want you getting any bright ideas that it’s okay to take me skydiving or bungee jumping.”

“So, I guess I should rethink our next date to go rock climbing?”

She saw the tell-tale twitch of his lips and knew he was kidding. “Definitely. What about you? Are you an adrenaline junkie?”

“I’ve never bungee jumped or skydived if that’s what you’re asking.”

Not exactly what she’d been asking, but his answer was reassuring enough.

They arrived at the amusement park, parked, and walked to the main gate where Vas bought their tickets.

“What do you want to go on first?”

Anna perused the map they’d been given, planning the best course to take. “If we go left we can hit X2 and Viper then swing around for the rest of the roller coasters ending with Goliath and Colossus.”

“Sounds good.”

He took her hand and they traveled along the walkway until they hit the line for X2 and took their place in the back. They had a long wait. Thankfully the weather was nice. The sun was out, warding away the chill from the sixty-five-degree weather, and Anna was comfortable in her short-sleeved tee-shirt and light-weight sweater.

“Have you been on this before?” Vas asked, staring up at the ride. Way up.

“Once. A few years ago. What about you?”

Vas shook his head. “I’ve never been here before.”

Remembering his situation growing up, Anna plastered on a smile. “Well, you’re in for a treat. Though, like swimming, I do recommend waiting thirty minutes after eating before getting on any rides.”

He raised a brow. “And you know that from experience?”

She made a face. “Sadly, yes.”

He chuckled, “Duly noted.”

Curiosity getting the better of her, she asked, “If you’ve never been here, what made you think of it?”

She saw a dusting of pink hit his cheeks and her jaw almost dropped. Vas, the manliest man she had ever met, was embarrassed.

The line moved forward and he stepped in closer to her as they closed the gap. He also lowered his voice. Yep, he was embarrassed all right.

“This is all new to me. As you know, I’ve never dated before, and with dinner and a movie off the table, I was out of ideas. So I may have gone online to get some suggestions for what would make a good second date. Amusement parks were at the top of the list.”

She quickly ducked her head to hide a smile, but she had to admit it felt good he put forth such an effort. Composing her features, she looked back up at him. “It was a good choice.”

The line inched forward again and this time when they moved to follow, Vas took her hand. And kept hold of it the rest of their wait.

Rock music blared, amping the crowd, as they stood on the platform, waiting for the next tram to arrive. Anna was not immune. Her stomach was filled with a mix of emotions—nervousness, excitement, and fear. Having been on the ride before did not lessen her anxiety. In fact, knowing of what was to come only made it worse.

“I feel like I should warn you.”

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