Mending ✔︎ - BWWM ~ (By @RachJoyy7)

11 ~ Date Flop

"Looks like we're taking a long stroll to the restaurant, huh?"

"Well, you can hold my hand for support," he offered with a grin.

"How sweet."

But before I could take a step, Alessio grabbed my hand. "My car's in the shop. It had a bit of a fender-bender. But no worries, we'll just walk to the night carnival."

"Wait, did you say night carnival?" I asked incredulously.

Alessio tried to play dumb, but I wasn't having it. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Is it the one on 5th Avenue?"

With a defeated sigh, he finally admitted the truth. "Okay, okay - you got me. I wanted to take you to this carnival because I heard they have a meerkat acrobat who's out of this world. Plus, who wouldn't want to see elephants in tutus or pigs doing juggling acts? It's the ultimate date spot!"

Looks like I was in for a wild ride - both literally and figuratively.

I could not believe what I was hearing. This guy had to be the world's biggest man-child. "You've got to be kidding me, right?" I said incredulously, eyeing him suspiciously.

But before I could even finish my sentence, he cut me off. "No, I'm not kidding - there's even an oreo fountain!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"An oreo...fountain?" I repeated, not even sure what to make of the absurdity of the statement.

But he was undaunted, pulling me along as we made our way towards the carnival. "Trust me, it's worth it. We're going to have the time of our lives!" he said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

As we made our way closer to 5th Avenue, the sounds of trumpets and drums grew louder, and my stomach started doing Olympic-level gymnastics.

Finally, we were there: Dexter's Night Carnival. Bright neon lights illuminated the entrance like a beacon in the night, tempting passersby to come closer. People of all ages were milling about in their finest carnival-wear – think multicolored tutus, feather boas, and oversized hats. The energy was contagious, and I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement run down my spine.

"I haven't been to a place like this in ages," I admitted, feeling a little giddy.

Alessio, for his part, looked like a kid in a candy store. "I know, right? It's like a whole new world out here!" he said with a grin.

As we walked deeper into the carnival, I could see games I hadn't played in years – balloon pop, ring toss, and even a dunk tank. My face lit up with excitement, and I couldn't help but laugh. "I cannot believe we're actually here."

He gave me a sheepish grin. "I know, I know – I guess I'm just a big kid at heart," he said with a chuckle.

And just when I thought things couldn't get any better, I saw it. The oreo fountain – a towering, glittering sculpture of black and white, flowing with a never-ending stream of melted chocolate and crushed cookies. My eyes widened in disbelief as I stared at this monument to decadence. "This is insane!" I exclaimed, feeling my sugar cravings kick into high gear.

Alessio was practically bouncing with excitement. "I told you it was worth it!" he said triumphantly.

As we made our way towards the fountain, a small boy who had just won a game approached it with a cup, eager to claim his reward. But it was clear the fountain master had a limit, as he yelled at the boy's mother to take him away once the cup overflowed. The young boy was having none of it, pulling on his mother's hair and screaming in protest.

"Next!" the master called out, slamming his hand onto the counter.

"Gosh, this line is long," Alessio muttered, shuffling his feet. "Maybe we should check out the meerkat first then?" he suggested.