The next day Nick managed to convince Mia to meet up. However, he had a sneaking suspicion that he managed to convince her because she couldn't say no to a carnival, not Nick. 

It was one of those carnivals with many fun rides and colorful booths, and it was clear from her messages that she loved those kinds of things. Plus, Nick thought that another reason she agreed was that it was the most crowded place they could have visited.

Even though he knew all of that, he was still excited to go out with her. 

They didn't officially call it a date, but he hoped that it actually was one. 

Because of all that, he picked out his best clothes and the manliest cologne, but that didn't stop him from feeling very nervous. There was clearly something between him and Mia, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure it out. 

However, the second he saw Mia waiting for him at the arranged place, all his doubts and insecurities disappeared. The only thing he could focus on was Mia. 

She was wearing casual clothing that fit her perfectly, and her hair was free. It was the most beautiful sight Nick had ever seen, her just standing there confidently while the wind kept playing with her beautiful hair.

Since it was the first time they were alone, it was a bit awkward at first. Yet, after the initial hesitation, Nick and Mia started feeling more comfortable with each other. 

After all, they messaged each other about so many things that it felt like they knew each other much better than expected. 

After exchanging the pleasantries, they headed towards the place where the carnival was held. 

It was much bigger than he expected and much more beautiful. Nick could understand why Mia was so excited. Everything was so big and beautiful, and he didn't know where to look first. 

As for Mia, she was as excited as a small child. She kept jumping around and pulling Nick in different directions to try all the exciting rides. 

Soon, Nick noticed that she kept holding his hand and pulling him towards different rides, but she didn't seem to notice. He kept wondering how she missed the sparks that kept flying through their connected hands. 

Either it wasn't the same for her, or she was simply too excited to notice anything else besides the crazy and scary rides. Nick wasn't really into roller coasters and those kinds of rides, but he could enjoy even that with Mia by his side.

Finally, he managed to convince her to take a break because although he would never admit it to her, his head was spinning, and he felt sick. So they decided to play some shooting games. 

Nick expected that he would be the one shooting and winning toys for Mia, but she refused. She said it was not fair for him to assume that she, as a girl, couldn't do it. 

If he was being honest, Nick found it strange that she saw it that way. He just assumed that was expected from a guy. 

However, when he saw her shooting precision, he was thoroughly impressed. 

It was lucky that she insisted on being the one to shoot because Nick realized that he was a lousy shot in comparison. 

Mia managed to get one of the big prizes, and from the choice of three different ones, she chose an enormous brown teddy bear. Then she proceeded to give it to Nick, and he couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. It was the first time that a girl gave him a present for no apparent reason. 

Also, it was the first time he had got a teddy bear, and he really liked the feeling. He didn't feel less manly as some guys would. He actually just felt content. 

He knew that he could relax because Mia didn't expect him to follow the conventions. They would just figure things out as they went on.