“Now the question remains, will you stay the night?” With his fingers, he tips my chin upward to gaze into my eyes, or so I can stare into his…either way, I love it. How he cherishes me. How he makes my body feel.All of it.
I hum, pretending to think. He swipes his thumb over my cheek, coaxing me to answer. I don’t wait too long to say, “Yes, I’d like that.”
We stay out on the balcony for a while before sleep takes over both of us. We’ve been taking turns yawning for a good fifteen minutes. “I think it’s time to head to bed,” I say, pulling myself off of him.
He shuts off the firepit, and we walk back inside. “I think I might have an extra toothbrush in the cabinet.”
Once we are all ready for bed, he takes my hand, grabs the sheet and blanket, and pulls them down for me to slide in. He rounds the bed and hops in. The moment his hand lands on mine, I know this is right. Sliding himself over so my back is flush with his, he drapes his arm around my body to hold one of my breasts. I place my hand on his while he breathes on my neck and kisses me. “Good night, sweetheart.”
“Good night.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Kai
The next two days are a whirlwind as Blake and I finish the office. I haven’t seen Ava since our night together. We’ve texted here and there, but we are so exhausted at night. When we’re on the phone, one of us is either yawning or falling asleep. She’s had family commitments and is figuring out the purchase of the coffeehouse. I’m looking forward to the charity bowling event this morning, when I can see her again.
Our team outfits consist of a bright pink polo. Yes, I had a say in the shirt style. I’m wearing black pants, and once I’m downstairs, I dig out my bowling bag from the closet. Yanking it out, I open it up and make sure my shoes and custom balls are ready to go. These custom balls were created specifically for my fingers. My fingers would get stuck in the generic bowling balls, so the only solution was to have them custom-made for my large hands. I buff them up with my cloth and put them back in the bag.
Dragging it behind me, I load it into my car. The drive to the bowling alley is only fifteen minutes. My thoughts refocus on Ava. After a date of a lifetime a few nights ago, hearing she will be here longer is the only thing I can think about.
My brother had to knock me out of my stupor yesterday. He said, “You need to get out of your head and put in some work to finish this office on time.” It shook me out of my head for a bit, but my brainveered back to Ava. When I held her in my arms and we fell asleep, it was like a dream. I love being around her.
Pulling into the parking lot, I see Ava standing outside her car. I park close, engine thrumming into the otherwise silent car. For a moment, I just watch through the tinted windows, mesmerized by her beauty. I witness the wind gently blowing across her wavy brown hair as it falls into her face. Turning the engine off, I slowly exit my car, the door clicking shut behind me. Her head turns, and our eyes meet. And she grins, a big, beautiful grin, at me. And then she waves and calls out, “Hey! You ready to kick some ass today?” bringing me back to reality.
Her competitive spirit has me laughing. “Yes, yes, I am.”
Let’s see how all of this works out. Having competitive bowlers on our team…we might just win. Although I’m not sure if she’s actually good at it, I admire her confidence.
Walking toward her, I pull my bowling bag behind me. She tips her head to see what I’m dragging. “Um…you have a bowling bag?”
I stop mid-step and say, “Are you making fun of my bag?”
She giggles into her hand. “No, no, definitely not making fun of you,” she mumbles through her fingers that cover her mouth.
I do what any other bowling pro would do. I swagger over to her, exaggerating my steps, and whip my bag around. “I’ll have you know this bag is full of pro bowler equipment.” Trying to keep a straight face, I continue to say, “custom balls and shoes.”
She’s now keeled over laughing so hard, I think she’s going to pass out. “I’m sorry. Did you say you have custom balls?”
“I did. Are you going to pass out from not breathing properly with all that laughing?” I ask, genuinely concerned, walking toward her. She coughs, and I rush to her and tap her on the back. Not sure that’s even making a difference. “You dying?”
She’s able to take a deep breath. “I can’t wait to see you use your custom balls and shoes.” Her smile might just break her face. It's so wide.
I wrap my arm around her and give her a kiss. When she melts in my arms, I want to pick her up and run away with her. Instead, I say, “We are going to win today. Come on, let's get inside.”
She rents her shoes and finds a ball that she’s comfortable with. “I’m ready.”
While warming up, everyone takes turns bowling. When Ava is up, she’s impressive, and I wonder if she’d consider joining our bowling league. I tuck the idea away for later.
I walk up beside her and whisper, “I’m glad you’re on our team. It will make up for Logan’s lack of bowling skills.”
Dane and Kendall walk in fashionably late. I watch as Ava and Kendall make eye contact. Kendall practically screams, “I didn’t know you were going to be here.” As she hugs her and shakes.
Ava hugs her back and says, “Filling in for Theresa.”
“We are going to have so much fun.”
They continue their conversation as Dane comes up to me and we bro hug. “Hey man, did I see you and Ava kiss in the parking lot?”
