Her lips were incredible. Soft and inviting and something else that reminded me in the heated moment that yeah, I was kissing Ashley Davies. How something could feel so wrong and so positively right in the very same second confused me to no end. And Ashley wasn’t helping, because every time she would run her tongue along my bottom lip, rational thought became utterly impossible. I wanted her to stop so I could think and at the same time, I never wanted her to stop so I would never have to think about why this was happening. Yet another confusing contradiction.

But then she did just as I wanted—and yet didn’t want—and pulled away. She was breathing heavily, her exposed shoulders rising and falling with each deep inhale and exhale. Her eyes were wide and she used them to stare directly into mine. If it was answers she was after, she was looking in the wrong place.

“Spence…”

“Ash…”

I couldn’t think of anything else. Her name was a tattoo at the tip of my tongue. Just the thought of her permanence on my body sent a shiver right down where it counted the most.

“What’s the next part of this date?” she asked, finally. As if there was nothing we could do but move onto something more solid. And I agreed.

“Bowling,” I muttered pathetically.

I swear if it wasn’t for what had just occurred, the magnificence that is bowling wouldn’t have seemed so underwhelming.

“Bowling?”

“Are you surprised?”

“I don’t really…ok, I’ll put it this way. I can’t really picture you in bowling shoes—especially in that dress.”

“It’s hot. You’ll see.”

“I’m sure it is,” she said, giving me a look that lacked any kind of eye contact.

“Plus, it’s fun, I said, taking the lighter approach, “I used to go all the time in high school.”

“I wasn’t much of a social elephant in high school.”

“What the hell is a social elephant?”

“Isn’t that what they call them? Social elephant?”

“I’m sorry. Do you mean ‘social butterfly?’ Because if that’s what you’re talking about, but instead you just used the term ‘social elephant’ then I’m making fun of you forever. So please, please, please tell me that’s what you meant.”