8. Eight

Val

It’s Friday, my birthday, and Chase insisted that we go out. Tomorrow, we’re invited to his mother’s to meet some of his family and his older brother, Carson.

“So, where are you taking me?” I ask Chase.

“It’s a surprise.”

I don’t say anything more because if there’s one thing I know about Chase Lane Knight, it is that he loves to surprise people. Namely me. Like when he bought the grill, he never told me. He just came home with it and started setting it up. We ended up slowly turning the entire backyard into an entertainment oasis over the last two years.

He told me to wear jeans and tennis shoes tonight, which I thought was weird if he was taking me out for a fancy dinner.

Chase pulls into a bowling alley and parks the truck. I look over at him to see if he’s just kidding.

“Happy Birthday! We have a lane reserved for us all night.”

“Chase, I haven’t been bowling in a long time.”

“You’ll enjoy it.”

He comes around and opens the door for me. Is it my imagination, or do his hands linger on my waist?

He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the entrance, “Valentina, for your twenty-fifty birthday, I give you fun, fun, and more fun. You’re going to love bowling.”

We get our shoes and go over to our designated lane.

“Rule number one. If someone is in the lane next to you, you don’t want to distract them. Wait until they’ve thrown the ball before you bowl.”

“What’s the next rule?”

“Knock all the pins down.”

“That’s it? Just two rules?”

“No, I’m sure there’s many more, but it’s been years since I’ve bowled, and that’s all I remember.”

At my eye roll, he just laughs and shows me how to pick out a ball.

“Okay, now that you know what weight you can comfortably handle, put your fingers in the holes. They shouldn’t stick. If they do, then go another size up.”

“Good. Okay, that’s the ball for you.” I watch as he picks out a ball for himself.

We sit down on the bench, and I change into the bowling shoes.

Chase tries to explain the scoring, but finally, he just says, “Never mind, try to knock down as many pins as you can. The machine keeps score anyway.”

He punches our names into the machine, and Chase is up first, and I’m next.

“See where I’m standing? You can try to keep your eye on the arrows, or you can look at the pins and try to hit them between the first pin and the second pin or the first and the third pin.”

“The first pin?”

“The one in the middle,” he points to the animation, and it shows where to hit the pins for optimal success.

He throws the ball, and his form is perfect. He knocks all but one pin down. On his second throw, he misses the lone pin.

He turns and says, “Okay, your turn.”

I get my pink and white whirl ball and approach the lane. I stand where I’m supposed to and then aim and throw the ball. I watch as the ball rolls toward the pins and knocks them all down.

“Strike! Valentina, are you holding out on me? You look like you know what you’re doing.”

“I think it’s just beginner’s luck!”

He’s up next and does well, but when it’s my turn again. I bowl another strike.

“Is that good?”

“Yes, Val, that’s great. When was the last time you bowled?”

“In college.”

After my third strike in a row, that’s called a turkey; Chase is suspicious as he narrows his eyes at me.

“Who did you bowl with in college?”

“A bunch of us got together, and we played in a league. We made it to the championships one year.”

“What? I wanted you to try something new and have some fun.”

“I am having fun, Chase. It feels great to bowl again.”

“Yeah, for you. I’m losing.”

“I think I should win because it’s my birthday.”

“That’s not the way it works, Val.”

“Really? Because that’s what it feels like,” I do a little happy dance in our lane, “It’s my birthday, it’s my birthday, and I’m winning, and I’m winning.”

Chase just puts his head back and laughs out loud. I look around, and the other bowlers are looking our way and smiling.

One lady yells, “Happy Birthday!”

“Thanks!” I wave back.

When we turn in our shoes, Chase bemoans to the guy that I whipped him. The man looks at our scores and agrees. “She sure did. You guys should consider playing in a league.”

“Yeah, thanks. We’ll think about it.”

As we get back in Chase’s big black truck, I have a goofy smile on my face. I look over at Chase.

“Thank you, Chase. I truly enjoyed that, and it was quite a surprise. I had fun.”

“Good, but the night is not over yet. I have one more surprise.”

He drives us out to an isolated field, where I see a giant air balloon.

“Oh, my gosh! I’ve never ridden in a hot-air balloon.”

“Good. I wanted something to be new and exciting.”

We get in the wicker gondola, and the pilot lets the balloon rise off the ground. We continue riding up, up until we’re high above the trees. “Oh! You can see for miles up here!”

“Yeah. Beautiful.”

I look over at Chase, but his eyes are fixed on me, not the scenery.

I feel the blush on my cheeks. I’m suddenly at a loss for words. If I didn’t know better, I would think Chase was flirting with me.

When I look over at him again, he’s scanning the horizon. I must have read him wrong. I turn and place my hands on the side of the wicker gondola. I look down. I can’t believe we’re up this high.

The balloonist piloting the balloon makes it look effortless. He points out a few landmarks.

“I think this is as close to flying as I’ll ever come. It feels... weightless.”

“Yeah, that’s a perfect description. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

“I am. Thank you, Chase. This is the best birthday present I’ve ever had.”

He gives me a delighted smile at my words and looks proud of himself. As he turns to look at the view, a lock of hair falls over his forehead. My fingers itch to smooth it back out of his face. I sigh. What is it about Chase? He’s so far out of my league, but I’d rather be with him than anyone else. He’s the only guy I know that I can just be me when he’s around.

Chase never seems to judge, so I don’t have to hold back. If I feel like being snarly or goofy, he just smiles or shrugs. It’s probably because we’re just friends. Friends. Now, if only I could convince my heart to stop dreaming about what-ifs. The man is just too darn good-looking.

When Chase turns to me again, I notice his eyes are the same color as the darkening sky around us.

“This is a sunset balloon ride, Val. It should last about an hour, and they promised we’d see a glorious sunset.”

“Glorious is right! Look at that sunset! Oh, Chase! It’s spectacular!”

The wind picks up, and I rub my hands over my arms.

“Are you cold?”

Before I can answer, he comes up behind me, wraps his arms around me, and I tentatively lean against him.

“How’s that? Better?”

“Yes, much better.”

I don’t even want to breathe because I’m worried if I move a muscle, he will take his arms away. Being in Chase’s arms, even if it’s just so he can keep me warm, is heaven.