a foreign concept, but one I loved.
“Get your shoes on, kittycat,” Jared called.
I sat down in one of swivel chairs and yanked my shoes off. I put on a pair of socks and then, put on the bowling shoes. I giggled to myself. They weren’t very attractive.
“Are you ready?” Jared asked. “You’re up first.”
I blanched. “I hoped that you guys would go before me. I’ve never done this before. I don’t know what to do.”
Jared grinned. “No worries, I’ll help you.”
I grimaced, biting my lip. “Ooookay,” I said. I honestly doubted that anyone could help me. What twenty year old didn’t know how to bowl?
I picked the lightest bowling ball I could find and stood hesitantly in front of the lane.
“You’re holding it right,” Jared said, his breath gusting against my cheek. “Now just bring your arm back like this,” his hand was suddenly on my arm, “and swing forward, letting go.”
The ball thumped to the ground, rolling slowly for a few feet before falling into the gutter.
“I don’t think I did it right,” I frowned.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.” He brushed the hair off my neck and kissed a spot just below my ear. I shivered from the sensation.
“Jared!” Holden called. “The poor girl can’t think straight, let alone bowl, when you’re doing that.”
“Shut it,” Jared glared at his best friend.
The ball came back and I tried again.
I knocked down one pin.
One.
Stickin’.
Pin.
“This is way harder than I thought it would be,” I grumbled.
“You’ll get the hang of it,” Jared said, leading me back to one of the small tables to wait for his turn.
Karlie was next and I made sure to watch all her movements. She managed to knock down all of the pins except for two. We clapped and she turned, taking a small bow, before proceeding, to knock the last two pins down.
Dan, Jared, and Holden, all got a strike… whatever that was. I assumed it was good since they knocked all the pins down at one go. Piper and Patsy didn’t do too badly.
Rollo, however, sucked, just like me. He hadn’t ever been bowling before, either. Our parents thought something like this, was beneath them.
“This is ridiculous!” Rollo cried when his ball went into the gutter a second time.
It was my turn again and Jared stood to help me but I waved him off. “I’ve got this,” I said.
“You sure?” he asked.
I nodded, picking up the ball, and he sat back down.
I studied the pins and took a deep breath. I could do this.
I let the ball sling forward and closed my eyes as it rolled down the lane.
Cheers erupted behind me and I opened my eyes to see that only three pins remained standing.
I let out a squeal of delight.
Jared picked me up and swung me around. “Good job, kitten,” he kissed me.
The ball came back and I prepped myself to knock down the remaining pins.
I let the ball go and waited, eyes open this time.
Two went down but one remained standing, stubbornly.
I frowned, but I had done so much better than the first time, that I couldn’t be sad for long.
Plus, with all these people surrounding me, cheering me on, there was no way I could be miserable.
This was one of the best days of my life, definitely one I would remember for a long time.
~***~
We played two games and then stopped to eat at the bar area.
The bowling alley served concession type food. Jared said we could go to a restaurant but I thought this was perfect.
I ordered a hot dog and fries, slathering both with ketchup.
I bit into the hotdog and moaned. Nothing had ever tasted so good before.
Jared chuckled at my reaction.
“It’s so good,” I said, wiping ketchup from the corner of my mouth.
“It’s a hotdog,” he said in a tone that implied I was crazy.
“I don’t care, it’s yummy,” I took another bite.
“Katy Spencer, you are one strange girl,” he shook his head. “But I wouldn’t have you any other way,” he leaned over and kissed my cheek.
Everyone else was chatting, leaving Jared and I alone. I thought it was sweet that they were trying to give us space.
Jared looked around, making sure they were occupied and pulled a small, wrapped box from his pocket.
He handed it to me, a blush staining his cheeks. It was so unusual to see a man like Jared blush, which made me insanely curious to know what was inside the box.
“Happy birthday,” he whispered, sliding the box across the counter to