AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I could seethe scowl on her face the second she pulled into the parking lot. It practically made me giddy.
Being given the opportunity to change Una’s mind on love was an honor, really. Showing her how to have a good time with someone who likes her would be difficult, but I loved a challenge.
Besides… if she ended up liking me back by the end… it wouldn’t be horrible. Not that it was my goal, but it definitely wouldn’t be a bad thing.
I stood by the entrance, my hands in my pockets, rocking back on my heels with nervous energy. My fingers tangled around the items in my pocket, fiddling with them as she parked.
She got out of her car and surveyed the area, as if searching for people she knew who could potentially see her.
“You aren’t going to find anyone here,” I called. She glared at me, but I didn’t take it personally. “We’re two towns over. Who are you expecting?”
She strolled up to me in her classic black cargo pants and a rather bright purple crop top. If there was ever a statement outfit that classically defined someone, it would be that for her. Her new braids in the many hues of blue popped against her dark skin and bright shirt.
She looked amazing. Not that she ever even had to try.
“Welcome to our first date.” Her scowl made me want to laugh, but I didn’t want to disrespect her.
I reached behind me on the ledge of the window and grabbed something. “This is for you,” I said, bringing it around to the front.
That got the glare to turn to wide, surprised eyes. “Are you joking? People really do that?”
The laugh finally escaped, but it was warranted. “Do what? Give girls flowers?”
“Flower. Singular,” she retorted, still not taking the rose from my hand.
I shrugged. “Fair. And yes, people really do that. I mean, I do that.”
She rolled her eyes and accepted the rose, making me chuckle a little more. I opened the door, a jingle going off overhead, and gestured for her to enter.
“Don’t think I missed the ‘first date’ comment, by the way,” she said as she brushed past me.
Considering she never missed a thing, I didn’t doubt it. I had stated it plainly and loudly.
“I already got our clubs and balls. Yours is purple. Thought it was fitting,” I said, grabbing the items off the counter in front of us. The place was empty, which seemed to be a good thing in this case.
She didn’t say anything as she took her club and ball and headed to the door leading out to the mini golf course.
“Have you ever been here before?” I asked, pocketing the paper to put our scores on and the tiny little pencil that came with it.
Una put her ball on the mat and stared at me. “Do I look like someone who would have come here before?”
My face fell. I didn’t mean it in such a discriminatory way. “I…uh…”
But she huffed out a small laugh instead of chastising me more. It made my heart squeeze for some reason. “I’ve been to the one in Teller a few times. Ali even got us tickets to the one next to Fairview once, but we didn’t last long. Too many Fairview kids there that night.”
I nodded slowly, not sure if I should agree with her or apologize. The Fairview course was my personal favorite. It took a bit of research to find this one, away from all the people we knew who might spot us. I couldn’t ask anyone for their recommendations, obviously, so I had to rely on maps and online reviews only.
“What I’m hearing is you’re a mini golf pro by now, huh?” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Hardly,” she replied, squaring her shoulders over her feet and lining up her putt. She took a whack at the ball, sending it down the lane toward the hole.
Since it was the first hole, it wasn’t a particularly hard one. We both got it in three, which was par.
“One down, seventeen more to go,” I said, nudging her with my shoulder. She sighed with exasperation and made her way to the next hole.
I couldn’t get a good read on her yet. I assumed by the first hole I would be able to tell if she was excited to be here or not. But it seemed like her emotions flip-flopped as much as my heart was. Just being next to her made my legs turn to jelly and my palms sweat with nervousness. What if she wasn’t having fun? What if she not only hated mini golf, but by association now, me?
Did I choose the wrong place? Did I ruin everything from the start?
