Chapter 32 - Chapter Thirty Two

He normally cringed at the sound of it when other women used it, but the way she said it, it didn't sound so bad and having her arms wrapped around him as they walked didn't feel too bad either. Perhaps there was something to be said about having a normal relationship. He had yet to figure out what in the fuck this was; he pushed that problem to the back of his mind. Why was he forced to define something straight away anyhow?

"So what do you say? Fill me in." He steered her through the mainway to the concessions stands. The day was slowly giving way to the night, turning the fairgrounds into an array of colourful lights and blaring music.

"Well, since you're offering a corndog. My older brother worked as a carnie for a couple of years. He told me all the tricks to the games and whenever the fair was in town he'd take me after hours to play the games, showing me how to beat them."

"Okay, so how do you win the ring toss?"

"It's all in the wrist baby."

Roth frowned. "Be more specific."

She crinkled her nose up at him. "Nah. Once you tell me the secret behind the chowder then maybe I'll tell you the secret behind the ring toss."

Roth's phone rang, he saw the caller. Not wanting to spoil the fun he was having with Ruby, he ignored the call, kept his phone in his pocket and draw ruby closer into his arms.

Rothdam Dimitri eating a corndog, now that's a sight," Ruby teased taking a bite into hers. It was delicious.

Roth laughed. "Well sometimes we just have to break down and rough it." He dipped the tip of his in a tiny bowl of ketchup. "I was once told that if you have to cover your food in condiments then it's not really food."

"Hey, I never said it was quality. Just that it was fucking good." Ruby gave a little chuckle shifting her gaze back to her corndog.

"Okay, you win." He took another bite from the dog. "It is a pretty tasty change," he finally admitted with a little smirk on his face. He pointed to her half eaten dog as he pulled the remaining piece of his corn dog from the stick and popped it into his mouth. "Eat up. We have the double ferris wheel to ride in a moment."

Ruby looked over at the two rotating wheels of the double ferris wheel and a shimmer of excitement rushed through her. She loved the rides. They'd been on everything at the park and were saving that for last. She was really surprised at how much fun Roth really was. And the looks of appreciation that he received from many of the women at the fair didn't go unnoticed by her as well. It made her blood boil to see other women looking at him.

He wasn't hers and he never claimed to be. By his own admission the kiss had been "no big deal." Did yesterday change anything? If it did he didn't let on. Again, she reminded herself not to get emotionally attached. He was her employer. An amazing fuck. And now a good friend. Until she knew otherwise, she needed to keep those things in mind.

Taking the last bite of her dog, she tossed the stick and ketchup in the overflowing garbage can and they made their way hand-in-hand across the fairgrounds towards the wheel.

"So how did you learn how to cook?"

"Well, I've always loved cooking and had no interest in business, though my parents insisted I get involved with the running of the company at an early age. However, instead of going to one of the Ivy League schools and taking business like my parents - my father especially - wanted, I went to culinary school, even attending business school"

Well, that would explain his ease around the kitchen. "So why are you running a company instead of your own restaurant?"

They got in line for the ferris wheel and patiently waited as people were slowly loaded into each car. When it came their turn, Roth passed something other than tickets to the attendant who pocketed it. He then leaned in to whisper something to the teenage ride operator.

Ruby seated her four foot tall teddy in the seat next to her as roth slid in beside her. Once they were secured, the ride jerked upward with a squeal. If Ruby hadn't grown up around old crankily rides, she may have been concerned about the maintenance of this particular one.

As they began to move for the next set of people to hop on, he answered her. "Well, I had almost completed the program when my parents died. Their private plane crashed, killing them and the pilot. So I didn't feel I had a choice. I couldn't bear the thought of some stranger running the company that my grandfather founded and my father loved. So I stepped in and had to settle for owning restaurants rather than being in them cooking, and also other business you might get to know later as we get more and more closer to each other."

"Well, do you even like running the company?"

He gave her a wry grin. "I'm good at it."

"That didn't really answer my question... Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to like it. I was pretty good at my job at the coffee shop, and I hated every second of it."

"Good point. But I had an obligation to fulfil."

Ruby nodded. She understood his reasoning, but it still felt so unfair for him to be doing something he hated.

"And don't get me wrong, it's not all bad, I certainly can't complain from the financial perspective, and I am the boss, so that certainly has its benefits. It's just not what I'd hoped for myself." he shrugged. "Money isn't everything."

"But it helps," she countered.

Any further conversation was put on hold as the ride finally filled and it began to move at a steady, quick pace. The car they sat in, rocked back and forth, allowing for a birds eyes view of the entire park, thousands of coloured lights twinkled below them. "Isn't it beautiful?" Ruby asked with a warm smile on her face.