to see you living again. Don't fuck it up."
"Thanks for the advice."
"No problem. Now, get back to work, you deadbeat. I'm not paying you to moon over a guy."
Chapter 6
----
"I wouldn't have pegged you for a bowling fan, Andrew."
"Are you kidding? I used to come here all the time when I was in grad school. Although back then, they didn't do glow bowling with the disco music. I don't think I've seen this many black lights since I lived in the dorm."
"So that means you hustled me."
"I wouldn't say it that. Anyway, we made that bet fair and square. In fact, if I remember right, you were very confident when you agreed."
"You should know by now I'm all talk," I said with a grin.
"I'm beginning to figure that out, Trav. Along with plenty of other things I never knew about you."
"Oh yeah, like what?"
"Like you're a sucker for ice cream and can't watch a movie without trying to figure out the ending."
"I don't do that."
"Yeah, you do. But don't worry, I think it's cute."
"Thanks. I do what I can."
"Now, are you going to pay the piper or what?"
I pulled out my wallet, fished out the ten dollars I owed him and set it down on the table.
"There you go, you shark. That's all my cash. You've bled me dry with your ruthless bowling skills."
He took the money and folded it before shoving it into his pocket.
"Well, I might as well pack up and look for another mark."
He smiled and sipped from his beer. I drained the pitcher into my plastic cup and took a big gulp.
"That's fine. I'll sit here and drown my sorrows."
He put his hand on top of mine and stroked my skin with his thumb. "Don't you want to try and win your money back?"
"Nope. I told you, I'm tapped out."
"Aw, come on...you could always write me an IOU. Or we could think of another way for you to pay me."
He leaned closer and kissed me, his hand now on my knee.
"Oh, I see how you operate. Take my last ten bucks so the next time we bet, I have to put myself in a compromising situation if I lose."
"You found me out."
"And here I thought you were a nice guy."
"You don't think I'm nice?"
His fingers inched up my thigh, and once again, our lips locked. For a moment, I forgot we were in public, pins crashing all around us. I wanted to tell him that I thought he was amazing, but something inside me wouldn't let me. So I did what I always did. Tried to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, you're okay. I guess."
He moved his lips right next to my ear. "Joke all you want, Travis. You can't fool me."
When he pulled back, I waited for another kiss, but instead, Andrew pressed the button on the computer to start another game of bowling.
"I thought you were ready to leave," I said.
"I'm giving you a chance to win your money back."
"And if I lose?"
His eyebrow raised and he gave me a kiss. It was quick, but devastating.
"I'm sure we'll figure something out."
* * * *
Summers usually dragged, the busy season at Downy's really taking it out of me. Now that Andrew was in my life, I found the days going by quickly and the nights even faster. We spent every free moment we could together, taking advantage of his wide-open summer break and my ability to manipulate Nick into giving me evenings off. By the time the beginning of August rolled around, I was staying at Andrew's nearly every night and neither Clayton nor he was complaining about the new arrangement.
One evening after dinner, we were trying to decide on a movie to watch when Andrew surprised me.
"Hey, I picked up something for you today."
"Aw, you got me a present?"
"Not exactly."
He disappeared for a moment and returned with college catalogs. He spread them out on the coffee table and sat with a grin.
"What are these for?"
"I think that's pretty obvious, don't you?"
"You want me to go back to school."
"No, I only got them because you said the other day that you wanted to go back to school."
"I do. Someday."
"Well, what if someday can be now?"
"We pretty much covered that on our second date and a bunch of
"Thanks for the advice."
"No problem. Now, get back to work, you deadbeat. I'm not paying you to moon over a guy."
Chapter 6
----
"I wouldn't have pegged you for a bowling fan, Andrew."
"Are you kidding? I used to come here all the time when I was in grad school. Although back then, they didn't do glow bowling with the disco music. I don't think I've seen this many black lights since I lived in the dorm."
"So that means you hustled me."
"I wouldn't say it that. Anyway, we made that bet fair and square. In fact, if I remember right, you were very confident when you agreed."
"You should know by now I'm all talk," I said with a grin.
"I'm beginning to figure that out, Trav. Along with plenty of other things I never knew about you."
"Oh yeah, like what?"
"Like you're a sucker for ice cream and can't watch a movie without trying to figure out the ending."
"I don't do that."
"Yeah, you do. But don't worry, I think it's cute."
"Thanks. I do what I can."
"Now, are you going to pay the piper or what?"
I pulled out my wallet, fished out the ten dollars I owed him and set it down on the table.
"There you go, you shark. That's all my cash. You've bled me dry with your ruthless bowling skills."
He took the money and folded it before shoving it into his pocket.
"Well, I might as well pack up and look for another mark."
He smiled and sipped from his beer. I drained the pitcher into my plastic cup and took a big gulp.
"That's fine. I'll sit here and drown my sorrows."
He put his hand on top of mine and stroked my skin with his thumb. "Don't you want to try and win your money back?"
"Nope. I told you, I'm tapped out."
"Aw, come on...you could always write me an IOU. Or we could think of another way for you to pay me."
He leaned closer and kissed me, his hand now on my knee.
"Oh, I see how you operate. Take my last ten bucks so the next time we bet, I have to put myself in a compromising situation if I lose."
"You found me out."
"And here I thought you were a nice guy."
"You don't think I'm nice?"
His fingers inched up my thigh, and once again, our lips locked. For a moment, I forgot we were in public, pins crashing all around us. I wanted to tell him that I thought he was amazing, but something inside me wouldn't let me. So I did what I always did. Tried to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, you're okay. I guess."
He moved his lips right next to my ear. "Joke all you want, Travis. You can't fool me."
When he pulled back, I waited for another kiss, but instead, Andrew pressed the button on the computer to start another game of bowling.
"I thought you were ready to leave," I said.
"I'm giving you a chance to win your money back."
"And if I lose?"
His eyebrow raised and he gave me a kiss. It was quick, but devastating.
"I'm sure we'll figure something out."
* * * *
Summers usually dragged, the busy season at Downy's really taking it out of me. Now that Andrew was in my life, I found the days going by quickly and the nights even faster. We spent every free moment we could together, taking advantage of his wide-open summer break and my ability to manipulate Nick into giving me evenings off. By the time the beginning of August rolled around, I was staying at Andrew's nearly every night and neither Clayton nor he was complaining about the new arrangement.
One evening after dinner, we were trying to decide on a movie to watch when Andrew surprised me.
"Hey, I picked up something for you today."
"Aw, you got me a present?"
"Not exactly."
He disappeared for a moment and returned with college catalogs. He spread them out on the coffee table and sat with a grin.
"What are these for?"
"I think that's pretty obvious, don't you?"
"You want me to go back to school."
"No, I only got them because you said the other day that you wanted to go back to school."
"I do. Someday."
"Well, what if someday can be now?"
"We pretty much covered that on our second date and a bunch of
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