“You’re absolutely correct, Phae,” Kent said. “I’ve learned my lesson. I hope you’ll allow me to make it up to you. Shall we venture to the snack shack and stuff ourselves with carnival junk food?” He held out his arm in a courtly gesture.
Phae did what any woman would do when confronted with a caveman too charming and sexy for his own good: she graciously accepted his invitation. “Fine. Let’s go.” Okay, perhaps not so graciously, but accepted nonetheless.
“Come on, Neesa. We’re up,” James said.
“Neesa? What’s he saying?” Phae asked.
“Sorry, he talked me into helping him follow you around,” she answered, then leaned in beside Phae and whispered, “The plan is to follow you until I can find a way to distract James long enough so you and Kent can slip away. Now act pissy with me so he won’t be suspicious.”
Phae crossed her arms over her chest. “Traitor. I can’t believe you’d side with him.”
“I only want the best for you,” Neesa said.
“Arrest that old coot!” Sylvie cried out. “He didn’t pay up—it’s a kiss and dash!”
They swiveled and saw the old man hobbling away at top speed, which wasn’t very fast at all. He kept looking behind him to see if anyone was chasing him and nearly ran into a trash can.
“False advertising!” the old man yelled and shook his fist in the air.
“Seriously, what’s the point of having my cousin be sheriff if you’re not going to arrest people who rip me off?” Sylvie complained.
Phae took Kent’s arm. “Shall we go before this gets any weirder?”
“Please,” he said, and led her away.
“Come on, Neesa,” James said, falling in behind the pair.
Neesa hopped up beside him, leaving a complaining Sylvie behind.
“Oh, sure. Go off and have fun while I slave away by myself, saving the little cats and dogs!” Sylvie called.
Her complaints went unheeded, and the foursome quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Chapter 7
THIRTY MINUTES, TWO SODAS AND two greasy funnel cakes later, Phae and Kent strolled together to the gaming booths. They pointedly ignored their escorts, James and Neesa, who had been arguing steadily about whether James might or might not be a sexist pig.
Phae glanced over her shoulder. “I’m afraid we’re going to be stuck with them all night.”
Kent said in a weary tone, “I tried to lose him before I found your booth, but I obviously didn’t have any luck. We can try to sneak away when it gets dark.”
“Almost eight. It won’t be dark for another hour. Neesa said she’d try to distract him so we can get away, but she’s not having any luck either.”
“While we wait, how about I win you a prize at one of these booths? If I scored some fuzzy dice for you, would you reward me?”
She’d jump into his arms for a cheap plastic whistle, Phae thought. “Let me think. Hmm. I believe the appropriate reward for that prize is a handshake.”
The late evening sunlight made Kent’s black hair sparkle. “You wound me. Your family was right. You have no regard for the male ego.”
“Do all men obsess about this ego business? What’s the deal with that?”
“It’s a secret that all men swear never to reveal to a woman.”
Phae smiled sweetly. “But you’ll tell me, won’t you?”
“Nope. Last time I checked, and trust me, it wasn’t but a few seconds ago, you were all woman.”
They stopped beside a shooting gallery where Kent leisurely surveyed Phae from head to heel. “While we’re on the subject of the mysteries of the genders, why don’t you tell me why you didn’t wear your white shorts?”
“I didn’t have a chance to do laundry.”
“Mmhm. I’m sure that’s what happened.”
“You didn’t actually expect me to wear them just because you told me to, did you?”
“Actually, no. I like these blue shorts you’ve got on. Aren’t they a little tighter than the white ones?”
Phae inspected her fingernails. “I don’t think so.”
“Maybe they look tighter because your shirt isn’t so long. I like it, by the way. You look good in pink and it shows off your assets far better than those baggy t-shirts I’ve seen you wear.”
“If you’re trying to get a rise out of me, it’s working.”
“Why would I deliberately provoke a beautiful woman like yourself?”
“Because you’re a sexist pig?”
