[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter Twenty Eight - April 18

"Thanks for watching them tonight," I said. I hugged Liv's mom and kissed her cheek. "Don't hesitate to use the time out corner."

"I won't," she assured me. "Brooke's going to get tired of staring at that corner eventually."

I laughed. "Either that or we're going to have to get her a bronze name plaque and dedicate that corner in her honor."

Liv rolled her eyes. "She really is getting better," she said.

Brooke was in the kitchen eating dinner. She looked over at us as we stood by the door. I reached for the door handle.

"NO! NO! NO!"

I sighed. We had already done this three times. Once I reached for the door handle she started to freak out. Either Liv or I would weaken and walk over for another good-bye and she was happy as a clam. She played us like a fiddle, I tell you.

"It's like a shot," Liv's mom warned. "If you just get it over with it'll hurt less."

It was good old Midwest wisdom.

"Be a good girl for grandmommy, Brooke!" Liv said. She walked out the door. I paused for just a moment and then I walked out too. For one split second I heard a loud wail, but I quickly locked the door behind us. We looked at each other.

"That went well," Liv said lightly. I grinned. "I'm not crying yet, so I'd call it a success."

We headed down the steps. I had a special ride delivered and I was just waiting for the moment when Ms. Oblivious was going to notice what was parked in our driveway. I counted off the seconds in my head - one, two, three...

"Holy crap, what is this?"

I laughed. "You like? It's been in storage in Cali for so long that I thought I'd have it brought here. It's a great date night car, right?"

"It's a convertible."

"Yup, a black shiny convertible," I agreed.

The look on her face was priceless. I opened the passenger side door.

"In you go."

Liv slid in and looked up at me as I closed the door.

"Why did you have your convertible sent all the way out here just to take me bowling?"

I laughed. "I didn't. But, this is a great night to break it out and take it for a drive."

Now, you may be wondering why it was a great night. Well, for one we were meeting Kevin and Addy at the bowling alley. But most importantly it was one month ago to the day that I made my bet with Kevin.

I know he probably assumed that once the tour ended so abruptly that we would forget it and move on. Well, Nick Carter never forgets. I've dutifully kept track of every boring thing I've eaten since I've seen him. Liv is my witness; I've eaten no fast food. The look on Kevin's face when I tell him he lost...

Ahh, priceless.

I buckled myself in and we took off. The feeling of so much horsepower coursing through my veins gave me a rush.

"Nick, you're going too fast," Liv warned. "Cops look for cocky guys in convertibles."

I laughed. "You worry too much."

"I only worry because I've seen your mugshot before. I don't want my mom to watch the evening news with Brooke and all of a sudden 'dada's' on the screen in prison."

"They won't put me in jail," I said. Even so, I slowed down.

Kevin and Addy were waiting for us outside the bowling alley. I made a big show of doing a wide arc into a parking space and playing with my hair in the rearview mirror. Then I jumped out over the door.

Am I cool or what?

I walked around and opened Liv's door. She was shaking her head at me.

"What?" I asked. She smiled.

"If I didn't know you put on a good act, I would be so annoyed with you right now," she teased. I grinned and kissed her softly.

"You guys need a room?" Kevin called. I looked over.

"You're just jealous," I said. I took Liv's hand and we walked over to them. Kevin had a bag at his feet.

"You have your own ball?" I asked. He nodded.

"I was in a league a couple years ago," he said. He unzipped the case and held it up with a grin. I had this sudden flashback to The Big Lebowski.

"Put your ball away and let's get a lane," I suggested. Kevin laughed.

It was nice that he was in a good mood. After my little announcement, the smile was going to slide right off his face.

-------------------------------------

I don't bowl often, but I like to think that I have a natural talent for all sports. My lovely wife on the other hand, does not. By the time we were almost done with the first game, I stared at the score screen in disbelief. Liv slid her hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

"You have a twelve," I said. "And the balls supposed to go that way, not back here towards my head."

"I know that. My fingers slipped. But at least I'm beating my worst ever score." she said optimistically. I looked up.

"What was your worst score?"

"A five."

I tried to imagine all the zeros on the board; it probably looked really similar to the game she had going on now. Even so, I didn't care if she was the worst bowler ever; she made horrible bowling look cute. I grabbed her arm and tugged her onto my lap.

Kevin and Addy were wiping the ground with us. I was at 150; Kevin was hovering around 220 and Addy wasn't far behind. Liv snuggled into me as we watched Kevin walk up the lane. It was highly amusing; he'd study the pins as if they were the enemy, walk up at a timed pace and then do a graceful ballerina leap after he threw the ball. I cracked up every time...until he got another strike. He turned around and blew on his fingers as if they were guns.

"Shooter McGavin," he declared. I rolled my eyes.

"That was golf," I said. Kev shrugged.

"I'm still beating you," he declared.

I twirled a piece of Liv's hair around my finger. I only half-watched Addy as she made her way up the lane.

"Hey Kev, who's your favorite Peanuts character?"

He looked at me like I was crazy.

"What?"

"Who's your favorite Peanuts character? Charlie Brown...Lucy..."

"Linus," Kev said slowly. "Why?"

I grinned. "Well...my favorite is SNOOP-y. You know WHY I like SNOOP-y Kev?"

"Because you're a horndog?"

Liv laughed. I pinched her bottom.

"No, it's because SNOOP-y reminds me of a certain bet we made one month ago."

Addy walked back over and looked between the two of us. Kev leaned back in his seat.

"We couldn't really finish the bet," he explained. I shook my head and reached into my back pocket, bringing out several crumpled sheets of paper. I tossed them at Kev.

"Read 'em and weep. My food log."

Kevin unfolded the papers and scanned them. Then he looked over at me and shook his head.

"How can I validate this?"

"I can validate it," Liv said. "Everytime he drives by a McDonald's he gets weepy, but he hasn't had fast food since he's been home."

"And I lost three more pounds," I said. I flexed. "I think it would have been five, but I think some of the fat globs transferred over to muscle."

"I can't believe this," Kevin muttered.

"You can't win them all," I said happily. "Now, how long do you think it's going to take to grow out your hair?"

"You're really going to make me do this?"

"Do you know how many bets I've lost to you?" I responded. "You made me pay up every time. You're paying up dawg."

Kev tapped the papers against his hand. "Well, here's the thing," he explained.

I folded my arms.

"Addy and I are getting married in September and I don't want to look like a hippie."

Liv let out a girlie squeal than only the word 'marriage' can bring about. Addy smiled brightly. I tapped my foot. Kev smiled sweetly.

"Fine. You have from now until two days before your wedding to grow your hair out. If it's not long enough for dreads we're still going to do something stupid to it," I declared. "Then you can get a fresh cut for your wedding."

Kev stopped smiling. I think he sometimes underestimates the way my mind works. It was my turn to smile sweetly. Kev sighed. There was a long pause during which 'I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night' blared through the alley. I wanted to get up and do a 'na na na na na' dance, but thought better of it.

Finally he stuck out his hand.

"Fine, I'm a man of my word."

I shook his hand firmly and stood up. "Let's finish our game."

"For the next game, want to make a bet on who'll win?" Kev asked, almost hopefully. I glanced back up at his 220 compared to my 150. I shook my head.

"No way in hell."

Even I know my limitations. Beating Kev in bowling was one of them.