“Okay, fine, show me what to do.” Cari pouts. Her sparkly lips glisten in the neon lights.
“First of all, you never want to throw it in the air. It’s not that kind of sport. But you want to stop about a few feet back from the black line and lift your arm back, then pull forward quickly and release the ball,” I explain, showing her what to do without actually doing it.
“Okay, I think I got it.” I hand her the ball and step out of the way.
She swings her arm back and accidentally lets go of the ball, tossing it back toward our stuff. She gasps, using her hands to cover her mouth, and then begins hysterical laughing. I grab the ball for her, grateful she didn’t hit anyone, and attempt to show her again. This time, I put my hand over hers while I stand behind her to show her. I’ll admit it is nice being this close to her again, but that wasn’t the intent. I thought everyone knew how to bowl, apparently it isn’t as common a skill as I assumed. I step even further out of the way this time and she manages to do it right. The ball slides down the middle and knocks over six pins.
“Oh my gosh! I did it!” She jumps up cheering.
“You did!” We high five even though I want to kiss her.
For a while, we go back and forth with me winning the first two games. We stop to eat before we play the third game, grabbing food from the snack bar. It isn’t what I had planned, but Cari and I have been smelling the chicken fingers for the last two hours, and our stomachs are rumbling. Cari tries to pay but Iinsist on covering everything. We grab sodas instead of beer and share an order of cheese fries.
The alley starts to pick up a bit around eight, the younger crowd coming in.
“Is it possible we’re old?” Cari asks.
“Speak for yourself please.” I gasp, grabbing a double fry.
“I’m serious! These are college kids, but they look like children. How is that possible?” Cari asks, looking around. I hate to admit it, but she was right. Why do I suddenly feel a hundred?
“I can’t imagine starting my night right now. I’m almost ready for bed,” I admit.
“Now who’s getting old?” Cari laughs. “I could go all night if I didn’t have work tomorrow.”
“Mmm, I remember just last year you were someone dancing all night long at a club with me. Then chugging a Red Bull and going to a brand meeting.”
“Yes, and I’m definitely not that person anymore,” Cari says proudly.
“I like this version of you,” I admit. Cari smiles, and I notice the cheese sauce on her chin. Instinctively, I reach forward, wipe it off with my thumb, and lick it clean. Cari blushes, and I clear my throat, realizing what I’ve done. Way to take it slow.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
“No worries.” Cari takes a sip of her soda, looking away.
“Back to the game?” I ask. Our food was mostly done, and we could still play and eat.
Cari nods and reapplies her lipgloss while I take my turn. I’m happy for the distance because I know I should not be watching her lips like that.
She wins the last game, and I claim she has beginner’s luck, but I know it’s because I’ve been distracted. All I want to do is kiss her, run my hands through her beautiful blonde hair, andtaste those cherry lips. It’s making it impossible to focus on bowling.
Even though the alley is ten minutes from my apartment, I still take her home. It feels like the romantic thing to do, and the smile on her face makes it worth it. I try not to think about how many times she’s walked or Uber’d home alone from my place.
We’re standing outside her front door, and she’s staring at my lips the way I’ve been glancing at hers. I know she wants to kiss me. I could always tell when she wanted to. She has this tell where she bites down on her bottom lip before looking me directly in the eyes.
Cari purses her lips, and I’m like an alcoholic looking at a bottle of liquor. All I want to do is press my lips to hers and taste that cherry lipgloss, but I know I can’t.
The desire is too strong, and that just tells me even more that I need to wait. If I fuck it up with her after one date, I won’t forgive myself. I’ve never had so much fun with someone besides Aspen. It was nice getting to know Cari, this new version of her. She’s still looking at my lips, so I take her hand. I can’t kiss her tonight, but I know how Cari thinks. So I know I have to say something so she doesn’t worry it’s her, or that I don’t want to.
“I think if I kissed you right now, I wouldn’t know how to stop. And to see if this can be something, I need us to wait,” I say.
Cari’s eyes widen as she pulls back slightly, clearly shocked by my words. I don’t blame her. The first time we met, I had her naked within the hour. And as much as I want that, I don’t want this to be some short-term fling, so I know I need to hold off. At least for now.
“I understand,” Cari says.
“Trust me, I want to. Fuck, do I want to, but it’s really not a good idea yet,” I admit.
Cari laughs. “It’s okay. You’re right, it’s probably smart for us to take this slow.”
