Can eyes really sparkle? Because I think Jayshree's did and that should have had me worried, but I wasn't, not even when the line moved up another few steps. The night was warm, I was even warmer tucked under Jayshree's shoulder, and Katie was about to pop. How could it get any better?

"It's your turn," Katie said.

"What?" I'd been sort of side-shuffling forward, keeping an eye on Katie the whole time. What can I say? Watching her face contort this whole time was the most fun I'd had in a week. I wanted to savor every minute of it. I turned forward but Jayshree stopped me half way.

"Time for my special magic," she said.

Then she kissed me.

I thought it would only last a moment, but her lips were so soft against mine. I didn't want it to end. Closing my eyes, I draped my arms around her shoulders, strong shoulders. I felt them tighten when she lifted me up. Her tongue teased me and I opened to her. My capacity to think disappeared after that.

She ended the kiss sooner than I wanted. I was breathless and a little dizzy. She took my hand and led me forward. At that moment, I think I'd have followed her anywhere. Her smile lit up her face and lifted the lips I so wanted to kiss again. Why did I ever think her eyes were too big? They were pulling me along, creating a tightness inside me that felt exquisite. It was just me and Jayshree and the warm night air.

Until the pimpled teenager came into view. "Pull the harness down tight until it clicks."

The words didn't make sense right away, not in my world, not until I saw Jayshree take the first of two seats, still holding my hand, still pulling me forward with her smile. I tried to let go, but she wasn't giving in that easy. "You can do this, Erin. I'll hold your hand the whole time, I promise."

Every sane thought in my head screamed to drop her hand and run for it, but I could practically feel the heat of Katie's gaze boring down on my back. I knew she and the blank girlfriend were right behind me. How could I get out of this and save any semblance of self-esteem after the charade I just played?

Her hand was still warm in mine.

"Promise?"

She nodded and I took the empty seat next to her, clamping my eyes shut. If I didn't watch, it would be like it wasn't happening, right? If there were other safety measures to hold us in place, I didn't notice them, not until the safety harness clicked down in front of us, and the pads pushed into my chest. Was that supposed to make me feel more secure, because it didn't. My eyes shot open and reality hit me in the gut. "I think I'm going to puke."

Her thumb was stroking the back of my hand. "No, you're not."

I turned to her with as much anger as I could muster in my terrified state. "Oh, and you know me well enough after five minutes of bluffing in front of my ex-girlfriend, then?"

Our seats jerked backward and my eyes slammed shut again. The safety harness had convenient clutch bars in the front and my right hand held on for dear life. The left hand wasn't letting go of Jayshree. Well, to hell with it then, the damned traitor hand. I could hear the crank-crank sound as our seats started up the lift. Oh God, why was I here?

"I think I know you a bit." Jayshree's voice covered up some of the cranking noise.

"You know I'm a chicken."

"I know you think well on your feet, and you're a great kisser."

I was blushing. I could feel the heat in my cheeks. She was a pretty damned good kisser, too.

"And I know your hair smells like strawberries." Her accent made it all sound much more exotic than the fruity shampoo I knew was the underlying cause.

My breathing was getting a little steadier. "I know stuff about you, too."

"Oh?"

"I know you're not seeing anyone." Okay, maybe that was just wishful thinking, or a clever way to find out if she was or not, depending on her answer.

"And why is that?"

"Because you don't kiss a girl the way you kissed me if you're seeing someone else."

She laughed, low and deep. Why did I suddenly want to feel that same rumbling laugh with her body stretched on top of mine? Naked. My eyes shot open at that thought.

"It's gorgeous up here, don't you think?" Jayshree was smiling at me again, or still. Who knows.

The pinpoint lights of the valley stretched out all around us to the edge of what had to be the foothills. If I wasn't about to plummet to my death, I probably would have agreed that it was kind of pretty, but my feet were hanging in the air so I wasn't much for the sightseeing tour right now. "We must be a hundred feet in the air."

"224 feet."

"Not helping." The chair moved forward and slammed to a stop. "Oh, crap!" This was it. It was going to let go any second and we'd drop that 224 feet and the brakes would fail and I'd be splattered over part of that scenic panorama. Unlike the rebel hand, my eyes shut on command. Saving face wasn't worth this. Not even the cute dyke next to me was worth this, no matter how much I wanted to kiss her again.

"Look at me."

I shook my head. I wasn't watching anything right now.

Jayshree's hand tightened on mine. "Please, just look at me."

I opened my eyes. She was staring at me, with that grin lifting her lips, and that light in her eyes that could have been a sparkle, or could just be my eyesight failing right before I faint.

"Will you go out with me?"

"What?" The question brought another full-on flush to my cheeks. Good thing it was dark.

"Hang with me for the rest of the night?"

So she wasn't seeing anyone after all. Maybe I could feel those lips on mine again. Maybe even more. I tried for a smile but it came out a little shaky. Deep down, I am kind of shy, you know, not that tonight would show much evidence of that. I opened my mouth to answer, but a faint mechanical clicking sound distracted me.

And then we were plummeting down 224 feet and what came out of my mouth was a high-pitched scream. I was still facing Jayshree so she bore the brunt of my girlie wail. The wind was rushing up, pushing her hair up in a tight halo around her face. She was hollering too, but it looked more like a woo-hoo holler than the death-scream rushing past my lips.

Before I ran out of breath, the ride was slowing down. It slowed a lot faster than my racing heartbeat. I managed to catch my breath before it came to a halt, but I was less than steady on my feet when the safety harness lifted and I had to step out. Jayshree was right there with me though, holding me up as I staggered away from the ride. I looked back over my shoulder and then up to the top of the Drop Zone where the next victims waited for that devilish little click to signal the free-fall. "I did it."

It came out little more than a whisper, but Jayshree heard it. "Yes, you did."

"I did it!" I threw my arms around her and she lifted me up and swung me in a circle. I was a little dizzy when she stopped, but not enough that I didn't take advantage of the opportunity to find her lips with mine. This time I felt brave and excited. It wasn't a soft kiss like the first one. I wanted more of her tongue and I got it. She was still holding me up and her arms pressed me into her. Our bodies fit together wonderfully and when she pulled out of the kiss to catch her breath, I wasn't ready to end it. I led a trail of kisses down her neck, tracing the collar opening of her shirt and inhaling the scent of her cologne. I could have spent all night there, but she put me back down on the ground.

I looked up into that brilliant smile and she asked, "So is that a yes to hanging out tonight?"

"Definitely a yes."

Wherever Katie was and however much of all this she'd witnessed was irrelevant now. Jayshree was leading me on to the Top Gun ride. I would text my best friend later to let her know where I was, but for now, I was terrified and excited and I'd go on any of the thrill rides if it meant stealing a few more of those hot kisses from Jayshree.

It was a great night to be gay at Great America.