Sticky Sweet Meet Cute

“To put words to paper has been a struggle for me. Adeline I couldn’t even begin to find the words to portray my love for you. I wish I could find those words so that you could truly understand how much I need you by my side. You weren’t just the pretty face I rolled over to admire every day for the last fifty years but the soul at which mine had entwined itself with ever since you broke that vanilla ice cream cone on my head at the summer carnival in ‘82. Heaven is one lucky bastard to get you, my love. For every second that passes until I am once again by your side, I will miss you dearly. Goodbye, for now, my sweetest Adeline”

-

The year was 1982, the night was young and ‘Physical’ by Olivia John Newton was blasting from the speakers parked around the carnival. Under the bright neon lights, Johnny Dean and his friends strolled into the scene. Johnny had a girl under one arm and the other hand was dangling his coat over his shoulders. The group was laughing and swaying to the music as they lined up for the infamous Ferris wheel. It was an unspoken rule that you could never go to a carnival and not ride the Ferris wheel at least once. Not only was the Ferris wheel a great way to see the lights below, but it was also a ticket for getting a kiss out of a girl.

Not too far to the right of the group under the glow of the lights and the darkened sky Adeline Stuart made out the back of what she thought was her ex-boyfriends' arm around another woman. The woman she’d caught him writing notes for this morning before storming away from him. It only angered Adeline more that he was in the Ferris wheel line up, everyone knew what that led to. Adeline pointed towards him and her cousin Deana scoffed and shook her head. “Scum” is the only word Adeline could use to describe the guy. Some balls he had. While they watched the couple laughing away with a group of people Adeline had never met before she shook her head in disgust at him. “That’s got to be the girl he left me for, you think?” Adeline asked Deana and Deana’s only response was a smack of her gum between her lips as she handed Adeline her ice cream cone.

“Damn bastards got what’s coming to him” Deana scolded and Adeline's' eyes widened as she reached for the cone. Getting a bout of confidence Adeline marched over to him and before she could think she was smashing the cone over his head. 

As the sticky ice cream ran down his head Johnny turned around ready to call off the chump that had come for him. Instead of a man, Johnny’s eyes fell on the most beautiful blonde hair and big blue-eyed gal he’d ever seen. His anger dissipated and humor took over as Adeline’s eyes widened with shock. Before Johnny could say a word Adeline was rambling apologies. Johnny could hear his friends snickering over the music and the crowd around them seemed to pause whatever they were doing to watch the events unfold. 

“I am so so sorry I thought you were someone else” Adeline blurted out as she hurriedly searched for a napkin to wipe the ice cream off his face.

“The bastard that was meant for must have really screwed up to make you break a cone on his head” Johnny laughingly commented as he tried to scoop the melted cone from his hair. “I’m going to need a few more napkins then this” Johnny commented as he tossed the sopping napkin in the trash.

Johnny left his friends to clean his head meanwhile Adeline came along hiding a giggle in between apologies. The pair ended up buying water and washing the rest of the remains from his hair. Adeline's cheeks only darkened with embarrassment as she helped Johnny clean his head. 

“I’d usually never do something like this. It was meant for my ex. He was seeing someone else and unfortunately, you have a similar head” Adeline explains and Johnny laughs as he leans back against one of the booths.

“I wouldn’t use the term unfortunate to explain the situation. I did get a free ice cream cone out of the deal didn’t I. Speaking of, do you fancy another?” Johnny asked with a lopsided grin that made Adeline's heart spin.

“After all this, you want to buy me an ice cream cone?” Adeline asks perplexed and Johnny chuckles as he kicks off the booth and leads the way towards the ice cream stand.

“Don’t beat yourself up doll. This is what they call a meet-cute” Johnny flirted with a wink and Adeline laughed and rolled her eyes in response. What a cheesy chump she thought however she couldn’t help but follow behind him. He had a swagger to his stance that made something inside Adeline flutter.

“So that’s what they call it?” She teased back with a shake of her head.

The pair found themselves enjoying their ice cream cones further away from the carnival and closer to the end of the baseball field away from the bright lights and loud music. Eventually, they found a bench just far enough away that the sound faded into the background and the only light shining down on them were the specks of gold dangling in the sky. Whatever words Johnny was spewing from his mouth he was thankful for as the smile didn’t seem to disappear from Adeline's face. Time felt irrelevant as the two chatted away about anything from an embarrassing childhood story to comparing the worst and best high school teachers. As the carnival melted into the background and the music was turned down lower the two dreaded the night's end.

“How have I never seen you around here before?” Johnny asked as he racked his brain for any tie he could have run into her beautiful face. 

“Probably because I’m not from here. The girl I was with is my cousin. My family is visiting for the summer” Adeline responded kicking at the grass by her toes. 

“Well if you’re here for the summer maybe I’ll see a lot more of you then?” Johnny asked, crossing his fingers behind his back.

“Maybe” Adeline teased while crossing her fingers behind her own back.