“What are you doing here?!” A slightly older man questioned as you turned your head to look at the origin of the words that were spoken.

“I thought this would be a great place for a date” You told him, recognizing that the man you were talking to was your Bowling instructor

“A date with your boyfriend” Your Bowling instructor giggled as you glanced over at your date who turned a bright red as your cheeks coated with a light blush.

“He’s just my date for the night” You tried to explain to your teacher as he just laughed and shook his head.

“Sure he is” Your Bowling instructor nodded his head as thick sarcasm dripped from his words, “Have fun on your date with your boyfriend”

Before you could stay another word, your Bowling instructor had walked away and it was your turn to approach the counter to pay for your games and get your shoes for the game. Allowing your date to pay for the event, he wrote his name on a slip of paper as you wrote yours below his. Grabbing your shoe size, you carried them across the concourse while finding an appropriately weighted ball for your game.

Locating your lane, you took your seat and began to exchange your street shoes for the bowling shoes instead. Tying the laces, you tucked them in between your sock and the shoe itself, sitting up, you peeled your jacket off from your t shirt underneath before placing it on the chair beside you.

“Looks like the gentleman is going first” You told him with a smile. He looked up at the screen hanging over the lane as he shook his head lightly before standing to his feet.

Sliding his fingers into the three holes on the bowling ball, he walked to the approach, stopping a second, his eyes peered down the lane to the ten white pins that sat in a triangular formation at the end of the lane.

Stepping forward, he allowed his arm to drop with the ball then approaching the line, he let the ball go before watching it roll down the lane. Hitting a few pins, he turned around and went to grab his other ball. Standing at the approach, he waited for the machine to reset and clear the fallen pins from the lane before he wound up his pitch. Dropping the ball down the lane again, he hit most of the pins still standing before he took his seat next to you.

“Not bad” You complimented as he took a seat leaving an empty seat between the two of you.

“You’re turn!” He sang with a smile, “Let’s see how you do”

“No promises” You tried to relieve some pressure of wanting to do well in front of him as you slid your thumb, middle and ring finger into the three holes of the bowling ball.

Stepping aside from the ball return, you lifted the ball up, holding it close to your body while you aligned your toes on the locator dots that were painted on the hardwood floor. Taking a deep breath, you saw the ten pins standing tall as you took your first step with your left foot. Counting down, you lowered your arm and then released the ball to travel down the lane.

Hitting a strike, you turned around while trying to keep your composure that you had just scored a strike.

“Oh I see how this is” Your date smirked as you took the same seat as before.

“You better bring your A game” You teased as he stood up, playfully smirking at you.

“Oh it will be brought!” He called back to you before picking up his bowling ball, going through the same motions as he did on his previous turn. He managed to knock down a few more pins before he took his second turn to try and clear the lane of any pins.

“Did you know that this lane has a secret?” You questioned as his eyes widened slightly, intrigued as to what the secret of the lane could be.

“I didn’t know that…” He leaned towards you, hanging on your words.

“See if you can figure it out” You patted his leg with a smile before you got up and played your frame.

Turn after turn, the two of you continued to challenge each other, with you leading one frame and him leading the next, the two of you were neck and neck when it came down to the final frames.

“What do you say we make this a little more interesting?” He leaned over to you as you tilted your head in curiosity.

“What were you thinking?” You questioned, moving over into the seat next to him, closing the gap between the two of you.

“How about… loser chooses where we eat for dinner?” Your date offered as you smiled thinking about it a moment or two before you nodded your head in agreement.

“You’re on!” You stood up for your turn as you picked up your ball and executed the same routine to roll your ball down the lane. Hitting most of the pins, you took your second turn and cleared the pin deck.

Walking back to your seat, you smiled as you sat down next to him before you glanced at the scoreboard. Seeing that you were in the lead by a few points, you smiled as you leaned over to him.

“Do you have a place picked out yet?” You with a smile.

“Not yet” He teasingly replied.

Watching him score a strike, you shook your head in disbelief as he turned around with an accomplished smile outfitting his handsome complexion.

“Do you have a place picked out yet?” He teased as he took his seat next to you.

“I haven’t given it much thought” You continued to as the tension of the first date began to loosen as your true self began to shine through little by little.

“I have a hint for you” He rose his hand up to his mouth so that you could his advice over the music that was pounding through the speakers.

“What would that be?” You questioned, turning around with your ball in your hand.

“Miss them all” He smiled as he sat back.

“I’ll try it” You smiled brightly at him before you turned around. Taking a deep breath you took your approach and counted your steps again as you let the bowling ball roll down the lane.

Hitting a strike, you smiled and turned around before going and taking your seat.

