Sheila was always complaining about different updates they needed but Bud refused. He had us exactly where he wanted us because he was the only bowling alley in the town.
We took bowling league around here very seriously. Hell, there was nothing else to do in our town but drink beer and now go gamble all our money away. Neither of those went well together. . .trust me.
“And it’s packed.” I pulled the car into the parking lot, driving around for a couple of minutes. “Shit!” I screamed slamming on the brakes trying to avoid hitting a person. Norma slid forward in the leather seat. I rolled down the window. “What the hell? Are you trying to get hit?” I snarled at the falling-down-drunk girl. She swayed side to side with her hand in the air.
“I need a ride,” her words slurred. “You take me.”
She, like many others, mistook me for a taxi.
“Not tonight.” I pressed down on the gas and seized the opportunity to snag a spot up front. “See, I told you these visitors aren’t good for us.”
“I’m beginning to think you are right.” Norma grabbed her walker that was folded next to her.
“Let me help.” I jumped out and tried to grab Norma’s walker before she could, but she was a spry woman.
“I’m not that old.” She elbowed me, flinging her walker in one motion before it clicked open and locked into place. “We can’t let everyone know we kinda like each other. After all, we are on opposite teams.” Her hands gripped the sides of the walker and she pulled herself to stand. When I went to grab her arm to only assist in helping her out of the car, she glared at me.
“Fine.” I shook my head and backed away.
“Now, you give me a minute to get in there so no one sees us.” Norma didn’t wait for my answer. She just scooted along toward the front of the bowling alley.
I did what she asked and took my time getting my trunk open to get my bowling bag. I shuddered hearing more drunks stumble out of the bowling alley.
“And don’t come back!” Sheila screamed from the front doors of the bowling alley.
I jerked my head over top of the trunk of the car and got a good look at Sheila swinging her baseball bat in the air, her red hair flung around like flames of an unruly fire. The scowl on her face was not her normal happy to be having everyone here for bowling league.
I grabbed my bag and slammed the trunk shut.
“Hey,” I called out for her to wait for me. “What’s going on?”
“These damn casino people shouldn’t be able to gamble, drink and walk around freely. I wish they’d lock them people on that damn boat while they are there.” She cocked her leg to the side and pounded the tip of the bat on the ground. She had on her normal work outfit, the skintight v-neck shirt with bowling balls, black leggings, and sky-high heels to compliment the look. Tonight she wore her long red hair down and it matched the color on her face and chest.
Sheila didn’t take shit from anyone.
“I can’t believe Bud is using all our savings to save this damn dump. I don’t need their damn business.” She spat toward the group stumbling their way down Grove Street and trying to carry a tune.
“I’m sorry. I had no idea you were using your savings.” I put my hand on her forearm. This was the first I’d heard of it, which was unusual with how fast gossip spread around town.
“I never thought Bud and I would have to dip into our nest egg to save this place. But he was so willing to rely on people coming in for the casino to go bowling. We didn’t count on them to just be drunks and come in here not caring and demolish the place,” she said in a discontented voice and shook her head.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked.
“I’m just mad.” She turned and stomped her way back into the bowling alley.
The sound of balls rolling down the hardwood alleys and smacking the pins replaced the sounds of the giggling and singing drunks from outside.
The lanes were taken up by the usual league teams and the bar was filled with people I didn’t recognize, which was also unusual. On a normal night, the bar was filled with regulars and I didn’t see any tonight. The people at the bar were loud and laughing. They seemed to be having a good time and this was what Sheila was probably referring to. She was used to the quiet bar with only the sounds from the pins knocking against each other and maybe a “yowl” or two coming from a strike from her regulars.
Bud might be on to something. They had to be bringing in money if the bar was going to be filled up like this every night of the week due to the casino, I thought as Bud rushed around the back of the bar filling every cup that was attached to a hand. I couldn’t see his real expression from underneath his grizzly beard, but I could tell by the way the toothpick stuck between his teeth was bouncing up and down that he wasn’t in good spirits. Like we southerners loved to say, be careful what you wish for.
