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Usually, when he used her last name, she hated it. She hated it was always said as an insult, like he didn’t even want to use her name.
But this … this felt like friendly competition. The smile he gave her was loose and relaxed. His shoulders weren’t tight, and he didn’t have the frown on his face he always did when he looked at her.
Then he immediately bowled a strike, which shot all thoughts out of Violet’s brain.
Damn it. He hadn’t lost his skill either.
When he turned to smirk at her, she rolled her eyes.
“You know what, I’m glad to know I won’t absolutely wipe the floor with you. It’ll just be a slight sweep.”
“I don’t think it will be a sweep at all. I think I’m going to wipe the floor with you. You always mess up later in the game.”
“So do you. I remember you throwing a ball backwards one time.”
“I remember you getting three gutter balls in a row.”
“First off - that was an unbalanced ball and second, I’d rather get it in a gutter instead of smashing Lewis’s toe.”
They were standing close, so close she could see his beard had grown out some. She liked the look of it. His face was rugged and hard like this, but he seemed so relaxed, so open. She decided she liked this method of arguing with Charlie. It had no heat to it, only pleasure.
“Your turn, Moore. Good luck following that up.” Charlie stepped away from her, and she missed the closeness.
“I don’t need luck, Davis. I have skills.”
Their strange competitive teasing went on the whole game and Violet’s feelings were washed away by her desire to win. She was on autopilot, saying whatever came to mind, and Charlie never got offended.
If this were a date, the guy would have already left by now. But Violet wasn’t worried about impressing Charlie or showing only the good sides of her. She was here to win, but Charlie seemed to enjoy it. They egged each other on, somehow not taking it too far, but also not taking it easy on each other.
They probably looked like crazy people, hanging out in a corner to yell at each other, but it was easily the best game of bowling she had ever had.
“Ha!” She said on the last turn. “Three strikes on the last go. Beat that, Davis.”
“I intend to," Charlie said, standing up. He could easily do it too - if he also got three strikes.
But on his extra throw, he only knocked down eight pins.
“Damn!” He said.
Violet cheered for herself. “I don’t have to buy pizza!”
“I want a rematch," Charlie said, fuming. “There’s no way you can do it again.”
“I’m not starting another game until I have a pizza on the table," Violet told him.
“I regret making this deal.”
“I don’t,” Violet said as he walked away. She watched him go, making sure he did actually go get food and not try to get out of it.
But as he walked, she found herself staring at him and not where he was going.
Charlie had always been good looking, but damn, he looked even better now. His jeans hugged his ass and his shirt, now that he had removed his sweater, and showed off his broad shoulders. She had spent all night staring at him as he bowled, but she was more focused on hoping he fucked up his form than to actually look at him.
And damn, was she missing out.
Violet tore her eyes away. She was not about the make it awkward by saying anything about how hot he was to his face. No. They were staying so far in the friend lane they might as well pay a toll.
“One pizza for the winner," Charlie said, returned after a few minutes of Violet reminding herself not to be an idiot. “And I got veggie, which somehow you like.”
