The Storm

Chapter 10

Daisy

McClain's is an entertainment restaurant. It's housed in this huge warehouse where you just wander around and do all different kinds of activities. There is a restaurant/bar in the center. There is karaoke, ax throwing, batting cages, virtual reality rides, miniature golf, billiards, and even a bowling alley. 

I walk in holding Davis' hand. I am once again reminded of how ungodly tall he is and how tiny I am. He could probably carry me around like a toddler on his hip if he wanted to. 

"Do you want to eat first or play?" he leans down and asks me. 

"Play," I answer. He wiggles his eyebrows at me and we stroll around looking for our first activity. I'm extra nervous tonight and I'm afraid it is showing. I can feel myself falling for him and I'm afraid my usual luck with men will surface again. The pattern of my dating life is the men that I fall for the hardest usually end up finding someone else. I have no reasonable explanation for it other than there must be something defective in my personality. I can't seem to keep a man's interest for a sustainable amount of time. Sometimes I think it's because I'm a little bit directionless in my life. I'm not sure what I want to do with it. I feel like I'm floating along waiting for my life to find me. Perhaps that comes off as lazy and unassuming. I'm sure Davis was used to having deep and thoughtful conversations with Sabrina. She was a lawyer for goodness sake. He's a computer engineer. 

Stop. 

I push these intrusive thoughts out of my mind for the moment. I might not be the smartest person on the planet but I am worth knowing. I am not going to let my self-doubt ruin a perfectly good evening. 

We stop at the ax tossing. There are rows of stalls with wooden walls with a painted bullseye. We are given five axes each. Davis handles them like toothpicks. I am not sure I have the upper body strength to lift the ax much less toss it, but I'll give it a try. A pretty waitress comes over and asks us if we want anything from the bar. 

"Heineken for me," Davis tells her. She gives him a big toothy smile before turning to me. 

"Malibu Sunset," I tell her. The waitress is still smiling but her eyes linger on Davis as she turns to leave. 

I get it, honey, trust me. 

Davis is wearing jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, which makes his denim blue eyes pop. 

"You have been dying to throw a hatchet, haven't you?" I tease him as he steps up to the line.

"Yaaarrrrrrr," he growls at me with a smile. He turns and heaves the first ax. On target but not a bullseye. The second one goes just the same. The third and fourth ones get closer to the mark. The fifth throw lands him a bullseye. He turns flexing his muscles in triumph and I have to say, I'm extremely impressed but not for the reason he thinks. I am too busy watching the muscles of his back, shoulders, and arms flex as he moves. I can almost see him with a horned helmet and a battle-ax. Maybe if I'm a good girl, he will ravish me like a Viking when he gets me home. 

I shudder involuntarily as I step up to the line for my turn. Davis gives me some tips on how to hold the ax and when to let it go. My first three throws barely reach the back wall. The fourth hits the wall and slides down to the floor. The fifth one manages to bury itself into the wood but wobbles for a moment then lands on the floor with the other four. Davis gathers up the axes and brings them back for another round. He gets more on the bullseye and I nearly slice my toe off when one of my ax tosses bounces back dangerously close to my foot. 

He sips his Heineken and takes my hand as we move on to the next activity.

"I throw like a girl," I say, sipping my Malibu Sunset. Perhaps we will both get drunk and forget how embarrassing this was for me.