Chapter 6

“Is this a..theme park?!” cries Eli seeing ‘Adventure Land’ written across a board in large letters over the entrance gates.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s not like one of the modern ones. It’s been around for a few years but it’s still cool and-”
“Awesome!” grins Eli.
“What?” asks Ivy shocked. She’d thought he’d hate it. Thus the reason she’d brought him to the old place. She’d suspected him to be one of those types to like expensive restaurants and suave activities like ballroom dancing or something. Not old amusement parks.
“I said it looks awesome! I can’t believe I didn’t even know about this place,” awes Eli, “come let’s go!”

Ivy let’s herself get half-dragged to the entrance booth, where a mid-forties man sat gazing out bored. 
“Ivy?! Is that you?” he gasps sitting upright to attention.
“Hey Keith. How you doing? How’s Mary and the kids?” she greets warmly.
“Yeah, they’re good. Billy’s 6 now. The kid had such a growth spurt we had to get him a whole new wardrobe. And Mary’s fine. You know, we’re both good. How about you? Haven’t seen you in a while; I thought you were in college. How’s your ma?”
“I’m okay and college...wasn’t for me. Mom’s...okay as well,” sighs Ivy, guilt seeping through her at her lies but she’s not just going to announce her problems to everyone. They just don’t need to know; besides what can they do?
“Good, good...So you on a date?” he grins, his eyes flickering to the man beside Ivy, who’s eyes were fixed on the scenery behind the booth.
“Yeah, you could say that,” mumbles Ivy.

"Well anyway, you kids have fun," calls Keith causing a grimace from Ivy. 

She bids him goodbye and starts walking only to spin around as she notices she's minus one person. 

"Hey! Are you going to just stand there all day gawking?!" rhetorically cries Ivy to the still awestruck Eli. 

He grins at her and jogs up to her. Before she can react he's wrapped an arm around her tiny waist, propelling her foot off the ground.

"Eli!" she squeals her hands clutching to his forearm.

Eli just laughs and stops the momentum. He pouts when he notices her disapproving look. 

"Oh come on! Lighten up, we're here to have fun!" protests Eli making Ivy just shake her head.

They start wandering down the rows of stalls nearer to the rides section. 

"So how come we didn't need to pay?" enquires Eli.

"Oh, it's a long story," responds Ivy distractedly. 

"And we've got all day, literally," argues back Eli.

"Fine," sighs Ivy, "So the guy who owns this place is called-Derek. His step-sister-Ellie is my best friend. When she was 16 she fell pregnant and her parents weren't all that supportive. So they kicked her out. Rather than have her going into foster care, she lived with mom and me. Derek couldn't take her in because he was just getting by himself as it was and couldn't look after his sister too. Anyway, he was so grateful he gave mom and I free passes," explains Ivy as they near the rides section. 

Ivy gives a low whistle and nods.

"Okay so, what first?" he asks praying she won't pick wimpy rides like the teacups.

"Seriously?!" he explains shocked. This girl is just full of surprises, he concludes.

"Yeah, I mean unless you'd rather go on the caterpillar. Although that is for kids under 6 but, I'm sure I could talk to Dan and make an exception for you," teases Ivy nonchalantly.

"Well the caterpillar ride does look awfully fun, however I guess I could make do with this," he retorts in the same teasing tone, grinning up at the monster rollercoaster. Oh man, this date really is awesome! He cries to himself jumping in queue. 

"Woah! That was so cool! Okay what next!" 

Ivy ignores him for a minute as she gets her bearings straight. Then when she's satisfied, she gazes to her left in humour. His excitement reminds her of a hyper puppy dog. The grin on his face is so contagious and she even feels a fluttering in her heart. What the he'll is that? She asks herself as they climb aboard the Rocking Ship. 

What is it? Joy? Happiness?...Must be a bit of both, she gathers smiling.

"Hey Tinks, I know another way we can make this ship rock," smirks Eli with a wink. 

"You sound so full of yourself, Eli. I wonder are you overcompensating for something, hm? You know, big talk-small dick?" retorts Ivy. 

Eli just chuckles whole heartedly at the quick and brutal response at his manhood.

"Trust me baby, I’m definitely not. I would totally rip you in fucking half," he lowly responds.

"..Pleasant," she dryly states raising her arms for the handrail to lower down as the ride starts.

Oh why, oh why did she have to ask him to be himself on this date? 

