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"Disco bowling? Seriously? Is there such a thing?"
He laughed. "I've never been, but you mentioned bowling a few weeks ago, and I figured tonight of all nights I could go ahead and impress you with my mad lack of bowling skills. Besides which, you look way too hot to waste on trick-or-treaters. They have a costume competition-you're a shoo-in. "
I laughed, giddy, and grabbed his hand to kiss his knuckles. I knew he'd rather stay at home, but he planned tonight around making me happy. And he wanted to show me off, which appealed to my vanity more than I cared to admit. Best. Boyfriend. Ever.
"Pictures, please? And if we're going disco bowling, you have to dress up. "
He pretended to sigh, but his glamour hair grew out into a massive 'fro and I squealed with delight. Then it shifted into shorter hair with a yellow-blond side part. "I figure with an ascot and blue pants I can do a mean Fred to your Daphne, right?"
Tonight was perfect.
"Aren't those for, like, preschoolers?" I couldn't stop laughing as Lend pulled out bumpers for our gutter. The entire place was lit in neon lights, with a giant disco ball throwing spangled reflections everywhere. Music pulsed so loud we had to shout to be heard, but everyone was having a good time. We even saw Kari and Donna a couple of lanes down, their barking laughter reminiscent of the seals they usually were. They waved happily to me, ignoring the large queue of guys trying to flirt with them.
"Yeah, bumpers are for preschoolers or two teenagers who couldn't stop throwing gutter balls if their lives depended on it. Which, fortunately, they don't. Because we'd be screwed. "
I grabbed my glittery hot pink ball (which I was seriously considering buying) and imitated the perfect form a Mohawked guy next to us was using. Instead of shooting straight down the lane and knocking over all the pins, my ball inexplicably went flying backward toward Lend.
"Okay, now we're getting dangerous. " Lend brought my ball back and, wrapping
himself around me, we threw it together. After pinballing off the bumpers on both sides, it knocked down a whole three pins.
I jumped up and down, screaming. "That's like, practically a strike, right?"
"Good enough for me!"
For Lend's next round he squatted, throwing the ball with both hands from between his legs-and into Mohawk guy's lane. He wasn't nearly as amused as we were, but Lend grinned and apologized, charming his way out of it.
"It's a good thing we're pretty to look at," I said as Lend sat down on the orange plastic seats next to me. "Because we don't have much else going for us as bowlers. "
"So you think the blond looks good?"
I ran my fingers through his ridiculous hair. "Really, really not. I like you tall, dark, and handsome. Well, my favorite is tall, invisible, and handsome, but still. "
An announcer stopped the blaring disco music to declare the beginning of the costume contest. Lend pulled me up and we started over, when I felt my purse buzzing. My phone! I pulled it out and was surprised to see Carlee's name on the caller ID. Oh, crap, did I forget to tell her I wasn't coming to her party?
"Carlee? What's up? Sorry I couldn't make it!" I shouted over the noise, pulling Lend over to the double doors by the entrance where it was a little quieter. I didn't want Carlee to think I'd ditched her. Even though I had.
"Evie! Evvvvvvie!" She drew my name out, and behind her I could hear the chatter of way too many hyper teenage voices. "Girl, you came through for me! I owe you one!"
"What?"
"Your friend! You told him about the party, you sly little brat. "
"What friend?"
"Jack, of course!"
Chapter Twenty-Six
Happy Freaking Halloween
I put a finger to my free ear to hear the phone better, angling myself away from Lend. "Wait, what? Who is there?" Carlee couldn't have said what I thought she said.
"Jack, the cute one! Thanks for telling him to come. I'm so over John! And so glad I went for the slutty angel costume! Can you give me any hints? His likes, dislikes, whatever?"
"He's- Jack is there? Now?" Lend turned his head sharply, suddenly focused on the conversation.
"Yeah, he's-wait-" A girl screamed shrilly in the background, and then loud cheers erupted. Carlee swore, laughing. "He flipped off the second floor balcony and landed in the foyer!"