I decided to give him a little time before I got my bowling shoes from behind the counter. The shoes were the only thing I didn’t buy for myself only because Lucky Strikes always had enough on hand and the little extra cash was my way of contributing to the alley.
Lucky Strikes was dark and the neon lane lights gave the ambiance of the bowling alley. The lime green lights lit the side of the lanes and the bright red neon strips outlined the pin cage. Bud had big LED TV screens installed over all the lanes with all sorts of abstract images scrolling through. TV monitors hung down from the ceiling over top of each lane with the names of players. At the far end of the left side, I could see my name on the monitor along with my Here For The Beer teammates. It looked like some were already gearing up to play the Holy Rollers.
My best friend, Gia Picerilli was somewhere under her massive brown curly hair and va-voom chest of hers.
“’Bout time you got here,” she chomped under those bright red lips of hers. She was going down the shelf of bowling balls at the end of each lane, picking each one up, pulling it up to eye level and giving it the eyeball test before she decided on one.
“You know,” I lifted my bag in the air. “You could always get Carmine to buy a ball for you and you wouldn’t have to go through this hassle.”
“True, but it’s good for the girls.” Gia wiggled her chest. “Lifting all these balls is the only workout we get outside of the diner.”
Gia worked in her family diner, The Cracked Egg, as a waitress among other duties. The Cracked Egg was on Main Street next to the Cow’s Lick.
“She’s been getting a big workout over the past few days.” Carmine held his beer bottle up and took a long swig. He ran his sleeve across his mouth to get the drop that missed his mouth. “This casino is keeping the diner open at all hours of the night because Daddy won’t close. He claims it’s a gold mine and it might run out.”
Gia rolled her eyes and pushed her hair out of her face. “Yeah,” Gia’s eyes popped open. “I told Pop that he was going to have to stick with the closing schedule or I was going to join Carmine down at Porty Morty’s.”
“Wait.” Her words made me stop in my tracks. “Morty is hiring?” My mouth dropped. “That scum! He told me he would hire me back if he decided to get a new sales rep.”
“No, I meant help Carmine.” Gia shook her head and strutted over to the seats. She plunked down into one of the plastic seats and took her shoes off. “He could use some help with his filing. The place is a mess.”
“No way do I need you down there in my stuff.” Carmine’s brows lifted. “I like my mess and I know where everything is located.”
Carmine was the only accountant in Walnut Grove and his office was located on the top level of Porty Morty’s warehouse down on River Road. It was low rent and perfect for what he needed.
“What’s up?” The Fiddle twins asked when they walked up with a bucket full of beer. Alex and Adam worked at Fiddle and Son’s Meats, the local meat and deli market that was next to Porty Morty’s.
“Have a beer, Laurel.” Alex Fiddle put the bucket on the small counter behind the bowling lane and pushe
d his glasses up on his nose.
“Thanks, Alex.” I was all too happy to take a bottle from the ice cold bucket and twist the cap off. “What’s going on with the looks?” I asked about the difference in their appearances.
They had always taken pride in their twinning and had never strayed from their look-a-like images. Lately they had been wearing it short on the sides and a little longer on top.
“I decided to grow my hair.” Adam shrugged and headed on over to the seat next to Gia to get his shoes on.
“He’s on this independent kick.” Alex rolled his eyes. “He even moved into your old apartment above the Savings and Loan,” his voice broke miserably.
“Really?” I questioned Adam’s odd behavior. “Wasn’t it his idea for you guys to buy the house on Third Street?”
“He forgot that apparently.” Alex shook his head, his deep brown eyes clouded as though he was thinking before he put the beer bottle up to his lips and downed the rest of it. He tossed the empty bottle into the trash and reached for another one. “Of course my parents are on his side. He’s finding his independence.” He put air quotes around independence.
