Amour Beach discussion

Kelsey looked around the fair. Kids, teenagers, adults, even pets seemed to be having a great time. In her bag, she carried almost all the art supplies she owned. This would be her opportunity to make some extra money and she was excited about it. Her gaze was searching for somewhere suitable to settle. Near the roller coaster? No way. The clown show? Meh. Finally, she rooted for a spot near the stand of the Gypsy's Predictions.

After telling the gypsy woman that she 'worked' there, she agreed to lend her two chairs. Kelsey put one in front of the other and then sat down, sketchbook on her lap. "Here we go," She whispered, hoping there wasn't any security that would kick her out. She'd set a sign that said: Portraits $10

Being a pretty common name in sports, Vincent Parker had been asked to control a booth at the local fair. The proceeds would go to charity, for that was the only way he would agree. Of course the proprietor of the fair was fine with those conditions, seeing as being able to put the hockey player's name on advertisements would bring in more customers. Vincent, however, was not a fan of such crowds. He preferred to be alone or with a couple team mates at the rink. It wasn't a bad little setup he had across from the gypsy's and the artist's booths. Vincent was manning a little station that had a plastic hockey stick and a much softer puck. There was a plastic goal set up with that had a little goalie moving back and forth to protect it, taunting the players. Vincent himself sat behind a plastic table with a money box and a large stack of photos of himself he had been giving, which had a couple of pens on top of it. The deal was, you paid five bucks for three tries to score. If you scored, you could get a prize. Vincent was also supposed to sign autographs for anyone who asked. At least it's for a good cause, even though it is embarrassing...

Unfortunately, most of the people who came were middle aged men whose kids whinned that they wanted to go on the ferris wheel. Meanwhile, the men would try to prove to themselves that they were still athletic, fail miserably, and then Vincent would have to say something polite to them as they acted like crazy teenage girls around him. It was quite odd, really, and made Vincent feel very uncomfortable. He hadn't had anyone for a little while, though, as business was starting to slow. Vincent had noticed that it went like this: a lot of people, and then no people. There was no in betweens. So, Vincent thought he might as well play his own game, as bored as he was. Maybe he just wanted to see if he could do it. Vincent stood behind the tape line, further back then anyone else had, and hit the first puck. It went in immediately. Vincent wasn't satisfied, though. Sure, he could play some carnival game, but he had to do much more to make it to the Olympics. That was his goal, afterall. Vincent then glanced around, noticing the artist at the station across from him. She was an attractive girl, but Vincent wasn't very good at talking to people, so he didn't plan on trying to talk to her. He wondered how good she was at drawing, though...

It was early when she first set everything up. People came and went. Everytime they came, Kelsey sat straighter, pretending to look a little older and professional. Her improvised business didn't attract much attention, but she was determined to make it work. She couldn't count on her parents to cover all her college tuition. She also had to collaborate. Kelsey looked down at her pale skin; with this sun at least she'd get a decent tan.

"Can you draw me?" A little voice next to her asked. She jumped and saw a little girl holding a balloon, her parents smiling behind her. Kelsey nodded happily. Yes! Things would be okay! "Sure, take a seat." Pencil in hand, she took a deep breath and examined the girl's face. It was round and flushed, with a small nose and big brown eyes. "Now, try not to move, okay?" The little girl gave her a thumbs up and then sat still. Kelsey began to work. She didn't really paid attention to time while she drawed because it wasn't relevant. So, when it was done, she was surprised to see that it had only been fifteen minutes, and it wasn't a bad drawing... She felt proud. The girl squealed delightedly when she saw her picture, and her parents congratulated Kelsey.

"I have $20 bill, do you have change?" The father asked her, holding the money out. Kelsey's face fell. No, she didn't. Crap.

"Hold on, I'll get some." First, she tried with the gypsy, but no luck. Next, she walked to the opposite booth, where a guy was managing a hockey game. She prayed he could help her, because if not, she would probably lose her first client.

Kelsey cleared her throat. "Hey, sorry to bother. I need a hand getting change for 20 bucks. Could you help me?" She looked pretty desperate, and would have recognized who he was if she hadn't been so caught up in her request.

