"Excuse me; are you calling me a liar?"
"Oh I'm far too much of a gentleman to say that!"
We left the bowling alley hand in hand; silent but the happiest we'd both been in a long time. She was glowing and I could practically hear her heart piecing itself back together as we strolled without direction through the car-park, beneath the blanket of twinkling stars in the moonlit sky. It was perfection. I was in heaven.
As our feet brought us to a standstill by our cars – parked side-by-side, a pair, together, like we'd always been, Rachel and Eddie, Eddie and Rachel – I felt her grip tighten around my fingers. She didn't want this night to end. I squeezed her hand in return, reassuring her that nor did I.
"We'll pick it up tomorrow." She told me simply, referring to my car as if it was the most natural thing to do in the whole world, unaware that I'd temporarily stopped breathing.
And just like that, without any awkwardness or hesitation, I was spending the night at Rachel's.
The journey to her house seemed to take a lifetime. We argued playfully over whether we should listen to a CD or to the radio. She wanted the CD on but I wanted to the radio. I informed her that I'd missed today's football match whilst we'd been bowling and that I needed to find out what the final score had been. As I began to explain why it was such a life or death situation that I discover the outcome of my favourite football teams game she cut me off placing the palm of her hand on my thigh.
"Isn't having me all to yourself tonight worth not knowing?" She questioned with a smirk, leaving me completely speechless. The music from her CD quickly filled the silence. As if I even thought for a second that I'd ever win an argument with her.
For the rest of the journey I just sat and stared at her. Her eyes were dancing as she hummed along to her favourite songs, her fingertips tapping against the steering wheel to the beat. She looked so carefree, so relaxed and so, so beautiful.
And she was finally mine.