Page 14 of That Friendzone Feeling
He’snot wrong.Andthe historicKingPinsbowling alley inWilliamsburghasn’t let us down yet.Enteringthe building is like stepping back into the 1970s.It’sbeen passed down through the founder’s family, and the current generation has worked hard to restore it to its former glory, keeping as many of the original features as possible.
It’sa typicalWalkerplace.Restoredretro is his thing, hence his loft in an old warehouse, the 1960s car he drives, and the vintage watchIgave him for his thirtieth.Ialways tell him he was born decades too late.
KingPinsbecame our lucky thinking place when, after months of trying to come up with a name for the brewery,Ihit upon it during a game.Wewere visitingNewYorkwith friends from college, and one of them, a born-and-bredBrooklynite, brought us all here.Walker’sa terrible bowler, but he was instantly hooked on the design and the atmosphere.
Itwas during that first visit that one of those friends reminisced aboutWalker’sincompetence in the kitchen.Hetold a story of howWalkerhad thought he could heat up slices of tomato in his toaster.Thatis, until the toaster spluttered, fizzed, and flames shot out of it.
Whileeveryone had a good laugh atWalker’sexpense,Ipunched the air.Andnot becauseI’dgotten another strike.Itcame to me in a flash—ToastedTomato—the perfect name for our business.Itwas different and cool, would make for awesome branding, and had a fun story behind it.
Sincethen, whenever we’ve had a big business issue to solve, we come here, to our lucky thinking place, to bowl and wait for inspiration for a solution to strike—no pun intended.
Itwas in lane three thatWalkerfigured out what he’d done wrong with an entire vat of beer he’d had to dump because it tasted like boiled cabbage.Andit’s whileIwas dipping deep-fried mozzarella sticks into sweet chili sauce asIwatchedWalkerbowl a gutter ball in lane seven that it dawned on me how to reorganize our finances so we could open a pub inLA.
Andthis morning, it will hopefully be where we figure out how to conjure up the cash to finish the resort without our felonious former backer.
So, there’s no time for unacceptable feelings about how lusciousWalker’slips were onNewYear’sEve, or for recalling howIhad to run away yesterday morning to calm irrational desires to suck the oil splatter from hisnipple, or for any thoughtsImight have right now about how great his ass looks as he launches another ball.Thosethings all need to get the hell out of my head and die a rapid death.
Theywould all be bad news at the best of times.Butright now, when we’re trying to save a giant project we no longer have the money for, which could take down everything we’ve worked the last eight years to build, it would be an outright catastrophe.
“Howthe hell amIsupposed to bowl in this dress?”Imake a bowling action and step forward into a lunge but don’t get very far.
“Excellent.Ineed all the helpIcan get,”Walkersays. “MaybeI’llbe in with a chance if you can’t actually move.”
Ifollow him over to our allotted lane four.We’rethe only people here. “Ididn’t even know this place opened so early.Whothe hell bowls before lunch?”
Walkerlooks around. “Noone, apparently.”
“Oh, myGod.”Istop in my tracks. “Whydidn’t either of us think of this before?”Man, this place is truly magical.Wehaven’t even bowled a ball andI’vehad a flash of inspiration.
Walkerspins to face me.
Islap my palm against my forehead. “Howdid we both miss the most obvious person to finance us?”
“Whichwould be who?”
“Max!”
Walkersnorts, turns away, and continues to make his way to lane four. “Notasking him.Nota chance.”
Itrot afterWalkeras quickly as my dress will allow and hold onto his arm to get his attention.Touchinghim isn’t the same now—it causes a strange sensation in my belly and feels like a precursor to something, rather than just theregular and completely non-weirdI’m-touching-Walker’s-arm, that it’s been for the last decade.
“I’mnot saying to ask him for a favor.Wedon’t need special treatment.We’reas good a business to invest in as his mattress-in-a-box company, the meditation app, the grocery chain, or whatever he’s planning to throw his sacks full of cash at next.”
Wereach our lane, andWalkerpicks up his first ball. “Wedon’t mix business with family.Itwas a subclause added to the pact.”
“Oh, myGod.”Idrop my head back and close my eyes. “Thedreaded pact.”
Whenhe was about fifteen,Maxmade the five boys swear they’d each go out into the world and make a fortune so they could keepMaggieandJimin a luxurious life and they would never want for anything again.
They’veall done it now.Toexcess.Butthen came last night’s revelation thatWalkerdoesn’t think he’s done it enough.
Istare at him. “Ithas asubclause?”
“Yup.Notmixing business with family was added afterConnorhit onMax’sfirst assistant and upset her so much she left.”
“Oh, well.”Ithrow my hands up to the ceiling. “That’shardly the same, is it?”
“I’mnot asking him.”Hecradles the ball in his hands. “I’mlucky to have that family.Andlucky we all get along so well.I’mnot risking anything by tangling our businesses together.”
