by E. L. Todd
“She’s right,” Zeke said. “I would much rather invest into this than see you lose it right off the bat. In that instance, you would be losing way more money than we would be investing.”
“And I really think it could work,” Rae said. “It’s all about the environment. If people don’t feel comfortable, they won’t come. Why do you think everyone loves Disneyland? It’s because it makes people feel good. You need to do something like that.”
“Well, I’ve never been to Disneyland, so I don’t know what you mean.” I was pretty sure Rae hadn’t either.
“It’s just the idea,” Zeke said. “If your place is a dump, you aren’t going to attract anyone. No one is going to hang out there on a Saturday if it’s rundown and old.”
“I guess I know what you mean,” I admitted.
“So, we need to make this place a hot spot,” Rae said. “A place where everyone wants to hang out.”
“Even if this plan works and I have more customers than I can serve…who knows how long it’ll take me to pay you back. It may take me years. Ten years.” Did they really understand that?
“We know,” Zeke said. “And we’re both cool with it.”
“We aren’t investing all of our money into it,” Rae said. “We both have our own cash.”
“Whoa.” I gave Rae a hard look. “How much money do you have, kid?”
“I’m not telling you,” she snapped.
“What are you saving for?”
“Uh, a house?” she said sarcastically. “A place with a yard so Safari can run around. My kids’ tuitions.”
“What kids?” I blurted.
“My future kids.” Rae rolled her eyes. “You’re more dense than I thought.”
“Anyway,” Zeke said. “You aren’t running us dry. That’s what she’s trying to say.”
I still felt bad taking anything from them. My sister had already let me live with her for months, rent-free. When things got really bad, Zeke paid for all my lunches and dinners. They did a lot for me when I didn’t even ask. Could I take even more from them?
“Why don’t we make it a theme?” Zeke said. “Like Groovy Bowl. We’ll decorate the inside with tie-dye colors, and the wood strips for the alleys will each be a different color. Peace signs will be everywhere, and the chairs will be covered in fringe. We can even sell flower crowns to people who are really into it.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Rae said.
“Yeah, it’s really cool,” I said. “I’d bowl at a place like that, and I don’t even bowl.”
“We could have music from the 60s and the 70s overhead, and we can even have cardboard cutouts of The Beatles and The Doors so people can stick their faces through the holes and take a picture,” Zeke said. “There are a lot of things we can do with it.”
“Yeah,” Rae said. “This is great.” She made the notes on her computer. “Groovy Bowl. I like it.”
“Maybe all the workers can be dressed as hippies,” I said. “The girls will be wearing belly shirts and short-shorts.” I smiled at the thought. “Ooh…their hair can be in a braid over one shoulder.”
“Yeah.” Zeke’s face showed the same excitement. “They can dance on the counters every hour and—”
“Calm down, boys.” Rae snapped her fingers. “You took it too far.”
I sighed in defeat. “It’s fun to dream about…”
“If we had a bowling alley that was also a strip club, you’d have serious problems,” Rae said.
“My dick doesn’t agree,” I said.
Rae made a disgusted face. “Keep it PG around me. I’m your sister.”
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t—” I was about to call her out for sneaking out last night then lying to me about it. She must have hooked up with someone, probably Ryker, and that definitely wasn’t PG. But I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to confront her just yet. “Never mind.”
Zeke looked at me like he knew exactly what I was going to say.
“That’s what I thought.” Rae had a confident look on her face like she just defeated me.
I let her keep thinking that—for now.
***
I went to the library then headed to the counter near the back of the building. Kayden was there. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and the strands were in large curls. Her soft hair had a particular shine to it, like it was made of honey and silk. She wore black-framed glasses on her face.
I’d never seen her wear glasses before.
When I reached the counter, her eyes were glued to her computer. She was typing with concentration. Without looking at me, she said, “I’ll be with you in just a second.”
“Okay.” I wasn’t in a hurry.
When she recognized my voice, she looked up. Surprise flashed across her face, and she must have realized she was wearing her glasses because she hastily yanked them off and tried to set them on the counter. But instead, she dropped them on the ground. She bent down to pick them up, and when she came back up, she smacked her head on the counter. “Ouch…”
I leaned over the counter and looked down at her. “Kay, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She rubbed the back of her head then stood up. When her face was revealed, it was red. She didn’t look angry or appear to be in pain. It seemed like she was embarrassed more than anything else. “Uh, hi.” She fixed her hair, looking flustered.
“Is your head okay? Want me to take a look?”
“No. I’m fine.” She waved me off, her voice high-pitched.
I looked at her glasses on the counter. “I didn’t know you wore glasses.”
“Oh.” She eyed them then tossed them in a drawer. “I only wear them once in a while. It’s not like I need them or anything.”
“I thought they looked cute on you.”
The redness left her cheeks and she became pale. She stared at me with wide, unblinking eyes. She didn’t even breathe.
