But how does one earn the name “Thunderman?” If I wasn’t so anxious to get started, I’d stroll over there and ask myself.
“What’s your nickname going to be?” Meg asks, her fingers skimming the keyboard.
“I’m not sure nicknames are the sort of thing you come up with yourself.”
“Hmmm… you’re probably right. How about you come up with mine and I’ll come up with yours?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Let’s see… A nickname for Meg. Oh! I know. I nudge her out of the way and type her name for the night into the computer.
“Megalodon? Really?”
“What? It’s fierce, includes your actual name, and you’re a bit of a man eater.” The perfect name, really.
“All true. Damn. Now I have to think of something just as epic for you.” She taps her lips as she considers.
I end up bowling as “Great Pipes” because, my rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing” on the drive over here gave her goosebumps and we should definitely do karaoke sometime.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love her?
Turns out we are awful, but I don’t think we’ve ever laughed as much. At some point, the bumpers emerge from the gutters and we’re marginally better. Then the woman who’s been serving us all night brings a silver contraption for rolling the balls straight.
This helps Meg get her first and only spare.
I, on the other hand, knock down all ten pins. Not at once. Oh, no. It takes the entire ten frames for me to get that many.
The other players point at our scoreboard and shake their heads. Dave comes over to take a picture, saying he’s never seen anyone so terrible at bowling.
We don’t care though. It’s the perfect escape from responsibilities and relationships and work. Not once did I think about how awful my one and only sleepover with Josh went.
Our laughter echoes through the space when we bowl our final frame and stumble over to return our shoes. Dave chuckles along with us, saying we should come back next week.
We leave with a decent buzz and a promise to return.
Outside in the crisp winter air, Meg frowns down at her fingers as we wait for our ride share. “My thumb is throbbing.”
“I told you that you needed bigger holes.”
Snorting, she huddles closer to me. “No one’s ever complained about the size of my holes, thank you very much.”
We both snigger.
Linking my arm through hers, I rest my head on her shoulder. “Tonight was so much fun.” The most fun I’ve had since moving down here.
I try not to think too hard about the fact that it wasn’t with Josh.
“Right? I was thrilled about finding such cheap drinks, but the bowling really stole the show.”
I draw back, my breath a puff of white between us. “Are we bowlers now?”
“I think you have to knock down more than ten pins to call yourself that.”
“Says old twenty-pins herself.”
She bumps her hip against mine. “Hey! I’m proud of those twenty pins.”
“Watch out. I’ll be gunning for you next week, Megalodon.”
“Bring it on, Great Pipes. Bring. It. On.”
