“Okay.”
We approach the ticket booth, and Bash pays for the session. They get our sizes and outfit us from head to toe with safety gear. I wouldn't be surprised if bubble wrap is next. After a thorough lecture on safety and rules, we put on the protective wear over our clothing and change into the steel-toe boots they provide.
We enter the bath-themed demolition set-up, and I feel euphoric. Armed with a lightweight sledgehammer, I aim and swing at my coveted shower stall, watching in fascination as the glass flows gracefully to the floor like a sheet of water. My eyes widen as adrenaline surges through me. I'm breathing hard, my chest rising and falling in sharp jerky movements. I look at Bash and laugh. “That was obscenely satisfying.”
Bash
In all of my twenty-four years, I have never seen a woman so beautiful. Watching her destruction in action is a poetic experience.
Did I really just think that? Where's this coming from? I don't wax poetic! Ever!
But she's real, unlike the other women who accost me and try to cling to me. I noticed her in the club because she's stunning, but I stuck around because she wasn't the least bit interested in my looks or charm. Even now, she seems unaffected by me, which makes the entire Amelia package all the more fascinating.
Then she told me about her cheating-rat husband. I wanted to punch his face in and take all her hurt away. But she lumped me in with this no-good, scumbag tool, and I was determined to show her that not all men are man-hoes.
With my arms crossed, I lean against the far wall and let her unleash her fury. Her petite frame takes longer to destroy the room, but we have plenty of time. Her hair, which she'd tied back the minute she realized what we were doing, is now falling loose, cascading down her back. She looks like an avenging angel, her facetwisted in rage behind the shield, her breath coming out labored and uneven.
She stops momentarily, wiping sweat and hair from her face under the mask, and casts a look my way. “You're not going to smash anything with me?”
“I thought I'd let you do all the damage you want and then join you at the end, once you've worked your anger out,” I explain.
She nods, appearing contemplative, and returns to her task as if it's her job. Choosing her next target carefully, she aims for the toilet, swinging the sledgehammer repeatedly until the porcelain is reduced to rubble. Turning her attention to the disconnected light fixtures and mirrors above the sink next, she happily continues.
I laugh, feeling happy, knowing I may have brought her a little peace and sanity. I take comfort in that, enjoying the fact that I've been able to help.
After the hour-long session ends, we return our protective equipment, order a couple of soft drinks from the concession stand, and sit at one of the tables.
“Not gonna lie, pretty boy… this might be the best date ever. I actually had fun,” she admits, pulling her eyes away from her phone screen after tapping out a quick message to someone and placing it back in her pocket.
I lean back, knowingly flashing my lethal dimple as I smile at her. “Well, I guess that's a point for me if date number one was a success.”
“I'll concede that you get points for it if the evening ends without Casanova making an appearance,” she jokes.
“I'm hurt that you would even think such a thing,” I say, clutching my chest in feigned heartbreak. “Casanova is behaving himself tonight.”
“Thanks, Bash,” she whispers, her eyes soft as she smiles at me. My heart stutters at the look.
“You're welcome, Amelia,” I sigh, noticing how dark it’s gotten. “It’s late, do you want me to follow you out?” I hesitate, not knowing where she lives and not wanting to overstep, but I can’t shake the worry about her driving alone at night.
“No, thanks, I'm fine," she says. “Besides, I texted Nita to let her know I’m on my way home. We support each other like that.”
I walk her outside and help her into her car. “Be safe!” I call out as she drives away. Throwing up my hand in a wave, I stand there for a moment, watching the car disappear down the street.
I agree with Amelia that it was the best date of my life, and I didn't even get a goodnight kiss.
