Sitting on a bench on the midway, Steve could see the trash all around - candy wrappers, drink cups, a few religious brochures, and, looking directly ...own, a used condom. *Not Great America.* he thought. Tinny music came from the cracked speakers under the Tilt-A-Whirl across the way. Looking at the chipped and faded paint, marred here and there by rust spots, Steve, who fancied himself a poetic soul at times, likened it to a pathetic attempt at a song of seduction sung by a wrinkled whore,. "This exercise teaches submersive techniques -- it's hard to paddle your way to the bottom of the pool -- as well as techniques of cooperation." Submersive..." Come, Caroline." He led her along the ledge of the pool to the deep end. "Now your job is to get the ring. But the water here is deeper than you are tall, so you're going to have to paddle hard." But --" Now, I'm willing to help you," he whispered. "Every time you give Grant's little soldier a few tugs, I'll give you a little push from. “Whoa, lady listen, I didn’t really mean anything by it. I was just goofing off ya know?” Alan said with one hand up and a nervous chuckle – dumping his cigarette and edging further away from her.“That’s the problem with men like you. You never mean what you say and back down as soon as things get a little too heated right? Take your dick out,” she said with both hands rubbing her thighs vertically and cocking her head to the side.“Are you fucking nuts? I’m not doing that! I don’t even know. ” She said, and Jamie sighed, as she looked back outside. “I wish Noah was here.” She said, and Erin sighed. “He would have been here if he could have. For now you’re stuck with me.” She said, and took Jamie’s hands. Jamie just smiled, and held onto Erin’s hands for a bit. “Almost a year later, and you have a published book, and now people are standing around a small bookstore wanting your autograph. What more could you want?” Erin asked, and Jamie sighed. “Stronger nerves?” She asked, and Erin.