is to knock them all down,” Eli teases, patting my shoulder as I brush past him.
Thankfully, Kevin is even worse than I am, but Arianna is shockingly good—like what the hell, did she spend her summers at bowling camp or what? Andy isn’t bad either. Together, they’ve formed a team that can’t be beat. They high-five each other and bump chests, really getting into the spirit. Eli and Kevin are too. They’re talking strategy and cracking up together, their heads bent close. They look as adorable as ever.
Meanwhile, Ben has chosen to sit as far away from me as possible. I’d have to yell if I wanted to say something to him.
I try not to read too much into it and when it’s his turn, I sigh, secretly happy to have an excuse to ogle him without it seeming strange. I have to watch my team member during his turn, right?
He’s taken off his jacket and his gray crewneck t-shirt isn’t tight, but I’m still very aware of his muscular build, as is the group of old women to our left. They’ve paused their game to watch him take his turn.
He winds up and releases the ball. It cuts right down the center of the lane and smashes into the pins with a loud whack. Every single pin gets knocked down and then he turns, just in time to see me staring at him with a tinge too much hero worship in my gaze.
This is getting a little pathetic.
I leap to my feet and wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans. “Beer, anyone?”
There’s a chorus of resounding yeses, along with a few shouts for nachos.
My boyfriend—sign boy—is working the snack register. When I request two orders of nachos and six beers, he tells me the nachos are on the house and then winks before motioning down at the candy.
“Care for anything sweet? My treat.”
I’m about to take him up on his offer of some free Skittles when Ben cuts in and lays cash down on the counter.
“You can keep the change,” he says, starting to gather beers. I swear he nearly growls at the kid.
He won’t even look at me.
I take the last two bottles and the nachos, placing them on a tray.
“You really cramped my style back there,” I say as we walk back.
“Oh yeah? Is that the guy you have in mind for your first time? He weighs 75 pounds.”
I grin. “I could have sweet-talked him into giving me a chocolate bar if you hadn’t come along.”
“If you’re still hungry after all this, I’ll get you a chocolate bar,” he says, glancing down at my tray, which is loaded down with our stuff. “Can you carry that?”
“Yup,” I say before stuffing a whole nacho into my mouth and smiling proudly.
When we make it back to the group, I expect him to reclaim his old spot and go right on ignoring me. Instead, he tells me to scoot over and sits beside me, stealing a nacho. His hip is touching mine on the orange plastic bench. I take a long swig of beer, realizing I need it.
“You look different tonight,” he says as Andy hops up to take his second turn.
“Oh?” I ask, very cool, very confused. Me? Different? How so? “Good different or bad different?”
“Just…different.” He leans back to assess me then reaches for a strand of hair. “I’ve never seen your hair straight.”
I shrug. “Well, don’t get used to it. It took a woman at the mall like an hour to style it like this. I’d never have the patience to do it myself.”
His brows tug together. “You got your hair done for tonight?”
Shit. What? No! What kind of loser gets her hair done for bowling?
I shake my head. “Just needed a haircut,” I lie, and for once I’m grateful it’s biologically impossible for men to tell when a woman has cut her hair. I swear my dad and brother never notice.
“It looks good.”
Three words, not even all that flowery, but he might as well have declared his love with the way my heart is beating.
I smile as I bring my beer back to my lips. He watches me take a sip, and are we the only ones in this bowling alley or does it just feel that way now? I swear he’s about to lean in and tell me something, but then Eli nudges me in the shoulder, announcing it’s my turn.
“Clear the area,” Andy shouts, hands forming a megaphone around his mouth.
“Ha ha ha,” I