Rides and rides later, both start to feel their stomach rumble in hunger. All the exhilaration and excitement were getting to them. So mutually deciding to break for some cheap fast food, they make their way to the numerous food vender’s.
“What do you want?” questions Ivy digging out some money from her pocket.
“Hot dogs?”
Ivy just nods in agreement, about to make her way to the hot dog vender to buy two hot dogs but a steel grip on her bicep prevents her from doing so.
“Wait, let me pay,” insists Eli. Perhaps it’s an outdated concept but he’d always believed it to be his duty to pay on dates. Him being the male. The man.
“No, this date is on me. I told you, I’m taking you out. Now do you want mustard and ketchup on your hot dog?” she responds.
“...Anyone ever told you, you are damn pushy?” just mumbles Eli with a lop-sided half grin.
“Both it is then,” nods Ivy ignoring his last dig at her and spinning on her heels to the vender.
Eli appraises his mate’s lean legs swish down the yard, his thoughts all urging him to explore the sweet cave between them. He feels his pants tighten slightly and mutters curses to himself, yet he’s unable to stop his masochism. He could almost imagine pounding into her. Her slim legs wrapped around his waist; her whole lithe body rocking forcefully from his thrusts. And she’d be moaning under him. Moaning and groaning and screaming; begging from him to go faster, harder, deeper. She’d feel like she’d be tearing in half, so full and stuffed by him....Shit! Groans Eli softly to himself. Why is he so fucking taken with her?! She’s not that special. Not a super hot lingerie model, just a goddamn waitress! But...but-Ah! Eli’s mind screams in conflict. It must be a mate thing, he concludes. If she weren’t his mate, he honestly wouldn’t even be day-dreaming so lustfully about her. Then again, it’s not like he doesn’t enjoy it. And he can’t say he wouldn’t mind those scenarios happening.

“Hey? Hello?”
“Huh?” comes his mumbled response.
“Are you okay?” she asks him concerned. She could see his expressionless face and that worried her. She’d already come to think of him as an open book. A man who can’t hide his emotions but seeing him so...blank caused her female mind to whizz a hundred miles an hour and wonder if she has caused the sudden change.
“Hm? Yeah, fine, I was just...thinking,” he replies with a smile.
“Thinking?”
“Yep.”
“Well...don’t push too hard, you may injure yourself,” she teases seeing his trademark smile appear on that sinfully handsome face.
“Aw, Tinks, you actually care!” he cries mockingly sniffing and wiping a fake tear. Ivy just rolls her eyes and sighs, before pushing out one of the hot dogs to him, “here.”


As they toss the wrappers into the trash can, Ivy’s mind sparks with a fun little idea. Eli’s so cocky and...fun, Ivy knows he’ll be up for the little competition.
“Hey, you want to have some fun?” she asks.
“Fun? Hell yeah, my place or yours?” enthusiastically yelps Eli in delight. Finally! About time she just gave into him.
“Not that kind of fun! I mean, a competition?”
“Go on...”
“Okay, first we need to eat a double cheeseburger and drink some soda, so I’ll just go get that,” she bubbles skipping away without no other explanation into what this ‘fun’ would entail. Eli just shrugs, he’s not exactly going to say no to a cheeseburger, now is he?

She finished before him. She...inhaled the thing. He stares down at the small section of burger still in-between his fingers and then at the petite woman before him. When she’d bought the cheeseburgers, he was sure that she wouldn’t be able to finish it. And now...not only has she eaten the whole thing but she also did it faster than him! How the hell can a woman of her size manage it?! And where the hell does it go? He knows he’ll have to do at least a 2 hour workout session with the amount of grease and fat that’d been on the burgers, (but God is it worth it!) however her...he doubts with her busy schedule she’d go to the gym.