Not noticing the girl walk up, Vincent was presently preparing to take another shot. As he wasn't expecting her voice, he flinched slightly, causing the puck to collide with one of the lights surrounding the plastic goal. It burst soundlessly, causing little fractals of glass to hit the ground next to it, reminding of him of ice dust coming off skates. Vincent would have to fix that...But he was used to it. Breaking stuff, that is. He had always been a little clumsy off the ice.

Vincent turned to face the female voice, brushing his hair back and looking a little embarrassed. Real graceful, Parker. He mentally cursed himself before speaking up. "Oh, yeah." Unfortunately, Vincent's voice came out a little too hoarse, as he hadn't used it for fifteen minutes or so. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Yeah, I've got change. One second..." Vincent had always been polite, having been raised to mind his manners as if he might meet the Queen of England at any moment. Likewise, he gave her a small, friendly (yet quite bashful) smile before walking over to the little plastic table that sat at a little slant. This annoyed him, as Vincent was a bit of a perfectionist.

As he got the key to the money box out of the pocket of his jeans, he mentally noted some things about the girl. She had auburn hair that reminded Vincent of the Fall months. She was pretty, no doubt, but Vincent didn't have time for those thoughts. He had to focus if he ever wanted his dad's approval.

Vincent turned the key and flipped open the metal lid, pulling out two ten dollar bills and offering them to her. "Um, will this work?" He asked, noticing a young boy and his father approaching his booth. The boy's eyes lit up when he saw Vincent. "If you need anything else, uh, just ask... Ms. Psychic over there isn't exactly the warmest person." He said, nodding to the gypsy's tent with a light smirk.

"I'm so sorry!" Kelsey rubbed the back of her neck anxiously. She hadn't meant to startle him. It was a relief to know that he wasn't mad. He didn't sound mad, anyway. Her whole stance relaxed when he said he did have change. "That's awesome!"

Now that she wasn't so worried about the change issue, she could concentrate on other things. Like that he had a really nice smile, for example. There was a pile of photos on his table and then she remembered who he was. Of course! How could she have been so dumb? The guy was making history in hockey. Her father was a fan of the sport and more often than not, their family nights consisted in having dinner on the sofa while watching a game on TV.

Kelsey happily took the bills, holding out the twenty dollars. "It's perfect. Thanks again. If it weren't for you I'd have had to stay with an not very sell-able drawing." She smiled at him gratefully. At his comment about Mme. Marge, Kelsey laughed. "I know, but I like her. She's just a bit cryptic." She turned her head and saw the boy and his father that were going to try their luck with Vincent's booth. She turned towards him again. "Well, I have to..." She gestured to her own clients waiting for her and jogged to hand the father his ten dollar bill.

"Thanks for your purchase, tell your friends!" Kelsey sat down on her chair again, looking at where Vincent was, considering going to talk to him when he wasn't busy. Maybe she could play abd get an autograph for her dad!

"You're Welcome." Vincent mumbled to himself, although she had already left. He took the twenty dollar bill and slid it inside the box, closing the lid and locking it once more. After slipping the key in his pocket, Vincent addressed his new customers.

The young boy seemed to recognize him, which made Vincent uncomfortable. He had always loved kids, though, as he had helped take care of his younger sister, Annabel, when they were kids...even though she was only a couple years younger than him. That counted, right? The boy, who looked to be around eleven or twelve, rushed over to Vincent's booth. "Cool! You're Vincent Parker! Dad, look!" He exclaimed. Vincent smiled a bit when he heard how the kid wanted to include his dad, for he valued father, son relationships...Even though his was pretty crumby. There was also the little crack in the boy's voice that amused Vincent. He remembered that awkward age...

The man followed behind his son, raising an eyebrow, looking partially impressed that Vincent was here. "Here, Jake." The father said as he handed the boy a crisp five dollar bill. Jake then proceeded to rush over the Hockey game. He handed the five to Vincent before picking up the hockey stick. Vincent watched as the young boy swatted at the puck. It was obvious to him that Jake did in fact play hockey. It was also obvious that he was a amateur, too.

