Make Me Bad(44)

It’s my final turn and I jump to my feet, eager to prove my skills. The game’s tied. We’re neck and neck with Arianna and Andy. They’ve won two games, though, and they’re getting cocky. They’re talking about joining a bowling league, asking the manager to put their signed headshots up on the wall. It’s time someone taught them a lesson.

“Ben, hold my beer,” I say, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and then walking over to retrieve my pink sparkly bowling ball. Earlier, a twelve-year-old tried to steal it. Eli had to tell her to scram.

I’m less steady on my feet than I was an hour ago. The lane looks ridiculously long. I’ll never be able to get the ball all the way down there, but I want victory more than I have all night. I start to walk forward, gaining momentum, rear back, and let the ball go. It rolls fast, not hitting the bumpers once. When it’s close to the pins, it’s still centered perfectly in the lane.

No way. NO WAY!

My hands shoot to my mouth. The ball connects and every single pin goes flying.

“OH MY GOD! I DID IT! I DID IT!”

I’m jumping up and down. If I could cartwheel, I’d do one. Big hands spin me around and Ben lifts me up.

“Did you see it?!” I ask as the room whirls around me. My smile is so big it hurts.

He laughs. “Yeah, I was right here.”

Of course.

My feet dangle off the ground as my body slides against him. Our hips are aligned perfectly. We sizzle.

“It was a really good strike,” I conclude, my voice breathy. “Best one all night, if you ask me.”

His gaze is on my lips as his arms tighten around me. “Agreed.”

“I want to rub everyone’s faces in our victory.”

“We can hear you.” Eli laughs.

“Also, you haven’t won yet,” Andy points out, bitter. “Ben still has to go.”

“Right. Don’t botch this for us,” I say as he sets me back down. My tone is full of mock solemnity. I brush a hand over my clothes as if to straighten them. Clear my throat. Try to affect a more serious manner. “This is important. It all comes down to you.”

As he prepares to take his shot, I walk back over to our group. Eli bumps my hip and I glance over. He straightens his glasses then lifts his chin toward Ben.

“You two are really cute.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“Maddie, c’mon—it’s obvious you two have feelings for each other. You’ve been flirting all night.”

My cheeks redden with the realization that everyone has likely seen me drooling over him all night.

“Earlier, you were warning me to stay away from him,” I point out.

“Yeah, well, maybe I was wrong.”

I hear Ben’s ball roll down the lane and the tell-tale smack of it colliding with the pins. My eyes are still on Eli as Arianna and Andy groan in defeat.

“He wants you—bad.”





14





Madison





“What’ll you have, Chief?”

“Double bacon cheeseburger—”

I clear my throat forcefully.

“Single bacon cheeseburger,” my dad amends, glowering at me.

“No bacon and no cheese, Dad.”

He throws up his hands. “Are you trying to make me depressed? What’s the point of living if you can’t enjoy the taste of melted cheese on a burger?”

His theatrics won’t work on me. I yank the menu out of his hand, stack it on top of mine, and pass them to the waitress with a sweet smile. “He’ll have a turkey burger on a whole grain bun with a side of steamed vegetables. I’ll have the garden salad with grilled chicken, please.”

She jots down our orders then winks at my dad as she takes the menus and slides them up under her arm. “How about I accidentally spill a few French fries onto your plate on my way out of the kitchen?”

My dad beams. “I always knew you were a good egg, Sally.”

When she walks away, my dad gloats. His big mustached smile gleams at me from across the table.

“Proud of yourself?” I ask, tacking on a what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you smile.

“Very.”

My phone vibrates on the seat beside me, but I don’t reach for it right away. I wait until one of my dad’s friends walks by our booth and they strike up a conversation. There are a lot of claps on shoulders and hearty laughs between old buddies. Once he’s good and distracted, I reach for my phone, hold it underneath the table, and nearly explode with excitement when I see I have a new text from Ben. Seeing his name on my screen is exhilarating. It doesn’t matter that we’ve been texting pretty consistently over the last week, ever since bowling; each time feels as wonderful as the last.

Ben: Andy and I watched that true crime documentary you recommended last night. It was good. I need more recs. I’m addicted.





I smile, proud. He liked my recommendation! He thinks I have good taste!

Madison: There’s another good one, but I can’t remember the name. I’ll check when I get home.





Ben: Oh…you aren’t home?





Madison: It’s Friday night, of course I’m not home. I’m very cool, Ben. Or haven’t you realized?