Kayden was always quiet and shy. It surprised me that she and my sister were such good friends. Rae was wild, obnoxious, and wouldn’t shut the hell up. Kayden couldn’t be more different. “I didn’t mean that in an offensive way…” I just said she looked cute. It wasn’t like I commented on her tits or something.
“I’m not offended,” she said quickly. “I just…” Her voice trailed away and she broke eye contact, looking flustered all over again. “What brings you here?” She swallowed hard.
“I came here for a book.”
“Oh. What kind?”
“A marketing book,” I said. “Rae, Zeke, and I are going to remodel the bowling alley. I just wanted to brush up on a few things.” Actually, I wanted to learn a few things. I didn’t know much about anything.
“I can help you with that.” She walked around the corner then joined me on the other side. She wore a tight, black pencil skirt with a pink blouse. She had a small frame and noticeable curves. I’d always thought she had a nice body. Her calves were particularly nice. They were always pronounced when she wore heels.
I followed her down the aisles until we found the right section. Then she looked at the different books by my side. “There’re a lot to choose from.”
“Do you have any recommendations?”
“Sorry, I don’t. I don’t usually read about marketing.”
“What do you read?”
“Sorry?”
Why was she so skittish all the time? “What do you read? You know, for fun.”
“Oh…” She nodded in understanding. “I like fantasy novels.”
“Like dragons and stuff?”
She nodded, looking embarrassed.
“That’s really cool.”
“You think so?” She started to fidget in place. “You don’t think I’m a nerd?”
“Of course not.” Why would I?
She nodded then stepped back. “Well, there’s the selection. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thanks, Kay.”
“Anytime.” She walke
d away. Actually, she practically ran.
I watched her with a raised eyebrow before I turned my attention to the books.
***
I stayed in the library and read because I knew I wouldn’t get anything done at home. I would drink a few beers and watch whatever was on ESPN. At least staying here limited the distractions.
When I was finished, I returned the book to where I found it and headed back to the front. Kayden was still there, her glasses back on her nose. They were black with square frames. They made her face look stern, but somehow it worked for her.
When she saw me approach, the relaxed posture she had disappeared. She shifted her weight and became tense, like I was an enemy rather than a friend.
I’d known Kayden for a long time, so I wasn’t sure what the problem was. “Hey. Almost off?”
“Yeah. The library closes right now.”
“Cool,” I said. “Want to get some food?”
“Uh…” She acted like I just invited her on a trip to Iran. “Sure.”
“Kay, is there something wrong?”
“No. Why would anything be wrong?” She pulled her glasses off and stuffed them into a drawer.
“You’re just…tense?” I couldn’t explain it right.
“Oh. I’ve just had a long day. Don’t mind me.”
I took her word for it. “What are you in the mood for? That pizza place is just across the street.”
“That works for me.”
We left the library then entered the parlor. A few people were inside sharing a family-size pizza. I figured Kayden and I would just split something since they didn’t sell anything by the slice. “Combination?”
“Sure.”
I ordered the pizza and grabbed the drinks. After we filled the glasses at the drink counter, we took a seat at a table.
Now that I was alone with Kayden, I realized we didn’t do a lot of stuff together, just the two of us. I saw Jessie all the time, and that was never awkward. But with Kayden, it seemed like something was off. Whenever we were in a group together, I didn’t notice anything, probably because she and I never spoke one-on-one. “So…you like the library?”
“I do. I love it, actually.” She had a soft voice, like a schoolteacher.
“What do you love about it?” I wasn’t undermining her. I was genuinely curious.
She shrugged. “I grew up with books. It’s nice to be surrounded by them all day.”
“Do you like to read?”
“I read all the time. I probably read one a week, depending on how big it is.”
My jaw dropped. “One a week? Shit, I can’t read a book in a year.”
She chuckled. “You read one today.”
“But that was a fluke,” I said as I waved my hand. “I’ll probably never read again in my lifetime.”
“Why is that?”
“Boring.”
“Maybe you just haven’t found a good book.”
“Eh.” I shrugged. “It’s hard for me to sit still for long periods of time, unless I’m watching TV.”
“TV is kind of like reading. You’re immersed in a story, just on a more intimate level.”
“When I say I watch TV, I mean I watch sports. So, if there’s a book about sports, then there’s some hope. But I doubt it.”
She chuckled. “Not really.”
“Then it’s never gonna happen.”
A few strands of hair from her ponytail fell over one shoulder, and she fingered them with her forefinger.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“Not sure,” she said. “Probably something with Jessie and Rae.”
Unless Rae had other plans with her secret hookup. “I got tickets to see the Wombats. Won them on the radio, actually. You want to come?”
She stopped touching her hair immediately and froze on the spot. “You’re asking me to go to a concert with you?”
Why was that weird? We did group stuff together all the time. “Yeah, I got six tickets. I figured I would invite everyone. I have one extra, so maybe I’ll find a hot date or something.”
