You've Found Oliver (You've Reached Sam, #2)(37)
Do you really believe all of this?
It’s okay if you don’t
He doesn’t take long to respond.
I’m not really sure what’s going on
But I trust you
Thank you
I keep the phone close to me as I lie in bed. This feels like some strange dream. But I’m glad I don’t have to experience it alone.
Chapter
Thirteen
It’s a Saturday afternoon in downtown Seattle. I’m supposed to meet Ben at the entrance of the street fair. He’s with his little cousin who’s visiting from Colorado. He promised to watch her for a few hours. It’s been a full week since we’ve seen each other. I was hoping to come yesterday, but Mom came down with the flu. She called me to pick up some medicine from the pharmacy. Thankfully, she didn’t have a fever or anything. I checked in on her before I left this morning.
I’m a little nervous about seeing Ben today. How did we find each other the last few times? The street fair should be taking place right now. I’m hoping to find a line of tents as I turn the corner, but the sidewalks are completely empty. I was worried this would happen when I arrived.
I think I’m here
But I don’t see anything
Which tent are you standing at?
There are no tents…
oh
You’re at the right place?
I just put in the address you sent
But there’s nothing here
What are you next to?
I take a look around me.
There’s a giant mural of a mountain
Okay I know where that is
Just stay there and I’ll come find you
Several minutes go by. I keep looking around, watching the cars pass along the road. Then I check the date on my phone again. April 16th. The street fair probably happened months ago. I know Ben said to wait here, but what if I am at the wrong location? I take a step and suddenly a breeze pushes against my back, accompanied by music from a speaker behind me.
I turn around and everything has changed. The street is suddenly filled with people. Lights glow above the tents that line the block, and smoke billows from the grills behind them. Then I hear my name through the crowd.
“Oliver! There you are—”
Ben smiles as he makes his way over. The next thing I know, my arms wrap tightly around him. Ben squeezes me back and whispers, “I was a little worried there.”
“Glad you found me,” I say.
“Told you I would.”
Cold air blows through my hair. Thankfully, I brought a jacket this time. I’m still not sure how I found myself back here, but all that matters is we’re together again. We smile at each other. Then a girl appears from behind him. She’s wearing a Hello Kitty puffer coat. Ben puts a hand on her shoulder and says, “This is Leah. We’re hanging out today.”
I crouch down a little. “Nice to meet you, Leah. I love your crown.” It’s a plastic tiara with pink flowers.
She just smiles at me.
“It’s her birthday tomorrow,” Ben says.
“Well, happy birthday! Soon you’ll be old enough to gamble.”
Ben chuckles. “She’s a little shy.”
“Oh, I don’t bite. Right, Ben?” I wink at him. Then I straighten up and take a look around. “What have you two been up to so far?”
“We did a little exploring,” Ben says. “But we haven’t been here very long. Leah wants a something to eat.”
I smile. “So what are we standing around for?”
Ben takes Leah by the hand, and we make our way through the maze of tents. There must be a thousand people here. It’s hard to believe the street was empty a minute ago.
Along the way, we stop by a table of handmade cards. I think about buying a pink one for Julie. I know how much she loves handwritten notes. At the food tents there’s a cute stand selling Korean street food. The potato corn dogs look especially good. We order three of them, along with some grilled tteokbokki and fries.
“I got this one,” Ben insists.
“Okay, I’ll get us dessert.”
Since I’m holding the tteokbokki, Ben puts a fry into my mouth.
“No ketchup?” I ask.
We laugh as we continue through the fair. There’s a tent giving out free ice cream samples. Surprisingly, our favorite flavor is Olive Oil Cheesecake. I offer to buy something for Leah. “Do you want a strawberry-colored cone? The pink will go nicely with your crown.”
“Mom said I can’t have more sweets,” she says.
I lean down and whisper, “But she’s not here, is she?”
Ben gives me a look. “Oliver…”
“She deserves one. It’s her birthday tomorrow.” I wink at her.
“Alright,” he agrees. Then he turns to Leah. “But don’t tell your mom.”
I get Leah a scoop of vanilla with sprinkles. This must change her mind about me, because she takes my hand instead of Ben’s.
There are a few carnival-style games farther down. Ring toss, balloon darts, the infamous duck pond. I haven’t played any of these in a long time. Ben gestures at the wall of prizes. “Leah was eyeing the stuffed animals earlier. I told her we’d come back to look at them.”