Jake did make one, though, which made Vincent happy for him. The boy got a prize and Vincent gave him an autograph in addition to that, which Vincent made out to 'Future hockey star, Jake'. "I'm going to be a hockey player like him some day." Vincent heard the boy tell his father as they left the booth, causing Vincent to smile a little wider.

After they were gone, Vincent glanced over at where the auburn haired girl was, wondering if he could actually get up the nerve to talk to her. Vincent had had a couple steady girlfriends in the past, most of which he got with help from his buddies. He wasn't exactly the flirting type when he first met someone, as he was much too awkward for that. Besides, he shouldn't be thinking about that. You're too busy! Focus!

Kelsey had been watching Vincent's booth while the kid played. It reminded her of her brother a few years before. When she noticed, on her sketchbook she'd lazily drawn Vincent's face! She'd captured a sort of wistful smiled on his face, like he was thinking of something he didn't have. No, no, no. If he saw that, he'd think she was a stalker. Some time she'd have to get rid of that one. Her family would just go crazy if they found that picture. Her gaze shifted towards him again, and found that he was looking at her too. Not thinking it was at her at first, she glanced around. At that moment, the only one nearby was an old lady.

Making a fast decision, Kelsey stood up and after closing and putting her sketchbook aside, she walked over casually. "Hey, again." She smiled. Talking with people was normally easy for her. Boys? Piece of cake. Hell, she'd drawn naked ones for an art class. But there was something in different in drawing someone without them knowing. "Can I give it a shot?" She asked holding out five dollars. "What do I get if I win?"

Looking up from his table, Vincent blinked in surprise when he saw who was talking. Is she even talking to me? He decided to just go with yes so that he wouldn't make a fool out of himself by looking behind him. Better to look like an idiot by talking to her, right? "Hey." It took him a second to get the word out of his mouth, almost as if he had forgotten how to say it.

Regaining his polite composure, Vincent gave the girl a smile. "You work here; It's on the house." That's what he had been doing for any of the other vendors who wondered over to his booth. If they had to be here all day too, they certainly deserved a fun little break. Vincent could only imagine the hand cramps you'd get from drawing all day long...

"Stuffed animal? A funky hat? Some type of plastic toy I think was made in China?" Vincent suggested jokingly. Is she hinting at something else? Having spent most of his days working on his shots in the rink, Vincent never had time for girls and didn't really know how to recognize flirting. So, he just acted like he would around anyone else, totally clueless. Sometimes, however, he flirted unintentionally. Vincent had that sort of natural charm about him. "You ever done this before?" He asked as he picked up the stick and walked over to her, holding it out for her to take.

That nice smile again... Kelsey shook herself mentally and forced herself to pay attention to what he was saying. "On the house? That's great." She folded the bill and shoved it in her pocket.

Her face lit up. "A hat! You have hats? I'd like a hat." She was quite proud of her collection. Her friends back home didn't really understand her obsession with them. Neither did her. She just knew she loved them, and wouldn't let an opportunity of getting another one slide past her. How hard could it be? She had watched her father and her brother play hockey several times, and even she used to play when she was younger.

"I have, but a long time ago." Kelsey took the stick, remembering how she was supposed to hold it. "The first time I played, I intended to use it like a bat. It didn't make my mom very happy."

Pleased to have made this girl's fact light up, Vincent smiled too himself. He didn't often show teeth when he smiled, for he wasn't that...open. "Well, I believe there are quite some...unusual hats up for grabs." He chuckled.

Vincent was a little surprised with her answer. Hockey was a guys sport! He had never been one for male chauvinism, but hockey was pretty rough. Girls were much, too delicate for the ice. At least that's what dad had always told him...Sorry, Howard. Whenever Vincent referred to Howard as his father, the man got an uncomfortable look on his face and would just go quiet. So, Vincent learned early on that Howard Parker didn't really want a son. That's why Vincent tried so hard to change his mind. "I'm Vincent, by the way." He said, more of an afterthought. He didn't think for one second that she might know who he was, as she was not a middle aged man nor a pre-pubescent boy.

