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“I love the water, and my family used to vacation a lot in Hawaii. As far as I know, no one in my family bowls. I don’t think any of my friends do either.”
“Maybe we better not keep score tonight.”
She’d never played, but how hard could it be? You rolled a ball down the floor toward some pins and knocked them down. “Whatever you want. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Juliette quickly learned how wrong she’d been. Bowling might look easy, but there was a lot more to it than simply rolling a ball.
After managing yet another gutter ball, she turned and walked back to where Aaron sat nursing his beer. “Maybe I should’ve taken Tiegan’s suggestion and brought you to the indoor skydiving place instead.” Dropping into the stiff plastic seat next to him, she narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s so funny?” Aaron found something amusing. She hoped it wasn’t her debut performance bowling tonight.
“I was just thinking about something that happened when I went bowling with some friends in college.” Without continuing, he stood and started toward the ball return.
Clearly, the memory included a humorous story; otherwise Aaron wouldn’t have a grin stretching across his face. She liked a good laugh as much as the next person. “Aren’t you going to share?”
Rather than retrieve his ball and take his turn, Aaron came back and sat down. “There was a bowling alley not far from campus. Every Thursday night was college night, so it was half price to play. Maybe once a month a bunch of us would go over and play. Anyway, a guy named Jim came with us one night. I don’t even remember his last name. I didn’t know him well. He played on the football team with my roommate, Lee. He was a nice guy, but he was the walking embodiment of the dumb jock stereotype. I don’t know how he ever got into college, never mind how he graduated.”
“I knew some people in college like that.”
Of course, she also knew how they’d gotten in, and it’d been because of who they were related to. Rather than share that tidbit of information, she picked up her beer and took a sip while waiting for Aaron to continue. She wasn’t much of a beer drinker; instead, she preferred fruity cocktails with little umbrellas in them or wine, especially French wine. But the lounge at the bowling alley had several beers on tap from local New Hampshire breweries, and when the bartender asked what she wanted, she’d ordered the same as Aaron rather than inquire about the selection of wines available. As far as beers went, what she had was the tastiest she’d ever tried.
Aaron took a gulp from his glass before he continued. “Like you, Jim had never bowled before, and he had a few beers before we even got there. After his second or third turn, Jim left to use the restroom, and my roommate decided to switch Jim’s bowling ball with a different one. When he returned and tried to use it, his fingers wouldn’t fit in the holes. Lee told him that sometimes the first time you bowled your fingers swelled up because they weren’t used to it. Lee suggested he go run them under cold water so the swelling would go down. While Jim was doing that, Lee switched the bowling balls again, so he had the one he started the night using. Of course, his fingers fit on his next turn. Lee did that to him two or three more times.”
“He never caught on?” She could imagine someone falling for the trick once, but multiple times? It seemed like a person would at least get suspicious and wonder if something odd was going on.
“Nope. He just kept going back to the restroom and running his hands under cold water each time. Maybe if he hadn’t been drinking, he would’ve figured it out. I don’t know.”
“Did anyone ever tell him what happened that night?”
Shaking his head, he lifted the glass toward his mouth again. “Not that I know of.”
“So you’re telling me either I shouldn’t use the ladies’ room while we’re here or if I do, I need to bring my bowling ball with me.”
Aaron set his glass down and moved closer, his knees bumping against her leg as heat replaced the humor in his eyes. “You’re safe from practical jokes with me.” He brushed his fingers across her cheek before cupping the back of her head. “I’d rather spend our time together doing things we’ll both enjoy.” His lips touched hers. The feel of them moving back and forth across hers blocked out the sounds and smells around her—a remarkable feat, considering where they were.
Unlike when they kissed outside his house, Aaron pulled back first. “We should finish our game.”
She agreed. While she was having fun despite the uncomfortable footwear, she’d like to spend some time alone away from prying eyes before they parted for the night. “It’s your turn.”
He traced his fingertips along her jaw one last time before standing and walking to the ball return, and her eyes followed him every step of the way. He moved with a nonchalant grace. And his jeans and sweater accentuated rather than hid the muscled body they covered.
Far too preoccupied with staring at Aaron and his jean-covered butt, she didn’t notice the two women approaching until one of them spoke.
“Excuse me,” a female voice said.
Juliette pulled her eyes away from the pleasant view and found two women around her age standing near the seat Aaron vacated.
“Did you graduate from Ashford High School?” one of the women asked.
“Sorry, no, I didn’t.”
“I told you she didn’t go to school with us, Noella,” the woman’s companion said. “But you do look really familiar. Do you belong to the Ashford Athletic Club? We both go there.”
If she told them her name, they’d figure out quickly why she looked familiar. She didn’t intend to do that. At the same time, if they came right out and asked if she were Juliette Belmont, she wouldn’t lie either.
“No, I don’t go to that gym. I’m new to the area.”
Done with his turn, Aaron sat down next to her. “Hi, Sandy,” he said. “How have you been?”
“Not too bad. Do you remember my cousin Noella?” She nodded toward the woman who’d first spoken when they approached Juliette.
