Small Town Romance

Chapter 3

Amy woke up with alarm, but then couldn't remember why she'd set it. Two hours later, her room was so hot she couldn't sleep even without the sheet over her. Grumpy, sweaty and grungy feeling, she lay there trying to remember.... what was she supped to do today?

"Oh...NO!!" Today was the Greene Craft Fair! Two years in a row she had missed it for various reasons, and this year she had promised herself she'd make it both days!

She hustled through shower and dressing and then slowed down long enough to eat a good breakfast. She smiled a little sadly. Pop always said eat beforehand because they charge way too much for food at those places! The weather announcer on the radio predicted hot temperatures with scattered heavy showers in the afternoon. Great! And it's already ten o'clock!

By the time Amy got to Greene, the sun was hot, it was very humid and parking was the pit's. The street parking was long gone. Her only option was the huge mowed field that had been marked for parking. As she jounced into the field, she spotted a perfect spot near the street by the actual fair. All she has to do is get there before the car ahead of her. She started to cut a 'wrong way' down the orange string-and-stick aisle. At the end of the row, a man in a orange vest stepped out in front of her, holding up one hand. As he walked up to her driver's side window, the other car slid into her intended space.

"Ma'am, please back up and use the aisles as directed."

It was him! The same jerk cop from last night! If he was gorgeous in the dark last night, he was more so now in an army green tee and khacki cargo shorts. The orange vest barely fit around his chest. His massive arms completely hid the vest's sides. But obviously, between the different setting and her sunglasses, he didn't recognize her. What a relief!

Amy began to protest, but he cut her off.

"Ma'am everyone wants to park as close as they can, not just you. Please follow the signs and the attendants like everybody else."

"But..."

He bent down and brought his face even with hers, less than a foot away. She watched his lips as he spoke slowly.

"Ma'am, do you have any special needs? We have assigned parking for that."

Why, the simple-minded, smart-mouthed hard ass!

She didn't answer. With a huff, she looked away, put the car in reverse and started to back up. A car had followed her and she almost backed into it as they laid on the horn. By the time she got away from him and found a spot she was easily a quarter mile from where she wanted to be.

For all the parking hassle, Amy liked the show. She saw several things she would have liked to get, except for the prices they were asking. One painting in particular called her name. It was huge and would take up a whole wall, but she had the exact spot for it in the dining area: it would provide a view during meals.

The weather man was right for once—the day was hot and humid and the clouds threatened rain the whole time. About an hour into her browsing, Amy got thirsty, and headed for the beer tent. A cold, foamy beer just sounded good. The line was long and seemed to be moving very slowly, but she was in the shade. She pushed her sun glasses up on her head and did some people watching. About half way to the front of the line, she noticed a man walking toward her with two cups of beer, one in each hand. She looked again—it was that same cop, in shorts and tee shirt minus the vest. And a sunburn that made him that much more.... man.

When Michael had signed up for parking lot duty, he didn't know he would be on third shift the night before. He had gone from one job to the other, and the lack of sleep made it harder to keep a good attitude. He had had no sleep since the afternoon before, though and by the end of his shift he was a little short with some of the more obstinate drivers. The sun was hot, he could feel the sunburn coming on and he had to pee. He'd done worse though. The four hours of morning traffic directing were not all bad. The people coming in to the parking field were here for a good time and they were still fresh. And some were pretty good looking.