He couldn't help but wince slightly when she said she used it as a bat. But, there was also a smile in his eyes, showing that that amused him greatly. "Well, at least you knew you were supposed to hit something with it." He offered with a snicker. "You might want to move your right hand a little lower, though. It'll give you better control." Vincent added, as he gave helpful little tips to all the customers.

Kelsey had her eyes focused on the funny goalie moving from side to side. Seriously? She could beat that. Could she? This is why she preferred to stay out of sports, even though she loved them. She was just too competitive and tended to demand of herself too much. The girl smiled when he said his name. Maybe he hadn't noticed, but his name was in big caps on a sign with his face on it. "I'm Kelsey."

His suggestion was helpful so she did as instructed. "I was going to hit my dad because he didn't stop telling me to focus. What did he think I was doing?" She shook her head. Narrowing her eyes, she swung the stick and the puck hit the outter edge of the plastic goal. "Hmmm..." She could almost see the goalie sticking his tongue out at her. For her next shot, it hit the little guy in the head, making it bounce back. Kelsey moved to a side, and tried one last time. Think of the hat, just think of the hat. The puck zoomed past the goalie, barely touching it. For a moment, she thought she hadn't made it, until she did. "I did it!"

She glanced over at Vincent smiling. "Thanks for the tip. It was very useful. I hope I didn't break anything."

Kesley... It was a nice name. Feminine, but not too delicate sounding. It suited her, really. "It's nice to meet you, Kelsey." Vincent said kindly, thinking that maybe he had made a new friend. You don't have time for that. It was the nagging voice of his father in the back of Vincent's mind. Vincent's only true friends were some of the guys from the team, as he usually never went anywhere outside of the rink and his own apartment. This was probably the longest conversation he had had with someone not involved with his University...

Whenever the girl, Kelsey, mentioned her father, it struck a nerve with Vincent. How many private practices had he spent with Howard in which he would get yelled at over and over because he wasn't a fourteen year old prodigy. Focus. Vincent had heard that word way too often, not only from his biological father, but from practically all of his coaches throughout the year. Just hearing that word made him feel inadequate, like he wasn't trying hard enough at any aspect of life.

Vincent was about ready to go help her with the game when his features morphed to an expression of shock. She actually got it? Maybe it was just a lucky shot, as multiple women had done the game with their children and had lucky shots. Either way, Vincent was a tad bit impressed. "Nice one..." He muttered, feeling awkward for not knowing what exactly to say. It wasn't every day he chatted casually with attractive girls...

"Funny." Vincent smirked, taking her comment as a playful jab at his own clumsiness. "Well, pick your prize." He gestured to the wall behind him with his right hand, not really adding any flourish to the motion like the other vendors did. What was he, a ringmaster?

Vincent wanted to keep the conversation going, as there was no one at either of their booths, but he wasn't exactly sure how. So, he stuck to the simplest, dumbest question he could think of. "So, you're an artist?" You're a genius, captain obvious.

Kelsey was practically buzzing with excitement. She had won! She could tell by his face that Vincent didn't think she would do it. It didn't bother her as much as it should. After all, he was the expert hockey player there. "Thanks! Phew, it was close."

The wall had a lot of prizes plastered on it. There was even a teddy bear. She was glad she'd get to pick hers instead of him choosing a random one for her. Kelsey inmediately went for the colorful hat. It was a silly, crazy one but she'd make it work. "This one is perfect." She said, taking it from where it hung on the wall. It was soft and had glitter on it that stuck to her fingers.

"Yes, I'm an artist. At least, I consider myself one." Kelsey smiled at him. "It has been slow today, but I hope I can get more portraits done tomorrow." She put on the hat. "So, what did legend Vincent Parker to end up at a Fair managing a game? Is it for advertising?" Her tone wasn't malicious, just curious. She truly wanted to know. "It's fine if you can't tell me, really." She added quickly, not wanting to appear nosy.

