Caramel, Ginger.

Pizza crusts and chemistry

I take longer than I should at the pizzeria, hoping by the time I head back to the bowling alley, Hunter will be gone. But knowing my luck, he's not the type to be told no and actually listen. I sigh in resignation as I dry my hands slowly and then stare down at them. Better get this over with.
By the time I exit the bathroom, my pizza order is ready and I grab sodas for everyone before heading out the door and into the night again. I can't help but tense up as I get closer to the spot where I left Hunter, but to my surprise, and disappointment because I'm clearly a psychopath, he's not there. Him and his car. I give myself a little mental slap. What? You thought you'd find him here waiting for you? Who do you think you are? You literally just met him, idiot.

"There she is. I was starting to think you DID decide to bail on us after all," says Steve as he takes the pizza and the sodas from my hands and sets them on a nearby table. I roll my eyes at him before calling Dana over, who of course is trying to politely dismiss an obvious admirer with an acne riddled face and a lanky build. She's such a nice person because I wouldn't have been so accommodating.

Halfway through my first pizza slice, I notice a pair of Nike sneakers near the bench we're  sitting on, and I frown. "Whose are those?"

Dana and Steve exchange a look and somehow, I just know.

"I thought you said he wasn't coming." I tear my remaining pizza crust into two and aim the pieces at their heads. Dana ducks, but Steve is too slow and it hits him square on the forehead.

"Hey! First of all, ow. Second of all, we weren't lying. He showed up minutes ago and said he was just passing through on his way home. Decided to get some bowling shoes and play for a bit."

"So where is he now?" I decide not to tell them about our little encounter outside, in case they blow it way out of proportion.

They both shrug.

We're almost done with the pizza (mostly Steve really, he eats like a bear) when Hunter suddenly sits down next to me and grabs a lock of my hair. I try not to jump. 'Your hair's nice. Do you get  it colored or that's the natural color?"

"Are you always sneaking up on people?" 

"I didn't sneak up on you. You either have very faulty hearing or you are just naturally jumpy. I wonder why."

It's nothing to do with either of those reasons and everything to do with him specifically, but I don't say that out loud.

Dana is looking back and forth between Hunter and I and smiling. I avoid her eye contact because I know why she's surprised. Hunter isn't big on talking, and now we're bantering like we've known each other for years. 

"Okay, one last game you guys, then we head home. Steve and I together, Hunter and Azalea together."

Of course. 

Hunter and I lose, and I suspect the twins bowl on a regular basis, but I enjoy it. Mainly because Hunter is so attentive during our teamwork, and I start to feel kind of special. Because I'm a delusional idiot. He's back to his not-so-talkative self, but he throws cute little smiles at me whenever the twins do something silly or he misses a shot. The butterflies in my stomach can't take it anymore by the time the game ends.

"I know chemistry when I see it."

Dana and I are standing at the counter to give back the bowling shoes. The boys are outside because Hunter needed Steve to quickly check out something on his car, which by the way, he moved to the back parking lot. That's why I didn't see it when I came back from the pizza place and assumed he was gone.

I decide to play dumb. " I don't know what you're talking about."

She pinches me on the shoulder and I jump away, trying to keep from laughing. "Honey, you can fool anyone else but me. I've known Hunter Jones for a long time, and making him smile that much is a big win. Let alone making him speak. And socialize."