“Thanks for the hint, I really needed it” A giggle lined your words as he shook his head from side to side, his chuckle mingling with yours.

After another frame or two, the two of you finished the game and looked up at the score.

Your Date: 1
You: 0

“Can I challenge you to a rematch? Best out of three?” Your date questioned as you smiled enthusiastically.

“Loser gets to choose where we eat for dinner” You sang with a smile.

“Be right back” He smiled brightly before trotting over to the front desk to pay for another game.

Grabbing a drink of water, you went back to your seat as you watched your lane light up and your score reset.

“Ready?” He questioned as he passed by you to grab his bowling ball.

Watching him, you leaned back and laughed as his ball fell into the gutter, on one side of the lane. Turning around, you covered your mouth, trying hard not to embarrass him.

“Don’t say anything” His words were laced with his angelic laughter as you shook your head.

“Hey do you want a hint?” You questioned with a bright smile upon your lips.

Looking over his shoulder at you, he waited for your bit of advice, “Miss them all” You cupped your hands around your mouth as that beautiful smile sat on his lips once more.

“I think I heard that advice before” He turned around and went to the line before rolling his ball down the lane. The majority of the pins fell as he walked back over to you.

With another evenly matched game, the two of you continued to chase each other for the lead. Having a couple bad frames with a few gutterballs, you just turned around and smiled slightly embarrassed of your turn. Laughing it off with him, each time the two of you switched turns, the longer each of you would talk to one another.

At the approach, you looked down the lane as you took a deep breath, knowing that you had only three chances left to get ahead. Executing your routine, you watched your ball glide down the oiled lane before hitting the pins. With a strike under your belt, you turned around to see your date with his hands in his hair.

“Miss them all!” He called to you, knowing that you only needed just eight more pins to tie with him.

Laughing, you grabbed your ball and nodded taking his advice as you began your approach. Watching four pins still stand, you knocked your head back as you knew that you had one more turn before the game would be called. Taking a deep breath, you looked down the lane at the cluster of pins still standing.

Finding the best place to hit the pins, you let the ball go, hoping that you would hit them all so that you could win the game. Watching the ball spin down the lane, you watched the four pins scatter as you turned around.

“So… where would you like to eat” You giggled, taking your seat next to him once more.

“You still have one more game to win” He stood up and headed to the front desk again to pay for another game.

Making the score between you and your date, even

Your Date: 1

You: 1

Grabbing another drink, you happily took your seat again as a younger couple sat across from you, in the settee. Turning your head, you watched as your date came back to you, grabbing his street shoes and his jacket.

“We’re on a new lane” He waited for you to grab your things before he got both of his balls. Heading to the new lane, you placed your balls in the ball return before setting your stuff down on the seats.

Now between two families, the two of you stood up as you gently tapped his arm.

“So you know that the last lane, the ten pin would get swept away with the arm if you bowled a second turn, but this lane has a different secret.” You told him as he just smiled.

“Tell me” He playfully begged

“You can figure it out. If not I’ll tell you” You told him with a smile, nodding his head, you backed away and let him take his turn.

Adjusting to a new lane, you watched as he only knocked a few pins down before his turn was over. Coming back over to you, you just smiled.

“Watch this” You flirted as you grabbed the ball and going through your routine, you released the ball before watching it glide down the lane and hit the pins in the pocket to earn a strike.

Heading back to your date, you held a smile on your face.

“Figure it out yet?” You questioned, crossing your legs at the knee.

“Goodness girl…” He mumbled under his breath while shaking his head, before standing up and taking his turn.

Turn after turn, the two of you were evenly matched. With a nail biting game, you watched as you were down by just a few points while the frames were dwindling in number. Continuing to tease one another, a good song played overhead as the two of you happily sang the lines to the song while strumming against your leg or moving your hands as if they were drumming on a set.

After your last turn, you backed away to see your score. Only two points shy of tying with your date, you turned back around as you sat down and exchanged the bowling shoes for your street shoes. Guiding your arms through the sleeves of your jacket, you both stood up and gathered your bowling shoes and your balls before dropping the balls off, the the shoes.

“Good games” You smiled as you knew that you had lost, with him winning two out of the three games, you began to think of where you would like to go for dinner.

“Thank you, it was fun to have some super close games.” Your date smiled as the two of you exited the warm bowling alley and entered into the cool night.

Finding his car in the lineup of other parked cars, you opened your own door as you slipped into your seat. With him in the driver’s seat, the two of you pulled your seat belts over yourselves before he began to back his car to exit the parking lot.

“What do you think about Panda Express?” You questioned, not wanting to take over the date, even though you were the one in charge of choosing the place for dinner.

“I was actually going to suggest the same thing!” He laughed happily