Bending the Rules: Breaking the Rules #2 by L.K. Lewis Page B

to the more “seedy” part of town. The first time Drake brought
me here, I was definitely out of my element, and a little freaked out as this
was not an area my mother would have ever allowed me to go to when we visited
the city. Now that I’ve been here more than a handful of times, I realize that
Drake was right when he said the only trouble I’ll find down here is the kind I
seek out. So now I’m not so freaked to hang here. Amanda, on the other hand,
looks a little pale when we exit the cab and she takes in her surroundings.
    “Morgie, are you sure the cab dropped us off at the right
place?” She asks.
    “It’s fine; I’ve been here a bunch of times. Drake’s friend
Garrett owns the place. You’ll have fun, Amanda, I promise,” I say as I open
the door, stepping back to let her enter first. I want to see the excitement in
her face when she figures out where I’ve taken her.
    “A bowling alley! Fun! I haven’t been bowling for years!”
Amanda giggles as she jumps up and down clapping her hands like a cheerleader.
    I immediately spot Garrett at his usual perch behind the
shoe rental counter and he gives me a large smile and a nod hello. I motion for
Amanda to follow me as I make my way towards him. I normally just give him a
shy smile and a wave hello, but tonight I walk right up to him and wrap my arms
around his middle in a warm embrace. Garrett reluctantly hugs me back, letting
me stay there a while before tightening the squeeze momentarily, then releasing
me to pull back and look at me.
    “Are you okay, Morgan? What’s wrong?” Garrett asks.
    “I’m okay, sorry,” I say, taking a step back. “I think I
just needed a hug.” I feel my cheeks warm. In all honesty, I’m sure I just
needed to feel some sort of connection to Drake. It’s been almost two months
now since he held me in his arms, and I think I was just craving that
connection, and Garrett is the last remaining link I have to Drake. Stepping
away slightly from Garrett, I motion to Amanda.
    “Garrett, this is my best friend Amanda. Amanda, this is
Drake’s friend Garrett, he’s the owner of this fine establishment,” I say as I
catch Garrett gazing around the bowling alley with a little pride and
amusement.
    “Well, fine establishment might be a stretch, but Morgan is
right when she calls it mine. It’s nice to meet you, Amanda, any friend of
Morgan’s is a friend of mine,” Garrett says with a flirty wink in Amanda’s
direction as he extends his hand to her.
    “Nice to meet you as well, it’s been far too long since I’ve
been bowling,” Amanda says as a blush crosses her cheeks. Amanda never blushes;
she’s normally the outgoing one between us, never afraid to make a new friend
while we are out on the town. “I used to go bowling with my dad all the time
when I was little and my mom would go out of town on business. We would tell
her we went to the movies, or worked on my Girl Scout merit badges, but really,
he’d take me bowling and would drink too much while I got sick on stale
popcorn. It was awesome.”
    “Sounds like me and my old man growing up. I run a few
leagues here, if you are ever interested,” Garrett says. Suddenly I feel like a
voyeur watching the sparks fly all over their conversation.
    “Hey, so I was wondering if you’ve heard anything from
Drake,” I ask.
    “No, Morgan. I’m sorry, I haven’t. I know how hard this is
for you. If I hear anything, I promise you will be the first one to know.”
    “Okay, sounds good. I’m sorry to bother you. I really did
come down here to have a little fun tonight and not wallow in my own broken
hearted self-pity, I promise,” I say with a half-smile.
    “I’m sorry you’re hurting. I know wherever Drake is, he’s
most likely in rough shape too. That man loves you girl, you’re his life. If I
know Drake half as well as I think I do, whatever is going on right now, he’s
off trying to fix it.”
    “Thanks for saying that, Garrett, it really means a lot.