Tanner’s the only guy on the other team. Willow and two of her friends crowd around him like he’s the king of badminton. I’m giving them all the stink eye when Willow takes the birdie back to a point on the ground marked by a cup of beer.

“First team to ten wins. Losing team does a shot for every point they lose by.”

“What if we lose by a lot?” Celia, one of the girls on my team, asks.

Willow says something reassuring, but I focus my thoughts on winning. No, not just winning—total annihilation.

I smile sweetly at Tanner and get in position, or what I hope is badminton position.

Willow serves. It’s low, just barely clearing the net.

“I got it,” Celia calls it and waves her racket in the air. She, in fact, does not have it.

Her friend, Molly, who is also on our team, laughs.

“Shut it. I was close,” Celia fires back, laughing at herself. “Let’s see you do better.”

No problem. Down by one. We got this.

Willow serves again with a similar result, though this time Celia doesn’t call out, she still goes for it and puts the birdie in the net.

“Sorry,” she chirps with a nervous giggle. “Sports are so not my thing.”

“We could switch places if you want,” I offer.

For the love of shuttlecock, say yes. I do not want to have to mow her down to take a swipe at the next serve.

“Oh, uh, sure.” She’s hesitant, but at her words, I step forward with a big smile and take her spot.

“Are you guys ready?” Willow asks, a note of pity in her voice that makes me grit my teeth.

“Ready.”

Tanner’s across from me on the other side of the net. “Just a game, babe. You get to go out with me either way.”

“Uh-huh, yeah, yeah.” I train my focus on Willow. “We’ve got this.”

The only thing I hate more than losing is not being able to do anything to stop it. Willow knows exactly what she’s doing or is the luckiest server in all of badminton. Now that I’ve moved up, her serves go longer so they’re still in Celia’s area to return.

When we’re down five to zero, I take matters into my own hands.

“I’ve got it.” I jog backward relieved to finally get a turn in the action, but I hit the birdie with the edge of the racket and it goes out of bounds.

“Oh,” Willow groans. “I thought you guys had that one.” She picks up the birdie and walks it back to serve for a seventh go.

I turn to my team. “Has anyone played before? Ideas? Tips?”

Biff nods. “I have. You’ve gotta hit the shuttlecock right on the cork.”

Obvious? Yes, but at least he’s offering up something.