“So, what shall we do this weekend?” Phil asked when he called me. I had spent the previous weekend in Fredericton, visiting Jimmy’s family. Everything had gone well, although I still wasn’t sure if his mom liked me or not. Since I spent the weekend before that seeing my family and Phil’s family—I felt a little parented-out.
“How about something fun? After all, I forced you to go to a boring party before,” he said.
“It wasn’t that bad.” Okay, it had been a little dull and a lot like stepping back to our high school days. The only people under 40—me, Phil, his brother, Ray, and Ray’s girlfriend, Helena—had all ended up talking in the basement and eating Greta’s delicious party food. “Of course, you got to hear everyone telling you how much you had grown and how handsome you are now.”
“I’d rather hear you tell me that stuff,” Phil replied.
“Don’t hold your breath,” I said. Our mushy period was years ago, and I wasn’t going back there. “Anyway, I have an idea. We should go bowling.”
“Bowling?” Phil’s voice made it sound like I had suggested lawn bowling with seniors. “That’s not fun and romantic.”
“It could be. I want you to invite Ben.”
“Ben Cho? You want to get romantic with Ben? Or with me and Ben? That’s kinky.”
“No, I’ll bring April for Ben.”
“Kelly, no. Fix-ups don’t work.” He sighed. “Anyway, Ben’s more sensitive than most guys.”
“I think she really likes him, and vice versa. All they need is a little push.”
“Some people might suggest that you get your own personal life in order first.”
“Who would those unkind people be?” I wondered.
“No idea. I’ll find out when Ben’s free and get back to you. Are we telling them ahead of time, or are we springing it on them like a horrible surprise party?”
“I’ll invite Karen or Charmaine so it won’t be totally awkward. And I’m not telling April since she might not come. Do whatever you think would work best with Ben.”
April made a face as she inspected the brown and burgundy shoes. “I think I would like bowling better if I had my own shoes. Are these even clean?”
“We spray them with disinfectant after each rental,” the teenaged guy at the counter assured her. He had been beyond helpful fitting us out, and April whispered that he must have a foot fetish.
Karen was there too, and the three of us sat down at our designated lane and put on our shoes.
“Who else is coming?” Karen wondered.
“Uh, Phil,” I said. “He might bring Dave. They’re living together now.”
“Dave Vanderhauf?” Karen asked. “I haven’t seen him since high school.” I had forgotten that those two had dated. Our whole circle of friends seemed to be linked by the loins—except Ben and April, of course.
“Didn’t you guys have a horrendous break up?” April wondered.
Karen shook her head. “He cheated on me, so I dumped him. At the time, I thought it was the end of the world. But now, pfft. All guys cheat.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I replied. “I just went to the Davidson’s 25th anniversary party, and it was filled with happy older couples.”
“Well, maybe not our dads or someone old, but all guys our age cheat—if you go out long enough. They can’t help it, they’re young and they don’t want to settle down. Any desirable guy is getting hit on all the time.”
“Phil never cheated on me,” I said. Neither had Jimmy, but what about me? Was I a person who couldn’t settle down?
“You and Phil only went out for what—six months? It would have happened eventually.”
“Someone got up on the cynical side of the bed,” April remarked. “Did you and Martin break up?”
Karen nodded.
“You know, you might want to work on your boy selection skills. Go for quality over flash, and then you might—holy crap.” April’s eyes went wide. “It is the night of the exes.”
Karen and I turned around. Phil, Dave, and Ben had walked in. They were all tall and good-looking—in fact, they looked like a manufactured boy band.
“Hey, beautiful.” Phil gave me a hug and kiss in greeting. Everyone else stood around awkwardly.
“When P.D. said the Commodore I thought we were going to a concert,” Dave complained as he put on his shoes. “But I guess he wanted one more sport I could kick his ass at.”
“You wish.” Phil slid in beside me and put his arm around me. I found it strange that Jimmy could not stop talking about the dating game, but Phil acted like it didn’t exist at all, and we were right back in a relationship again.
