An unlikely romance sprouts from a chance encounter between Cliff and Hannah after she spurns his good deed. ----------
Cliff tries doing a good deed for financially distressed Hannah by paying for her expensive car repairs. He expects nothing in...
It had been too long since Hannah visited any of the world-famous attractions in her town. Before entering the amusement park, Cliff took her to Chocolate World, an immersive and interactive venue where visitors learned all about the history of the Hershey Foods Corporation and its products.
She delighted in the exhibit where she was able to design and make her own brand of candy bar. Standing in front of a computer screen, she was prompted to choose her ingredients. She noticed how Cliff studied her while she studied the list. She turned to him. "What do you think I should choose?"
He wore a warm expression. "Ever since we walked into this place you've been smiling. Pick whatever keeps you smiling."
She did feel happy, like a carefree little girl. Probably because there were so many kids in the crowd. Their squeals and laughter buoyed her. She also enjoyed Cliff's attention and his attempts to please her. For the first time in a long time, she didn't worry and could live in the moment.
On the touch screen, she laid a fingertip on the choice for dark chocolate. "That's got to be the main ingredient."
"I agree," Cliff said.
"A wafer filling." She touched that choice.
"Like a Twix bar," Cliff commented.
She giggled and selected banana flavoring.
Cliff frowned. "I'm not sure banana will mix well with chocolate."
"It doesn't matter. You'll see why when I'm done."
Next, she designed a wrapper for her creation and clicked the create button. A minute later, the customized candy bar dropped into a chute at end of the machine. She picked it up and marveled. "It's perfect!"
She presented her creation to him. The yellow and brown wrapper was labelled: Hannah Banana. Before Cliff could comment, she said, "It's a pet name my parents gave me. Makes a good signature brand, don't you think?"
Cliff appeared skeptical. "Maybe you better taste it first before deciding if you want your name associated with it."
"Don't be such a downer. It'll be great."
"If you say so."
They sat at a table. Hannah broke the bar in half and passed a portion to Cliff. She watched him as he tried it.
"Not bad," he said. "I'm surprised."
Hannah nibbled her half and agreed with him.
She neatly folded the Hannah Banana wrapper and slid it across the table to Cliff. "A souvenir to remind you of our date."
He picked it up. "Thank you."
In return, on the way out, Cliff bought her a small, stuffed Hershey bear, chocolate scented. She thought it was sweet of him to do so. James never bought her anything so sentimental. His life was too immersed in the world of numbers and logic.
Hannah realized how much she was growing to appreciate Cliff. He was attentive, but not clingy, and he made her feel good about herself.
As they walked toward the rides, she thought she would try to negotiate with him. He liked the water rides, but she wasn't crazy about getting her long hair all wet. Cliff didn't like the roller coasters, but she did. "Let's make a deal. I'll choose only one roller coaster for us to ride together. You can choose the water ride, but only one."
"I'll let you choose both the coaster and the water ride."
Hannah couldn't suppress a smirk. "Are you sure about that?"
"Whatever keeps you smiling."
She led him to Candymonium, the tallest, fastest, and longest of the park's thirteen roller coasters and nationally ranked.
Cliff gawked at the giant hill at the start of the ride. "Can I change my mind?"
"Nope, no takebacks!"
He grumbled but got in line with her.
After they were safely seated behind the grab bar and locked in place, the ride moved forward, slowly ascending the first gigantic hill. The chain pulling them forward rattled against the rails. The ascent was so steep, Hannah felt as if she were lying flat on her back. Looking down, the people milling about below grew smaller, antlike, and she found it hard to breathe. She should have chosen a less aggressive ride. Cliff's knuckles were white from holding tight to the bar, as were hers.
"I think I made a mistake," she said.
As they crested the hill, she exchanged glances with Cliff. His eyes were large as saucers. He said, "It was nice knowing you."
Then they plummeted straight down and Hannah's stomach lurched into her throat. She and Cliff both screamed along with the other riders. She closed her eyes and had trouble keeping them open until their terror ended.
Cliff helped her from the ride and steadied her. After a nervous laugh, she said, "Let's never do that again."
He nodded. "You'll get no argument from me."
After catching their breath, Cliff asked which water ride she wanted to try.
"Coal Cracker." Hannah knew it was the lamest of the water rides and her hair wouldn't get wet. Riders sat in a simulated hollowed out log and gently floated through a flume. The only exciting part was a short drop at the end, nothing compared to Candymonium.
He didn't complain and went along with her choice.
After they completed that ride, he looked her in the eye. "Okay, Hannah banana, time to show me what you got. You challenged me to see who's best with the bumper cars."
Hannah was having such a good time with Cliff, she decided it was time to let down her guard a little and allow innocent physical contact. She extended her hand toward him. "Lead the way."
He took her hand into his and wore a bright smile.
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Ride along with Cliff and Hannah by clicking on the video at the top of the page, a front seat POV video of Candymonium! Click on the full screen option for maximum effect.