Vincent thouht it was kind of adorable how excited she seemed. Kelsey seemed to possess a childlike innocence, Vincent thought. Adorable was really the only word he could think to describe her. She seemed to be a nice person, which was refreshing. There didn't seem to be a lot of just nice people. The world was weird like that. Just think of what Howard would say if he saw his son right now, thinking so highly of a girl he didn't know, a girl that he shouldn't get to know any better. Or, think about how his team mates would react if they saw him interacting with such a pretty girl, actually in the ourside world.

"Yeah, it has been pretty slow today...But that's cool your an artist. I mess up drawing stick people..." Vincent said, rubbing the back of his neck absent-mindedly. He felt a little embarrassed that she said his full name and the word legend in the same sentence. He did like how his name sounding coming out of Kelsey's mouth, which was an odd thing to think. "Oh, um...Honestly, I went to the wrong grocery store." It sounded silly, but it was the truth. "I ran into the guy in charge of this whole thing." Vincent gestured around him at the fair. "Unfortunately, he recognized me. One thing led to another and he talked me into running a game here, proceeds going to a charity I work with." He let out a soft sigh. "Guess it's good advertisement for him." Vincent didn't see how. Honestly, how many hockey fans could there be in a place where it didn't even snow? "What about you? Worked here for long?"

Kelsey laughed. "Thank you." In her opinion, stick people ruled. She still sometimes drawed them out of fun. In fact, once, she'd drawn every person she knew as a stick one. Very funny. She realized she'd made him unconfortable and went over what she had said. Had she offended him? Maybe he was modest, which was strange since even though she admired athletes, she thought most them must be pretty proud and arrogant. She was glad Vincent definetely wasn't. He was someone she could be friends with. She already considered him one.

He told her about how he had agreed to be part of the fair, and was a little ashamed that she had been mistaken about his reasons too. She'd thought it had been for advertising himself. "Me?" She glanced sideways at her improvised booth. "I..." She looked at him nervously. "You promise you won't tell anyone?" She took a deep breath and sat down on one of the plastic chairs.

"Technically, I don't work here. I mean, I could've spoken with someone, but I've tried in other places and they always tell me that I'm not old enough, or that they need professionals." Kelsey huffed, the idea irritated her beyond words. Yeah, she wasn't an expert, but that's what she was aiming for. "I just started today, but it's possible I won't be here tomorrow. I feel like it'd be pushing my luck." She offered him a small smile.

((I'm sorry it's taken me so long. School started up again and I got a little swamped... :( ))

Vincent couldn't help but laugh along with Kelsey. She had that kind of laugh, you know? The kind that was infectious and no one within a three mile radius was safe. Honestly, Vincent could use a little humor right now. His buddies always told him he didn't know when to stop being serious...

Sitting in a chair beside her, Vincent became quite attentive. He had always been a good listener, and when someone was trying to tell him something, he would watch them closely. Slightly hesitant, Vincent finally answered her. "I - um - I guess not." He stated. Part of Vincent wondered how severe such a promise could be. His moral compass was going insane and he just hoped to God Kelsey wasn't trying to confess something terrible. She didn't look like someone who would do anything terrible though. Besides, it isn't like she killed anyone or something like that, right? Yeah...Vincent really needed to get out and talk to people more...

When he learned of the auburn haired girl's secret, he just sat in silence for a moment. The words didn't really register with him for some reason and the only thought he could process was it's possible I won't be here tomorrow. Vincent didn't think it seemed like anything bad. Most of the salesmen here scammed people on a regular basis, and at least Kelsey was actually giving a real service. I won't be here tomorrow. Vincent kept going back to those words and he didn't know why they mattered so much to him. Maybe it was the possibility of a friendship with someone who understood. "I don't think they'd notice." Something about his tone seemed off when he said it.

(Don't worry! It's cool :) )

Kelsey was relieved he wasn't mad or anything. His expression was odd, though. She realized it was his eyes. He had that way of making her fidget under his gaze. "Are you sure?" She bit her lip, thinking about it. If she got caught, her parents would surely her about it and she'd get in troubles. She glanced at her booth again. Oh, how she longed for a real one, with a pretty sign on it and a lot of people waiting to have protraits made...

