“Here,” Maddox called in the din. He put a hand on the small of her back, and the two ran toward the carousel about twenty feet away.
Adelie followed Maddox, who wove his way through the iron maze for patrons to line up within. He opened the final gate, allowing her through first to hurry up the step and onto the dormant carousel, taking shelter beneath its circus-tent-like roof.
The air was still brisk, and the rain made a symphony of noise on the roof, but at least she wasn’t getting any more soaked than she already was. Adelie lowered her bag, wiped wet hair and rain from her eyes, and caught her racing breath.
Rain dripped from Maddox’s hair, which had fallen into his eyes. He raked his hands through, whipping it clear of his forehead. In his leather jacket, with his watch peeking through the end of his sleeve, the action made him appear like a supermodel. Tantalizing, but off-limits.
“Here we go,” he said, resting a hand on the back of a seahorse. “We’ll just wait it out.”
“This is actually really great,” Adelie said, reining in her racing heart and glancing at the carousel.
“It is?”
She gestured to the surrounding animals; the mice, cats, flamingoes, and then up at the inner workings of the poles leading to their gears in the roof. This ride hadn’t been part of Friday’s challenge, which was a shame. She would have loved a ride.
“How often does anyone get a carousel all to themselves?”
“You’ve got your pick,” Maddox said, gesturing to the animals.
The prospect was enchanting. Despite the cold, warmth radiated through her at his invitation.
“No horses?” she asked. “All carousels have horses.”
“Not this one.” He gripped the pole holding a fat hedgehog to the upper and lower gears.
“Makes sense,” she said, wandering on the wide, circular platform and inspecting each ornate creature. “Wonderland doesn’t conform to any norms.”
“Exactly,” Maddox said, walking with her as she wove between a pair of elaborate fish. “Which one will it be?”
“This one,” Adelie said, stopped beside a brilliantly colored peacock. Peacocks were the kind of bird that demanded respect and attention, yet they kept to themselves. She liked that.
“Well?” He inclined his head. “Are you going to get on?”
A blush claimed her cheeks. She lowered her head, hoping to hide it. “It’s not moving.”
The corner of his lip quirked. “Isn’t it?”
Adelie fought a smile and lifted a foot, climbing onto the peacock. She gripped the pole with one hand to steady herself until she inserted her feet into the stirrups on either side. Seated as she was, it put her on eye-level with Maddox.
Rain hammered against the carousel roof and created a curtain around them. For only a moment, Adelie didn’t notice the playful landscapes painted on the carousel’s center pivot. Her feet nestled in the stirrups, her hand gripped the peacock’s reins, and her heart tapped out a rapid rhythm in her chest.
Maddox hadn’t found his own creature as she thought he would. He remained close and directed his gaze at her. Lifting a hand, he gently wiped a raindrop from her cheek. His touch sizzled straight into her skin.
He sees me as his Alice, she reminded herself. Nothing more.
“Would you believe I’ve never been on a carousel before?” she asked.
His hand rested on the peacock’s fiberglass beak. “How is that even possible?”
She tried to play it off as something totally normal. “I’ve never really been anywhere like this. To a theme park, I mean.”
“Where are you from?” he asked.
“Here,” she said. “Westville. I’ve lived here my whole life. I just—” How could she tell him she didn’t get out much, and that it was by choice? She might as well proclaim she opted to live the most boring life possible because it meant less risk.
“If I knew how it worked, I’d start it for you,” he said, still standing close to her.
Adelie swallowed. She’d never had attention like this before, not from boys at school or men in her college classes—the ones that were in person or online, like she was taking right now. She’d never even been kissed, either. The prospect had been non-existent. But here, in the rain, on a carousel that for all the world was singing its own melody and spinning right off with her imagination, a kiss suddenly became an option.
He was so handsome. And he was looking at her, resting his hand close to hers, her knee brushing his side.
The rain slowed. Her mind cleared in the subsequent quiet. What was she doing thinking of kissing him?
“Looks like things are clearing up out there,” he said.
“Yeah. I should probably get going.”
But she didn’t move, and for a long moment, neither did he. He lingered there, capturing her with his pale green eyes.
Finally, he cleared his throat and stepped back, glancing around as if only just remembering where he was. “Right,” he said, offering her a hand as she slid down.
She didn’t take it. She wasn’t sure she could handle feeling his fingers touch hers.
Clearing his throat, Maddox stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I think you get the idea of what we’ll be doing here. Was two days enough time? Have you made a decision about my offer?”
Adelie tucked her wet hair behind her ear. “When would I get the money?”
“Half up front,” Maddox said. “And half will be deposited once the images are in place, in the bank account of your choice.”
Half. Oh, sweet goodness.
She attempted to remain unperturbed, though inside her organs were rotating. “When would the photo shoot be?”
“One week,” Maddox said. He stepped off from the carousel’s platform and again turned to offer her a hand, but she’d already leaped off as well. “And then you’ll be in every corner of Wonderland.”
Every corner. She was really doing this. “Will I need any kind of… I don’t know, training?”
Maddox stood back. He
