Page 51 of For the Win

“Hi.”

“Hi.How are you?”

“Good.Especially now.”

Her eyes warm.“Did you miss me?”she teases.

“Like I’d miss my left nut.”

She laughs lightly.“Okay, then.”

I put my vehicle in drive, look over my shoulder, and pull away from the curb.

“Where are we going?”she asks, tugging her seatbelt across her body.

“Bowling.”

“Whaaat?”

“Yep.”

“I love bowling!”

“You do?”

“Sure.”

“You’re not just making me feel better for taking you on a lame date?”

Her lips curve upward.“I won’t know if it’s a lame date until later.”

“Ah.Good answer.”

I drive us to Freeze Frame, which is one of the oldest bowling alleys in Los Angeles.It’s been refurbished and has a really cool retro vibe, with antique furniture, the original vaulted wood ceiling, and big framed vintage posters on the walls.

Arya is practically bouncing as we wait to get our bowling shoes, and she snatches hers from the attendant and heads to our lane.She plops herself down on an old leather couch and switches out her pointy-toed flats for bowling shoes.She takes off her jacket and tosses it onto the couch.

Her T-shirt says “ZEN AF.”

I grin.

I watch in amusement as she tests out the shoes, then does a series of stretching moves.

“What are you doing?”I ask.

“Warming up.”She jumps up and down on the balls of her feet.

I rub my jaw.“Okay.”

Like a gentleman, I let her go first.

She holds the ball up in front of her, takes a few smooth steps, bringing her arm back and letting the ball roll off it.I stare as it zooms down the center of the lane and takes out all ten pins.

She laughs with delight and pumps her arms in the air.“Strike!”

“What the...”

She turns and skips back toward me.“I used to bowl in a league when I was younger.”

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