Cycling Downhill: A Sweet Young Adult Romance (Love is a Triathlon Book 3)

by Chrissy Q Martin

“Do you like mushrooms?”

  “Yep.”

  “Nice,” I say. “Nora does too. It’s the one thing I don’t like about her.” Nora flicks me with her fingertips, and I grin. “You two can share the mushroom pizza and Guy and I will share a pepperoni one covered with lots of olives. Lots and lots of olives. I’m guessing I’m going to have to order for Guy since he can’t speak. And how do I eat if I can’t see my food? You do know I’ll make a mess. And how does this all work? What happens at the end of the date? Am I going to keep this blindfold on all night? I mean, at least it will keep me from seeing you two and any PDA. Did you know, Guy, they can’t keep their hands off each other? It’s ridiculous really. I’m sorry you have to suffer through it.”

  “I’ll rip the stupid thing off myself if you keep this up,” Nora says under her breath.

  I grin. My plan is working. I actually have a plan and it’s working.

  “Wait.” Nora’s hand clasps my thigh. “I know you. That’s what you’re doing. You’re trying to wear me down, so I’ll let you take the scarf off.”

  “No,” I say, but even with my eyes covered Nora knows I’m lying.

  “Who knew it only took a blindfold to get you to talk?” Nora remarks.

  Obviously, Dylan did.

  The SUV turns sharp and stops. “We’re here,” Nick says.

  “Where? And don’t say, ‘You’ll see.’” I fumble around with my fingers and find my seatbelt to unbuckle it.

  “You’ll hear,” Nora says.

  “Fantastic,” I say sarcastically.

  I run my hands over the door and feel for the latch. Someone opens the door for me, and a hand takes mine. I swing my feet out and stand, my hand safely secured in another one.

  “Thanks, Nick,” I say. “You’re such a gentleman.”

  “That’s actually Guy.” Nick’s voice sounds ahead of me.

  “Oh.” Okay. My blind date is the gentleman. “Would you mind helping me in?” I ask. “I can’t quite see where I’m going.”

  My left hand holds his left hand and I detect fingers on my back. Guy gently pushes me forward with his fingertips. I walk with him guiding me through the parking lot. Soon Guy squeezes my hand and rapidly pats my back with his other one.

  “What is it?” I ask, not understanding what he means.

  “Curb!” Nora yells.

  I understand what Guy’s trying to tell me through hand motions when my foot runs into the curb and I pitch forward. I’m caught before I make contact with the ground. Guy grabs my waist, which makes me slightly uncomfortable, but I’m thankful he keeps me from kissing the concrete. My knee is finally feeling better after my last encounter with the ground.

  “Thank you,” I say, recovering my balance. I awkwardly step up the unseen curb.

  Guy gently squeezes my hand in an alternate form of communication, and I twitch at his touch. It sends a strange sort of feeling through me. Guy returns his fingertips to the middle of my back to guide me forward again.

  “No more curbs?” I ask while I take a hesitant step forward.

  “Nope,” Nora replies. “Just a door to go through.”

  Loud music and noise hit my ears when someone opens the door. There’s the smell of food, mixed with a twinge of sweat, and something musky.

  “Are we at the Fun Center?” I ask. It’s a large entertainment building filled with different activities. There’s bowling, a ropes course, pool tables, arcade games, and laser tag. “And is this where you came last night?”

  “Yep,” replies Nora. “We’re going to bowl and eat.”

  “Fun,” I say, though my tone indicates it might be otherwise. I’m horrible at bowling when I can see. I don’t know how being blindfolded will help. At least I can’t see all the people here, and that might help me, because I’m not fond of crowded places.

  I’m guided to our destination by Guy, with Nora helping me to navigate the couple of steps up to the bowling area. They settle me into a swivel chair at a round table. I hear bowling balls dropping to the wooden floor and rolling, and there’s the clatter of pins falling.

  “We’re going to order some food and then we’ll bowl,” Nora says.

  “Great,” I say. “Because I don’t want to stick my fingers in a bowling ball while I’m eating.”

  “You’ll order dinner for you and Guy now, and later he’ll order desserts,” Nora says.