“Okay, so what now?”
“Now, we go on the Turbo,” wickedly grins Ivy.
“Wait...is that a good idea?” questions Eli causing Ivy to snort in laughter.
“Not really but do you care?” she retorts with a raised eyebrow.
“No but-”
“Unless you’re chicken of course. But I don’t know, I pegged you as someone who didn’t mind a bit of friendly competition,” she shrugs nonchalantly drawing him in.
Eli narrows his eyes, his male pride winning over reason and sensibility, “As if I’m chicken!...No I’m up for it. But there needs to be some motivation...some kind of bet, maybe?”
“Alright, let’s make it interesting. We go on the ride consecutively. First one to puke looses. Now what should be the prizes?”
“Sounds good. Okay, so if I win...I want a kiss and another date-”
“No! You can’t demand two things! One. Only one,” protests Ivy indignantly.
“Fine...A kiss. What do you want?”
Ivy has to pause a minute to think about it. What does she want from him? Nothing, really. But the opportunity to have that power over him is too irresistible.
“Come on, before I die from old age!” exaggerates Eli.
“Okay, okay. If I win, you have to work at the diner all weekend. 9-5 both Saturday and Sunday-”
“Hey! If I get only one thing, so do you!”
“Fine, just Saturday,” she revises. He nods in agreement and places out his hand.
“Let’s shake on it...unless you’d rather kiss on it,” he wickedly smirks. Ivy just ignores that comment and firmly clasps her hand in his much larger hand, before giving it one good shake.

As the straps go down on them and the guy controlling the ride gives them both barf bags, Eli can hear a small part of his mind screaming in anger. What the fuck is he doing? It cries; this is ridiculous! But of course, paying no heed to that voice of reason, Eli determinedly gazes around. They’re strapped into the inside of a large wheel. Having seen people go on it before them, Eli knows that the thing will soon be spinning rapidly and not only circling clockwise but it will also be dangling them vertically whilst spinning.
As the last few people are clasped in, he feels the heavy cogs of the machine clattering and braces himself for the torture.

As the ride gradually builds up speed, Eli can feel his stomach churn in sickness, suppressing the notion he squeezes his eyes shut and focuses on not throwing up. Then suddenly it jolts to a pause and restarts in the opposite motion. He lets out a low groan, sneaking a peak across to his left at his tiny mate. She’s smiling wildly swinging her feet and laughing. Fuck’s sake. How is she able to do that?! He secretly cries to himself. Is her stomach just a bottomless pit or something? Suddenly the damn machine tilts them diagonally and starts twirling, causing more pandemic in Eli’s particular internal organs. He squeezes his eyes shut, gulping a few times to ensure nothing would be spewing back up and hopes for it to be over soon.

“Enerughhh,” he groans softly glancing across, praying that Ivy’s been sick so that he can win.
“What’s the matter Stud? Can’t handle it?” teases Ivy fully enjoying his torture.
“Please, of course I can!” he scoffs.
“Are you sure? You look a little pale there,” she continues.
“Must be your imagination. I’m totally fine, in fact I’m ready for some more. Because baby, if you can do it, so can I.”
“We’ll see Stud, we’ll see....”

3 more rides later and Eli wasn’t feeling quite so confident. His stomach seemed to be in some kind of gymnastics competition with all the flips and flops it was doing; and he’d nearly lost a few times as well. Thankfully, his mind had won and everything was suppressed down.
“I’ve got to admit you’re doing well. Most people never last this long,” congratulates Ivy.
“Thanks,” he mumbles back as the ride starts again for the fourth time. He muses her words when suddenly it clicks in his mind. Holy shit! She’s been-
That’s when he puked.
Ivy cringes as she hears Eli puking into the bag.

As he dumps the bag into the trash, he grimaces and spins around to accusingly glare at his tricky little mate.
“You’ve done this before,” he states.
She just smiles and shrugs, “so? It was a while ago and you never asked about it.”
"...You sneaky little pixie!" he gasps. 

Ivy just shrugs hoping it's enough to piss him off and for him to never want to see her again but that's just wishful thinking. Instead all he does is grin broadly, leaving her confused. 

"Oh well...looks like I'm spending tomorrow with you, Tinks," he carelessly responds. Ivy gulps at that. Ivy, what the fuck have you done! She internally screams to herself. Even if she'll be able to boss him around, she knows it'll be one hell of a day. 

"Wait! You know what? Maybe we should just call off this whole bet thing-I mean, it wasn't fair to you I withheld information-you're right. Let's just make it void and call it a day-yeah? Okay, so-"

"Woah! Breathe Tinks! Breathe," chuckles Eli in load whole-hearted laughs. Winding her up, is just so easy and so funny! He finds it entertaining to witness her mind working and the words that come out of her mouth are almost as surprising as the ones from him. He's honestly, never met a girl quite like her-so determined to shake him off. It just keeps him more determined to hold on. 

