No Rules Required: Chapter Seventeen
One couple met before, but this time, it will be different. Another couple’s kismet is about to change all their plans.
No Rules Required serial is a small-town, friends-to-lovers closed-door romance with new chapters added twice a month.
This is a story that has no rules.
The characters can be whoever we want them to be.
Are they your everyday character, or is this a paranormal world? Is Jules a witch, or is Olly a werewolf? I don’t know yet, but each chapter will get us closer to all those answers and more.
You can help me bring in new characters and say goodbye to current characters because, again, there are no rules required.
Let’s have some fun!
Jules
“What should we have first?” Once we walked through the entrance, Olly stopped and turned to face me. “Or should we go on a ride first?”
I glanced around for a moment to get the lay of the land. Right in front of us were several options for something to eat. “It’s funny how they put the food at the entrance.”
“It’s like they want you to vomit on one of the rides.” Olly shook his head.
“Right?” I laughed. “I’m not hungry right now. Are you?”
“Um, not hungry, but are you thirsty?” He pointed at something to our right. “We could grab some lemonade?”
“That sounds delicious.”
He held out his hand for me to take. “I agree.”
I looked down and paused briefly before placing my hand in his. It’s funny how life sends you little messages to ensure you’re paying attention. If Stacy hadn’t introduced me to Olly, I don’t know if we would’ve ever had this moment.
I may need to give Stacy a gift card to her favorite store as a thank you.
“Do you like to go to the fair every year?” I laced my fingers with his.
“I did when I was younger.” We stopped in front of the trailer with the lemonade. “This is maybe my second time going in the last several years.”
“Same.” I attempted to pull my wallet out of my purse.
“No.” He placed his hand over mine. “Tonight is my treat.”
“I can contribute a little.” I shook my head. “You shouldn’t have to pay for everything.”
“It’s not about shouldn’t. I want to.” He stepped up to the counter. “I’m unsure how you feel about this, but would you like to share a cup? Or should I order two?”
“Let’s share.” I placed my hand on his bicep. “We have a lot of ground to cover, and I really mean I plan to eat a lot of food.”
He laughed and ordered us a lemonade. “Seriously, you are not like anyone I’ve ever dated.”
“Good.” I shrugged. “All those other women sound boring.”
“You may be right.” He handed me the lemonade and finished paying.
“Thank you.” I took a sip, and immediately, my lips puckered from sweet and sour flavors.
“So, from the look on your face, it’s perfect?”
“Yup, still my favorite.” I handed it back to him. “So, tell me something about you.”
“What do you want to know?” He held the lemonade in one hand and grabbed my hand.
“Did you always plan to own your own business and follow in your family’s footsteps?” We had to walk slowly because of the many people around us.
“Yes and no.” He squeezed my hand and tugged me to the side, where there was an empty bench. “I did go to college for marketing. During my degree, I thought about finding a job with a large company.”
“What changed your mind?”
He turned to face me. “My internship.”
I knew my eyes went wide. “Oh, no. What happened?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged. “I just didn’t like how it felt in a big company. It was less about the community you serve and more about money.”
“Yup, I feel that to my core.” I nodded. “I thought about working at a large company, too, but every time I stepped into the market, I knew bigger was not always better.”
“The market was run by someone else for a long time, right?” He took a sip of the lemonade.
“Yeah, and Stacy told me they would close it down if they couldn’t sell it.” I glanced around at the people and thought about the day I decided to buy the market. “I was the one who suggested buying it.”
“Was Stacy on board immediately?”
“Oh, shit, no.” I laughed. “She was still working at a corporate job. A few days after I suggested it, she lost her job.”
“Things happen for a reason, right?”
“Yeah, that’s true.” I smiled. “It was tough at first because she needed a job. We moved in together to help with expenses while we figured everything out.”
“Does she regret it?”
“Hell no.” I took a sip of the lemonade. “We love that market, and the community was so happy to find out it wouldn’t be closing its doors.” I hopped up and held out my hand. “We should get some tickets and go on a few rides.”
“I like the way you think.”
“Which ride should we go on first?” I wrapped my arm around his bicep and fell against him. “I have a suggestion?”
We stepped up to the ticket counter. “You do, huh?”
“Yup.” I laughed. “We need to go on the Ferris wheel.”
“Why did I know you would say that?” He handed the woman behind the plexie glass a twenty-dollar bill.
“Oh, no. Was that a bad suggestion?” I placed my hand on his forearm. “Are you afraid of heights?”
He grabbed the tickets. “Not afraid of heights. It’s not my favorite ride.”
“We don’t have to go. It’s okay.” I stopped and turned to face him. “Tell you which ride you would like to go on?”
“We’re going on the Ferris wheel and then the Tilt-A-Whirl.” He winked and tugged me in the direction of the Ferris wheel.
It had been a long time since I had felt this comfortable with another man. I didn’t think I would ever feel this way again after Eric passed. There was something special about tonight. It was almost like Eric was whispering in my ear, “Have fun.” He was probably right, too; it was time.
AUTHOR NOTE:
That lemonade they ordered brings back so many memories. It was one of my favorite things to enjoy whenever my family visited the fair. I had to get my own because I loved it that much. Hmmm… is Olly being honest about his fear of heights? It would be adorable if he suddenly had this mini panic attack. I have a feeling Jules would console him in the kindest way. What do you think? Should he be afraid of heights?