“Oh.” I lifted my head like I knew what that meant. When someone said they were trying to find their independence, it completely confused me. I had been independent since the day I was born so I didn’t know any other way. “Hey!” I leaned into Derek Smitherman when he walked up, giving him a slight elbow to his muscled stomach.
There was no happier feeling than seeing my guy high school best friend. We had grown up in the orphanage together and we were thick as thieves. We didn’t have any secrets from each other and we knew each other inside and out.
“Where are your glasses?” The air was smacked out of me when I looked into his brown eyes. He was getting cuter and cuter by the minute. His brown hair was even styled with a bit of hair gel. He had on a teal collared shirt that was neatly tucked into a pair of khaki shorts, making him way more stylish than his normal jeans and tee look. I grabbed his chin with my fingers. “And you shaved.” I grinned noting his normal five o’clock shadow was not there and it was well past five o’clock.
“Laurel,” he stepped to the side letting the little brunette bombshell next to him be seen. “This is Brittany. Brittany this is Laurel. You already know Gia, Adam, Alex, and Gia’s husband Carmine.” His beer bottle was snugged in his hand as he pointed to each member of the bowling team.
Adam, Alex, and Carmine stumbled over themselves to greet the five-foot-four bouncy package. Not only did her long hair cascade perfectly down, but her long eyelashes batted and she flashed a perfectly straight-toothed smile.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you.” She curled both arms around Derek’s arm, clasping them together and squeezing her body to his bicep.
“Finally?” I questioned the length of that word. “As in how long?”
“A month ago, this handsome devil asked me out, so we are celebrating our month anniversary.” She curled up on her cute pink painted toes and gingerly gave him a kiss, leaving a faint pink stained lip tattoo on Derek’s chiseled jaw.
“A month?” My mouth fell. I was as confused as a cow on AstroTurf.
“Laurel, come help me with some more beer.” Gia grabbed my arm and dragged me over to the bar.
“A month!” I yelled over the rolling balls and crashing pins. “A month?”
Clearly Derek had taken me off guard. There wasn’t one day that we didn’t go without talking. Maybe we didn’t see each other every day, but we talked.
“You knew about this?” I tapped my finger on the bar and looked at Gia. She rolled her head completely opposite of my direction, avoiding my question. “Gia Chiconi Picerilli! Have you been hiding this from me?”
She faced me, lines creased on her forehead as her mouth spread across her face when she grimaced and gritted her teeth. “I was afraid of this reaction.” Her hand waved up and down my person. “I knew you would flip.”
“Flip? I am going to do more than flip!” I smacked my hand on the counter.
“I’ll be there in a minute!” Bud growled.
“Oh, don’t mind, Laurel.” Gia’s head gave a swift nod my way. “She just found out about Brittany.”
“Nice gal,” Bud confirmed and went back to the beer tap, filling up the lined-up frosty mugs.
“Am I the last to know?” I jerked back very offended by how my friends had covered this information up.
“We weren’t sure how you would take it since you are like Derek’s sister slash best friend slash first love.” Gia’s face scrunched as if her words caused her pain.
“Sister. Yes. Best friend? Obviously not. First love? Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “First love?” My head twisted.
“You and I both know that Derek Smitherman has had the hots for you since the last time you went skinny dipping.” Gia was right.
Derek and I were thick as thieves. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. We spent a lot of lazy summer days down on the river skinny-dipping until one day we stripped down and noticed we had different parts. After that, our relationship sort of changed. I could tell he was a little infatuated with me and he was a hunk that all the ladies went crazy over. I had never worried about them because I knew he wasn’t interested. But Derek and I had a big secret. No one but us knew it and if he was dating someone, he should’ve told me out of respect of the secret and respect for our relationship.
“But,” I swallowed. My insides ached with an unknown pain. “He’s my Derek. Derek and Laurel, not Derek and Brittany,” I groaned and stuck my forehead on the bar.
