Page 63 of Love Is…?

Grace whipped her head around, her smile beaming. “So cool, right?” she exclaimed.

Jayde leaned into Tessa. “I haven’t stepped foot into a bowling alley for at least fifteen years, but even allowing for that, I can see that the whole place seems to have been de-camera-ed and de-papped, and probably de-arseholed.”

Tessa left her shoulder against Jayde’s. “Six lanes in total. Six people on average per lane. We’re occupying three lanes because there’s eighteen of us. So that means three lanes remaining for the non-camera-carrying, non-pap-type, unlikely to be arseholes people who are probably great at ignoring world famous actors, and her kid’s friends.”

Jayde laughed. “Beautifully summarised, Ms Connor.” She tipped her chin at the shoe booth. “Let’s pick up our Parisian bowling haute couture.”

Tessa grinned, and followed Jayde to the counter, where Grace was engaged in a bouncing, side-to-side group hug with Justine, Hira, Kirralee, and India. Four boys stood to the side, looking somewhat awkward. Tessa took a small step forward, instantly in chaperone mode—visual yet unobtrusive—and locked eyes with Grace.

“Oh! Tessa, you know Hira, Justine, Kirralee, and India.” She waved her hand to encompass the foursome. Then she turned to Hira, who hauled on the hand of a blonde-haired boy.

“Hi Tessa, this is Justin,” Hira said with pride as if she’d scored the largest fish in the Annual Port Melbourne Fishing Tournament.

The other boys chose to introduce themselves; Kieren, who seemed to be Justine’s boyfriend; Shaun, who looked like he was attached to Kirralee, and Nyal who managed to state his name but didn’t get a chance to define his place in the world because India pronounced Nyal a 'friend who hangs out with her on weekends’.

Which left?—

“This is Michael,” Grace said shyly, and took his hand. Her face radiated happiness probably because she was at a regular event for a regular occasion with a regular cake and holding the hand of a regular not-quite-but-maybe-soon-to-be boyfriend.

Tessa sized him up. Tall as per the school photo. Chiselled features. A definite sporty sort. Her guess of rugby was probably correct.

Michael stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tessa. Grace speaks highly of you.”

Grace speaks highly of you?Michael was either the world’s most well-mannered fifteen-year-old or he was in schmooze mode.

“Thanks. Well, nice to meet everyone. This is Jayde, my…” Tessa paused, conducting an internal debate, then the memory of delightful kisses won out. “Good friend.” Tessa rubbed Jayde’s back to bring her into the group, and based on Jayde’s slight flush on her neck, Tessa knew she’d made the right decision with the adjective. There was a round of “Hello”s, and “Nice to meet you”s, then Grace suggested that everyone tell the attendant their shoe size, and find a bowling ball.

Tessa stared after them.

“What’s in your head?” Jayde’s voice tickled Tessa’s ear, and hairs sprang to attention up and down her arms.

She turned, then watched in fascination as the light show played across Jayde’s face.

“Oh, I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it,” she answered.

“The kids? Michael?”

Tessa bunched her lips together. “I think I’m being a heart helicopter.”

Jayde’s eyebrows went up. “A what?”

Tessa waved her hands about, one finger circling in the air. “You know. A helicopter hovering. I’m being a heart helicopter.”

Jayde reached for her hand. “I think being a heart helicopter is simply being an excellent chaperone.”

Having decided on the bowling balls that felt like the correct weight and fitted their fingers—“I’ll have to take my ring off so I can fit into the hole.” A statement to which Sam raised a lascivious eyebrow as Abby huffed in frustration, staring at the racks and racks of multicoloured balls—they organised themselves into groups of six with Justine, Kirralee, India and their associated male companions at lane one. Tessa, Jayde, Grace, Michael, Hira and Justin occupied the next lane over,which meant that Sam, Abby, and the four MTC students in their twenties, who Grace had befriended over the last year, settled themselves into the plastic seats in lane three.

With Bon Jovi blaring through the speakers that hung about the space, the first person in each group bowled their ball down the lanes and competition and laughter began.

“What on earth is that?”Tessa peered into Jayde’s tall plastic cup, the straw sticking out through the hole in the lid.

“It’s a rainbow slushy.” Jayde offered it to Tessa. “Want to try it?”

“It looks like the shine on the surface of an oil spill.”

Jayde fell sideways with laughter, nearly dropping the drink. “It doesn’t taste too bad. Go on.” She pushed it into Tessa’s hand.

“Fine. If I die, it’s your fault.” Tessa frowned at Jayde, then froze. Jayde’s smile was curled with mischief. Her eyes sparkled with humour. Her mouth was bracketed by laughter lines. Her hair framed her face, the tendrils curling past her temples. Tessa wanted to slowly tuck each strand behind Jayde’s ears so she could relish the experience.

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