  “The rules of this just keep piling on,” I say. “Does Guy have any allergies or dietary requirements?”

  “Nope,” I hear Nick say.

  “Just get us burgers, fries, and sodas,” I say with a flourish of my hand in the air, like I’m ordering Nora about.

  Nora places our food order and I sit silent for a bit. I’m not quite sure where Guy is and with all the background noise, it’s hard to even hear Nick across the table from me. I place my elbows on the table, fold my hands together, and rest my blindfolded face on them. I settle for listening to all the commotion around me, since I can’t see anything. Poor Guy. Poor me. This is the most awkward date in history. Score one for Dylan.

  The food doesn’t take long to arrive. “There’s a basket in front of you, Ash,” I hear Nora say. “It has a burger and fries. And here’s your drink.” She places a cup in my hand. I take a sip and set the cup down while feeling for the basket in front of me with my other hand. The bun is light and squishy under my fingers, and it has sesame seeds on top. The fries are the skinny kind and they’re warm and greasy.

  “Thanks,” I say. “Could I please get some ketchup and mustard on the burger and some ketchup for my fries?” My fingers wave in the air.

  “Guy’s on your right, he’ll help you out,” Nora says.

  “Thanks,” I say with some trepidation. I’m sure this isn’t the date Guy was planning on. It’s like I’m a toddler, and he’s having to babysit me. I can’t tell if everyone is watching me eat or not, and I make a mess. Half the time I reach for a fry, I end up with my fingers in the ketchup.

  When we’re done, I ask Nora to lead me to the restroom to wash up.

  “Can I take this off for a few minutes?” My fingers clasp the scarf covering my eyes.

  “Sure,” Nora answers.

  She barely has the word out before I peel it off my head. My eyes blink wildly in the light, it’s so bright. I cover my eyes with my hands and try to take in only a little bit of the brightness.

  “I hope you’re having fun with this,” I say.

  Nora looks in the mirror and applies a coat of her favorite lip gloss. “It’s actually more entertaining than I thought it would be.”

  “Can I have my phone please?” I wiggle my fingers at Nora as she deposits the lip gloss in her purse. She took my phone since I can’t see it. Nora pulls my phone out of her purse and starts to hand it to me.

  “Wait,” she says. “What are you going to do with it?”

  “Text Dylan about this mess,” I say.

  Nora pulls the phone back and shoves it in her purse. “You’re on a date,” she says. “You’re not going to text him now. You can do it later.”

  “I can’t even see my date,” I whine. “Or hear him.”

  “Guess you might have to give him a second chance.” Nora smirks at me.

  “I’ve probably already scared him off,” I say and head to a stall. “I’m blabbering like a fool.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Nora says. “It’s rather entertaining. I like seeing you like this and I think he’s enjoying it too.”

  “He seems nice enough,” I say and lock the door behind me. “Is he cute?”

  “Yep,” Nora says. “You would definitely think he is.”

  Well, maybe the whole evening hasn’t gone down the toilet yet, and if I’m lucky, Guy will give me a second chance.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  Nora leads me back to our lane
for bowling once I’m blindfolded again. I get to restart the entertainment by bowling first. Nick hands me a ball and lines me up with the lane. I shuffle my feet forward in tiny steps, swing the ball back slowly, and it drops from my fingers. I hear it roll and then there’s an exclamation.

  “Are you trying to take us out with the ball?” It’s Nora’s voice. “We’re not the pins.”

  I turn around, my hands covering my mouth. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. Did anyone get hurt?” If I did this with my eyes uncovered, I’m sure my face would be turning beet red in embarrassment. The ball slipped out of my fingers on the back swing and rolled the wrong way. It’s hard to be embarrassed when I can’t see everyone’s reactions.

  “We’re fine,” Nora says. “Here.” She takes my hand and places it on the ball. She helps me locate the finger holes and lines me up again. “Now make sure it goes forward this time.”