“Oh…” The lights turned off in her eyes, and her hand slowly moved to her lap. She broke eye contact and stared at her thighs. “Yeah…that sounds like fun.”
I eyed the kitchen and wondered if our pizza was ready. “Dude, I’m starving.”
“Yeah, me too,” she said weakly.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled through Facebook quickly before I looked at her again. “Seeing anyone?”
“Uh, no.”
Now that I thought about it, I’d never seen Kayden with a guy before. Whenever we hung out, she never brought a date along. It surprised me since she was obviously beautiful. “Date much?”
“Occasionally…” She didn’t ask me the same question in return.
The pizza finally arrived, and I was relieved we had something to do besides stare at each other and talk…or whatever it was we were trying to do. She put one slice on her plate and ate that at a snail’s pace. I ate like a normal person and devoured half of it by myself.
“How’s the bowling alley?” she asked.
“Pretty terrible. I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought the place.”
“You were investing your money,” she said. “I think that’s smart. Anyone else would have blown that money on something they didn’t need, like a car or a vacation.”
Finally, someone stuck up for me. “Thanks. I just wish I picked something better.”
“You didn’t know,” she said gently. “So, it doesn’t look like it’s going to make it?”
“Rae and Zeke came up with a few ideas to attract more customers. They seem confident that it’ll work.”
“Rae is pretty smart, so I would listen to her.”
“She’s not that smart.” My sister might be good at science, but she was dumb in every other way. Sometimes, she turned on the blender without a lid, and other times, she left the refrigerator door open all night. She lacked common sense, and if you ask me, that’s the most important intelligence to have.
“You just say that because she’s your sister.”
“And you just say that because she’s your best friend.”
Kayden shrugged in defeat. “I guess you’re right.”
“I’m always right.”
Kayden rolled her eyes.
I smiled because she finally loosened up a little. “You like the pizza?”
“It’s delicious.”
“You must come here all the time since it’s so close to where you work.”
“I usually bring a lunch,” she said. “I love to eat out, but it doesn’t taste as good when you’re doing it all the time.”
I didn’t know what she was talking about. I ate out all the time and never got sick of it. Nothing could beat the convenience of it. Sometimes Rae cooked dinner and I devoured that, but usually she just wasn’t in the mood.
“You’re surviving living with Rae?” she asked.
“It’s not that bad,” I said. “She yells at me for a lot of things…but in her defense, she’s right.”
Kayden smiled. “I’m telling her you said that.”
“You better not.” I threatened her with just a look. “This stays between us. We’re friends, right?”
Her smile slowly faded, and the glow in her eyes dimmed. “Yeah, we’re friends.”
“Well, friends keep secrets sometimes. So, don’t tell her I said that. Damn, I’d never hear the end of it.”
“I’ll keep your secret,” she said quietly.
“Besides, if she knows I know she’s right, then she’ll yell at me even worse when I piss her off.”
“What exactly do you do?”
“Well, I make a mess in the kitchen and I don’t clean it up. But think about it, after you cook something, don’t you want to eat it? You don’t want to let it get cold and gross while you do dishes.”
“Why don’t you wash the dishes after you’re done eating?”
“Becau
se I’m full and tired…”
“Not a good excuse, but I get what you’re saying.”
“And I leave my dirty laundry in the laundry room, usually on the floor. She doesn’t like that very much. And I throw my dirty towels on the floor after a shower. She gets pissed over that too.”
“Rae is pretty organized, so I understand her frustration.” Sometimes Kayden talked like a robot, like she was constantly afraid she might say the wrong thing to me. She was thinking about her words before she said them—walking on eggshells.
I blurted everything out without thinking twice about it. If someone didn’t like me, they didn’t have to talk to me. “But I don’t want to change, so I’ll keep doing it until I move out.”
Kayden chuckled. “Rae will love that.”
“I’m lucky she puts up with me. She threatens to throw me out almost every single day, but I know she’s bluffing.”
“I don’t know… If you push her hard enough, she might do it.”
“Nah. I know my sister hates me, but she loves me too.”
Kayden smiled. “She does.”
“Besides, when I’m there, I can take Safari out to do his business. So…I’m doing her a huge favor.”
“Yes, what would she do without you?”
I finished the last slice then wiped the grease from my fingertips with a napkin. “So, you’re down for the show?”
She nodded. “I’ll be there. Thanks for the ticket.”
“No problem,” I said. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
She stared at me without blinking. Slowly, a smile crept onto her lips.
“Well, I’ll see you later. I’ve got to get home and…get yelled at by my sister.”
Kayden laughed louder that time. “Have fun.”
“Want me to walk you home?” I asked. “I don’t mind.”
She looked like she might take the offer, but then her face quickly changed. “It’s okay. I usually take a cab because I don’t like walking in heels after standing in them all day.”
I nodded. “Good thinking. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Rex.”
I fist-pounded her, but since she didn’t know what I was doing, she awkwardly tried to hug me. “Don’t worry. You’ll get it next time.”
Chapter Five
Rae