Page 83 of Bridesmaid Undercover
Great.
I clasp my hands in front of me as my lips press tightly against my teeth. “Bowling…huh? Crazy.”
I feel her eyes on me, but I don’t dare turn to look at her, because I know what she must be thinking…what the hell happened to Hardy?
Because bowling, huh? is not really the kind of conversation I used to have.
“Yeah, bowling,” she replies.
I clear my throat, trying to gain any semblance of intelligent conversation. “Balls hitting pins, who knew?”
“Probably the guy who invented bowling,” she replies.
I nervously laugh but it comes out more as a donkey bray than a laugh. A solid hee-haw, which draws her attention toward me again. I keep my eyes straight ahead, because I can’t possibly look her in the eye when I’m holding this kind of conversation. “Wonder if the inventor was any good.”
“Not sure,” she replies. “But you’re not doing very well.”
I smooth my hands over my thighs, exhibiting what is probably a deathly shade of red on my cheeks.
“Yes, well, in the years we haven’t spoken to each other, I unfortunately haven’t been working on my bowling game.”
“No?” she asks. “What have you been working on?”
Okay…okay. She’s talking, changing the subject, throwing me a freaking bone.
This is perfect.
Now it’s time to shake off the stink and show her the kind of man I’ve become over the last few years.
“Educating myself about almonds, working on sustainable farming, perfecting my chocolate lava cake recipe.”
“Chocolate lava cake?” she asks, a pinch to her brow. “You bake?”
No.
I don’t.
I don’t know why I said that last part.
I felt like I needed three things to dazzle her with and the chocolate cake thing just came flying out.
“Well, only chocolate lava cake,” I answer.
“And how is the recipe?”
I lift my beer to my lips and answer, “Not great.”
That makes her chuckle, which puts some ease in my chest because fuck, she’s been cold as ice every time we’re near each other.
And that’s not how it used to be.
We were so free with each other.
Conversation was easy.
Our time spent together was relaxed, simple.
It seems like she’s changed…or maybe I’ve changed. Who knows.