“So what time am I to be here, boss?” teases Eli as he hooks his thumbs in his pocket and grins mischievously. He'd survived his second bus ride and now stood outside the diner, he feel reluctant to end things so soon. After he'd wasted 10 minutes in the toilets trying to rinse out the taste of sick in his mouth, at the amusement park, he'd demanded to stop off at the store and buy mouthwash and chewing gum. And then continued to use half the liquid before hoping on the bus where he then chewed through the whole packet of chewing gum. Ivy had found it all a bit extreme and the sound of his insistant chewing had annoyed her to no extent but she'd just gritted her teeth and managed to put up with it. 
“How about 1 am on February 30th?” sarcastically mumbles Ivy, her voice not quite low enough for Eli to have missed it though.
“Sure, let me check my diary,” he retorts.
“Just get here at 9,” she sighs. The boy has a comeback for everything!
“Woah, 9? That’s kinda early, don’t you think? How about 12?”
“No! 9 o’clock is normal work hours. What do you even do for a living?” she cries shocked.
“...I run a club,” he shrugs in response.

Ivy fights the urge to roll her eyes and mutter the word ‘typical’. Of course she should have guessed something like a club. There’s not much else a playboy, egotistical, party-man like him would do job wise. She should have guessed he’d own a club, somewhere where he can party all night long every day of his life and shack up with skimpy dressed women. Either that or Ivy would have guessed him to be an escort or stripper. Lord knows, he’d be in high demand; comes an unwanted thought. Ivy quickly chooses to ignore that particular mental comment.

“Well it seems you’re going to have to get an early night sleep tonight,” wryly points out Ivy, knowing full well someone like him would probably have a different woman in his bed every night.
“Maybe you should come over to make sure I do,” winks Eli unable to resist a suggestive statement at having her in his place.
“Gee, I didn’t realise I’d gone on a date with a big kid!” snaps Ivy shooting down his offer and then adds more seriously, “you better stop while you’re ahead...I had fun today, don’t ruin it with your ‘offers’.”

Eli sobers up, his lips twisting into a graceful, sincere smile-one that has Ivy blinking in shock and her heart beating louder. He looks so handsome with a proper smile replacing his ever-present smirk. With that smile, Eli steps closer towards his silent mate. She can sense the shift in the atmosphere from a playful one to a...a deeper one, filled with sincerity and a sense of rawness. Unsure of this new change, Ivy shuffles backwards slightly as her date glides forwards. He says nothing as he carries on his path and she hers. Ivy’s back meets the brick wall, forcing her to halt her movement. A short breath of air escapes her lips as she glances up at him. His deep blue eyes bore into her moss green ones. They swish like the ocean, seemingly shallow but filled with depth that she was only starting to understand. Emotion lurks in there, thick and so real. It shocks Ivy to see that. Beneath the shallowness there is someone so very capable there, she can see that.
So lost in his eyes was she, that a slight gasp of shock escapes her when his head leans down and she realises his lips are centimetres from hers.

“You lost,” she whispers referring to their bet. The corners of his fallen lips curl upwards in a small smirk.
“I hate losing,” he breathes back, jolting her into his chest. Ivy’s hands automatically press against his chest, feeling the hard muscle through the thin t-shirt material.
“Don’t...” she murmurs; unable to force herself to resist him- to push back and break free of his hold.
Ignoring the word Eli closes the distance between their lips. His larger ones pressing firmly against her small, soft ones. Ivy gasps at the wave of desire that flows through her from the single action. Her arms wrap around his neck as his strong arms lifts her feet off the ground and clasps her body close to his. She can feel every nerve of hers acknowledging the much larger, muscular body wrapping her around it like a second coat. It has her quivering with desire, her panties starting to wet slightly. His tongue pursues on, not understanding how the expert way it dancing in her mouth is wrecking havoc on her libido.
Air was demoted to being of lesser importance, being replaced with the feel of Eli’s lips on her-Eli’s tongue tangoing with hers-Eli’s body pressed against hers. He was a necessity. Him and only him.

Knowing better Eli parts his lips from hers, pulling their bodies apart and taking a small step back. They both pant for breath, for air while blinking at each other in shock. Eli knew that being with his mate would be incredible and he’s always been told that the mating bond intensity would be different for each pair but he’d never thought....he’d never thought it to be this intense. It was just a kiss but it tingles on his lips and it had made him loose control. Had it not been for his screaming lungs, he would have happily carried on joined to her in the embrace. But as intense as it is, it’s also exhilarating, thrilling and so exciting. From that his mind reels thinking of the sex they’d have and