"You know what? I'll talk to whoever runs this place." She suddenly said, making the decision in an instant. She felt like she was somehow lying when she sold the drawing to that family without them knowing she didn't actually work there. It just didn't felt right. Telling Vincent had given her the push she needed to try again. She'd never know if she didn't try. "You've talked to him. Do you think he'd let me work here?" Her face was more relaxed. She'd made a decision and it was as if it'd freed her. Yes! This was right. It was the right thing to do.

No, Vincent wasn't sure, not really. He barely knew the proprietor of the fair. Plus, the man did seem intimidating..."What's the worst that can happen?" He muttered, though his words had quite a hollow sound, as if he wasn't totally paying attention to them. Of course Vincent was invested in the conversation, but part of him had been lost in thought. He didn't know what was wrong with him! Why did his heart decide to start doing that weird leap thing his chest. Why did he even care that this girl might not be here tomorrow? I shouldn't care.

Nevertheless, Vincent made her an offer, pushing those distracting worries from his mind. "I don't see why he wouldn't. Actually, first thing tomorrow, come to my booth. I can go with you to talk to him. I'll put in a good word for you." He finished, surprised her didn't stutter when he spoke. His nervousness about being around another human was starting to dissipate. Well, around this human, at least. It always took Vincent awhile to warm up to people. In fact, he barely spoke to his team mates and really had no clue how they called each other friends. They always complained that Vincent was serious and uptight. Vincent didn't agree with that, to say the least.

What's the worst that can happen? Kelsey wondered again and again. Really, she could do it. Why not take a chance? She leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table with her chin resting on one of her hands. The worst would be her parents deciding she had to get a real summer job, where she'd get paid regularly. Vincent's offer to help her was just the reassurance she needed. "I-I will." She nodded eagerly, still processing that he was willing to do that for her. "It means a lot."

Kelsey smiled at him. He was very kind and just the type of guy you didn't find around very often. Wait, what was she thinking? She hadn't come to the beach hoping she'd get a summer crush or anything, but now that she'd met Vincent... She almost laughed at herself. Seriously? Hockey player Vincent Parker with her? She should stop wishful thinking before she ended up getting her hopes up.

A family stopping to look at her booth caught her eye and she looked at Vincent apologetically. It was time to work again.

Vincent glanced over at the Kelsey's booth, spotting the new customers before she did. That, unfortunately, meant she would have to leave. It's for the best. You need to stay focused, Parker! Don't let a girl - a very attractive girl - get in the way of what you've been working for! He kept telling himself that over and over, that he needed to stop all this nonsense right away. He didn't have time for a girlfriend if he wanted to make it to the Olympics...not that she would want to be his girlfriend or anything! Did she? Having had little to no experience with the opposite gender, Vincent didn't know how to pick up the signs. Why couldn't life be more like hockey, where you have a rule book and a playbook?

"It's no problem, Kelsey...I guess I'll see you around. Go make a masterpiece." He said softly, although he had no clue how talented she actually was. Make a masterpiece... That was the lamest pickup line ever. He felt stupid and exposed. He wished Howard had given him some advice on how to handle these kind of situations.

Vincent then let out a sigh, ready to go back to work at his own booth...which was basically just sitting around, waiting for anything to happen.

With a final wave his way, Kelsey got up from the chair and started walking back to her booth. She glanced over her shoulder at Vincent one last time with a bit of a longing expression.

The little family gave her warm smiles as she approached. "Sorry for making you wait. So, who's getting a portrait today?" She asked cheerfully. A woman stepped forward with her hand raised. "That would be me, and my daughter too." Kelsey was ecstatic. She'd be drawing two people! Inmediately she got to work. The woman wanted a colored picture so the techniques she had to do were a little different. Once she was done with the two, she realized a little more than half an hour had passed. "Here they are, I hope you like them." They seemed content with their portraits and paid accordingly, saying their goodbyes and continuing off to visit more games. She wanted to go talk to Vincent again but she couldn't go there with the excuse of wanting to play again. She smiled. Nope, that wouldn't go unnoticed for a second time.

