Five Over Par... Chapter Five: Rematch
The ongoing adventures of Matt and Nikki continue
Nikki found the scorecard the next morning.
It fell from her purse when she reached for her keys, fluttering onto the kitchen floor. She stared at it for a moment before bending to pick it up. The paper was creased down the middle. One corner had a faint smear of ketchup. Matt’s handwriting leaned crookedly across the bottom in blue ink.
Official Result:
Matt: 47
Nikki: 48
Underneath, he had circled hole seven three times.
Beside it, he had written:
Rematch required. You cheated.
Nikki leaned against the counter and smiled despite herself. Hole seven. The glowing pirate moon. The ramp shaped like a meteor. The shot she had absolutely, unquestionably improved with the discreet assistance of her boot.
She should have been offended. She considered being offended, briefly, out of respect for tradition. But then she saw the second note, smaller, tucked under the first.
Worth it.
That stupid little sentence did more damage than it had any right to. She stood there in the quiet of her kitchen, still wearing yesterday’s mascara, her hair a little wild, her mouth soft with the memory of him. Outside, morning pressed pale and ordinary against the window. Inside, everything felt rearranged.
Enough that Galaxy Golf no longer seemed tacky. Enough that she could still hear him laughing. Enough that she could still feel his hands on her. Enough that she was already wondering what she would wear if she let him take her there again.
Her phone buzzed on the counter. Matt.
I checked the footage. Kevin saw everything.
Nikki laughed aloud. Then she typed back:
Tell Kevin to keep his mouth shut. I want a rematch.
