Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

“I think that the very first thing we should do is get some cotton candy,” he said, smiling like an excited kid. “Then we can figure out which rides to go on.”

“Cotton candy?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “I didn't know that was on your diet.”

Oliver laughed. “Everything is on my diet when I'm at a fair. In fact, there are three main food groups here. There's cotton candy, funnel cakes and giant turkey legs. All of which we should partake in.”

“You're not going to hear an argument from me,” Elsie replied with a hearty laugh.

I love that she's here with me right now, he thought. I truly feel like there's no place I'd rather be. If it wasn't for my career, I'd find a way to stay. Maybe I should just tear my ACL again. That would do it.

As the two of them got closer to the fair entrance, Oliver noticed people turning heads. A few older men glanced at him and then whispered something to themselves. He pulled his hat down and his collar up, in an effort to hide as much of himself as possible. It didn't help, though. The plump young woman at the ticket counter recognized him immediately.

“Oliver Lance?” she said. “Oh, my God. Number seven. The Bandits. Is that really you?”

Crap. I had a feeling this would happen, he thought.

Ollie cleared his throat and shook his head. “I get that all the time. I'm not him, though. Oliver Lance is a lot taller than me. Plus, do I really look like the type of guy who can throw a football as fast as he does?”

The girl paused for a moment, cocking her head to the side. Then she shrugged. “I guess not. It's uncanny how much you look like him, though. Anyway, that will be five dollars each.”

Oliver paid and the two of them stepped into the fair.

“That was close,” Elsie said with a chuckle. “I'm surprised she recognized you, given the cowboy outfit and the hair.”

“Who would have thought?” Ollie laughed, leading his date across the dirt path to the cotton candy stand. He ordered a blueberry one for himself and a grape one for Elsie. They then began their stroll through the fair as they ate. But they hardly made it ten feet before people starting coming up to say “hi” to Elsie. Everybody knew her and she knew everyone. And of course, all of that attention only brought more eyes onto Ollie.

“Oliver Lance? Really? In our town?” One older man said, after quickly greeting Elsie.

“No, no,” Elsie said. “This is my friend from college, but I assure you, he just happens to look like Oliver Lance.”

Oliver did his best to smile and shrug whenever anyone mentioned who they thought he was. Ollie didn't really mind all that much. He wasn't focused on that and at this point, wasn't as concerned with people knowing who he was. Sure, the news would spread like wildfire in a small town if anybody actually believed he was the Oliver Lance. But he thought he was doing a pretty good job of convincing everyone otherwise. Regardless, his real focus of the evening was his beautiful date, not a bunch of strangers.

“What do you say we do the Ferris wheel?” Ollie suggested. “It would give us a little privacy.”

Elsie looked across the fair, toward the turning wheel. “It's pretty big. I don't know, Ollie. I don't like heights.”

“You'll be with me,” he said. “You'll be safe, I promise. Please?”

She looked a little nervous, but finally nodded in agreement. “Okay, just don't let me die.”

Ollie laughed. “I won't. Trust me, that thing is safe as can be. I'm pretty sure that not one single person has ever even been injured on a Ferris wheel before.”

“I think you just made up that little statistic,” she said. “Actually, I'm quite positive you did.”

“You're technically right. I did make that up,” he admitted, with a boyish smirk. “But that doesn't mean it might not be true.”

Elsie shook her head and smiled. “Come on. Let's go.”

The two made their way to the Ferris wheel. The seat was fairly small, just enough for the two of them to squeeze in next to each other. Ollie put his arm around her shoulder as the wheel turned and lifted them into the air.

“See, it's not that bad,” he said.

“Yeah, you're right. It's not that scary. “Elsie faced him. “At least with you here with me. I don't think I'd want to do this by myself.”

As the wheel turned and sent them higher up into the air, they kissed. It was the kind of kiss that caused the surrounding carnival noises to become mute and distant. For a moment, Oliver felt like the two of them were the center of the entire world. Everything faded to sparkling lights and gentle laughter.

She's so perfect for me, he thought. I know that I can't have her. It just wouldn't work. But God, I'd love it if I could.

Time seemed to stop as they two of them continued to kiss on the Ferris wheel. Oliver didn't even notice the movement of the ride. The next thing he knew, they'd gone full circle and the attendant was tapping him on the shoulder. He broke his kiss with Elsie and looked over.