I see the skeleton of a Ferris Wheel looming in the distance, so I get an idea. A dingy little camper serves as the carnival employment office. A lady with the word LOVE tattooed across her knuckles in jerky blue ink hands me an index card. She tells me to write down my name, it doesn’t have to be my real one, and a phone number. “Check back Thursday,” she hacks through a cloud of cigarette smoke.

On Thursday, I’m assigned to work for Big Gary. “You’ll know ’em when you see ’em, honey,” wheezes the employment lady, pointing down the midway. I find Big Gary, an enormous black-haired man wearing a bright white polo shirt. He hands me an ID tag and my own white polo shirt emblazoned with the carnival’s logo. Big Gary shows me how to run the game. The premise is simple, take the fishing pole with a ring instead of a hook dangling from the end, snag the bottle that’s laying on it’s side and tip it up, win a cheap stuffed animal.

He waddles around the perimeter of the game, tipping each one up in quick succession. He hands me the pole, but I can’t do it. He laughs, explains how the game is rigged, then tells me to be back at 10 am the next day for opening. He’ll pay me in cash at the end of the two week run of the show.

The next few days are a blur of cash, florescent colored teddy bears and corn dogs. I take a break, sitting under a tree next to the river. “Hey!” I look up. A cute guy in a carnie shirt stands over me, balancing a greasy paper plate full of food . “Mind if I sit?” he asks. I scoot over. He takes off his baseball cap, and revealing a mass of wild brown curls. “I’m Lee,” he says, offering me a pile of french fries. I surreptitiously check for missing teeth. They all seem to be there, at least the ones in the front. His tanned arms are adorned with blurry homemade tattoos, but I choose to overlook those. Lee says he runs the miniature Tilt O’ Whirl in the kids section, he’ll be done tonight at 11, and in the beer tent soon after.

I float back to the booth. Lita, the carnie working the next booth over, asks why I look so happy. “Giiirl,” she drawls, “you best watch it with them ride jocks, they ain’t never up to no good.” I promise her I’ll be careful. After the shift I head for the beer tent. Lee is waiting for me at a picnic table, two flimsy plastic cups of beer in front of him. He asks when I started, he doesn’t remember seeing me at the last town. I tell him I’m just a townie looking for some quick cash.  We drink a few beers and start to make out. I whisper that my car is parked out in the big back lot. I hear a few snickers as we leave the tent hand in hand.

The midway is nearly empty, strewn with paper cups and broken balloons. Fireflies wink on and off, trying to compete with the carnival lights. The parking lot is nearly empty too. I open the back door and we immediately tumble inside, a tangle of arms, legs, and tongues. I grab for his belt, he pushes my hand away and unsnaps my jeans. Grabbing a handful of curls, I shove his head towards my pussy. Lee takes his time, expertly flicking his tongue in all the right places. I grind my cunt hard into his face, and it whips him into a frenzy.

“Lemme do you,” I breathe when we stop for a moment, snaking my hand down the front of his pants. He pushes my hand away again, and kisses me before I protest. His face tastes like sweat, beer and pussy. I hold his head still and lick around the corners of his mouth. Lee grins and tells me that I’m a dirty girl. “Fuck me,” I reply, and then I add “please?” I lay back on the bench seat, pushing a pile of cassette tapes to the floor.

Lee fumbles in the dark, I hear the shuffle of his pants sliding down. He lays on top of me and writhes around.  “Fuck me,” I whisper. Lee slips in a lone finger. “Fuck me,” I plead. He stops for a moment and spits in his hand, then starts to finger me again. I’m losing my mind as he sucks my nipple. “FUCK ME, GODDAMMIT” I yell. “I am!” he cries back. I reach down to guide his cock into me, and he bats my hand away. I reach over the seat and flick on the interior lights. Lee sits back, naked. I just stare. His dick is fully erect, but it’s only as big as my pinky finger. We’re both frozen. He looks at me, waiting for the rejection. Instead, I shove his face back down to my pussy, then scoot around so I can give my very first deep throat.