Page 49 of Lovers Fate

“How do we win and how much?” I ask, eyeing the glass bottles.

He looks between me and Rose with hollow-knowing eyes. “You don’t have to play. You can both pick whatever you want. It’s on the house.”

Scanning all the selections, I find it hard to believe we can choose anything we want for free. A wave of butterflies creating havoc in my stomach takes flight, but I shake it off. It’s a coincidence. There is no way Draco has anything to do with this. The car is being nice. There aren’t many fairgoers this far back in the park. I see the rusted rings you need to throw over the murky bottles. There was no way I would have made it.

I glance at Rose and see she is still contemplating what to get, so I go first. “That one,” I say, pointing at a stuffed doll with white, blond hair and black eyes.

The carny’s grin widens. “Good choice.” He turns around, walks to the back, and hands me a porcelain figurine that is verydifferent from the stuffed one I chose on the shelf with cracks on her face and red lips.

I examine the doll and caress her lips with the pad of my finger.

“A creepy doll,” Rose says, her eyes lighting with amusement.

“I think she’s gorgeous,” I say, holding her up to the light to get a better look at her.

“She’ll keep you company,” Carny says, giving me a wink. He turns to Rose. “Now it’s your turn.”

Rose looks over his head and points. “That one.”

It’s a doll similar to mine, but she has dark hair tied in pigtails.

“Twins, I see,” Carny says, walking back and handing her another porcelain doll. “Here,” he hands it to her. “These are special. They like to have sleepovers.” Then he laughs at his own joke.

We thank him awkwardly and walk away.

“Wierdo,” Rose mutters.

“Who cares? we got free dolls,” I point out in excitement. It’s been so long since I had a doll or a toy.

“I think the doll should be afraid.”

“How come?” I ask her, hoping she hasn’t figured out who I really am.

She shrugs. “I don’t know. You have this look about you.”

“What kind?”

“The kind that would fuck that doll up if she so much as blinks and comes alive,” she teases.

I burst out laughing. She isn’t wrong.

There is a sign up front that reads “Exit This Way.” Exit This Way. When she checks the time, Rose looks at me with a forlorn expression. “I gotta go. Curfew at the dorm.”

These were the times. I wish I had an apartment where I could tell her to crash and not worry about it, but unfortunately,I don’t. I can’t tell her to crash at the shitty motel room and tell her to sleep in the same bed. It’s bad enough there are weirdos hanging around, and I quickly squash the idea.

“No worries. I’ll see you tomorrow at the club?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”.

“Thanks for coming, Rose,” I call out when she walks away.

She turns around, walking backward with a smile, and blows me a kiss.

I catch it. “Be careful,” I call out.

“You too,” she calls back, walking through the fog.

I turn around and spot a fortune teller tent that reads Madame Fate. It stands out from all the booths and food stands. There’s a dimly lit, low-hanging lantern. The scent of incense reaches my nose as I walk up. The scent is both sweet and metallic.

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