So the date was set for tomorrow night. A quick drink in Almonds bar and then next door for a few rounds of bowling. Good old ten pin bowling. A perfect neutral place for casual dates. 'We're going bowling' I think. 'Just a quick game of bowling. Nothing special.' When really, we're going bowling! Bow-ling. A nice long game of relaxed yet slightly competitive game of bowling. I pity those who think too much about things like this.
It was a bright sunny day. A few charity collectors were wandering around outside, shaking their buckets and smiling broadly. Inside the foyer stood a large stand advertising a brand new brand of cheese. On the stand were a small bowl of complimentary segments for customers. Well, customers and colleagues.
'Dylan.' Sharon barked from behind me. 'Alex. What are you doing?'
'Trying the cheese. It's lovely, you want some?'
'These are testers. For customers. Customers who may go inside and buy our new cheese.'
'I might buy our new cheese. Once I finish.' Alex said.
'Really?'
'No, have you seen the price!' He chuckled.
Sharon chucked us out into the fresh March day.
'So hows the wedding planning going?'
'Oh good.' Alex smiled. 'Only a few months away. Planning an awesome stag do.'
'Great.'
'Speaking of weddings. How's it going with you and Allison?'
'Oh, good.' I tried to keep my excitement in. 'Going bowling tomorrow.'
'Ah, you just being friends then?'
'No...' I thrust my head back as I looked at him. 'Why?'
'It's just bowling, you know...bit of a friendly thing.'
'Not really. I'm paying for them. As a treat. Might even buy her a drink.'
'Oh right...' He winced.
It worried me that Alex's angle on bowling. I wondered if I could spruce it up a bit. Maybe ring up the place and ask to add love hearts to our lane, or even play romantic songs. But I was thinking too much. I knew I was thinking too much when I sat down with Tommy on my break.
'Tommy, has Allison ever been bowling before?'
'Erm...I dunno...probably. Why?'
'With friends or...on a date?'
'I don't know. She's been for a birthday I think. Aren't you going with her tomorrow?'
'Yeah, I just wanted to know If she's ever been before.'
'Oh I get it...' Tommy said, putting his cheese sandwich down. 'You're wondering whether she's any good at bowling. I think she won when she went on her birthday, so you better be good.'
'Right...' I smiled.
This was useless. Maybe Allison and I were going to bowling as friends. Maybe Steve would help.
'If she has invited others to come, then it's not a date.' He said. 'And I've got a glove you could wear. Professional and everything, got it off the market. You can grip really well.'
'No, no. It's fine.'
'Are you sure. I've beaten Mary three times in a row...'
'No.'
'Would have been four times but I had a bad back. She didn't believe me.'
Useless. But he was right about inviting others. She probably had invited others. She went on her birthday, that was with others. You don't go to bowling on your birthday on your own. I wouldn't. Well, not again. I just couldn't call myself a winner at the end of it. Just to be on the safe side I invited Alex. But he was busy. I invited Tommy. Me, Allison and her brother Tommy and a lovely fun night of bowling. But he didn't want to come. So I invited Steve, who was over the moon.
'Cool, I'll bring my glove!'
'Brilliant.' I said, trying to draw out an inch of excitement from a glove.
Friday night came around. I spent most of the day trying to figure out the atmosphere of the night. The easy thing to have done was to text her, but no-one does easy things anymore. Allison did text me, though. Saying you was looking forward to the night and that we're going to have a great time. We're? We? Me and Allison we? or Allison, me and our friends me? I wasn't taking any chances. I met Steve at outside Almonds bar at 7pm and headed inside. I was glad to see he wasn't in full roadie gear this time, but he did insist on wearing his bowling glove, two hours before we were due on the lane.
'Allison!' I shouted
'Dylan...and Steve.' She gleamed back at us.
Allison was sat in one of the side booths with the comfy seats, sipping an orange juice.
'So, you're friends running late, are they?'
'No...'
I looked around. No other drinks were on the table.
'It's just me.' She looked at me.
Shit.
End of part one.
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