Harry:
I shouldn’t have waited for Seth and Lance. I should have gone on my own, but I needed them, or more specifically, I needed their money. I searched the parking lot one more time, relieved when I saw them approaching in the distance.
“Sorry, man!” Seth said, panting as he ran up to me. “I had to stop at Freddy’s job—he owed me twenty bucks. I figured that would help.”
“That’s great, c’mon, let’s go. I can’t waste any more time in this parking lot.” The guys nodded and followed me to the front gate. We needed tickets to get in, there was a line, and I was losing my mind as the kid at the counter was slow as a slug. Finally, we got to the booth, got our tickets, and were allowed into the carnival.
“Where is she?” Lance asked.
“Good question.” I scanned the grounds, trying to figure out where she would be, and my heart sank when I saw what separated us. “There. She’s there,” I said, pointing to the line that was a freaking mile long, the lights of the kissing booth calling anyone with an XY chromosome like a beacon in the distance.
“Fuck. That’s a lot of dudes,” Seth said, stating the obvious.
“Yeah, and we need to get in front of all of them.” I took a step forward, determined. If I made it to Tiffany without a broken bone, it would be a miracle.
Lance grabbed me by the scruff of my collar. “Harry, have you lost your mind?”
“No, I finally found it. Come on.”
“We are so getting killed tonight,” Seth grumbled.
“Excuse me, excuse me…” I said as I weaved my way through the crowd. “Excuse me, pardon me, coming through.” I heard the cursing of the guys and prayed I’d reach the front of the line before one of these guys took it upon themselves to knock me out. As soon as I reached the front of the booth, Tiffany’s eyes widened.
“Buddy! There’s a line!” a frat guy said, and from the way he rocked on his heels, I could tell he had pre-gamed.
I ignored him, turning instead to Seth and Lance, who miraculously had managed to keep up with me. “Give me whatever you got, quick, empty your pockets.” Tiffany watched, looking confused, as the guys gave me every penny they had, digging deep down into every pocket, pulling out the cotton lining to show me they were empty.
“Seriously! What is this guy doing?” another angry hopeful complained.
I ignored them, hoping my silence would chase them away. I wanted to be the hopeless romantic. I wanted to come to her and sweep her off her feet, not knock some guy out to get to her.
“This is ridiculous!” another guy growled, but before I could respond, a guy in a black -T-shirt who looked to be the booth bouncer stepped next to me. “Tiffany, what do you want?” he asked, looking at me and then the crowd.
“Um… he’s fine. Thanks, Enzo,” Tiffany said with a blank expression.
“You heard the lady, the booth rules state the kisser calls the shots, so you all just have to wait your turn,” Enzo called out to the crowd. They grumbled, but no one forced the issue.
Getting my bearings straight, I looked at the small pile of money Seth and Lance had tossed into the jar. Then I took out my own wallet and pulled out a fistful of twenties. Dumping the bills in the jar, I turned to look at the long line behind me, then dumped the whole wallet, credit cards, and all into the jar. It didn’t matter. I’d give her the shirt off my back if it would give me a chance. Looking into Tiffany’s eyes, I stepped closer.
“Just tell me it’s enough.” My words came out breathless, and I realized then how terrified I was of her rejecting me. She should after how deeply I had hurt her.
“Harry… I don’t understand…”
“I don’t want anyone’s lips on yours tonight, but mine.” I turned and pointed to the sea of guys that were in line for the kissing booth. “I’m buying them out.” Placing my hands on the wood of the booth to steady myself, I took a deep breath. “Just tell me I’m not too late.”
“Harry?” She repeated my name, still lost to the confusion. She never seemed more beautiful.
My heart was pounding, and my legs felt like they were made of jelly. If she refused me, I’d lose everything. I had spent so many months fighting these feelings that I had for her that now they overwhelmed me. How was I even standing? Nothing felt real. Hopping over the wooden divider, I was in the booth with her. “What are you doing?” she asked, and I could see her eyes were starting to glaze over.
“What I should have done a long time ago.” I reached forward, taking her face in the palm of my hands.
“Only do it if you mean it,” Tiff said, trembling, her mouth inches from mine.
Leaning in, I whispered, “I mean it.”
Our lips met in that moment, feeling each other for the first time in an almost timid manner. Then realizing Tiffany was in my arms and not only was I kissing her but she was kissing me back, I parted my lips and deepened our kiss, saying all the things with my lips that I hadn’t been able to say with words. I had been a fool. I hope she knew how much I realized that now.
Tiffany’s hands slowly sifted through the hair on the back of my head. Then, grabbing a fistful of hair, she pulled me close in the most aggressively sexy manner. I was caught off guard and pleasantly surprised by her willingness to forgive me so quickly. Her tongue swept across mine, causing any mental barrier I still had left to come crashing down. I wasn’t sure if she knew it, but I had just handed her the reigns. She was in control of my mind. Of my heart. I was hers.
Slowly, we broke apart, our lips stealing one more brush against each other as it became harder to separate. I rested my forehead against hers, breathing in her perfume, feeling how her body seemed to melt against mine. It was all rather perfect, even given the fact that we had very publicly shared our first kiss.
“So…” I laughed lightly, feeling the familiar boyish nerves as words had to once more replace the heated desires that were so obviously between us. “That went a lot better than planned. How about we get some cotton candy, I win you a stuffed animal, and then we spend the rest of the night making out on the Ferris wheel?”
Tiffany lifted her head back and looked at me in wonder and nodded. Nodded with the most delicious smile plastered to her face. I knew that smile because it mirrored my own.