  I nod, shuffle my feet, swing my arm back, and let the ball drop on the forward swing. I hear it roll down the lane for about two seconds and then there’s the thump of the ball falling in the gutter. That’s about how I do when I can see. I stand still, waiting for the sound of my bowling ball to be thrown back up on the rack. If I reach for it, I’ll probably get my fingers squished between two balls.

  My hands dance in the air. “Could someone please help me get the bowling ball?” I hear the noise of the ball being spit up and I sense someone retrieving it. I reach my hand out and it touches an arm. I know it’s Guy and he pulls away from me like I’ve stung him. I stand still, hoping I didn’t offend him by touching him. I’m sure it was only his arm, and not some other body part. A ball touches my hand and I fumble around trying to feel where my fingers are supposed to go. A light touch leads me to where I need to stand. It’s Guy, and I’m not sure why Nick and Nora are subjecting him to leading me around.

  “Don’t drop it this time.” Nora sounds from behind me.

  I shuffle ahead and release the ball on the forward swing. Once again, I hear it roll into the gutter. “You have to put the bumpers up for me next time. If I can’t see, I get to use them,” I complain.

  Afraid to move anywhere, I sit while the others take turns. Nora and Nick narrate every move for me and answer every question. They’re never going to want to go on this type of double date again.

  “What just happened?” I ask. “How’d he do?”

  It was Guy’s turn. He’s the last in our group to go, and I heard the crash of pins.

  “He got a strike!” Nora tells me. “I bet he and Nick are going to have a friendly competition.” Nick bowled a spare on his turn.

  “Way to go, Guy,” I say and stand. “It’s my turn, right? I’d like the bumpers up, please.”

  A hand grasps my upper arm and fingers lightly dance on the middle of my back to guide me. Guy has a gentle touch. He leads me to the lane and hands me my bowling ball. “The bumpers are up, right?” I ask again.

  “Yes!” Nora sounds exasperated.

  My bowling shoe clad feet shuffle on the wooden floor and I swing the ball back and then forward. It drops with a clunk and I hear it roll, then bounce, then roll, then bounce. It bounces a couple more times off the bumpers before I hear the soft sound of the ball touching a pin at a slow speed. It’s followed by the sound of more pins toppling over.

  “How’d I do?” I turn around, a smile on my face. “How many did I get?”

  “You got a strike!” Nick tells me.

  Inconceivable! There’s no way I did that. Excitement starts to course through me. “Really? Can I take off the blindfold and see?” My hand reaches up to the scarf.

  “No!” Nora shouts.

  I put my hands down. “I didn’t get a strike?”

  “No,” Nora says. “You got a strike. Just don’t take off the blindfold.”

  “I really got a strike?”

  “Yes,” Nora answers and I can’t help wiggling in excitement. This is my first strike ever.

  By the seventh frame, I’m drunk on giddiness and excitement because I’ve had three strikes and one spare. I’ve never played so well.

  “She’s blindfolded and winning,” Nick says. “It’s got to be the bumpers.”

  “I don’t think so,” Nora says. “I’ve played with her before. She’s usually horrible, even with the bumpers.”

  “I think I’m always going to play like this. Bumpers and blindfolded,” I say.

  I wait for the other three to bowl, and when it’s my turn again Guy guides me to the lane. He’s been helping me for every frame. In my excited state, I nearly miss instead of guiding me with the tips of his fingers on my back, Guy places his hand on my waist. It feels like such an intimate touch and I hold my breath. Before I can think about it more, Guy removes his hand and places the bowling ball near mine.

  “Who wants to bet I get another strike?” I ask with a huge smile.

  “I thought you were done with bets,” Nora says. “And just take your turn.”

  My shuffle has progressed to a tippy toe dance forward and I let the ball go. I wait, listening, and my hands clench against my chest.

  “Strike!” Nora shouts in an astonished voice.

  “Yes!” I can’t believe I’ve bowled four strikes in seven frames. This is unreal. So unreal, I need to see it for myself. I rip off the blindfold and look at the end of the lane. Everything is bright, but I see the game resetting the pins and the scoreboard above our lane shows animated pins being knocked down with the word “Strike!” I blink my eyes and realize I can get a peek at my blind date. I whip around, my eyes still blinking, and I try to focus on the people. Everything is a slight blur.

