Date – [Redacted]
A sixteen pound, glittery ball rocketed down a smooth, oiled lane, and slammed into the rear of the alley with such force that I thought the building was going to fall in on itself. After a minute or so, my date launched the same ball down the same lane, again making me feel sorry for both the ball and any bakeries in the vicinity. With each throw, it seemed that Ellis was attempting to break the sound barrier. It was obvious that she was athletic by anyone’s standards, and my self-image was not particularly helped by the fact that she was a little more than a foot taller than I. She unconsciously reached up and tapped the monitor hanging above the ball return with her fingertips. I couldn’t help but quirk my eyebrow, considering that the bank of screens was a full four feet above my head.
“Sorry,” she murmured quietly, “I have this poster above my door. It’s a habit to put my hand on it when the team does well…” I inadvertently cut her off with a curious expression before she shooed me to the line. After I took my turn, leaving five pins total, she asked, “What do you do for a living?” I shrugged and stated flatly, “I’m a software engineer. It’s cool, but in the way that you have to be doing it actively to get that it’s cool. To anyone watching, it would be the most boring thing in the world.” I hadn’t realized that the last frame we bowled was the last of the game, but that was just as well by me. She had beaten me 233 to 76.
“So, what do we do now?” I asked, hoping she might suggest something I was more capable at. While we walked toward the front of the alley, Ellis thought for a second and then conjured up the name of a small coffee shop not far from the bowling alley. When I asked if it was also a bakery, she nodded. “Max Greene may be a very small man, but he is a very small man who loves donuts,” I proclaimed. It was good to see the corners of her eyes move for the first time tonight. She then flashed a cheesy smile at me and said, “Gee, it’s too bad Dave got the flu, and we couldn’t double date. I would have hated to embarrass you in front of your best friend.” I smirked and replied, “I’ll give you your sports, but he had planned on a night of video games after the movie we were going to see.” Ellis rolled her eyes and said flatly, “How…romantic.” I pantomimed playing a guitar, swinging my hips and informing her, “Just wait until you see me play. Lady, I’m a plastic guitar god.”
We got to the front door just in time for the sky to open up, pelting the city with water as if the entire skyline were on fire. I gave her the choice to stay inside or follow me to the car, and she decided that water doesn’t mix well with makeup, even if she only had a little bit on. I dashed out into the parking lot through the torrential downpour, wishing that I had been smart enough to wear a jacket, and happy that I wasn’t wearing makeup. I fumbled with the keys for a moment that felt like an hour, and finally unlocked my car. The car wasn’t anything fancy, just a grey sedan, but it had always served me well. It fired up happily, and I cranked up the heater. I pulled up to the door of the bowling alley, and before I could get out of the car to open the passenger’s side door, she was already adjusting her seat.
I made a static noise and held my hand to my mouth as if it were a microphone, “Kssht…This is your captain speaking. You are now cruising at an altitude of approximately 700 feet above sea level, at a speed of 25 miles an hour. We will reach our destination in one and a half blocks. We here at Greene Airways hope that you have enjoyed your flight, despite the utter lack of meals, restrooms, or in-flight movies.” Ellis covered her eyes with one hand, giggling quietly. “You are such a dork!” Not being able to help myself, I had to retaliate, “It just so happens that I’m a nerd, thank you very much.” As we pulled into a streetside parking space, I stated, “You know, you never told me what you do for a living.”
Matter-of-factly, she stated, “I’m a Crusader.” All I could do was raise an eyebrow and sputter a confused, “Come again?” “I’m a Crusader,” she repeated, and then went on, “I play Defense for the Lansing Crusaders. I’m a semi-pro hockey player.” I blinked for a moment until she turned a little bit red, and said softly, “You think that’s stu…” I cut her off, “Only the coolest thing ever. That not only explains the poster thing you were talking about, but your balance, too. I know we haven’t had the most athletic date ever, but for what little movement is required in bowling, you pulled it off gracefully.” Ellis blushed a little bit, looking out the window. “There are two problems with this scenario, though,” I said in my coldest voice. Slowly, she turned her head, eyes wide but steadily meeting my gaze. I continued, “I was told there would be donuts. There are no donuts in the car. Let’s go inside.” As I opened the door, I got a confused look, and a questioning, “What was the second problem?” I poked my head back into the car, and said, “The electronic lock on your side doesn’t work. Please lock the door when you get out.”
We quickly hustled through the rain and into the small shop to the overwhelming smell of coffee grinding. In one corner of the shop was a low stage, where a skinny young woman wearing a plaid jacket and oversized glasses was playing an acoustic guitar and wailing fifty year old protest songs. I glanced up at Ellis, who was almost visibly gritting her teeth, and stated, “It’s not what I normally listen to, but it’ll do for now.” She frowned and apologized, “Sorry, I forgot about open mic night. I swear, they’ll let anyone up on stage, provided they actually own a guitar.” I snapped my fingers and sarcastically declared, “It’s just too bad that my only guitars are hooked up to my game consoles, then.”
We walked up to the counter, placed our order, and I was physically restrained by my date from removing my wallet from my pocket. She stated bluntly, “I’ll pay for coffee. You paid for bowling.” I raised an eyebrow, stating, “I have plenty of money for the date. I set it aside just for this evening, in fact.” She shrugged her shoulders, and plainly said, “My treat.” I grinned and said, “Does this mean I have to let you win at video games later?” She patted me on the head and called me a clown.
After we took our seats at a window table, sitting across from one another, we came across an unexpected revelation: we live in adjacent apartment buildings. With surprise on her face, she asked, “You weren’t kidding about the donut thing, were you?” Polishing off an éclair, I simply shook my head with a smile on my face. “No, no, I was not.” Not long after that, we’d had enough of the off-key singing and she decided that it was time for her to retire for the evening. The rain had slowed down a little bit, but that didn’t stop me from picking her up at the door again. We only travelled about a mile, but because of the awkward silence, what should have been a blissful few minutes seemed like torture. I had plenty to say, but it wouldn’t come out in any intelligible manner.
Thankfully, I soon pulled into the apartment complex’s parking lot. I walked her to her door, as a gentleman should, and she pointed to one of the buttons on the call box. “This is me,” she stated, “Give me a buzz if you ever want to do this again.” I chuckled softly and stated, “I’m always online. Why don’t you message me sometime so that I can kick your butt in video games.” I scribbled my screen-name on a business card hastily, and handed it to her. She stuffed it in her pocket and stated, “I’d rather you come see me instead.” I procured another business card from my pocket and said, “Just one more thing before you go.” She paused, and looked at me, outwardly puzzled. “Can I have your autograph?” I asked, obviously starstruck, “I’ve never met a real pro athlete before.” She was utterly dumbfounded, and began stumbling over words. I rubbed my chin and asked, “Would you prefer I ask for a goodnight kiss, instead?”
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Topic: Creative Writing Prompt: First Date (PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK!) (Read 2664 times)