Chapter 25 #2
She perused the menu above the counter. Burgers, hot dogs, pizza slices, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks. Yummy, but not good for her weight. When she glanced at Evan, he raised an eyebrow, then lowered his gaze to her hips. “I like them. I don’t know why you don’t believe me.”
“Maybe because I’ve overheard guys discuss women with big hips and thighs. And not in a positive manner.” One of her former boyfriends tried to get her to join a gym to slim down her “problem areas”. He hadn’t lasted as a boyfriend for long.
“You don’t need to listen to idiots like that. They don’t know what they’re missing. I know what I like.”
His hands had shown her exactly how much he liked her hips and thighs a few days ago. They hadn’t repeated the activity since. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe he was waiting for date night.
“What can I get for you?” he asked as he also glanced at the menu.
“Do they have dipping sauces for the chicken tenders?”
He pointed to a basket with small packets. She rifled through them and saw sweet and sour sauce. That was her favorite for chicken.
“I’ll have the chicken tender basket, please.”
Evan waved to the guy behind the counter who’d been waiting and listening.
“Chicken tenders for her. I’ll have a bacon burger.
Everything on it.” His voice was clear enough for the man to understand.
Mercedes had noticed that since he’d been living with her and using his voice more often, his speech had improved some.
She had no problem using sign, but out in public it was easier for him if others could understand him.
They chatted about work and Carli’s wedding while they waited for their food. Once it was ready, he guided her to some tables near the wall. There weren’t many, but Tuesday must be a slow day at the bowling alley.
“What made you decide to play a game with our first date?”
He shrugged. “I wanted something different. I figured most guys take a lady to a nice restaurant. While I’m happy to do that, I’m not most guys. I wanted to be unique.”
After dipping her chicken in the sauce and taking a bite, she said, “I love the idea. It’s fun and spontaneous. Will all our dates be chosen from the cards or only this one?”
“Using the cards would make it interesting. If you’re okay with it, we can continue that way, at least for a little while.”
She nodded. “That would be great. Can I add a few of my own ideas?”
“Sure. Whatever you want. I’ve got some extra cards in the desk in my room. If you use the same ones, we won’t know which are yours and which are mine.”
She put on an innocent air. “What? I can’t pick only the ones I write?”
He laughed and finished up his burger. Once she’d eaten the last of her chicken and fries, she excused herself to wash her hands. Bowling with greasy fingers might not be the best idea.
She met him by the counter to rent shoes and, once they had theirs on, went to the assigned lane. She’d seen bowling on TV, though not often, but was happy that, in the Boston area, candlepin bowling was the norm. The balls were so much smaller and easier to hold.
“You said you’d been bowling before, right? So I don’t need to explain the basics.”
“Yes. You roll three balls on each turn and try to get as many down as possible. The person who knocks down the most wins the game. I’m just not very good at it.”
Evan nodded. “Okay, I’ll watch you and see if I have any pointers. Why don’t you go first?”
Evan settled into the chair for scoring as she picked up her first ball.
Hefting it in her hands, she took a few steps and rolled it down the lane.
It didn’t go very fast, and she could feel her face heat up at how bad she was at this game.
It finally hit the pins and knocked some down.
She had to count the ones still standing to figure out that she’d knocked five of them down.
When she turned around, Evan stood and smiled at her. No condescending look or smug expression like she was expecting.
“You got half of them. Not bad. I noticed you don’t follow through when you roll the ball.”
She tilted her head at his words. “Follow through?”
“Yeah, like when I swing for the ball in baseball. I don’t stop when the ball connects with the bat. I keep the momentum going and follow through. Like this.” He stood in a baseball pose and swung an imaginary bat.
“You want me to throw the ball like a baseball bat?”
He laughed. “No, but keep your arm moving as you roll the ball down the lane. It gives the ball more momentum. Try it again with your second and third balls.”
“Okay. Here I go.” This time she did as directed and was surprised the ball actually rolled faster down the lane. It hit two more pins, both on the right side. Now she had three pins on the left side to try and get down.
“How was that?”
His grin slammed into her, making her heart flutter. “Much better. Throw your last ball.”
She picked up another ball and took a few steps, then rolled it down the lane. She tried to aim it at the balls on the left, but it swerved and rolled right past.
With her head down, she pivoted back toward the benches. Evan waved at her until she looked up.
“What’s with the sad face? You got seven pins down. That’s nothing to be upset about. I’ve played with people who only knock down a few each time.”
She shrugged. “I told you I wasn’t very good.”
“And I’m not very good at reading, but I’ve given it a fair effort to get better, haven’t I?”
How could she have been so stupid? The point of being here was to have fun with each other.
Who cared if she didn’t play very well? She certainly didn’t, and she didn’t need to be better than Evan at everything.
He’d put aside his pride to confide in her about his reading issues.
The least she could do was allow him to help her with this.
“I’m sorry.” She stepped closer and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Maybe I need more tips.”
“No need to be sorry. Everyone has different skills. You’re better at reading and writing, and I’m better at operating a backhoe. Apparently at bowling, too. Or maybe I’m not. My turn. Watch what I do and see if you can pick up any pointers.”
She sat at the score table and kept her eyes on Evan’s fine form as he picked up a ball, stood with it held to his chest for several seconds, then took a few quick steps before letting the ball fly down the lane.
It rolled so fast and hit the pins dead center.
They all scattered, and when the chaos of the spinning finally stopped, none of them were standing any longer.
“Okay, I concede defeat.”
He scowled her way. “Did I concede defeat the first time I couldn’t figure out a word?”
She sighed heavily. “No, you kept going and asked questions and put in more effort to learn.”
“Right. So today is not about me beating you in bowling. It’s about us doing something that is fun, regardless of who wins. If you really don’t want to play, though, we can leave. I don’t want our first official date to be one where you’re unhappy.”
Way to ruin the night, Mercedes. “No, this is fun. You’re teaching me something you’re good at and I need help with. I have to say I really like watching you as you bowl.”
She tried to wiggle her eyebrows, but she wasn’t very good at it. Another thing Evan did better than her.
He burst out laughing, and she joined in. Over the next hour, he gave her more pointers, and she loved seeing his confidence and skill as he taught her. He even held her in his arms as he showed her the best way to grip the ball. She really liked that part of the lesson.
She hated to even admit that the thing she was looking forward to most during the date was the end. When they both went home to the same apartment. And perhaps the same bedroom.