Chapter 10:The First Spark.
843 Words
Scarlett stared at the clipboard in her hands, her stomach sinking as she read through the mayor’s neatly printed instructions.
Festival Booth Assignments:
Miss Valentine’s Kissing Booth – Scarlett Hayes & Noah Carter
She nearly choked.
A kissing booth? With Noah?
Scarlett immediately turned to Mayor Harper, who stood beaming as if he had just handed her a winning lottery ticket. "Mayor, there must be some mistake."
"No mistake at all!" he said cheerfully. "I paired you two up on purpose. We need a strong duo to lead the festival's most anticipated event!"
Scarlett resisted the urge to groan. "I thought I was just here to help with the planning, not to be the star attraction!"
The mayor waved a dismissive hand. "Nonsense! You're already Everbrook’s official ‘Miss Valentine.’ It makes perfect sense."
Noah, standing beside her, smirked. "Guess we're stuck together, huh?"
Scarlett shot him a glare. "You find this funny?"
"A little," he admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "But, hey, at least I’ll get paid in chocolate and awkward glances from strangers."
She groaned. "This is a nightmare."
"You know," he mused, tilting his head, "you could just have fun with it."
"Fun?" Scarlett huffed. "Oh, yeah. Letting random people kiss me for charity. That sounds delightful."
The mayor patted her shoulder. "Think of it as community bonding! And don’t worry—it’s mostly cheek kisses and candy trades. Everbrook keeps things tasteful."
Scarlett exhaled, realizing she had no way out. It was official—Everbrook was determined to make her fall in love with someone before Valentine’s Day, whether she liked it or not.
The next morning, Scarlett arrived at the festival grounds, bracing herself for the day ahead. The town square had transformed overnight into a Valentine’s wonderland. Twinkling fairy lights draped between lamp posts, pink and red banners lined the streets, and booths decorated with paper hearts filled every corner.
Her booth, unfortunately, stood front and center.
She approached cautiously, gripping her cup of coffee like a lifeline. Noah was already there, hammering a sign into place. Kisses for a Cause – Support Everbrook’s Animal Shelter!
Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "So, we’re helping dogs find love instead of people?"
"That makes it a little more bearable, doesn’t it?" he quipped, wiping sawdust from his hands.
"A little," she admitted.
A group of teenage girls passed by, giggling as they spotted Noah. "Are you part of the kissing booth?" one asked, wide-eyed.
He flashed a charming smile. "That’s right."
The girls practically squealed before scurrying away, whispering excitedly.
Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I see you’ll be having a great time."
"You sound jealous," he teased.
She scoffed. "Not in the slightest. I just don’t understand why people would line up to kiss a total stranger."
Noah leaned against the booth, studying her. "Maybe they like the idea of taking a chance on something uncertain."
Scarlett frowned. "That sounds ridiculous."
"Does it?" He smirked. "Isn't that what love is?"
She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, Mayor Harper's voice rang out across the square.
"Welcome, everyone, to Everbrook’s Annual Valentine’s Festival!"
A round of applause erupted from the crowd. Scarlett inhaled deeply. There was no backing out now.
The first hour passed in a blur. The "kisses" turned out to be mostly cheek kisses and Hershey’s kisses exchanged for donations. It was surprisingly wholesome—except for the excessive number of women requesting Noah.
Scarlett rolled her eyes as yet another girl batted her eyelashes at him. "You’re very popular," she muttered.
Noah grinned. "Jealous now?"
"Still no," she said, crossing her arms.
"Good," he said, stepping closer. "Because it’s your turn."
Scarlett blinked. "My what?"
"You haven’t taken a single turn at the booth," he pointed out. "Time to even the score."
"Absolutely not."
"Come on, Miss Valentine. The town’s watching."
Scarlett glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, a few curious onlookers were whispering, waiting to see what she'd do. The last thing she wanted was to appear rude in front of half of Everbrook.
Noah leaned in slightly. "Just one," he said in a low voice. "For the sake of the festival."
Her pulse quickened. It wasn’t the request that flustered her—it was the way he looked at her when he said it.
Scarlett swallowed hard. "Fine."
Before she could overthink it, she quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek.
The crowd cheered.
Scarlett stepped back immediately, face flushed. "There. Happy?"
Noah smirked. "Very."
She crossed her arms. "You’re enjoying this way too much."
"You kissed me," he reminded her.
"For the festival," she said quickly.
"Sure." He winked. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Scarlett groaned. "You are insufferable."
"And you’re adorable when you're flustered."
She turned on her heel, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her blush again.
But as the festival continued, she couldn’t shake the warmth lingering in her chest—or the way Noah had definitely enjoyed teasing her about it.
Maybe, just maybe, Everbrook was starting to get under her skin.
- Writer
