Shelter by Tara Shuler Page A

fingernails when we pulled up, so I think she was worried Max and I wouldn’t show up. She actually smiled a little when I got out of the car.
    “Hey, Jamie,” I said.
    “Hey,” she replied.
    “I guess Max isn’t here, yet?” I commented.
    “Nope,” Jamie answered.
    “Should we wait out here for him?” I asked her.
    Jamie just shrugged. She seemed really nervous. She kept staring at her shoes and chewing her fingernails. I got the impression she wasn’t used to being around people much. She seemed extremely shy.
    About twenty minutes after I arrived, Max finally showed up. He pulled up in a shiny black sports car, and I was shocked when he stepped out. He looked startlingly handsome – even more so than normal. His black shirt clung tightly to his wide chest, and his black jeans were tucked into black combat boots. The whole ensemble was topped off by a long, black trench coat that billowed around him as he walked toward us. He was breathtaking.
    He looked at Jamie first, smiling. “You ready to bowl?” he asked her.
    She nodded, avoiding eye contact.
    “How about you?” he asked. “Ready to go in?”
    “Yeah,” I agreed. “What took you so long?”
    “Oh, sorry about that,” Max said. “My car wouldn’t start, so I had to borrow my cousin’s.”
    “It’s okay,” I said.
    Max grasped the door handle and pulled, stepping aside to allow Jamie and me to walk through. He bowed low and motioned toward the entrance with his hand in one elegant, sweeping motion. We could hear the music blaring before we ever made it through the door.
    We were instantly overwhelmed by the pleasant scents emanating from the snack bar, and Jamie turned her head toward it. I could tell she wanted something to eat, but I was guessing she’d never dare to eat in front of us. I, on the other hand, was starving. I hadn’t eaten breakfast because Kai was so clingy, and I didn’t think I could bowl without a snack, especially around a bunch of humans.
    “I’m going to…” I started to say.
    “Does anyone want anything to eat or drink before we get started?” Max asked.
    I laughed. “I was just about to say I needed something to eat,” I said.
    “Jamie?” he asked.
    Jamie shook her head silently, gnawing her nails as always.
    We walked over to the concession stand, and Max started staring at the menu.
    He turned to Jamie and me and said, “Why don’t you ladies take a seat? I can bring you whatever you want.”
    Jamie immediately went to take a seat in one of the benches that lined the short wall between the concession stand and the lanes, and I reached into my purse, fumbling for my wallet so I could give Max some money for my food.
    “I’ll take a hot dog, French fries, and a medium Diet Coke,” I said, handing Max a ten-dollar bill.
    He pushed my hand away.
    “I’ll get it,” he said, smiling with a quaint crooked smile.
    “No, no,” I argued, trying to hand him the money once more.
    “I insist,” Max said, glowering down at me.
    He really was shockingly tall.
    “Alright,” I agreed, shoving the money back into my purse.
    I went to join Jamie in the booth, sitting beside her so Max would have the other side to himself. I didn’t think he’d want the uncomfortable choice of which one of us to sit beside.
    Max came over to the table with two large trays of food balanced precariously in his hands. I jumped up and grabbed one of them, placing it on the table. I noticed there were three drinks, and there seemed to be a lot of food for two people.
    Max placed one of the drinks in from of Jamie. “I bought you a diet soda, because you shouldn’t get dehydrated when you’re bowling.”
    She looked up at him and meekly said, “Thanks.”
    I helped Max take all of the food off the trays, and he took a seat across from us. He stacked the trays on top of each other and placed them upright behind the napkin dispenser so we could have more room.
    Max eyed the food in front of him while I squirted ketchup all