Foreman let Amber guide their progress through the swarms of kids. He was still waiting to hear what she considered a good prize for winning this bet, and he was starting to wonder if he should have named the stakes himself, to avoid something completely ridiculous. For all he knew, they'd regress all the way back to high school and end up in a game of Truth or Dare, with the dares getting more ridiculous the longer the game went on.
Amber seemed determined, though, and lined them up in front of a booth with a row of toy guns. The goal was to knock over as many duck-shaped metal cut-outs with targets painted on them in a row. Two for a small prize, five for one of the monster stuffed animals that they'd have to cart around the rest of the fair with them. Foreman had been hoping for something that catered more to his strengths. Knocking over lead-weighted milk bottles with a baseball, he thought he could do. Or the strong-man game, pounding a target with a mallet to make a bell ring, he was pretty sure he could outperform Amber at that. Shooting, though, evened the playing field; probably the sights on every toy rifle was off the same amount.
The last bunch of kids ahead of them were just starting when Amber finally looked up, her eyes bright. Foreman laughed when she laid out the terms of the bet. That was the kind of forfeit he'd been thinking of, or at least along those lines. It was still dangerously open-ended. At least she'd specified 'when they got home', which ruled out being surprised by a nine-year-old in the middle of something decidedly inappropriate. Foreman still wasn't sure, though. The last time he'd tried to decide what they did--when he'd wanted, insisted--Amber had asked him to stop. The last thing he wanted was to put himself in that position again. So either he could throw the bet, or else he'd have to tailor what he decided to what Amber might like, too. Or he could try being honest, now. Foreman glanced at the kids still shouting and pulling their shots, missing every single duck in the game. They were distracted, and he and Amber had a moment before it was their turn. He tugged Amber closer so that they were facing each other, tilting his chin to meet her eyes. "Decides?" he said, letting his interest and his anticipation colour his voice. He was teasing gently, affection shaping his smile, but trying to get to the real issue. "Any limits to that? I'd like to know before I kick your butt at this."
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Amber seemed determined, though, and lined them up in front of a booth with a row of toy guns. The goal was to knock over as many duck-shaped metal cut-outs with targets painted on them in a row. Two for a small prize, five for one of the monster stuffed animals that they'd have to cart around the rest of the fair with them. Foreman had been hoping for something that catered more to his strengths. Knocking over lead-weighted milk bottles with a baseball, he thought he could do. Or the strong-man game, pounding a target with a mallet to make a bell ring, he was pretty sure he could outperform Amber at that. Shooting, though, evened the playing field; probably the sights on every toy rifle was off the same amount.
The last bunch of kids ahead of them were just starting when Amber finally looked up, her eyes bright. Foreman laughed when she laid out the terms of the bet. That was the kind of forfeit he'd been thinking of, or at least along those lines. It was still dangerously open-ended. At least she'd specified 'when they got home', which ruled out being surprised by a nine-year-old in the middle of something decidedly inappropriate. Foreman still wasn't sure, though. The last time he'd tried to decide what they did--when he'd wanted, insisted--Amber had asked him to stop. The last thing he wanted was to put himself in that position again. So either he could throw the bet, or else he'd have to tailor what he decided to what Amber might like, too. Or he could try being honest, now. Foreman glanced at the kids still shouting and pulling their shots, missing every single duck in the game. They were distracted, and he and Amber had a moment before it was their turn. He tugged Amber closer so that they were facing each other, tilting his chin to meet her eyes. "Decides?" he said, letting his interest and his anticipation colour his voice. He was teasing gently, affection shaping his smile, but trying to get to the real issue. "Any limits to that? I'd like to know before I kick your butt at this."