Ben and April didn’t speak, but they kept shooting glances at each other. Finally, Ben cleared his throat.
“Can I get drinks for anyone?”
“Sure, thanks.” We all wanted beer, and I went to give Ben a hand since April wasn’t offering.
“Was this your doing, Kelly?” he asked me as we waited at the bar.
I nodded. “Don’t kill me.”
“It’s not that big a deal. I’m sure April’s not too excited though.”
I bumped his shoulder. “You’re kidding, right? I wouldn’t have arranged this if I didn’t think she wanted it.”
“Really?” Ben gave me a hopeful smile.
“Totes. Go for it.” We carried the beers back to our lane where he sat beside April, and they started chatting. She was doing her hair-twirling thing, which meant she was interested.
“We’ve already made up teams,” April said. “Boys against girls.”
A little of the competitive spirit in me died. Phil laughed when he saw my face.
“Don’t worry, Kelly,” April assured me. “We’ll win.”
The score stayed pretty even. It wasn’t like anyone was throwing strikes from the first frame, but we were all pretty coordinated, except Karen. Phil was such a fucking natural athlete that he was better than everyone.
“Is there nothing you’re not good at?” I wondered. First hockey, and now bowling.
He rubbed his hand up and down my thigh. “I would think that’s all good news for you, Kel.” I felt a warm sensation spreading from where his hand rested on my jeans.
“I like it better when you’re on my team,” I complained. It was the last frame, and we were a few strikes behind. April turned and winked at me.
Ben got up to bowl, and April called out to him, “Nice jeans.”
“What?” He turned around and stared at her.
“Your jeans, they’re really nice.”
Karen nodded. “Yup. We could watch those jeans all day.”
“Maybe you should be bending over a little more when you bowl,” April added helpfully.
Flustered, Ben turned back to the alley and bowled two gutter balls before he finally knocked two pins over. April and Dave were keeping score.
Karen got up to bowl next. Dave made some sexist remark about her ass, but Karen only wiggled it and ignored him. Suggestive comments were nothing new to her. On her third ball, she held up the coloured bowling ball.
“I like bowling here way better than in San Diego.” She threw her last ball and hit the rest of the pins. “Ta da!”
“Why is that?” April asked her as Dave got up. “You’re working on a spare,” she told him.
“It’s five-pin, not ten-pin,” Karen replied. “It’s easier to handle the smaller balls.”
Dave started laughing so hard that he dropped the ball too early and took out only the corner-pin. As he picked up his second ball, she added. “You knew that, Dave. It was something I told you—you know, to make you feel better.”
Phil almost spit out his beer he was laughing so hard. Dave turned and scowled at Karen. “What are you talking about? There’s nothing wrong with my equipment!”
She nodded. “Whatever gets you through the night.”
Frustrated, he started bowling badly.
Phil turned to me. “And what feminine wiles are you going to be using on me?”
I didn’t have any. I could rub up on him and see if bowling with an erection was more difficult. But since we weren’t going to have sex later, that would be unfair. “Nothing. I’m going to bowl my best and see if that’s enough.”
“I was so hopeful,” he told me. I got up and bowled three straight strikes.
“Okay,” April declared. “The ladies are now ahead. If Phil can bowl more than 25 points, the boys will win.”
He turned to me. “Before I take my turn, anything at all you’d like to tempt me with?”
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“I have something,” April said. “Kelly is a huge pain to be with if she loses. So, if we’re going out after this—it’s all on you.”
Dave snorted. “Davidson hates losing more than every person in this bowling lane put together.”
Dave was right. Phil bowled three strikes, and they won. April scowled at me. “We did our parts, and you let the team down. Now you have to return all our shoes to the shoe pervert. He’s probably caressing your sandals as we speak.”
“I’ll take one for the team.” I lowered my voice. “On to more important subjects, how’s it going with Ben?”
“Kelly! Did you get him invited?”
“Me? No way.”
April squinted at me and then smiled. “Whatever. It’s going great and I’m going to see him again tomorrow.”