“I started by pounding her back,” he says as he looks into my eyes with adoration, “but when that didn’t work, I knew it was time for the Heimlich. It only took one try and that little piece of mint gumthat had been lodged in her throat went flying and hit a little boy right in the eye.”
I grit my teeth, holding my smile as I very quietly murmur, “You dick.”
He turns to everyone else. “The child cried, and my sweet, generous girl went over to comfort him. She nearly died and all she could think of was someone else.”
“Damn,” says Blake as Danielle reclaims her seat beside him and Greta takes her turn.
“You two were destined for each other,” Sandra says. “There’s no other way around it. Just like me and Greta when she broke her ankle.”
“We’re young,” Bennett continues, “but who am I to question fate?” He looks back to me, watching from beneath his thick, dark lashes, and then drags the pad of his thumb down the center of my lips.
The bowling alley is suddenly very quiet and all I can hear is the blood pumping in my veins. We might as well be alone.
His teeth dig into his bottom lip, and he looks… hungry. “No more chewing gum for my girl,” he says just loudly enough for everyone else to hear, and then in a low tone meant for only me, he adds, “My wife.”
Miss Linch claps her hands together once. “My goodness. What an unusual story.”
“The best ones always are,” says Blake, and I sense a slight bit of annoyance from Miss Linch in return.
“And how did each of you meet?” I ask, disentangling myself from Bennett.
Blake and Danielle glance at each other and say in unison, “Tinder.”
When I stand up to take my turn, Bennett gives me a little pat onthe butt. I shriek and everyone looks at me like I’ve just stepped on a spider with my bare feet.
I attempt to cover it up with a giggle as I take my ball and approach the line.
The last thing on earth I know anything about is bowling, but I stand there nonetheless to pretend I’m lining up my shot or something. Really, I just need this moment to settle my racing heart and attempt to have a single clearheaded thought.
This—the flirting, the banter, the pet names—it’s all just Bennett taunting me. In certain moments, I’ll admit, it’s easy to forget that he is who he is and I tell myself that’s normal. It feels nice to be touched and looked at lovingly, even though the person on the other end is telling a whole group of people that I spit a piece of gum into some poor kid’s eye.
I retrieve my ball and Bennett gives me another swat on the butt. At least this time I don’t shriek.
“For good luck,” he says.
As I walk up to the line again, I make a decision. Bennett wants to push the envelope? He wants to absolutely torment me in the name of playing our roles?
Well, let’s see what he does when I match his energy.
The bowling ball is heavy in my hands, and as I glance at the lane to my left and then to my right, I decideto hell with itand widen my stance before dipping into a deep squat and letting go.
Behind me, both teams fall silent and I think I can even feel some of them standing, inching closer for a better look.
The ball is steady and straight. I squeeze my eyes shut because I can’t look.
The sound of pins falling echoes and then there’s a sudden silence. I squint one eye open and watch as one last pin teeters back and forth before falling to the ground like its ill-fated brethren.
“Oh my god!” I scream. “Oh my god?” It comes out like a question because I am well and truly shocked. “Holy shit!”
I’m jumping up and down and pounding my fists in the air. Sandra and Greta stand to give me high fives as I squeal the whole way back to my seat.
“Now, that performance deserves a kiss,” Sandra says.
“Good job, gorgeous,” Bennett says as though he actually means it. “I know how shy you can be, though, so I’ll let you collect on that kiss when we get home.”
Someone sighs anawwwww.
“Actually,” I tell him as I sit down on his lap, my legs crossed and my arms circling his neck, fingers lazily playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “I think I’d like to cash that in right now.”
