Page 6 of He Likes it Spicy

"What if I don't like any of them?"

"Whatever you do, just smile and nod when you taste them."

We stop whispering as the announcer urges us forward to take our first taste of the fair. Sam never lets go of my arm.

Arm in arm we go, tent by tent, taste by taste. Sam does her best to smile after each gulp, but a couple of times the anguish makes itself known on her face. This girl really doesn't like chili... I will remedy that. One competitor, a younger woman named Rebecca, actually wows me with her chili and manages not to completely gross Sam out.

“It’s an old family recipe,” Rebecca says with a smile. “I hope you love it.”

“As much as I can,” Sam says, giving her a thumbs up.

The crowd loves that Valkyrie is being escorted by last year's victor. At the Sweetheart County Fair, love is always in the air. Everyone's looking for that romantic story to take home with them, and I see in their faces that they’re imprinting that desire onto us. The Chili King and the Acrobat Queen—an unlikely match made in carnival heaven.

I hope they are right.

After the last taste—which Sam looks relieved to be done with—we head back to the stage, write down our votes, and hand everything to the announcer. I noticed Sam glancing at my sheet, so she probably copied my votes. Not that it matters, Rebecca is the clear front runner, so once again the Millers are going homeempty-handed. Rebecca wins the first round by a mile, and we step off the stage to shake her hand and pose for photos.

Sam stays in my orbit, never leaving my gravity.

Finally, after the announcer has delivered his last words, Sam and I stand awkwardly together as the crowd breaks. A few people look like they want to have words with me but are afraid to interject themselves into whatever is happening between me and the dancer in the red dress.

“So…” Sam slaps her thighs. “That’s it?”

“You survived.” I hold out my hand. “Pleasure working with you, Sam. I hope this helps ticket sales.”

She takes my hand and smiles.

“I’m really glad we ran into each other. I mean, we would have met anyway, obviously… but it was nice talking and walking and holding you…”

“Holding me?”

“Your arm,” she clears her throat. “My arm? Right, I’m going to stop talking.”

A rose tint blooms over her delicate face.

She’s nervous, and that tells me everything I need to know.

“Would you like to have lunch?” I take a step forward. “Or dinner? Or a bag of kettle corn? Anything, really.”

“Now?” she laughs.

I nod, making her lips move soundlessly.

Finally, she shakes her head. “I can’t. I would love to, but I have to prep for tonight. The first shows are always a mess.”

“Tell me when I can see you again. I’ll make it work.”

“Well, yeah. You’re retired. All you have is time.”

“And I’d like to spend it with you.”

If I’m being too forward, she doesn’t show it.

Sam drags her teeth over her lip, heel bouncing, cheeks still so flush that I want to pick them like summer strawberries.

“Ever been to the circus?” she finally asks.

“When I was a child. I don’t remember much.”

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