Theo grinned, flashing those perfect, pearly whites that said he was more than just a drifter on a motorbike. “I’ll survive. You don’t have to take it easy on me.”
“Trust me,” Avery said. “You might not want to tell her that.”
Theo gave me a curious look, but Avery and I had already started racking the balls. Three shots in, Theo groaned as I sank another stripe cleanly into the corner pocket. “Okay, I should’ve taken Avery’s advice. Please take it easy on me. Where the hell did you learn to play pool like this?”
I lined up another shot. “My dad used to have a table at the shop. Before they expanded and had to get serious.”
“They?”
I took the shot, sinking another ball before I glanced up at him. “They, as in, my parents.”
Theo leaned against the cue, watching me with that annoyingly attentive expression on his face. “That’s cool that you all work together.”
Avery gave him a sad little smile, serving our history up on a silver platter to his new friend. “Mom doesn’t work there anymore. She died when we were teenagers.”
“Oh.” Theo grimaced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Avery shrugged and went back to his beer, but I felt Theo looking at me like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure what it should be. I was intimately familiar with being looked at like that, and since I wasn’t interested in pity, I focused on lining up my next shot instead of looking at him.
People got strange sometimes when they found out your mother died young, a little uncomfortable, like your grief might become contagious if they got too close. When I finally did risk a glance at Theo, I noticed that he wasn’t looking at me like he was afraid he might catch a serious case of thesobbings. Instead, he seemed almost understanding, but he also looked away a moment after I’d met his gaze, taking his next turn like nothing had happened.
Avery drew him into conversation with his friends about bikes and that was it, awkward moment averted. For all of about five minutes until the next awkward moment approached us.
Literally.
Hunter’s friends wandered over like I’d invited them before I’d left the jukebox. The vibe shifted around the table immediately. Avery’s shoulders tightened and his friends straightened a little.
Travis, the friend who hadn’t said anything back there, separated himself a bit from Franklin and David, who had been flanking him, but hung back now. Back in high school, Travis had beenthe funny one, charming and witty enough to get out of most of the trouble he caused, but too much of a douche to take it seriously anyway.
“We haven’t seen you around much, Raquel,” he drawled when he reached me. “Where you been at?”
“I work.”
He smirked, glancing at Theo with one of his eyebrows raising slightly. “That all?”
Avery took a step closer to my side, not aggressive but definitely alert. He got this way when customers started raising their voices at the shop too.
“That’s all,” I said coolly. “Is there anything else I can help you with? We’re in the middle of a game here.”
“Yeah. I see that.” He glanced back at Theo, then flicked his eyes back to mine. “I was just wondering if you’re ever going to answer my texts. It’s been a year since Hunter and Farrah got married. I doubt he’d mind.”
Avery’s expression instantly went flat, certainly aggressive now. “Is that your idea of a pickup line? No wonder you’re going to die alone.”
He lifted both hands as if in surrender. “What? I’m just saying, she’s single and not replying to my texts.”
“You’re drunk and stupid,” Avery replied without skipping a beat. “She’ll reply if and when she wants to.”
Franklin took a step forward. “Easy, man.”
“No, you take it easy,” Avery said calmly. “You’re the one stepping up to me.”
As their gazes locked, I could practically feel the impending fight trying to materialize between them. I took an automatic step forward, but a hand closed gently around my elbow before I could start trying to diffuse the situation. I glanced over just as Theo started tugging me away.
“Hey, we need another round of beer,” he said easily, already steering me toward the bar. “Come help me carry.”
I blinked in surprise as he seamlessly guided me away from the pool table. Behind us, Avery was talking again, dropping into that terrifyingly calm tone he used right before somebody got punched. Theo’s timing had been truly impressive, but that didn’t mean I was a damsel in distress.
“Thanks, but I didn’t need your help. I know how to handle those guys.”
