The Loophole

Chapter 4

"I'm still surprised that you chose this place for our second date." Grissom tried not to smile as she shoved another handful of cotton candy into her mouth.

She licked her chin, dismayed to find the sugar was sticking to it. "Whoever invented cotton candy was a god."

"It was a guy named Thomas Patton."

"Thomas Patton was a god." She pulled a long pink strand of cotton candy off her cone, catching it on her tongue. "You make that stuff up, don't you."

"What stuff?" Only Sara could make eating cotton candy erotic, he thought.

"Whenever we ask who invented something, you make it up."

He shook his head. "It was Thomas Patton."

"Why do you know that?"

"Curiosity." He shrugged. "I didn't have a lot of friends growing up. I was a curious kid, and the few friends I did have didn't understand me. So I read."

"About the inventor of cotton candy."

"About anything. And to be fair, he didn't really invent it so much as patent it."

"Thomas Patent."

He pulled the cone out of her hand. "I'm cutting you off."

"No!" She squealed and tried to grab it back. "I don't have a problem!"

"You will if you keep making puns like that." He pulled off a pinch of cotton candy and stuck it on her pouting bottom lip. "So tell me, why'd you pick an amusement park for our second date?"

Her tongue darted across her bottom lip, making his breath catch. "I wanted to see you on a roller coaster."

"Why?" Grissom couldn't stop staring at her mouth.

She leaned forward, whispering in his ear. "I want to see what you look like when you let go."

Sara jumped off the bench, dragging him along before he could concoct a suitably salacious response. They weaved in between booths and vendors, making their way to The Wraparound, a giant roller coaster whose series of ten loops made her eyes widen. The line stretched far enough back to warrant a second serving of cotton candy, at least in her opinion. They stood behind two teenage boys who made googly eyes at Sara until Grissom hollered at them. She clutched at her side, the combination of laughter and sugar making her stomach cramp.

Finally they reached the front of the line. Grissom pulled the harness over her head, making sure she was secure before tending to his own harness. They leaned back in their seats as the car began its ascent.

"Hey Griss?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you one of those people that think roller coasters are a metaphor for life?"

Somehow, his hand found hers as the car reached the summit and began to plunge downward. She shrieked in delighted terror and squeezed his hand tighter. The rush of wind hit his face, and he was free.

After the ride was over, Sara turned to him, her eyes glowing. "We have to do that again. You should have seen your face when we went over the top."

"Yeah, okay, and you think I'm the one with the metaphor issues."

The ride's line had grown even longer, and they decided to explore some of the booths instead. The shooting gallery caught his eye, and he shot five bull's-eyes, winning her a giant, orange plush rabbit.

"What are you going to name it?"

She gazed at the rabbit. "Ugly?"

"Hey!"

"Grissom, come on, this is the most hideous stuffed animal I've ever seen. It's going to give me nightmares."

He would have argued, but she was kind of right. The eyes alone made him uncomfortable.

She spotted a fortune teller's booth. "Ooh, let's get our fortunes read!"

He groaned. "You really believe that stuff?"

"Totally! I've always been a little psychic myself."

"Uh huh. Then why do we need to go to this booth?"

"See, I knew you were going to say that! My psychic powers are amazing."

The fortune teller, Madame Rosa, exclaimed that Sara had the most interesting palm she'd ever seen. Grissom rolled his eyes.

Further down the fairway, they stumbled upon a Tunnel of Love. "Okay, we have to go on this," she insisted, getting in line.

"Ugh, is this one of those weird boat rides in the dark?" He shuddered. "They creep me out."

She turned to him with an incredulous stare. "You processed three maggoty bodies today. One of them didn't even have a head. And a boat ride creeps you out?"

The couple in front of them in line gave each other a horrified glance and walked away. Grissom snorted. "Honey, you're scaring the normal people."

To Sara's delight, they were placed in a boat shaped like a swan. The attendant gave the swan a slight push and they floated into darkness. Soothing music echoed softly through the tunnel as they crept along.

He put his arm around her and she leaned into his shoulder. "Now tell me, Griss, how is this creepy?"

"Shh, I'm concentrating."

She turned to look at him, but couldn't see his face. "Concentrating on what?"

"A plan to get you to make out with me in a swan boat."

She laughed, then, her voice echoing off the tunnel walls and skimming the surface of the water like a skipping stone. He pushed his lips onto hers, tasting laughter and cotton candy. She moaned into his mouth when his tongue stroked hers, and he wondered if they could stop the boat, stop the forward motion, freeze the moment so he could pin it up on his wall and look at it whenever he wanted.

The ride was over all too soon. The gawky teenaged attendant cleared his throat, waiting for them to stop kissing so that he could load another couple onto the boat. When they stood, Sara flashed the teen a dazzling smile.

"Thomas Patton invented cotton candy," she whispered. "Use that line on a girl sometime."