Page 50 of Let's Kiss and Tell

I switch lanes to get to the I-10 West. I’ve never in my life had the urge to visit the Santa Monica Pier, but there’s something about Lucy that makes me want to try things I never wanted to otherwise.

When we get to the pier, it’s exactly how I predicted: loud and crowded. I wonder what the tourist-to-locals ratio is. There’s a long boardwalk bridging the Santa Monica promenade to the Pacific Ocean. Top 40 music plays on the overhead speaker system, a wide range of people walk from each attraction, and buskers perform to try to make a buck. We pass by carnival games andsouvenir shops until we hit a small area offering burgers and funnel cakes.

The pier has successfully achieved beachy, topsy-turvy chaos. But beyond the liveliness, thereisa seaside charm. If you look for it. The coastal bike path that runs alongside the Pacific Ocean is busy, but there’s a synchronicity among the bikers, casual Rollerbladers, and pedestrians. The old merry-go-round at first feels like it’s not worth seeing, but it’s been preserved from the golden age of entertainment.

“I’m still kind of full from lunch,” Lucy notes while eying the food stands. “But would you want to share a corn dog?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” I say. I’m not super hungry either. “I’ll get it.”

I order a corn dog and a cup of lemonade that’s so comically big, my niece could fit inside. After finding a spot to sit, Lucy blows the top of the corn dog and then takes a bite. My mind shouldn’t go there, but she’s eating a corn dog of all things and I’m only human.

“So,” she says, her mouth full, “what do you think?”

“I’m glad I get to say I experienced it,” I say, then take the corn dog from her and have a bite of my own. There is something about carnival food that really does hit the spot every time.

“You hate it,” she says matter-of-factly.

“I didn’t say that!” I try and fail to conceal a laugh. “But I most definitely will never come back here.”

Lucy takes a sip of lemonade and then looks around her. “Okay, well, if we’re never coming back here, we have to at least do a ride.”

“Nowthatis something I’m on board for.” I look up at the giant vertical revolving wheel in the distance. “Ferris wheel?”

She looks up at the amusement ride, analyzing each cabin rotating. “Sure.”

“Okay,nowI’m excited,” I say. “I love rides.”

“Really?” Lucy squeezes a packet of mustard on her corn dog bite. “Like roller coasters?”

“Oh yeah,” I say. “I’ll fuck up a roller coaster.”

“Do you prefer loops or drops?”

“Both.”

She looks at me with intrigue. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for the type.”

“And what type is that?” I ask, amused.

“I don’t know,” she says slowly, thinking. “You just seem like you’d like more…tame rides.”

I blink. “Like I’m some kind of a wimp?”

“No!” Lucy laughs, shaking her head. “Not at all! Just like…more mellow. You don’t seem like a thrill seeker.”

“Tame and mellow.” I repeat her own words back. “What every guy wants to hear.”

“No, that came out wrong!” she cries. “I meantsafe—”

“Safe?!” I take the final bite of our corn dog and then wipe my hands on one of the napkins. “I’ll have you know, Lucy Reid, I am one of the most dangerous, badass people out there. In high school, parents would pace their living rooms waiting for their daughters to come home when they were on a date with me.”

“Oh, is that so?” Lucy follows me toward the Ferris wheel, lemonade in hand.

“It is so.” I nod. “I am absolutely not making this up. I may seem like I spent most Friday nights at home with a puzzle, but I was a loose cannon. Nobody was safe. My nickname was actually Unsafe Oakley.”

Lucy bursts into laughter and then swats my arm. “Okay, I’m sorry,” she says through her giggles. “I stand corrected. You’re a rebel. A regular James Dean.”

“Exactly.” I walk up to the ticket booth and get us two passes. Lucy takes a final sip of lemonade before tossing it in the trash.