Relief washes over me that I’m saved from having to answer Grady’s question. But I just about choke on my beer as my gaze snags on the source of the raucous that has just emerged from behind Spencer.
She’s smiling broadly, holding up a giant, shiny, helium balloon in the shape of a penis. It’s even got a happy looking cartoon face on the tip, with silly, gloved hands holding a sign that says “same penis forever.”
Ally glances around quickly before saying through laughter, “you’re lucky there aren’t any kids here, tonight Spence.”
My eyes immediately snap to Poppy, but where I expected her face to be beat red, it’s gone almost a ghostly shade of white. Her eyes are wide in shock. I can’t fully read her expression, but I decide to divert any attention away from her.
“At least if it’smypenis forever, she’s got the cream of the crop,” I joke, knowing full well that Poppy hasn’t, and probably won’t ever experience the full range of my sexual prowess. But my response draws a few groans from the group. It’s what I’ve come to expect, knowing by now that my brothers are well and truly sick of my shit.
But it does the job, and the comment is enough to make everyone want to stop discussing Poppy and I’s relationship, at least until we finish getting our bowling shoes.
Once we’re all fully outfitted, we head over to the lanes, mylar penis balloon in tow.
Hudson and Wren are at each other’s throats as soon as the game starts, playfully trash talking and hip checking each other as they get ready to throw their balls. You’d never guess those two were married the way they like to compete at silly games.
Poppy gets up to throw her first ball once her turn comes around, and she knocks over half the pins. When she comes back to sit down with the group, I can’t help but notice her rubbing the wrist of the hand she threw with.
She tucks her hands under her legs, and cheers as Spencer gets up to take her turn, seemingly switching off the discomfort I saw on her face a moment ago.
Grady gets up from where he’s been sitting and takesSpencer’s seat next to Poppy while she’s up to bowl. He rests his tattooed forearms on his knees, beer bottle in hand.
“I love my little brother Pops, but I will never understand how this happened,” he says with a shake of his head, pointing back and forth between Poppy and I.
Ally turns in her seat to join the conversation.
“I don’t think I ever heard the story of how you two got together.” Her blue eyes bright and sparkling with curiosity. “Weren’t you just talking about how you were on that dating app at Friendsmas? That was what, a month ago?”
A flush spreads from Poppy’s neck up to her cheeks, and she chews on the inside of her cheek.
“I was…” she starts before I cut in.
“Poppy and I have known each other forever,” I answer, making it out to be such a simple explanation that there could be no question. And then I speak a kernel of truth that I didn’t even know was living inside me. “I’ve always had a crush on her. When she was showing me her matches on that stupid app, I just knew, I couldn’t let her go out with any of those losers. It had to be me.”
Poppy’s eyes snap up and her gaze fixes on me, her eyebrows twitching together.
“But getting married,” Ally says. “That’s a huge step.”
“When you know, you know. It’s a big year for me. I plan on winning the World Cup and the woman of my dreams.” I lean back on the bench and stretching my arms over the back of it, trying to look unbothered.
But I can tell this is going to be harder than I thought, and I’m grateful for Wren jumping in and pointing out that it’s Poppy’s turn to bowl. Ally gives me a playful eye roll, before turning her attention back to the game.
We finish off the first round, with me coming in first. No surprise there. But we still haven’t won our friends over.
Everyone gets up to refresh their beverages between games, but as we all take our places by the lanes again, I notice Poppy isn’t here. I turn to look back at the bar to see if she’s still waiting for her drink, but I don’t spot her.
“Where’s your fiancée, Jett?” Mason asks. “Don’t tell me you’ve been jilted before you got to the altar.”
Mason and I are always ribbing each other about something, but right now I’m not in the mood.
I don’t even bother answering with my usual snark, before I leave the group to go find her. It takes me a minute or two, since there are only so many places to look, and I finally spot her, leaning against the wall in the hallway outside the washroom.
“What’s going on?” I ask, striding over to her.
I stand in front of her, but she doesn’t look up. She’s staring down at her hands, rubbing her fingers.
“We’re doing so well out there. I don’t know about you, but I think Ally is almost convinced that I’ve been madly in love with you my entire life.”
Poppy looks at me now, her eyes lined with silver.
