Page 6 of Are You Gonna Run?
“Just wax melts. They’re easier to transport.”
Red’s ends up having the best burger I’ve had in a long time, and the shakes alone are worth the twenty minute drive. He praises the scents I show him and teases me a little here and there, making the conversation flow easily until we’re back in the truck andhopefullyon the way to the prison. It’s then I realize I never asked him for his two truths and a lie, so when I finally do I get to watch him drum his fingers along the steeringwheel as he thinks. “Ummm... alright, I got them. I have seven brothers, I’ve never had a cavity, and my first kiss was in a Prius.”
“You don’t have seven brothers,” I say confidently. “No way.”
“Damn, I thought I’d get you with that one. You’re right. Maybe I should quit this game.”
I’d swear he’s brooding over the fact that he just lost, but there’s a hint of amusement on his face even though he’s frowning.
“How many do you actually have?”
“Two, and an older sister. You?”
“None. Just a best friend who might as well be my sister.” I feed him another peach ring and lean a little closer. “Wanna try again?”
“Okay fine. I’ll shoot for some redemption. Let me think.” He chews the gummy as he thinks of three more, and this time when he says them he looks confident in himself that he might win. “I’m allergic to watermelon, I’ve never watched a show to completion, and I’ve never had a one night stand.”
As much as I wish it was the last one, I have a feeling I know what the lie is. “You’ve never finished a show. I’m sorry about your watermelon allergy, though. That’s rough.”
For a solid minute he just smiles over at me, and then finally shakes his head. “I finishedSons of Anarchy, biker’s daughter. I win.”
“So you’ve never had a one night stand?” I ask, a little incredulously. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Nothing against them if that’s your thing, I just haven’t. Your turn.”
My hopes fall just a little. I don’t have time or the inclination to date anyone, and I’m not cruel enough to lie and tell him I’m willing to date just to get in his pants.
God, that feels like a loss. He’s so... pretty.
“Oh, um... right. I’ve never had a boyfriend, I have more faith in Odin than any Christian god, and I sleep on a beanbag chair instead of a bed.”
“No fucking way you sleep on a beanbag chair. You’ve never had a boyfriend?”
“See? You redeemed yourself this round. I’ve never had a boyfriend. There have been a couple guys I’ve been on more than one date with, but not since high school. I started making candles when I was fifteen and it consumed my life. I... I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
There. It’s as close as I can get to letting him down easy. “I’ve never had a realgirlfriend, so you won’t find me judging you.“
He pulls into yet another parking lot that isn’t the haunted house, distracting me only for a moment. “Wait, if you’ve never had a real girlfriend and you don’t have one night stands, what do you do? Fuck buddies? And where are we now?”
“Duckpin bowling. We still have time before it gets late enough to be scary, and I’m taking full advantage of having your attention tonight. And yeah, fuck buddies, but the latest one got a boyfriend earlier this year so I’m in a bit of a dry spell unfortunately. How long has it been for you?”
“What the hell is duckpin bowling?”
“No fucking clue,” he says with a chuckle. “Come find out with me.”
It’s easier than explaining that I’ve gotten laid a couple of times thanks to Tinder, but neither got me off. So although I’m a little frustrated we’re still not where I want to be, I follow him in.
I guess a little fun never hurt anyone.
Four: Damn Fishnets
Eris
Duckpin bowling is as ridiculous as it sounds, but it turns out to be a lot of fun. Something tells me that has more to do with my current company than it does the game, but either way, we both walk out of that place laughing at how ridiculous we looked trying to bowl with those tiny balls. We talked about high school, teased each other about the shit we were into, and which soda is superior.
The only hiccup we had at all was purely on my side when I got annoyed at the people bowling next to us. I saw them checking out her ass way too many times. Seeing as tonight was mine, those dicksneeded to look away or I was about to make a scene and ruin my date with Rowyn. To avoid that, I made sure to position myself and block their view of her every time it was her turn, and after a while, I forgot they were there at all.
I can’t stop staring at how fucking good she looks. Every fucking smile has my fingers itching to reach out and grab her, but something tells me I have to play all my cards right with this woman.
