Page 30 of The Accidental Honeymoon

Jay looks at me and his eyes are crinkled with genuine amusement. "That was worth the ten-dollar park entrance fee.”

“It was pretty fun,” I admit.

We step back into the park. I can see the crew setting up for the next shot. The spell breaks.

Oh… yeah. Suddenly, I remember why we’re here and what we’re doing.

"On to the next ride?" I ask, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Jay nods. "Yep. Let’s go."

We wander through the park. Jay and I are walking closer now, our shoulders almost brushing.

We make it on to two more rides before Jay yells to the crew following us. “I think we’re done for the day. You can go ahead and call it. We’ll see you tomorrow.” He looks at me. “I figured we could do the hotel tonight by ourselves.”

“You’re the boss,” I say with a faux salute.

The crew calls it a wrap, packing up their stuff. I feel a mix of relief and something like disappointment. Jay and I have been playing our parts so well that it's starting to feel... I don't know, natural?

We walk through the park toward the parking lot. I glance back at the Ferris wheel, its neon lights flickering in the early evening haze. "I wish we’d had time for the Ferris wheel. It was my favorite ride as a kid."

Jay stops and looks at me. "I’m not in a hurry. We can still ride it if you want."

I hesitate, but only for a second. "Really?"

"Yeah," he says, shrugging. "Why not? We’re not pressed for time. We can’t check in to the hotel until five anyway."

We get in line. I feel a very slight twinge of guilt. This extends our time together, our make-believe.But it's just a ride,I tell myself.Just one more scene.

The line moves quickly. Soon we’re squeezed into a tiny, rickety bucket seat. The attendant pulls a bar down over our laps and the seat sways back and forth gently as we start our slow ascent. Jay puts his arm around my shoulders. I stiffen, then relax into him.

It feels...comfortable.

I’m at a loss for what to talk about, but Jay doesn’t seem to have the same problem. He chats about the park, about how the day went, about his plans for the week. His voice is smooth and easy. If there was pressure on me to act a certain way, it’s gone the second he opens his mouth. I start to enjoy the moment, the way the park looks from up high, the way his arm feels around me.

Why Jay feels the need to embrace me, I don’t know. It’s not like there are cameras on us. But I don’t exactly protest. It feelsnice.

When there is a moment of silence, I speak up. “I remember coming here as a kid. My parents loved the Ferris wheel. They were high school sweethearts, you know. In it for the long haul, compatible in all ways. Friends before anything else."

“Oh yeah?”

"That’s the only way to truly be happy, I figure. Just find your person, date for a hundred years, and marry when you’re ready to have kids.”

Jay laughs, then stops when he sees my face. "Oh. You’re serious?" He shakes his head. "I’ve never been in a partnership like that. Not even with Blake. I don’t even think it’s possible at my age. I’m thirty-three. Looking forward, if I were to date for a hundred years, I’ll be dead by the time I would even think about proposing marriage."

“I guess so.” I frown and consider my next words carefully. "Is stability something you look for in a partner?"

He thinks for a moment, his eyes tracking the horizon. "I’m more interested in someone willing to climb mountains and travel to far-flung destinations with me. An activity partner."

I raise a brow but don’t say anything. Of course he wants a thrill-seeker, someone who can match his pace.Someone, I’m guessing, like Blake. I can’t be that person. But it doesn’t matter. This is all pretend, a temporary arrangement. We’re just faking it.

Still, I can’t help but feel slightly deflated. No one likes hearing that they’re not someone’s type.

The wheel reaches the top and pauses. The park sprawls out beneath us, a glittering patchwork of lights and shadows. Jay shifts. I think he’s going to say something profound, but instead he pulls out his cell phone.

"One last shot for the fans," he says, starting to record. He turns the camera on us, and I put on my best "adoring wife" smile. Then, without warning, he leans in and kisses me.

He catches me dead in the center of my mouth. I’m startled, my body going rigid. The kiss is soft, his lips gentle against mine. I know this is for the camera, for his brand. But it feels awfully… real.

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