Chapter 134

I changed into jeans and a T-shirt after making arrangements with Benson to have a dinner party for thirty Saturday Night.

After running downstairs, I found Alex relaxing in the living room.

“I heard you’re having a dinner party,” he said. “Did the meeting go well?”

I froze for a moment, unsure how he would feel about what I had done.

“I had to fire Tim Clayton,” I finally said.

“It’s just as well,” Alex said reassuringly. “He was one of John Cameron’s best spies.”

“I thought you would be upset because you hired him,” I said.

“Not at all,” Alex said. “I’m sure you had your reasons for firing Tim. And I consider him no loss.”

I threw my arms around Alex’s neck and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m glad you understand.”

“It’s fine.” He noticed my purse hanging over my shoulder. “Are you going out?”

“Yes,” I replied. “I’m going bowling.”

“Bowling?” Alex grinned.

“Victor and William are going too.” I giggled.

“I would love to see that,” Alex teased.

“You would love to see what?” Victor asked as he walked into the room. He had changed into jeans and a blue polo shirt that matched his eyes. He looked incredible.

“Well, you too have fun… bowling.” Alex smiled.

Victor and I left and met William at a place called Nine Pins.

“Hey, guys,” William greeted us as he climbed from his Mustang. He mimed rolling a ball. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to bowl.”

I was used to seeing William in jeans at school, but he looked really hot too in jeans and a T-shirt with our school’s emblem on it.

“Come on,” I began to lead them inside the bowling alley. “I’ll teach you both, but you must do as I say.”

“Of course,” William said. “You are in charge.”

“Watch out, or she’ll fire you,” Victor teased.

“I heard about that,” William said as he held the door open for me and Victor.

I rolled my eyes. “It didn’t take long for the word to get around.”

“I also heard he had it coming,” William added and followed us inside the bowling alley.

“Tim Clayton is a jerk,” I said and walked up to the woman working at the counter. “We need a lane and three pairs of shoes.”

“What sizes?” the woman asked.

“A woman’s size eight, and...” I looked at William.

“Size eleven,” he said.

We all looked expectantly at Victor.

“What, I can’t wear my loafers?” he said.

The woman pointed to the sign that read, ‘No Street Shoes.’

“Size eleven and a half,” he said grudgingly. “But I don’t know how you expect me to wear rented shoes with no socks.”

“Why didn’t you wear socks?” William asked.

Victor grimaced. “Because I’m wearing three hundred dollar loafers, and I didn’t know I had to put my feet into shoes that others have worn.”

“I’ve got extra socks in my gym bag out in the car. You can borrow them,” William offered.

Victor picked up the ugly red and blue shoes. “Rented shoes and borrowed socks, so far bowling sucks.”

I forced myself not to laugh hysterically at the expression on Victor’s face. He was showing his spoiled Alpha side again.

But he paid the woman at the counter for the shoe rental and the lane fee.

The woman at the counter snapped her gum and told us we could use lane six.

Victor stood still, holding his rented shoes with two fingers, while William went to his car for the socks.

“Come on, let’s go over to our lane,” I told Victor.

“Where?” he asked while still staring at the ugly bowling shoes.

“Lane six,” I replied as William returned to us with the socks in his hand.

He handed them to Victor as I led them both to our lane.

I sat down and began to put on my bowling shoes. When I was finished, I looked up at the guys and couldn’t hold in a few chuckles.

I guess the shoes do make the man!

Next, I helped them choose a ball, and I demonstrated how to bowl.

I got a split and picked up the three remaining pins with my second ball for a spare.

I then explained the scoring system, and William volunteered to go next.

“It doesn’t look that hard,” he said as he picked up his ball.

He took a couple of quick steps toward the lane and drew back his arm that held the ball.

Suddenly, the ball slipped from his hand and flew back at Victor, who leaped to the side in time not to be hit.

The sixteen-pound ball William had chosen smashed into the plastic chairs with a crash that made everyone in the building look our way.

William blushed while Victor bent over with laughter.

“Stop it,” I hissed at Victor. “It could happen to anybody.”

I retrieved the ball and took it to William. “Try again, but hold onto the ball tighter.”

“Yeah, you’re supposed to throw it the other way toward those little white pins,” Victor teased.

“You roll the ball, not throw it,” I corrected.

William shook it off, and a look of deep concentration spread across his face. His second try rolled down the gutter.

“I don’t think I like this game,” William muttered and returned to sit on a plastic chair. “Football is better.”

Victor confidently grabbed the heavy ball he had chosen and hefted it in his hand before lining up his roll.

He took a few quick steps before slipping on the freshly waxed floor. He landed on his well-formed buttocks and slid several feet down the lane.

The bowling ball ran over his foot and bounced into the gutter.

He said a curse word and got to his feet.

The look on his face was murderous. “I don’t like this game. Why is the floor so slippery?”

“It’s waxed.” My lips twitched as I spoke. “You get another try. Don’t run at the pins. Slide your feet.”

Victor glared at me before going to the ball return. He picked up his ball and tried again.

This time he stayed on his feet and picked off half of the pins on the right side.

“That was much better,” I said. “If you would’ve hit the first pin, you may have gotten a strike.”

Victor smiled at my praise and sat next to William.

“At least I didn’t fall down,” William said.

“I didn’t almost kill people with my bowling ball, and I knocked down some pins,” Victor countered.

They were acting like children. It was funny, but I didn’t want things to escalate into a fight.

I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes. “We are here to have fun, not fight. You’re both learning, and these things will happen.”

As the game went on, they both improved, but I still won the game.

“Since you won, we should buy you dinner,” Victor suggested.

“What a great idea,” I chirped. “I’ll take a foot-long chili dog with cheese and chopped onion from the snack bar.”

“You’ve got it,” William said. “Victor, do you want one?”

“Sure,” he replied. “I’ve never had a chili dog. Are they good?”

“They are delicious,” I replied. “I started another game before William returned with the chili dogs and three root beers.”

A horrified expression spread across Victor’s face as he held his chili dog in front of his face. But as he chewed his first bite, he began to smile.

The second game was much closer. If it hadn’t been for my last strike, Victor would have won the game.

“This was fun, but I’m exhausted. William, would you take Daisy home?” Victor asked as we were leaving the bowling alley.

“Sure,” William replied. He walked me to the passenger side of his Mustang and helped me inside the car.

“You did a good thing today by firing Tim,” William said. “Our world would be better with fewer of those greedy tyrants in positions of power.”

“I’m sure he will find a job somewhere else,” I said. “But you’re right.” I told him that my father feared John Cameron would go after the leadership of the Alpha Alliance.

“That would be bad,” William agreed. “Victor would be a much better choice. If there is anything I can do to help, let me know.”

“We need to be more careful not to fuel any gossip,” I said. “There are spies everywhere waiting to call the press.”

William nodded.

I told him about having my executives at the mansion for a dinner party.

“I think it’s a terrific idea,” William said. “People respond better to being treated well. Everyone wants to feel valued by their employer.”

“I wish I could invite you,” I said.

“I’m not your employee,” he responded. “Have the dinner party and show them you are a great boss.”