211 Playing games 1 (1/2)
The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was lively but neither Brianna nor Quentin were much in the mood for dinner.
Other than few 'yes' or 'no' responses, Brianna didn't talk, and Quentin spoke briefly only when others included him in the conversation. But with the other four chatting about the upcoming party and that combined with heaps of other patrons and the band and the acrobats taking turns in swaying above their heads, no one noticed the strange energy coursing between Brianna and Quentin.
Once, Brianna and Quentin touched hands accidentally and Brianna dropped her fork when she jolted.
Quentin leaned closer and spoke only for her to hear: ”Relax. Why are you so tense? Is it because of me?”
”Absolutely not.”, Brianna lied. ”I was just caught by surprise.”
Quentin didn't want to argue, he turned toward his plate while wondering why is Brianna so stubborn? Even he can see that she is attracted to him, so why is she acting so strangely and pushing him away? Is it because she does not want to date (at all), or because she does not want to date Quentin? He wondered if his approach (to hookup with Bri) was wrong. But the previous method with romancing was a total disaster, and with this at least the tables are turned where he can look at her calmly while she falls apart in his presence.
Part of Quentin thought how this is karma because so many girls wanted to date him, yet he brushed them off, and now that he found a woman who makes his heart race, she is resisting him with everything she's got.
Quentin was never against dating, he just didn't want to tie himself to one woman when he knows that there are so many others out there.
From the chat of the other four, Quentin found out that Bri is staying at Liz's place and that she will head back to New York on Sunday. Of course, Quentin heard about it from Max earlier, but he had to pretend as he hears it for the first time.
After dinner, they went to the place Hunter picked: a local brewery that serves a variety of beers and simple snacks.
Hunter led the way beyond the bar and the tables, straight for the area with three large booths that are situated next to the bowling lanes.
They took the middle booth, and the other two were empty. Hunter explained that he booked the whole area just for them, so they don't need to worry about being disturbed.
By the time their beer samples arrived, they agreed that they will pair up in three teams, but Brianna changed her mind when she observed the bowling balls. She does not want to ruin her nails, and she assured others that she will be perfectly happy tasting beers and enjoying snacks while watching them play. No one was surprised when Quentin said that he will give her company, and Brianna pretended not to care about it.
Liz observed Hunter and Mia who were all pumped up for bowling and Max noticed her lack of enthusiasm.
”Is this your first time bowling?”, Max guessed.
”Uhm… yeah.”, Liz admitted. ”Maybe I should not play. I will drag you down.”
”Nonsense.”, Max rejected her idea. ”I will teach you.”
”I believe that you are a wonderful teacher, but look at those two... For them, this is not a casual game and they will make fun of us when we lose.”
Max smirked. ”IF we lose.”
”I don't see how we can win. I don't even know the rules.”, Liz said helplessly.
Max didn't see a problem with it. ”You take the ball and flick it down the lane, toward the pins. The more pins you knockdown, the higher your score is. You have two throws on each turn.”
Liz made a face. ”Sure, sounds simple.”
”It is.”
Liz blinked, unsure from where his confidence is coming. ”Are you saying that we can win?”
”Here is a lesson in bowling: you need a steady hand and concentration. If we break one of those for the opponents, we win.”
”But we need those also.”, Liz reminded Max.
”Elizabeth…”, Max said impatiently. ”You are a surgeon, don't tell me that your hand is not steady. Your precision will increase with your every next turn and you need to calm down otherwise say goodbye to your concentration.”
Liz nodded seriously and took a few deep breaths. She was touched that he has faith in her and Liz's determination not to disappoint Max swelled. ”I will do my best.”
Max stifled a laugh. ”The most important thing is to have fun. This is not a league and there are no rewards or penalties…”
Liz's eyes widened and she stared at Max for a few seconds before speaking: ”You are teaching me how to have fun.”
Max gave her a light kiss on the lips and whispered: ”There are no official rewards, but if you perform well, I will reward you with a good performance when we reach home.”
Liz giggled and pushed him away playfully. ”You are shameless.”
Max winked at Liz, happy to see that she relaxed, and then he turned to Hunter: ”This is Liz's first time. I demand that she gets a warmup during which I will explain the game and she gets a feel of the ball.”