He’d only wanted an excuse to spend an evening out with Haley, he admitted to himself, smiling down at her as they ambled toward the exit. True, he’d suggested the fair on impulse at Mia’s party partially as a way to make it clear to the encroaching Drew that Haley wasn’t available. But then James had commented that he’d never actually been to the fair, and Ron had seized on the idea of making it a double date. His way of announcing to everyone—Haley, included—that he saw them as a couple now, he supposed.
He’d had a great time on this outing with her. He loved it when she laughed, and she’d laughed a lot tonight. She needed to play occasionally rather than focus all the time on excelling in her education. He figured he was the best choice to make sure she took time for frivolities.
Surprisingly enough, it was Elissa who talked them into trying a few of the games on their way out of the fairgrounds. “Win me a stuffed animal?” she asked James, waving toward some colorful toys dangling from beneath a brightly lit awning.
He glanced at the game—a challenge to toss a small basketball through a barely larger hoop only a few feet away—and shrugged. “Sure. Looks easy enough.”
Ron groaned. “Looks are definitely deceiving when it comes to carnival games, buddy. The games always favor the house.”
James lifted an eyebrow. “They’re fixed?”
“Not necessarily. Just designed to look much easier than they are. The way that hoop is shaped, you have to hit it at exactly the right spot to get the ball through.”
A buxom, bleached-blonde in a very tight T-shirt passed by them, carrying a giant purple bear. A cowboy in tight jeans and denim shirt strutted beside her, toting a big yellow bear.
“Looks like that guy knows how to win,” James commented.
“The guy probably works for the carnival.”
James looked intrigued.
“Hey, fellas! Three tries for five bucks!” Seeing that they had paused in front of his booth, the carnie motioned them closer. He tossed a basketball in one hand as he urged them to give it a try.
“Get just one ball through the hoop and win one of the prizes on the wall,” he told them, waving a hand toward a display of normal-sized stuffed toys.
James glanced at Elissa, who smiled at him. Probably figured he’d like her to play up to his ego, Ron thought cynically. Elissa was obviously angling for James, but he couldn’t tell that his friend was particularly smitten with her in return.
But James was as susceptible to a male ego challenge as the next guy. He reached for his wallet. Ron sighed.
Ten dollars and six shots later, Elissa’s hands were still empty. James gave her a rueful smile, holding up his hands in defeat.
“Told ya,” Ron muttered.
The carnie looked at Ron with a slight frown that he immediately smoothed into a toothy grin. “How about you, pal? Think you can show your buddy there how it’s done?”
“No, that’s okay.”
Haley patted his arm. “Don’t waste your money, Ron.”
“She doesn’t think you can do it,” the carnie taunted. “Are you gonna take that?”
Ron sighed again. Hell, he had an ego, too. He slapped a five into the carnie’s outstretched hand. “Give me the ball.”
Three shots. Three hoops. “Pick your prize,” he told Elissa. “I’ll win Haley one at the next booth.”
James was laughing, totally at ease with being shown up by Ron. The bored carnie next to the hoops game perked up.
“Think it’s that easy?” he asked Ron. “Can you knock all the bottles completely off the stand with a baseball? All you have to do is clear the stand one time and win a big prize for your lady.”
Sounded easy enough. Just knock down the stacked bottles with a baseball. Of course, the rules stated that the bottles had to be completely off the stand, not scattered across it. And that took a direct hit in exactly the right spot to accomplish.
A spot Ron just happened to know.
The bottles flew off the stand with a satisfying clatter. He pointed to a green bear, which he then presented to Haley with a little bow. “Everyone ready to go now?”
All three of his companions studied him with open curiosity. Haley, of course, was the one to ask, “How do you know how to win these games so easily? How much time have you spent at carnivals, anyway?”
“I was a carnie for almost a year,” he said with a shrug and a wry smile for the game operator, who gave him a little salute in acknowledgment. “After I dropped out of college the first time.”