I pick you up to go on our date bouncing outside your door like crazy. I'm super excited about this date. I'm excited about all of my dates with you, who am I kidding? But, babe, I'm really excited about tonight. I'm also excited that we've started calling each other nicknames. Babe kind of slipped out one afternoon while we were together and you looked at me with your brow raised in that super hot way that you do, but your eyes were warm. I just kissed you quickly on the lips, squeezed your hand and went back to my business. Ever since then it's been a nickname storm, but I still haven't called you baby. You haven't either. For some reason, we both silently feel like that's a big one.

Its ok, babe.

Call me whatever you want until then. My heart warms every time.

You open the door with a smile on your face, grabbing my jacket in both hands and pulling me inside, into you, into your mouth. It's hot. We kiss franticly, breathlessly, crazily for a few moments before it feels like we'll get carried away and I pull apart. I definitely want it to get carried away, oh god do I, but I also want to go out. Your eyes are on fire, sparking into mine, as we both try to catch our breath. You're not ready to let go yet, your hands still on my jacket, mine on your waist, so I lean into you and hug you.

I hear you hum your approval, and a soft hello, your voice huskier than normal and going straight through me. I chuckle, "Your wordless hello was enough for me."

Babe, what I wouldn't do for you to greet me at the door like that every time.

You're already ready to go, so I turn around and we head down the stairs and out your gate and start our walk. You slip your arm through mine and I feel my heart burst. I love it when you claim me like that. Little signs that show everyone else that I'm off the market, that I'm yours, that you will be taking me home.

I hail a cab and we take the short ride across town to the Village. I didn't tell you what we were doing, I just told you to wear jeans and something comfortable. You're in jeans, and damn, do jeans look good on you. Like they were painted on. Like God invented jeans just for you. Like you and you alone should only ever be allowed to wear jeans. You're sitting close to me in the cab, your arm still through mine, my hand on your thigh. I can feel your warmth through your jeans and most of me wants to turn around and head back to your apartment so I can peel them off of you. But, I don't.

We hop out of the cab and I pay. I'm taking you out, I'll be paying all night even though you'll try to fight me. We've fallen into a nice system, where we each pay when we do the asking. I grab your hand, smiling an easy smile at you. You seem a little anxious because you're not entirely sure what we're doing, but you know that I always plan something you love. I can see the war inside your head raging between the anxiety and the trust you have in me. It's cute. I pull you into me, slinging my arm around your shoulders, kissing your temple and whispering "You're gonna love it."

We walk into our destination and your eyes light up in surprise. It's a bowling alley. We're going bowling. You laugh and tell me you haven't been bowling in forever, and ask me how I found this place. I smile back answering "We came here for a member of the company's birthday party a few years ago and it's become one of my favorite places to go in the city. It's like a little taste of home, of suburban life, in the middle of this steel jungle."

Your smile is big and dimply when I finish.

I pull you up to the counter and pay, handing you your shoes after finding out another trinket of information about you, and we head over to our lane. After we've both switched shoes and picked out our balls, you sit down to enter our names into the computer and I grab us a pitcher of beer. They have some fun and fancy drinks here, but to me, bowling and beer will always go together.

I can't hold in my laugh when I see the names you've come up with for us. You look at me all shy for a minute, like you don't understand what could possibly be funny, until I set the beer down and pull you into me for a kiss. You giggle as you pull away and I smack your ass, "Go start your frame."

Your name on the board is 'Sweet Cheeks' and mine is 'Legs'. I can't lie, you were pretty on the nose with those ones. You do have some sweet cheeks, and I do have some pretty long legs.

Babe, you are way too cute.

If you hadn't told me it had been a long time since you last went bowling, I would have figured it out. Honey, you're terrible but, such a good sport. I'm not much better, but I can hit pins with more regularity than you. You complain that it's because you're left handed and I just laugh offering to bowl left handed to even the score. Turns out I'm actually pretty good with my left hand. After a few frames of lefty, I'm still surprised and wonder out loud what else I can do left handed. You turn to me with that look in your eyes and your eyebrows raised and whisper "I can't wait to find out…" before you grab your ball, wink, and walk by me to roll. It takes me a minute to breathe again.

I've wanted to get naked with you pretty much every day since we met. But, babe, tonight it's like double trouble. Your ass in those jeans as you bend over to bowl, your cuteness at being horrible at the sport, your dark hair flinging back and forth, your quick wit. It's all adding up. I just want to take you home and throw you on my bed to ravish you, worship you, envelop you. I know we're getting closer to our moment, and I can't wait until it comes.

I'll need a cold shower tonight.

We make it to the end of our first game, and mostly through our pitcher. You are flushed and out of breath from bowling, and also from singing and bopping along to the music they have playing. The way you move your hips is enticing to no end. I catch you staring at me, too. We danced together on our first date, we're dancing together now, we'll be dancing together for a long time. You light up and ask me if we can play another game before I have a chance to ask you, a big smile on your face that slices right through me. I respond of course and push next on the machine, and kiss your cheek before grabbing a couple slices of pizza.

We're halfway through our next game before you finally get a strike. You jump straight in the air with your hands above your head, shrieking with delight as you turn around to find me. I jump up, too and you skip into my arms pulling me in for a strong hug, your excitement coursing through you. You're still shrieking as you ask "Baby, did you see that?"

Baby.

You said baby.

I lift you off the ground and squeeze you closer to me. The way your body feels against mine, against all of me, makes the butterflies in my stomach go crazy. I slide you down and feel your gaze. Our eyes finally meet and you crash your lips into mine. We kiss heatedly for a moment before the crashing pins and shouts from the people next to us break us out of our daze. When our eyes meet again, I can feel the tension between us like a current.

This is it.

Our moment just happened.

Here, in the middle of the bowling alley. In the middle of beer, and grease, and neon lights, and rented shoes.

Our spark just ignited and we became us.

In silent agreement our bodies decided that now is the time. We've reached the precipice and we're ready to leap.

But, first, we have to finish our date. We stand there staring at each other for another moment before I finally pull away to bowl my turn. You smack my ass as I walk away and I shoot you a flirty look over my shoulder.

I bowl horribly after that, I don't really even care anymore. I just want to get you home and do all the things I've been thinking about doing to you. I also stop drinking my beer. I want to remember everything about tonight. You're not drinking anymore either, and I grab us some water while you take your next turn.

We're still dancing and singing and having fun, but there are more flirty looks and hooded eyes and swaying hips than before. It's like there's an invisible string between us, connecting us. I can feel where you move, I can feel the electricity, I can feel you everywhere.

I can't wait to feel you everywhere even more.

Two games would have been enough for us even if we didn't already have other plans. We quickly replace our shoes, and grab our jackets. I decide to hit the ladies room here; because once we leave here I won't want to do anything else but you. You're patiently waiting for me when I walk out and give me a shy smile, before heading in yourself. You're so silly, sometimes. When you make it back to join me, you grab my hand and interlace our fingers together, grounding me to you. It makes my heart soar, though. I squeeze your hand and we leave to catch another cab. We could probably just walk home, but I want to get there as soon as possible.

When we finally get in the cab you give the driver the address to your apartment before I can even open my mouth. You throw me an impish grin, before leaning over to whisper in my ear, "I don't have any roommates."

I swear my heart stopped beating after that. You kiss my ear before you move away.