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She glanced down into the box, then back up at me. I was in danger of pitching head first into the endless depths of her eyes.
“It looks like I will be, yes.” Fucked. I was fucked.
“Alright then.”
“Does this mean you’ve never bowled Chase?” Lindsay asked, edging a little closer into my side and reminding me who I was actually on a date with.
“Not with any real success, no, but it cannot possibly be that difficult. Plus, I’m a quick study.” Chase smiled, she was only barely restraining herself from dropping to the floor and trying on her new shoes. The fact I knew that was inordinately satisfying.
“Well, if you need any pointers, I’d be happy to give you a personal lesson,” Brady all but purred at her and I nearly gave myself an aneurysm with the effort it took not to throat punch him. He hadn’t been this much of a dick at Thanksgiving had he? I really hoped not, or I was going to be concerned for Chase and her decision making in agreeing to this date.
She shot him a too-sweet smile. “I think I’ll manage, thanks, Brady.”
The conversation ended as a kid with a star tattoo under his left eye finally appeared behind the desk and asked what size shoe we all needed.
Once everyone had shoes, Chase only gloated a little that hers were better than everyone else’s, and—to her credit—Lindsay took it well. Now, it was time to choose balls. This was not something that I thought required that much thought, but Chase and Lindsay disagreed for quite different reasons.
“That one doesn’t even have any glitter,” Chase said as Brady suggested a ball.
“I don’t think glitter is a prerequisite for a bowling ball.”
“Well maybe it should be … ooh look at this one!” She skipped to the next rack.
“She’s going to be terrible, isn’t she?” Lindsay asked, standing close.
“Absolutely awful,” I confirmed as she picked up and then discarded the fifth ball. “Looking for your golden slipper?”
“Do you mean glass slipper?”
“Probably, but I’d take a gold slipper over a glass one, who wants glass shoes?”
“Sure, they’d be completely impractical.”
“Exactly, and what if one broke? Messy.”
She laughed. “Excellent point. Okay, then yes, I am looking for my golden slipper. Your ball can make or break your game, you know.” She launched into a bowling ball related monologue that I was only half listening to as I watched Chase and Brady head back to our lane cradling their own balls.
“Everything okay?” Lindsay asked with a nudge to my elbow.
“Yes, great, let’s do this.” I grabbed a ball and she narrowed her eyes.
“Um, that one’s probably too light for you.” There was a good chance she was right but I was holding it now and didn’t want it to look like the panic choice it was.
“Oh, no, this is just how I roll.” Did I really just say a bowling pun? Lord help me, if Chase heard that she’d never let me forget it. Lindsay however, being the bowling enthusiast she was, laughed as we went to join Chase and Brady.
“I don’t think we’re going to have to do much to beat them anyway,” she whispered as we approached.
“No, I think you’re probably right there.” Not that I gave a shit who won.
“Then let’s go wipe the floor with them, partner.”
“Yes ma’am,” I said and she beamed. Maybe my charm hadn’t abandoned me after all.
13
CHASE
Bowling wasweird and I was still terrible at it. But, despite my substandard skill level, it was also more enjoyable than I expected it to be—it might have had something to do with the fact I was pleasantly buzzed. Bowling at thirty-one was a different beast to bowling (or watching bowling) at sixteen or seventeen. For one, the drinks were much better. There were also my new shoes, which I could not stop staring at. The shoes that Mack had bought me, so I wouldn’t have to wear those disgusting specimens they provided you with.He bought me shoes.