Some hours later, Kelsey started packing her stuff. The Fair went on until very late at night but she couldn't draw in the dark so she pretty much called it a day. She send a quick text to her mom to tell her she'd be home soon.

When Vincent arrived at the Fair Grounds the next morning, he didn't really know what to expect. Part of him really wanted to see Kelsey again and wondered if she would show up. The other part of him was hoping she didn't come, as he would just get all flustered again and forget all the rules he had for himself. He didn't know how it was so easy to forget himself, as having fun and letting lose wasn't what Vincent did well. He was normally uptight, but he had been a little more relaxed yesterday, which was ridiculous. When he had went home, the weight he always felt on his chest had lessened slightly, which was also ridiculous. He didn't even know this girl!

"Get a hold of yourself, Parker." He muttered to himself, shaking his head and earning himself an odd glance from a family who had gotten hear early. Hey kids! Look at the lunatic talking to himself! Vincent sighed as he readied his booth for another day. He would only be working here for the rest of the week, and he didn't know how he felt about that. He didn't know how he felt about a lot of things, as if the universe was giving him mixed signals.

Vincent didn't even know if the manager would let Kelsey on. He didn't see why not, as she was positively delightful. But, Vincent didn't really know the proprietor, Ben Benninghoff, too well. It was a catchy name, though, like that of a lawyer or a guy on advertisements. Vincent tried to push all the thoughts of names and conflicts out of his mind as he turned on the power of his game, cauising the machine to make a noise and light up, the goalie coming to life.

A very upset mother had been waiting for Kelsey when she got home the night before. Fortunately, her father had just waved it off and let her go without further punishment than just telling her she should let them know in advance when she disappeared like that again.

That morning, Kelsey rode to the Fair Grounds on her bike, without all her art supplies this time, just a sketchbook and a pencil. The Fair Guy -as she called him- surely wouldn't allow her to work there without proof of her being able to draw decently. At least I won't be alone. She smiled, thinking about Vincent again, and inmediately, a blush crept up her neck.

Vincent was just getting his game ready when she saw him. From her stalker-ish activties the day before, she could tell he was more used to keeping to himself instead of being a center of attention. Kelsey walked towards where he was, waving at her Psychic friend in the opposite booth. "Hey Vincent," She said when she was close enough for him to hear. "I'm sorry if I'm late but my brother didn't want to drive me today so I was a little delayed."

Pleased that he didn't break anything this time, Vincent turned around to face Kelsey, as he recognized her voice. He shouldn't have grown accustomed to her voice that easily but...Well, he found himself becoming familiar with everything about her. Vincent's eyes lit up and the corner of his mouth turned upward. She actually showed up... Vincent had jad his doubts.

"Hello." He said softly, feeling his face get a little hot. It was just the weather causing that, right? He finished putting things in their place as he spoke. "So, are you ready to go see Mr. Benninghoff? I think I saw him by funhouse a second ago." He couldn't have left so quickly. Vincent finally finished his set up and strode over to Kelsey, hands in his pockets and a sort of hesitance about him.

Perhaps he should just try to enjoy himself for once, try flirting with a girl and see where it went. But it would probably result in compelte embarrassment for her. Part of Vincent couldn't help wondering if him and Kelsey could work out. Certainly there would be an answer to that if he knew more besides her name and occupation. He also couldn't help but wonder if Kelsey was actually interested in him, or only interested in him helping her get the job...

"Yep, ready. Are you?" She asked him, aking a few more steps forward. She noticed his hesitant stride, and couldn't help but wonder if he regretted offering his help. "It's fine if it doesn't work out," She said quickly. "I'm still so grateful."

Kelsey was wearing a simple sundress with a swimming suit underneath since she had babysitting duties later in the afternoon, taking little four-year old Henry Johnson for a stroll at the private Johnson's beach. It was a perfect day to spend the day outside. It gave her a sense of optimism and hope. It was as if everything was possible.

There was an unspoken question between them and she could feel it. It made a little awkward to stand there. She really wanted to talk to him some other time even if she didn't get the job. Kelsey rubbed her arms shyly, looking down for a moment. "And if you want, we could... hang out later, or some other day."