Page 39 of All For You
A car horn sounded from down the road, bringing Aspen and me back into the moment. She immediately sank down into the car, then I shut the door and moved around to the driver side.
I was thankful for the interruption, because I could have stood there kissing her sweet lips for hours if she would’ve let me.
Soon, we were driving down the alleyway toward a warehouse-looking building in town. I looked up the old place and saw a young couple bought it and were working to fix it up. They already restored the old signs and woodwork.
I’d never tell Aspen, but I was a little excited to check it out. When I lived here, the place was too derelict to ever visit and was never open. Though I did recall one hell of a party taking place in the building, before it was broken up by the cops.
“We’re going bowling?” Aspen asked as I pulled into the lot. It looked completely different from what I remembered. Fresh paint. A new retro sign. Neon lights. The couple who bought it dropped some serious cash.
“We are. And you can play one-handed. Have you been here since it reopened three years ago?”
Her energy never wavered as she told me that I already knew the answer. It was clear she wasn’t exaggerating when she said she didn’t get out much.
The timing was perfect, because as my phone switched to 7:00 p.m., Jenna’s car pulled in beside mine with her date, Derek, in the passenger seat.
“You invited Jenna?” Aspen asked, leaning across the center console, gripping my forearm with her injured arm’s hand, and waving to her friend with the other.
“I did. I thought a double date would be a good way to get the relationship rumor mill going. If we can convince Jenna, then we can convince everyone else.”
“Good idea,” she said, smiling up at me before sitting back in her seat.
Exiting the car, I walked around to the other side and helped her out of her seat. The two women hugged, and then we walked inside.
I didn’t spend a lot of time lingering on the looks of the place as I paid for a lane and the rental shoes. Bowling wasn’t a sport I excelled at, but I had fun either way. And that was the point of our date tonight.
Derek and I chatted as we ordered some food for our lane, along with a pitcher of beer. I wouldn’t drink more than one or two glasses, since I was driving and under advisement from my coach to keep up my training regimen.
The girls giggled as they tied their clownish-looking shoes, but I had to admit these weren’t as hideous as some of the ones I’d seen on television or in the movies.
We played a few practice rounds, Aspen nearly releasing her ball behind her twice. And that was with her good arm—the right one, and she was righthanded. She confessed to never having bowled before, and it showed, but as we all teased her, she laughed, knowing it was all in good fun. I wanted her to see that a date could be something amusing and spontaneous. Even if it was something new, she didn’t have to be so apprehensive. Not all dates had to be formal and serious.
It was also nice to see her let loose. Jenna leaned toward me once the food arrived and told me this was the happiest she’d seen Aspen in years.
When I ran into Jenna at the grocery store yesterday, I broached the topic of a double date. She was skeptical of me going out with Aspen after all the torment we caused each other growing up. But when she agreed, I made sure that Betsy, the town gossip, overheard us. I was sure the news would spread like wildfire by the end of the week.
Which was most likely the reason no one was on the lanes closest to ours. Everyone requested lanes on the complete other side, knowing the chaos that surrounded us whenever we were in the same room together back in the day. I was thankful the owners hadn’t grown up in Ashfield with us. They probably wouldn’t have let us into their establishment together at all.
Two rounds, a large pizza, and two pitchers of beer later, we were laughing so much we didn’t notice the group of college-aged kids who took up the lanes close by. There were no colleges in Ashfield, but there was a small private university in the next town over, which catered to kids who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths.
I worried they’d recognize me when a few of the guys started eyeing our lane, so I turned my back to them, unsure if I should suggest ending the game. We were having a great night, and I didn’t want my fame to ruin that. I was used to being noticed, but I knew from my time with Vanessa that not everyone could handle it.
“Everything all right?” Aspen asked as she took the seat beside me, leaning her head on my shoulder.
“Yeah, I just think those frat guys might’ve recognized me. I… uh… just wanted to have some fun, you know?”
Reaching down, she used her right hand to squeeze mine before standing and walking away. I didn’t dare turn around towatch, but I was certain the group was watching her every move. Across the way, Jenna’s attention was on Aspen, which gave me peace of mind.
Suddenly, the entire room was bathed in blackness, before purple-tinted lights clicked on.
Uncontrollable laughter bubbled to the surface, and I bent over to catch my breath. I knew this had to be Aspen’s doing, since I’d seen on a sign that Cosmic Bowling wasn’t until tomorrow evening.
What better way to keep people from recognizing you than to make it dark enough no one could see you? The only thing that stood out was my white Henley shirt and the laces of my clown shoes.
Soon, Aspen was back, and I immediately reached out and pulled her close.
“You’re the fucking best. Thank you,” I told her before I pressed my mouth against hers in a chaste kiss.
She looked a bit surprised when I pulled away, before she mumbled, “You’re welcome. Now… I challenge you to the next round.”
