Many towns, come fall, boast festivals, fairs, or carnivals. Dr. Greg Clarkâs town was no different. For two weekends every year in October, the town green was consumed by gigantic slides best traversed atop burlap sacks, humming generators powering merry-go-rounds and food trucks, and countless booths hawking paintings by unknown artists, knit caps, inflatable cartoon characters, and who knows what else. Fall Fest became the focus of all the residents and the businesses. Local restaurants trotted out their best carnival food in the hopes that people would like it enough to sample the restaurantâs full menu in the months to come, insurance companies, pet groomers, massage therapists, and more set up booths to give away cheap trinkets and hopefully get their names in peopleâs minds.
Even the college ran some booths including a haunted house ride that was a favorite of Gregâs oldest. Well, not a favorite so much as a ride sheâd stand outside of for three years running now, ask a series of questions about it, and then refuse to go on as she didnât want to be scared. The doctor was fine with that but always a little curious as to what, exactly, his daughter was hoping to hear in all those questions. He was a little bit relieved to see a âtemporarily out of orderâ sign hanging on the ghoulish mouth that served as the front door.
Greg strolled aimlessly around the various amusements, just killing time. Gina and the kids would be meeting him at 2, but he had managed to arrive much earlier than he had expected. He figured he could just take in the sights with the excess minutes and see if there was any silly crafts that might catch his eye for gag gifts come Christmas time.
That had turned out to only take 13 minutes.
So, with 35 still on the clock he allowed himself to simply enjoy the scent of fall in the year, the subtle but soon to grow bite of chill in the air, the sight of trees awash in reds, yellows, and oranges.
This total mental absorption was perhaps why he nearly trampled Mallory when she popped out from behind the Haunted House.
âCareful there Doc. Canât just go around rubbing up against coeds, unless you want someone to call you a pervert.â
Greg allowed a small, tight smile. While he had come to be a lot moreâŚagreeable to giving in to the pleasures his childrenâs babysitter offered, he still was uncomfortable with her increasing tendency to blur boundaries. The bold teen was growing increasing demonstrative with her affections in front of Gina and the kids, hugging him when she never had before, finding excuses to bump into him playfully before he and Gina might go out for the evening, these sorts of things. When no one was in the room, but sure to return soon, she was even worse, kissing his neck, licking his earlobe, whispering dirty phrases to him, or, once, shimmying out of her underwear and shoving them in his jacket pocket after Gina had briefly run upstairs to grab a small handbag.
Despite her protestations of not wanting to break up his marriage or replace his wife, the increase in recklessness left him wondering how truthful that was. That, in turn, only served to increase his conflicted feelings. He knew he was cheating on his wife, there was simply no denying it now. He knew but indulged in some delusions to help him accept it. First, that it was just sex between he and Mallory and that neither of them were emotionally invested. Second, although their âriskinessâ was more stage play that reality so the chances they would be caught were quite slim. Lastly, he was just a passing fad for Mallory; sheâd be over him and onto some college guy before they knew it and therefore there was no reason to worry about this becoming a long-term thing or something heâd have to put the brakes on.
âSoooooo,â she murmured in sing song, arms behind her back, chest pushed up and forward, eyes cast down in a show of shyness, one foot nervously drawing figure eights on the ground, âWhereâs the family?â
âNot here yet,â the doctor replied, trying to stay distant, âIâm meeting them over by the MEGASlide at 2 oâclock.â
She glanced at her watch and smirked, her pink tongue peeking ever so slightly from out between her white teeth. âWhy that gives you over a half hour to play, doesnât it?â
âNo, not really, Mallory. Not here.â
âNo?â she cocked her head, âAre you surrrrrrrre?â
He kept his tone neutral and light, affecting a chuckle. âYes, Iâm sure.
âIs it the way Iâm dressed? Is it not sexy enough for you? Are you losing interest?â
Despite himself, he looked at her. She was dressed in dark green slip on sneakers, tight, flattering jeans, and the official Fall Fest long sleeve t-shirt that she had obviously chosen a very small size to ensure snugness. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and was makeup free, only the temperature putting a little cold induced blush into her cheeks. She looked clean and wholesome. It was only the look in her green eyes that betrayed how far from wholesome she was.
âYou know itâs not that, Mallory. Gina and the kids are going to be here in a little while and I just think itâd be a bad ideââ
âI disagree, Doc, I really do,â she practically purred, placing her hand on his chest.
âWell, be that as it mayâŚâ he drifted off, the heat of Malloryâs hand radiating through his shirt.
âOkay, fine,â she pouted, feeling the triphammer pulse of his heart in his chest, âCan you just hold a ladder for me so I can replace some lights on the ride then, at least?â
âYes, that I can do,â the doctor nodded and smiled, finding her defeated resignation oddly cute. âSee,â he thought in self criticism, âshe can take no for an answer.â
She led him behind the haunted ride and into the maintenance door. As Gregâs eyes adjusted to the dim light, Mallory disappeared deeper into the area, calling back to him, âJust gonna grab the bulbs. Can you set up the ladder under that first strobe over there?â
He followed her instructions, dragging the heavy ladder over and snapping it open with a loose clatter.
âSo is this why the ride is out of order? Lights?â he asked, straightening his shirt over his strong frame.
âNo. Thatâs something mechanical. Weâre not allowed to touch that. We donât actually run the ride, we just stand next to it and look cute.â
âWell, Iâm sure you do an excellent job at that.â
âI absolutely do. Anyway, we have to be here regardless, in case the repairman actually shows up. So I figured I might actually be useful and replace some of the strobes.â
As Greg opened his mouth to respond, the lights went out with a dull thud.
âWhoa, Mal! You ok?â he yelled in the direction he assumed she was standing. He began to move forward, doing his best to navigate by the tiny bit of light that filtered in from outside through the gaps and holes of the rickety structure.
âMal?â he tried again, concerned at her lack of response.
âIâm fine, Doc,â she breathed in his ear, somehow sneaking up behind him, âI just changed my mind.â