I Get A Kick Out of You

Chapter 6

Ben thought about his own situation and how he's had that feeling about Eleanore for some time now. He knew exactly what kind of gut feeling she was talking about.

"And now?" He asked. She sighed, then told him, "And now...I don't know. He's come around and it's like we never had that rocky road in our marriage. He's exactly like he used to be and I can't help but feel guilty about having those thoughts about him. I know he hates cheating because his father cheated on his mother when we were in high school. It was this huge thing that traumatized him pretty badly."

Ben hummed in thought, before telling her, "I don't think you should feel guilty. We all have those inklings when we're with someone we care about. It's the fear of losing them, I suppose. I don't know what I would do if my marriage ended."

Cassie looked to see Joel coming back with all the beers. "I know how you feel," she said. When Joel got to them, she grabbed two cups out of his hands and handed one to Ben. "I think we're being summoned," Joel told them as he pointed out Ethan and Cillian jumping and waving them over.

"We should wait for Eleanore," Cassie told him, but Ben quickly said, "No. No, she can catch up if she wants." So, the three adults made their way over to the kids, who led them over to ride. They couldn't go on without an adult because they didn't quite reach the height limit yet.

"Count me out," Joel said. "I don't do spinning, upside down, right side up, rides." Cassie handed him her beer and said, "Wimp. Come on, boys, let's go!" She led the boys into the line and got out the ride tickets.

A few minutes into waiting, Ben jumped into line with them. "Dad, you don't like rides," Cillian said with a laugh. Cassie scoffed, "You, too? What is it with men and not liking rides?" Ben gave her an incredulous look, then said, "I'll have you know that I love rides! I just...had a bad experience once. Takes a bit of liquid courage to get me to go on."

Quirking an eyebrow, Cassie asked, "One beer is liquid courage?" He shrugged as he told her, "It's one of the things giving me courage at the moment." He stared at her with a smile that only seemed to get wider the longer they looked at each other.

"Tickets!" A man shouted, making them jump out of whatever trance it was they were in. "Right, sorry," Cassie said, before quickly giving the employee enough tickets for the four of them. "Alright, two to a seat," the man told them.

Cillian and Cassie ended up sitting together, while Ben and Ethan did the same. Cillian looked scared as all hell as soon as the metal cage locked down on them. "Hey," Cassie said, causing him to look over. "When we get to the top to spin around, count to three."

Being too scared to say anything, Cillian only nodded, but then took her hand. Cassie did him one better and put her arm around his shoulders and held him close. When the ride started, he moved himself closer into her.

"Alright, here we go," Cassie said over the loudness of the ride, "count to three...now!" Cillian shut his eyes and counted to three. When he opened them back up...they were right side up. He looked to Cassie in amazement.

Every time they got to the top to spin around, he did the same thing, but eventually kept his eyes open. By the time the ride was over, he and Cassie were laughing hysterically. Cassie turned around to see Ben and Ethan doing the same thing in the cart behind them. "Hi, mom!" Ethan shouted, still laughing.

"Hi, baby," she chuckled. "Have fun?" Ben pulled him close to his side and said, "He kept me from soiling myself!" They two boys started laughing once again. "Well, Cillian here did the same for me," she said, looking to her ride partner and winking.

Cillian gave a bashful smile.

When they got off the ride, Cillian ran to his dad, while Ethan bolted to Cassie. Ben lifted Cillian up on his shoulders. Unfortunately for Ethan, Cassie definitely couldn't do that anymore, so Ethan asked Joel.

"Aren't you a bit too old for that, son?" He asked. Ethan's smile slowly went away. Cassie watched in disapproval as Joel chugged his beer and put it within two more empty cups. "How many of those have you had?" She asked. "We were gone for ten minutes."

Joel simply shrugged, then asked, "I've drank more than this in ten minutes, you know that. Oh, and I accidentally drank your's. Sorry." She hates it when he drinks. He gets obnoxious and mean. He was already obnoxious by drinking her beer!

"There you are," Ben said, making her turn away from Joel. Eleanore came stumbling over, almost like she had a few too many drinks. "Here I am," she announced. "Now we can start having some fun!" Ben rolled his eyes and tried to suppress an annoyed sigh.

Joel looked to her and said, "I agree! Come on, I can use another drink." Cassie took ahold of his arm as she said, "I think you've had enough." Ben said to Eleanore, "That goes for you, too. We're here for the kids, not you."

"Fine," Joel said, taking his arm out of his wife's grasp, "don't be any fun. Come on, El, there's a bar stand my buddy owns. He'll give us some free drinks." Eleanore hooked her arm into Joel's and followed him.

Ben and Cassie watched in shock.

"Mom," Ethan quietly said, "is dad going to be like he usually is when he drinks?" Cassie pulled him in for a hug, then told him, "I hope not. If he is, he can sleep in the backyard." That got her son to laugh a bit. "Want to go play some games?" He nodded with a small smile and took her hand.

She looked to Ben, who still seemed to be in mild shock, and asked, "Care to join?" He looked to her, but couldn't seem to form any words. "Please, dad," Cillian begged from above his head. Ben looked up at him, then tightened his grip around his son's legs and said, "Let's go."