Jane left Maura at the lane pleading that she wanted it to be a surprise so that she could be "completely immersed in the culture," she said in her posh sarcastic voice.
As she sat, Maura looked at all the other bowlers. There were families, people who seemed to be professionals, and groups of friends that were there just to have fun. She felt a little pleased that she was there with Jane… her friend, her family and a professional.
"Alright!" She announced excitedly upon her return. "Food is ordered and it's time to play." What began with a smirk quickly grew to a grin. "Come here."
Maura was once again confused, which she noticed was becoming a recurring event this evening. She looked at Jane who was holding her (Maura's) ball standing nearer to the lane. "But it's your turn," she said, still completely lost.
"Oh, who cares. Come on!"
Maura was hesitant to stand, so she continued looking at Jane searching for an answer she'd understand. Her smile had grown softer and there was a kindness in her eyes. At that moment she didn't care that she had no idea. It seemed as if Jane was reaching out, and she didn't want to turn her away. Quickly, she stood up and walked to her side.
Jane held out the ball with one hand, gesturing for her to take it.
Maura took the ball and stood awaiting further instruction.
"Alright so, when you are lining up your bowl, you want focus the centre arrow on the floor just past the foul line."
Maura looked to the ground, following instructions to a t.
"That way, when you release the ball, it's more liking to go where you want it to."
Maura just nodded contently at the information.
"Have a go," she smiled.
Maura took a deep breath, took a few steps back and prepared herself. One, two, three, release. One, two, three, release. 220degrees, 180degrees, 140 degrees. She thought trying to contribute to a good outcome. Step, step, step and release.
"Nice," remarked Jane as she watched on. "Another six pins," she smiled.
Maura seemed somewhat disappointed that it was not a better outcome than the first time around. And much to her surprise, it was obvious to Jane.
"It's a process. Don'worry." She smiled.
Maura knew this, but she still wasn't completely satisfied. Despite her own response, she went to have a second bowl. This time she tried harder to relax her body so that the roll could be a fluid like movement. As she released the ball, she watched it roll down the lane veering to the left slightly.
"Another pin, not bad," Jane smiled genuinely. "That happened though, because your right arm swung in front of your body slightly instead of in a straight line next to it." She paused. "It took me ages to kick that habit when I first started."
Before Maura had a chance to respond, they were interrupted by a young waiter who had arrived with a tray of drinks and food. He lay them down on the table without a word then disappeared as they each said their thank you.
Maura was quite stunned by the colour and amount of food before them. "What is all this?" She said quite happily.
"Well, I figured if you're gonna do it you should do it right."
"So you consume all of this each time you partake in bowling?" Maura asked curiously.
She let out an involuntary burst of laugh before saying with a straight face, "No." Her face lightened as she continued. "Like I said, your first time is important. It should be done right." She smiled.
"Alright then. So, what are we having?" She said excitedly.
"Ladies and gentleman," Jane mocked in a fancy voice. "On tonight's menu we have one Red Zeppelin, one Pink Elephant and a generous variety of appetisers to suit everyone's tastes." Finishing her words, eye brows still raised in poshness, she leant forward and ate a corn chip, quite satisfied with her teasing. She continued, though, in her usual voice. "So, the Red Zeppelin is yours and it's got lots of sweet stuff."
Maura reached out for one of the colourful concoctions before her. "Why would you think I like sweet drinks?" Her words were curious and authoritative, in such a way that said 'I'm not necessarily as easy as you'd think'.
Jane knew to tread carefully but said, "I dunno. Just seems like if you were gonna get drunk, it'd be on sweet cocktails and stuff."
Maura tried not to be offended. "So what, other than 'sweet stuff', is in it?" She said with a raised eye brow.
"I'm glad you asked. Strawberry & Citrus Vodkas, Peach Liqueur, Strawberry & Raspberry Purees, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup & Lemonade." Her words implied that Maura should be impressed.
But Maura didn't always take too well to instructions. Instead she picked up the glass, inspected the way the mixture had settled and then took a pensive sip.
"Mm," she said before quickly making sure her face wasn't giving away too much. Without too much enthusiasm she simply said, "Not bad."
Jane couldn't help but smirk knowing exactly how Maura felt about the drink she'd just tried. "Uh-huh… Anyway, this is my drink. And before you say anything," she warned, "Just because it's called a Pink Elephant doesn't mean I'm going to start wearing dresses and trying to impress all the boys. I didn't name the drink!" She argued.
"Mhm…" Maura could be snarky too. "So, what is in your drink?" She asked curiously.
"Mango, Vanilla & Coconut Rums, Pineapple Juice & Grenadine topped with Champagne."
This was obviously a drink that Jane was very familiar with. Maura was a little shocked that it wasn't in a brown glass bottle with a metal cap. "Sounds lovely," she smiled. "And the food?" She continued. "Would you care to enlighten me as to what these are?"
"We've got Teri-Dactyl Chicken wings, Bacon Cheddar Tots, Guacamole and Mango salsa with tortilla chips, Cajun Fries with sour cream and a Kale & Quinoa Salad to keep a healthy balance." She smiled.
"That's not a healthy balance," Maura rebutted.
"Uh-huh. Just eat, Maur," she said nudging her friend playfully.
Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while.
Really hope you're all happy and well. If you're not though, you know where to find me.
Firstly, to Remix-This : I am proud of you! You've done amazingly!
To you all: Please let me know what you think; I love feedback (good and bad). Apologies about punctual errors. I will fix them over the weekend.
In the meantime, feel free to send me a message with prompts or hellos. I like both. C:
Take care and thank you so much for reading.