“What can I get ya?” Bud asked in a rush. He wiped the dirty rag on the bar in front of me, swiping my forehead. “Sorry.” He apologized when I lifted my head and glared at him.
“Four finger bourbon straight up.” My brow cocked. I dared him to question my drink.
“Laurel.” Gia’s mouth dropped. “You know you don’t handle a two finger pour, much less a four finger. Stick with beer.”
I wiggled four fingers in the air. “And keep ‘em coming.” I looked over at Brittany and Derek.
Brittany had a big grin on her face, flinging her head side to side before she snuggled up to Derek’s neck, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He looked down at her. Their eyes clung to each other. She looked at him with dreamy eyes, sending a vomit feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Look at her,” I griped. “Her pants are so tight, I can see her religion.”
“Are you kidding me?” Gia shook her head and grabbed the bucket of beers Bud stuck in front of her. “You are dating Jax.”
I shrugged.
I was dating Jax and he was staying with me while he looked for a place, but Derek was still my best guy friend and he had kept something from me. The first something he had ever kept from me. And for a month!
Bud slid the glass in front of me. I grabbed it, lifted it to my lips, and flung my head back, letting the smooth bourbon slide down my throat.
“Give me another one.” I slammed the glass on the counter, making Gia stomp off in a huff.
After another refill, I made my way back over to the group just in time to watch Brittany bowl.
“Yay,” I whispered, mocking Brittany when she jumped around in the air after her turn to bowl.
“What’s wrong with you?” Alex asked, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.
“She knocked down one pin. One.” I help up one finger. “And everyone cheers for her?” I scoffed.
“Your turn!” Brittany came over with my ball in her hands. “I hear you are the cranker.”
It was bad enough she had my best friend’s attention, but she was using my ball. She even had on my extra Here For The Beer bowling shirt.
“Yeah. I’m the best.” A little water fountain of spit shot out of my mouth and onto her face. She didn’t miss a beat. She just brushed it away. “Oops.” A hiccup escaped when I giggled and then grabbed my ball from her.
The bourbon was
getting to me and I did everything I could to keep it together as I took the ball from her and moseyed up to the lane. I held the ball up to my face and peered over the top. My head teetered forward and backward. I tried to keep it steady and focus on the one pin, but it swayed side to side.
I giggled, bringing my arm back and swinging it forward. I stumbled to the right and tried to focus on the ball I had flung.
“Whereditog?” My words blurred when I realized the ball was no longer attached to my fingers.
“OHMYGOD!” The scream behind me pierced my ears.
With one eye closed, so to better focus, I twirled around. Brittany was bouncing around on her left foot and cradling her right foot in her hand. My bowling ball rested on the floor next to her.
“Shit,” I giggled, realizing I had flung the ball backward into my team instead of down the lane.
A collective gasp came from the other side of the lane where the Holy Rollers stood tongue-tied watching me.
“What?” My raucous laughter filled the suddenly quiet bowling alley.
“What the hell, Laurel?” Derek’s eyes zeroed in on me in disgust. He rushed to Brittany, picked her up in his arms and carried her to the seat.
“What?” I gushed. I tried; I really did try to not smile, but the more I tried, the bigger my lips turned up. “It’s the al-ci-hol,” I said through a hiccup.
Gia ran over and grabbed my hand, dragging me to the bathroom. She flung me in the door as soon as she opened it. I tumbled in, catching myself on the wall.
“You are nuts. Do you know that?” Gia poked me with her finger.
“Ooouch! That hurts. Those are like daggers.” I grabbed her fingers and pointed to the long nails. “Do you think you could stab Brittany in her pretty little eyes with those?”
“You are going to go out there and apologize to her. Do you understand?” Gia was all up in my face.
“I didn’t mean to. I was bowling my turn.” My head tipped right as my right shoulder shrugged.
“You are going to go out there and apologize. Do you understand?”
Checkered Thief (A Laurel London Mystery Book 3) Page 2