“Phae! You wound me. Has it occurred to you that maybe I’m just a run-of-the-mill horndog?”
She laughed and swatted his arm. “Shut up.”
“Maybe I like to get you wound up so I can see that evil glint in your eyes when you’re mad,” he said.
“In other words, you think I’m beautiful when I’m angry. I hate to tell you this, Romeo, but that’s trite.”
“I didn’t say it made you beautiful. Actually your skin gets kind of puffy, and your nostrils flare all crazy, and your face kind of scrunches in on itself. It’s not very attractive. If it weren’t for that wicked glint of yours, I’d recommend reserving your anger for your most private moments.”
“It’s a good thing I can tell you’re teasing, Kent Holmes, or I might punch you in your washboard stomach.”
Neesa’s voice rang out behind them. “I challenge you to a duel!”
Phae and Kent turned to the other pair.
James’ hands were raised. “Calm down, Neesa. All I said was that I’d win you a prize if you’d quit nagging me.”
“You called me childish! And by saying I was nagging, you mean I’m a shrew.”
James dropped his hands. “If the shoe fits, cuz.”
Neesa spun and beckoned to Phae. “Get over here, sister. You and I are gonna kick these Flintstone brothers’ asses.”
“What did I do?” Kent asked.
“You were born a man.”
Kent shrugged. “Can’t argue with that, I guess. What kind of duel are we talking about?”
“A gaming booth duel,” Neesa answered.
Kent snorted. “Fine, but you two wouldn’t stand a chance against James and me.”
Phae sauntered over to Neesa’s side. “Us little weaklings against two big strong fellows like you? We’d annihilate you.”
“I didn’t mean to insult you, Phae,” Kent said. “It’s just that James and I used to do well at these fairs when we were kids. We spent hours practicing at home.”
Neesa poked Phae in the ribs with her elbow. “Yeah, well, it’s been a long, long time since you two guys were kids. Way longer than us.”
Phae leveled a disdainful look at the two men. “Can’t you imagine them way, way back then? They probably strutted around like they owned the midway.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Neesa added. “I mean, that’s how they’re acting right now, so why should they have been any different back then?”
“What’s it gonna be, boys? Are you going to accept the challenge or are you going to beg off like a couple of chickens?” Phae grinned when she saw a muscle twitch in Kent’s cheek.
“I ought to wring your neck, James,” Kent grumbled. “All I wanted was a pleasant evening with a beautiful woman, but because you’ve got the diplomacy skills of a rabid rhino, I’m going to be forced to trounce Phae in this ridiculous contest. That’s not good news for my love life.”
Before Phae could respond, James said, “Good. You haven’t known her long enough to have a love life.” He glanced at Neesa. “I accept your challenge, child. But you said this was a duel, so I get to pick my second. I pick Phae.”
Phae smiled at Kent’s astonishment.
“What do you mean you pick Phae?” Kent asked.
At the same time, Neesa said, “You can’t have her.”
“It’s a duel. I can pick who I want,” James said.
Kent frowned. “What the hell? I’m better at these games than you are, and you’re throwing me over for Phae.”
Phae held up her hands for peace. “Okay, everybody. That’s enough. It’s going to be the women against the men and that’s that. No, James, don’t argue. Neesa and I are going to show you two who the weaker sex is. Tell them the rules, Neesa.”
James groaned but stopped short when Kent glared at him.
Neesa squared her shoulders. “All right, boys. Listen up. We’ll play one round each at eight different booths. James will go first, then me, then Kent, and lastly Phae. Each team will take turns picking the booth and whoever picks the booth, pays. Understand? Good. When we’re finished, we’ll put all the prizes in two piles and whoever has the biggest pile wins the challenge. Agreed?”
They all agreed.
“Since I made the challenge,” Neesa said, “you can pick first.”
Kent cocked an eyebrow. “Right here. The gun shoot.”
“Fine by me,” she said casually, but thinking ‘oh yeah’ inside.