“You must. Now we’re chatting normally, looking around everywhere.” Ruby glanced around. She waved casually to no one because we were two hundred feet in the air. “Casual glancing, just chatting, rhubarb, rhubarb,” Ruby said, looking anywhere but directly at me.

“Hold on, rhubarb?” I interrupted.

“Yeah, that’s what background actors say when they’re supposed to be talking. Don’t you know anything?”

I shrug. “Rhubarb, rhubarb.”

“Casual discussion, rhubarb, rhubarb. OK, now eye contact in

three

two

one.”

Ruby locked eyes with me and I struggled not to crumple into giggles. Biting the inside of my cheek, I focused my eyes on hers and counted down the seconds.

Ten—This is so silly.

Nine—I’m going to laugh. I am going to laugh.

Eight—Bite your lip if you have to.

Seven—Focus on the eyes. Take a deep breath. That blue freckle is so cute.

Six—Ruby’s eyes are flecked with green. They’re really more hazel than brown.

Five—How come it’s so quiet all of a sudden?

Four—Is that my heart pounding in my ears?

Three—It isn’t funny anymore.

Two—This is too intense.

One—Don’t look away.

Her eyes closed and mine did too. I felt her breath on my lips.. Her lips touched mine, but barely. That’s all it took to send signals firing to the rest of my body. I pressed my lips against hers more firmly and her lips parted, her tongue soft and breath sweet. One of her hands moved to my hips, the other hand moved to my face and cupped it. No one had ever done that before. There was something so gentle about it.

Then she pulled away and the rest of the world rushed back in like someone had turned up the sound and turned on the lights again. The wheel cranked to life with a crunching sound. We started our descent back to solid ground and I crossed my legs as I suddenly remembered how badly I needed the loo.

11.