  Nora waves her arms and rushes at me. “Put that back on!” She grabs the scarf out of my hands while I look over her shoulder. I see Nick, but I don’t see anyone else. Nora ties the scarf over my eyes, and it pulls on the back of my head.

  “Ow. Not so tight,” I say. I touch the soft material and help adjust it on my head.

  “Well…” A huffing sound emerges from Nora. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “I didn’t see him.” I’m a little disappointed. “Is there even a date here?”

  “Yes,” Nora says. She tightens the knot on my blindfold one more time. “Now keep that on.”

  After bowling, which I unexpectedly win, we pile in Nick’s car and he drives us to another place unknown to me. When I’m led through the door, and the smell of bakery goods hits my nose, I know where we are. We’re at the local diner, where they have the best homemade desserts.

  “Guy is ordering for you,” Nora says when we’re alone at a table. The boys are looking at the dessert case. “He’ll point to something for you. No complaining about it.”

  “But…” I grunt. If it’s on the menu, there’s one thing here I really love. “Pie.”

  “No,” Nora says. “Let him pick and you’ll see what he gets you.”

  “You keep saying that, but I can’t see.” My fists land on the table like a pouty little child.

  “Then you’ll taste it.”

  “When do I get to take this off?” I gesture to the scarf. I’m over wearing it. I’d like to see my blind date.

  “Eh, maybe soon,” Nora says. Her answer is noncommittal. “Hey…” I hear her say and then someone slides into the booth seat next to me.

  Plates clank and silverware jangles in my ear. I sniff, trying to smell what’s in front of me. Slowly moving my hands around, I find the edges of a plate in front of me. I sense Guy leaning my direction, reaching over me, and there’s the scraping sound of a utensil on a plate in front of me.

  “Open up,” Nora says.

  “Why?” My fingers tap the plate. I want to know what’s on it, and I’m tempted to stick my fingers in it.

  “Open your mouth so you can try your dessert,” Nora says.

  “No one’s going
to smash it in my face like they do at weddings, are they?” I wouldn’t put it past Dylan to have someone do that.

  “No,” Nora reassures me. “Just open up.”

  I make a face, but then do as Nora says. I open my mouth and feel a fork placed in. I close my lips around the tines and the fork is gently pulled out of my mouth. I chew and swallow, savoring the taste. A suspicion swirls in my belly as the food falls into it. It’s chocolate coconut cream pie, my favorite.

  Leaning into the person next to me, I inhale, smelling him. He’s clever, wearing something different to throw me off. In a fast motion, I reach out to where I think Guy’s head is, and it’s only a quick touch before he lurches away from me.

  I yank off the blindfold. I know what I felt. Dylan’s curls. I smack his chest with my hand. “You’re my date?”

  Nick, Nora, and even Dylan try not to laugh, but they do. Dylan’s smile is so big his dimple could hold a drink. “Surprise,” he says.

  “Does this mean we’re even?” I ask. I owe him another date, which is supposed to be the triathlon.

  “No,” Dylan says. “This is a bonus.”

  “But we were supposed to set each other up on blind dates,” I say.

  “I did.” Dylan holds out my fork to me. “We never said we couldn’t be the blind date.”

  I grab the fork from him. “A minor technicality,” I say, and stab the fork into the pie in front of me.

  “I did tell you to do the same thing with Dylan,” Nora says and I only frown at her.

  “Does this mean I don’t get a good night kiss?” Dylan wiggles his eyebrows the silly way he does at me.

  I swallow my pie. “Guy wasn’t going to get one, and neither are you. And you two…” I point my fork at Nora and her boyfriend. “Are in as much trouble as he is.” I point my fork back at Dylan. “And you…”

  “I can set you up on another blind date if you want.” Dylan takes the fork out of my hand and scoops me up another piece of pie. He holds the fork out to me, as if I’m still blindfolded.

  “No, thank you.” I eat the piece off the fork. I’m relieved Dylan’s my blind date, because there’s no need for the awkward good night with a stranger. “And I can’t believe you were quiet for that long.”