realizes she won this one.
Gretchen goes right before her, and only two pins separate us. She takes her turn and knocks down eight, bringing her score to 193. It doesn’t matter if her opponent gets a strike; we’re winning this competition. She wants this moment, though. This is her time to show the Kellys of the world what she’s capable of and beat her in face-to-face combat. The alley is silent as the girl tosses the ball, knocking them all down and claiming victory over Gretchen. Clark’s Pin Crushers still won, but my friend looks defeated.
I walk over to her and put my arm around her. “Sorry, lady.”
“No big deal.” Her shoulders drop beneath my grip.
“Nice game, Gretchen ,” a catty voice says from behind us.
She whips around and nearly knocks me over. “Stop. I don’t want to hear another word.” She’s pointing her finger at Kelly, whose smile I want nothing more than to smack off her face.
“Are you forgetting that we actually won the game?” I can’t help myself. Gretchen can handle this on her own, but I don’t like the way this person is treating my friend.
Kelly laughs nervously, unable to respond with a clever quip. “I don’t care. Kicking her ass was worth the loss.” I roll my eyes and hold back from sticking out my tongue as she walks away.
“You don’t need her.” Tiffany comes over to us and offers her support.
“You’re right, I don’t.” She hugs herself tight. “But I hoped to beat her. I, at least, wanted that.”
“You’re a winner in my book.”
Her eyes disappear behind her lids. “Corny, Kate. Real corny.”
“I do what I can.” The three of us burst into giggles like we’re in grade school. My stomach starts to hurt from laughing so hard.
“Um, Kate,” Tiffany taps my arm. “Someone is here for you.”
I turn around and Ned is standing up by the tables with a single rose in his hand. Great. He’s nice and all, but I don’t really see this going anywhere. I step up to him and he reaches the flower out to me. “Kate Hayes, will you accept this rose?”
“Am I on an episode of The Bachelor ? Please, no. I have values.” I smile and take it from him, ashamed to admit I’ve let myself get sucked into that show in the past. “Thank you. This is very sweet.”
“Look, I had a nice time the other night. I hoped maybe you’d want to go out again.”
“Um …” What do I say here? As much as I want to be dating, the chemistry isn’t there. I’m not being fair to him if I I say yes and I’m not truly interested. Those eyes, though. He’s so sincere.
His lips pull into a frown and my lack of attraction is obvious. He touches my shoulder and I don’t react. “Let’s go out. Do something. That wasn’t a real date. Technically I was working. Let’s find something fun to do together.”
I think this over. I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, spending time with another human being who wants to be in my company. Perhaps if he isn’t on stage most of the evening we’ll both be more relaxed and can start over. But maybe this time, on my terms. “One condition.”
“What’s that?” A smile replaces the frown as well as a hint of excitement in his voice.
“I pick.”
“Deal. Tell me when and where.”
I tell him I’ll text him the information as soon as I come up with the perfect idea.
“What was that about?” Kellan approaches me the moment Ned leaves. “What’s the rose for?”
I inhale the scent before responding. “A nice gesture. We went out the other night and we just set another date.”
“Oh?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all.”
“I don’t gather that from the rise in your voice.”
“Never mind. None of my business.”
Now I’m curious. He can’t say something like that and refuse to elaborate. “What? Tell me. I want to know.”
He rubs his elbow and shrugs his shoulder. “His past … is complicated.”
“Everyone considers their past a big mess. We leave
Gretchen goes right before her, and only two pins separate us. She takes her turn and knocks down eight, bringing her score to 193. It doesn’t matter if her opponent gets a strike; we’re winning this competition. She wants this moment, though. This is her time to show the Kellys of the world what she’s capable of and beat her in face-to-face combat. The alley is silent as the girl tosses the ball, knocking them all down and claiming victory over Gretchen. Clark’s Pin Crushers still won, but my friend looks defeated.
I walk over to her and put my arm around her. “Sorry, lady.”
“No big deal.” Her shoulders drop beneath my grip.
“Nice game, Gretchen ,” a catty voice says from behind us.
She whips around and nearly knocks me over. “Stop. I don’t want to hear another word.” She’s pointing her finger at Kelly, whose smile I want nothing more than to smack off her face.
“Are you forgetting that we actually won the game?” I can’t help myself. Gretchen can handle this on her own, but I don’t like the way this person is treating my friend.
Kelly laughs nervously, unable to respond with a clever quip. “I don’t care. Kicking her ass was worth the loss.” I roll my eyes and hold back from sticking out my tongue as she walks away.
“You don’t need her.” Tiffany comes over to us and offers her support.
“You’re right, I don’t.” She hugs herself tight. “But I hoped to beat her. I, at least, wanted that.”
“You’re a winner in my book.”
Her eyes disappear behind her lids. “Corny, Kate. Real corny.”
“I do what I can.” The three of us burst into giggles like we’re in grade school. My stomach starts to hurt from laughing so hard.
“Um, Kate,” Tiffany taps my arm. “Someone is here for you.”
I turn around and Ned is standing up by the tables with a single rose in his hand. Great. He’s nice and all, but I don’t really see this going anywhere. I step up to him and he reaches the flower out to me. “Kate Hayes, will you accept this rose?”
“Am I on an episode of The Bachelor ? Please, no. I have values.” I smile and take it from him, ashamed to admit I’ve let myself get sucked into that show in the past. “Thank you. This is very sweet.”
“Look, I had a nice time the other night. I hoped maybe you’d want to go out again.”
“Um …” What do I say here? As much as I want to be dating, the chemistry isn’t there. I’m not being fair to him if I I say yes and I’m not truly interested. Those eyes, though. He’s so sincere.
His lips pull into a frown and my lack of attraction is obvious. He touches my shoulder and I don’t react. “Let’s go out. Do something. That wasn’t a real date. Technically I was working. Let’s find something fun to do together.”
I think this over. I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, spending time with another human being who wants to be in my company. Perhaps if he isn’t on stage most of the evening we’ll both be more relaxed and can start over. But maybe this time, on my terms. “One condition.”
“What’s that?” A smile replaces the frown as well as a hint of excitement in his voice.
“I pick.”
“Deal. Tell me when and where.”
I tell him I’ll text him the information as soon as I come up with the perfect idea.
“What was that about?” Kellan approaches me the moment Ned leaves. “What’s the rose for?”
I inhale the scent before responding. “A nice gesture. We went out the other night and we just set another date.”
“Oh?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all.”
“I don’t gather that from the rise in your voice.”
“Never mind. None of my business.”
Now I’m curious. He can’t say something like that and refuse to elaborate. “What? Tell me. I want to know.”
He rubs his elbow and shrugs his shoulder. “His past … is complicated.”
“Everyone considers their past a big mess. We leave
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