In August, Stokely would start his senior year at Prairie View A&M, where he was earning a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in applied exercise science. He usually came home for a few weeks during the summer and over the holidays, and I’d visited him a few times.
I listened to my R&B playlist during my fifteen-minute ride to the bowling alley. Zion was waiting at the entrance when I drove by, looking for a parking spot. A few minutes later, he smiled as I approached him.
Zion’s smile was what drew me in. His pearly whites almost looked fake because they were so white and straight. The day we met, he wore a grill, and when he smiled at me, my panties got wet.
He was dark-skinned with a low Caesar cut, round eyes, long lashes, and a dimple in his right cheek. He was gorgeous, but when he told me his age, I almost didn’t give him my number.
“Damn, you’re beautiful, as always,” he said, pulling me into a hug.
“Thank you. You look handsome, as usual.”
“You ready for me to beat your ass in these lanes?”
“Boy, please. I hope we can still be friends when I spank that ass.”
He threw his arm over my shoulders, and we headed inside. A few minutes later, we were in the lane assigned to us and had put on our shoes. He ordered food and drinks for us that would be delivered to our lane.
“Ladies first,” he said with a smirk.
I entered my name into the computer, then went to get a bowling ball while he entered his. Once both our names were on the screen and he had his ball, I took my first turn.
I was an average bowler, but there was no rhyme or reason to when I would bowl well. Sometimes, I bowled like someone who did it every weekend, and other times, it seemed like it was my first time. I had my fingers crossed that today wouldn’t be the latter.
When I released the ball, it flew down the center of the lane, hitting the middle pin. I was sure it was a strike, but one pin was still standing.
“Damn it,” I said as I turned and walked toward Zion.
“That’s a hard one, baby. Lemme see whatchu got,” he teased.
The remaining pin was in the far right corner, and I had no idea how I’d get this ball to hit it. I released the ball, hoping it would veer to the right, but it did the complete opposite.
“Ugh!” I groaned, annoyed.
Zion was wearing a smirk when I turned around. As we were about to pass each other, he stopped me with an arm around my waist, then leaned down to kiss me.
“For good luck,” he said when he pulled away.
“Get away from me.” I pushed him playfully.
Our food and drinks arrived while Zion took his turn. I lathered my hands with sanitizer, then took a swig of my beer and ate a few nachos.
“I didn’t realize you liked them so young,” I heard the familiar voice behind me.
When I turned around and saw Knox, I almost choked on the nachos I was eating.
“What are you doing here?” I asked when I gathered myself.
“The same thing you’re doing.”
Before I could respond, Zion plopped down into the seat next to me.
“You better watch and learn, baby. Did you see how I picked up that spare?” Zion questioned.
I looked at the score, and he was ahead because of the spare.
“That’s okay. It’s still early.”
I took my next turn and prayed for a strike. Instead, the first one was a gutter ball, and the second, I only knocked down three pins.