The Bottom of the Sea

Part 24: The Autumn Carnival

I was on my second candy apple, trying not to break my teeth. I hadn't had a candy apple since I was a kid and damn, they were good.

"You were right, Sarah. This is fun," Jake said, struggling to hold onto a giant stuffed teddy bear. He was stuck with it after he won it since I didn't want it. The thing creeped me out and I had enough creepy stuff going on already. Plus, it made me laugh seeing him carry the ridiculous thing around.

"Told you. What else were you going to do today, sit around and mope about your ex-wife?"

"Soon-to-be ex, and probably. Coming here definitely got my mind off her and my asshole former friend." We were about a half hour outside of town at the annual PumpkinFest in nearby St. Clair. I still hadn't been back to my house all weekend. After breakfast, I got my bag from the car and took a long shower in Jake's sparse but luxuriously expensive bathroom.

When I came back downstairs, I had every intention of going home but he had a fire going and more coffee on. Rain began to batter the windows and I decided to sit down and relax for a few minutes before I left. Then, I put my feet up. As we talked, I laid down again and didn't wake up for two hours.

"You sure sleep a lot. I must be super boring," he said when I woke up.

"Here, I do," I said. "I haven't slept well since I got to town."

I thanked Jake for his hospitality and was about to head to St. Clair when he surprised me by offering to come along. I protested but secretly I was happy for the company. Missy had told me about PumpkinFest earlier in the week and suggested I cover it for the Light. It was a fluff piece but there would be colourful photo ops with all the autumn foliage on display. Now that I was associate editor, I was making more decisions on editorial content and Jake seemed only too happy to let go of the reins.

We'd been at the fair for hours, ambling through the grounds taking in the sights of the midway at the edge of a sprawling cornfield. A hint of woodsmoke was in the air, mixing with the sugar and grease. I was happy the rain stopped, and the sun began to peek out from the slate grey clouds. I could see a hint of a rainbow to the west and on a day like that I could almost imagine that things would be alright.

Jake and I shared interviewing and photo duties throughout the afternoon. We had an easy way of working together, and the day was flying by. I laughed a lot when I was with him.

"I feel stupid," he said, looking down at the bear which was almost as big as me. "You sure you don't want to do me a solid and carry this thing around?" He had an arm around its neck.

"Nope," I said, munching on the last of my apple before throwing it in the compost bin. "It's hilarious. Plus, I need both hands available for food," I said, making him laugh. He had a great laugh. We gathered quotes from the winners of the pumpkin carving contest and all kinds of other colourful folks, enough to fill a centre spread, so we were free to roam around and enjoy the fair.

"When was the last time you had any fun? Like, real fun," I said.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

"Before today? My wedding day," he said, stopping to take a photo of the merry-go-round.

"Your wedding day? That's really sad."

"You're telling me. The wedding was fun, it was the marriage that was hell."

I winced. "I'm sorry."

"How about you, Sarah? When was the last time you had fun?" He stopped and looked down at me. He was so tall. His eyes were curious, and I could see flecks of gold in their emerald depths. I shivered under the warmth of his gaze.