The rental shoes were a fashion crime against humanity, but I slipped them on without complaint. Bella led me past the lanes buzzing with practice throws and into the designated competitors' seating area. It was a raised section of bleachers with a decent view of most of the alleys.
I found an open spot and sat down, immediately feeling like a zoo exhibit. I'd gotten used to being one of the only men in a room, but this was something else. This was a concentrated dose. Of the maybe sixty or seventy competitors milling about, I counted exactly three other guys. And I, with my height and build, might as well have been wearing a neon sign.
I could feel the weight of glances. Not hostile ones. Curious ones. Interested ones.
A group of women in matching team jackets a few rows down were having a not-so-subtle conversation, their eyes flicking toward me between sentences. One of them smiled. I gave a slight, polite nod and looked away, focusing on lacing up my ugly shoes. It was flattering, yeah, but also a little overwhelming. Bella had been right about the bus.
I didn't have to wait long for my buffer. Bella dropped onto the bench right next to me, close enough that our legs touched. She'd changed into her own bowling shoes—a sleek, professional-looking pair—and had a determined set to her jaw.
She wasn't alone. Two other girls followed her, both around her age. One was a Latina with dark, curious eyes and hair tied back in a fierce ponytail. The other was a white girl with a softer look, her blonde hair cut in a cute bob, her hand casually linked with the Latina's.
"Sael, these are my teammates from college," Bella said, her voice bright.
"This is Mira," she pointed to the Latina, "and her girlfriend, Anabelle."
"Hey," I said, offering an easy smile. "Nice to meet you."
Mira's eyes did a quick, appreciative scan that was so frank it was almost funny. "Dios mío, Bella. You didn't tell us your cousin was… wow." She didn't even try to hide it.
Anabelle elbowed her gently, her cheeks turning pink. "Ignore her. She has no filter…. It's really nice to meet you, Sael. Bella talks about you all the time." She then looked at my rented shoes and the competitor tag pinned to my shirt. "Wait, are you… bowling today?"
"Apparently so," I said, chuckling. "Bella here signed me up as her mixed doubles partner without asking."
Mira's eyebrows shot up. "No shit? You any good?"
"We're about to find out," I said with a shrug. "I'm hoping muscle memory is a thing."
"We're just doing women's doubles," Anabelle explained, gesturing between herself and Mira.
"Maybe solo if we feel like it, but we're really just here for the fun of it. Try and win a few matches in our bracket."
Mira snorted. "Yeah, because the solo title is already spoken for. No point even trying there." She jerked a thumb toward Bella.
I looked at my cousin, surprised. "That right? You're the queen bee of the Morning Glory Open?"
Bella didn't boast. She just gave a small, confident shrug, but her eyes were gleaming.
"I've won the last three of these….. They're small, but the competition isn't bad. You'll see." She leaned closer to me, her voice dropping so only I could hear her over the din of the alley. "Just watch."
Then, her expression shifted. The competitive mask softened into something more vulnerable, more intimate. She put a hand on my arm, her touch warm.
"So…" she began, her voice a little hesitant now. "If I win… today… I think I deserve a reward." She was trying to sound playful, but there was a real question underneath it.
I looked down at her. The noise of the bowling alley seemed to fade into a dull roar. This was it. The real reason for the ambush, for the tournament, for everything. This wasn't just about bowling.
I kept my voice low, a smile playing on my lips. "Oh yeah? What kind of reward does the defending champion have in mind?"
She bit her lip, her gaze dropping to her lap for a second before meeting mine again. The confidence of the athlete was gone, replaced by the nervousness of a girl putting her heart on the line. She'd been shot down so many times by the old Sael. This took serious guts.
"I… I was thinking…" she started, then trailed off, losing her nerve.
I didn't let her retreat. I shifted on the bench, turning my body toward hers. I put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a semi-private bubble. It was a protective, claiming gesture.
"Hey," I said, my voice gentle but firm. "You can be straight with me. It's just us right now…. What do you want, Bella?"
She took a shaky breath, her eyes searching mine for any sign of the old rejection. Finding none, she blurted it out in a rushed whisper.
"I want to be yours. Like… like Emily is. And Kate. I want to be with you. For real…. Make it official,"
There it was. No metaphors, no games. A direct, honest ask.
I didn't hesitate. I didn't need to. The attraction had been building for a while, and her bravery just sealed the deal.
"Alright," I said, my voice calm and sure.
Her eyes widened, hope flaring in them. "R-really?"
"Really." I gave her shoulders a squeeze. "You win this tournament today, and it'll happen…. Today."
I leaned in even closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. "In fact, I already booked us a suite on the 20th floor of the hotel attached to this mall. Just in case."
The effect was instantaneous. The nervousness vanished, burned away by a blazing, competitive fire. Her back straightened, and a brilliant, determined smile spread across her face. She looked from me to the lanes, her gaze sharpening like a hawk spotting its prey.
"Okay," she said, her voice now steady and full of conviction.
"Okay. I'm going to win."