“Not a bad first date, is it?” Dave asked.
“Not bad? I don’t think they get any better.”
Being on top of a Ferris wheel with a smart, funny, beautiful woman on a perfect summer night was a kind of magic that was beyond even the best magician. “There’s one thing that could make it better.”
“Will that one thing occur before the ride starts again?”
“I think I can make that happen.” Mattie’s adorable face was right there, looking up at his trustingly. Dave leaned forward and kissed her gently for a brief moment. He pulled back and tasted cotton candy on his lips. Then Mattie tilted her face closer to his, and he did it again. That kiss lasted a million years longer, under the stars with the perfect love song filling the air around them.
Chapter 7
Mattie
Mattie floated on air all the way home. The highway might have been full of potholes, but she didn’t remember a single one. All she could remember after getting back to the camper van the night before was laying on the narrow bench, listening to Dave breathe in the other bed.
Her brain refused to co-operate with the dreamy feeling in her heart though. Their first date had gone so well that she couldn’t wait for their second. But would they even have a third if Dave was off being the best magician ever? If he was based in Grande Prairie, she’d be lucky to see him every few months when he was in Manitoba. Mattie desperately tried to come up with a way to talk him into coming to December the next day after his show so their road trip didn’t have to end. She wanted more date nights with him.
Now it was morning, and she was still without a plan.
They could have had breakfast at Ruth’s Place in town, but Dave insisted on cooking her something special on the Magnificent van’s propane stove to mark the end of their travels together. He did a good job with scrambled eggs and the package of croissants they’d bought back in Drumheller. Mattie finished the last of her orange juice box, then flattened it for the recycling bin. “Are you ready for your show, Dave the Magnificent?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “I got a text from the booking organizer. Apparently, there has been a spike in interest over the last couple of days, and all their posts tagged with my social media handle have been getting a lot of engagement. Any idea why @DaveTheMagnificent has four times as many followers as it had last week?”
Mattie rolled her eyes at him. “I don’t know. I’m sure it wasn’t successfully performing at a birthday party in Drumheller. Or driving a bright yellow camper van with your logo on the side across three provinces while towing a Christmas village. Or putting on an impromptu magic show in a restaurant to distract kids while their parents were watching to make sure a thunderstorm didn’t turn into a tornado. I have no idea what you could have done to draw attention to yourself.”
“Ha ha, very funny. You don’t think that all the posts you made me do had anything to do with it?”
“Nah. What do I know?”
“Right. You’re just a seasoned social media professional. If only I had somebody useful helping me.” He handed her the last mini croissant. “Here. Although you haven’t done anything to deserve it.”
“I’ll do better after your show this morning. Speaking of which, you need to get ready.”
Mattie took a walk around the campground while Dave changed into his performance costume. Mei Chen texted her to let her know that the company truck would leave December at nine o’clock and arrive at the campground at approximately noon to pick up her and the trailer. That gave Mattie four more hours with Dave. They were on morning three of the longest non-date in history, and it was the best date she’d had in years. But it was coming to an end.
No matter how things worked out, she wanted to do something to thank Dave for all the help and reassurances that he’d given her about her almost-criminal Santa’s Village. She knew exactly what she had to do. She’d give his magical future one last blast of support by ensuring that he had excellent social media content from his last show. She dropped her portable charger into her purse to make sure her phone wouldn’t die with all the filming she intended to do.
The still August air was already oppressively hot by nine o’clock, beating down on them from a cloudless sky. Dave drove down the highway with the windows open so they could pretend there was a breeze. A volunteer waved them into the cordoned-off area of the high school parking lot that was designated for performers. Dave loaded his canvas-sided wagon with props while Mattie grabbed his rolling suitcase.
When Dave rubbed his palm on his pantlegs, Mattie paused. His cowboy hat shaded his clean-shaven face, making his wide green eyes pop. “You aren’t nervous, are you? You’re going to do great.”
He shrugged. “I’m a little nervous. This is a lot bigger than a birthday party.”
Mattie took a breath. “Would you like a kiss? For luck?”
“I’m feeling like I need a lot of luck. Could I ask for two?”
“For you, sure.”
Dave leaned forward and placed his hands on the sides of Mattie’s face. His first kiss barely brushed her lips. His second kiss lingered a few seconds longer. Then he broke away slightly and leaned his forehead against hers. “That was pretty magical all on its own. I don’t know if I can top that.”
“Don’t kiss anybody at your show and let’s let this record stand. You can wow your audience with sleight of hand instead of kisses. I don’t think they’ll be upset by that.”
Dave took her hand. “Walk me to the stage?”
“I’ll be your crowd control.”
Mattie squeezed his hand behind the stage, then fought her way past the organizers and volunteers to stake out a spot where she had a clear view of the platform. The children’s music group finished up to a small but enthusiastic round of applause. Then a woman with strawberry-blonde hair came out.