Page 18 of Bar Down

Hole in one.

As much as I dreaded this trip, I have to admit I’m actually having fun.

And if Ash happens to hug me when we win, I won’t complain about it.

EIGHT

Seven Months Ago

Ash

The second minigame we are forced to play is even more ridiculous than the first. After drawing the short stick, I’m blindfolded and led to a mini obstacle course. The coordinator of the game explains what I need to do and I try not to fidget too much. Truth is, I don’t love the blindfold. It makes me feel powerless and I don’t know how to let someone else guide me around when I feel so vulnerable.

“So, the goal is to be the first person to complete the obstacle course, grab the stick and shoot the puck into the net. If you win, you’ll move on to the next round and swap places with your partner,” the coordinator says.

“I got you, don’t worry,” Eli leans in and says over my shoulder. Completing the obstacle course requires me dodging, rolling, crouching, all while blindfolded and with only Eli to guide me along.

“I trust you,” I say as the coordinator gives us 30 seconds to set up. Eli’s hands grab both my shoulders from behind and I involuntarily lean into him.

“You need to walk straight ahead for about twenty steps and then crouch to go under a beam. It looks rubbery, but at least you have a helmet on, just in case it’s not.”

I can hear the smile in his voice and it makes me smile too. “Anything else?”

“That’s it for now, I’ll walk along the rest of the course and tell you more directions,” he says, repositioning me so I’m facing the right way.

“Go, go, go!” yells the coordinator.

I follow along with Eli’s directions and duck, reaching a hand up and brushing it over the rubbery beam as my head narrowly avoids it. As soon as I straighten up from my crouch, I start slowly moving, arms out ahead of me. “Eli, now would be a great time for some more directions.” I chuckle nervously.

I hear him from somewhere to my right when he says, “You got this,kultsi. Keep going straight for another five steps—there you go, now you need to step over an obstacle, so make sure you swing your leg wide.”

“Oh, the jokes I could be making right now if we weren’t technically working,” I say under my breath. Eli laughs softly as he moves along the course with me. I don’t know if it’s because of our bond or something else, but we clearly work well together. He navigates me through all the obstacles and I’m the first person to reach the hockey stick.

“Yes! That’s it,kultsi! You need to set up a little bit more to your left—just like that, now make sure you add some flex to it and lift the puck. Give it some flare.” I do as I’m told and I hear cheers erupting around me. I drop the stick and take off my blindfold just in time to see Eli rushing at me with a huge smile on his face. I grin back at him and he hugs me tight beforerealizing where we are and that everyone is looking at us. He lets go sooner that I would have wanted, but I don’t care.

I have to admit I’m having a lot more fun than I thought I would, and that’s all thanks to being around my best friend again.

Eli

By the timewe wrap up the mini games, I can feel my social battery draining. There’s only so much an introvert like me can take, and after a few hours of socializing and putting on my game face, I am exhausted. I can’t wait to get back to the hotel, shower, and unwind. If I weren’t sharing a room with Ash, I might be taking care of other needs as well. Although, with his behavior recently, he might spend the night elsewhere.

“Eli! Wait up!” Ash says, jogging up to me. I notice Max and Dylan walking behind him, also approaching. My eyes start to roll before I catch myself and put on a smile.

“What’s up?”

“We’re headed out to a club nearby,” Ash says, tucking his hands into his khaki shorts. The movement makes his biceps flex and his tight blue polo stretches over his broad chest. I bite down hard so I don’t do something stupid, like tell him how good he looks. Ash looks at me sheepishly before looking back at his pals. “Do you want to join us?”

“I—what?” I ask, dumbfounded.

“C’mon,champ, you need to blow some steam after all those games,” Dylan says.

I frown at the nickname he gives me and look over at Ash. He seems nervous, but I can’t figure out why. Does he not want to go out with his friends? Is he inviting me as a buffer?

“We ordered a car, let’s go,” Max says, putting his arm around Ash and giving me a smirk. “Unless you’re too good to hang out with us?”

My eyes narrow on Ash’s shoulder where Max is rubbing his thumb back and forth and, while I think it’s a terrible idea, what I say is, “Lead the way.”

I guess I’m going to a club.

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