Page 61 of Take Her On

Leah slung her blonde braid back over her shoulder and squeezed one eye shut. Jamie had to smother a laugh at her concentration face. She scuffed her shot, spinning the white to collide with one of Jamie’s balls.

“Fuck. Two shots to you.”

“I thought you were supposed to be good at this game,” Jamie teased.

Leah gave her a playful shove before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “It’s you that’s freakishly good at everything. I used to be the Globe’s champion before you came along.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Hey, Luke,” Leah shouted across the pub to a bunch of lads, who were all wearing various shades of the same Adidas top. “Didn’t I beat you that one time?”

A tall guy lifted his head, dark eyes glancing between them coolly. “Nah, you must’ve been dreaming about me again, Leah.”

She scoffed. “You wish, mate.”

“I’d beat you anytime, even with my left hand.”

One of his friends chipped in, “And they’ve both been out of business since he got with Carly.”

The group bellowed with laughter, and Luke clipped his friend round the back of the head.

“Jerk,” Leah muttered.

Jamie collected the white ball and lined up her two shots. If she played this right, she could end the game. She potted a red with a smash into the bottom pocket, manoeuvring around to tap two more into the pocket adjacent. One ball left.

“His girlfriend and Maya used to be really close,” Leah commented, after taking a long slug of her pint.

Jamie glanced up. “Oh, really?”

Leah nodded, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Yeah. I definitely think there’s some history there. You know, in my professional gay opinion.”

A little prick of heat ran up Jamie’s neck. “But they’re not close anymore?” she asked, as casually as she could muster.

“My ex used to be in Carly’s class, so I don’t get the gossip now. But I haven’t seen them together in a while.”

Interesting.

Jamie leaned on the table, sizing up her last move on the black to end the game and send Leah back to the bar for another round—even though she still hadn’t finished her own non-alcoholic beer yet. It was a simple shot, but her fingers wobbled. Thoughts of Maya crept into her head. She didn’t want Maya to see other people. The idea made her stomach tighten, and she blew out a breath.

You stupid, hopeless romantic. How had Maya managed to bury her way into Jamie’s heart so easily? So much for no relationship complications in your final year.

“Come on,” Leah complained. “Even I could make that shot.”

“You can’t rush brilliance.”

She steadied her hand, pulled back her cue, and just as she was about to fire, Leah hissed in her ear.

“Oh my god. She’s here. That’s Carly.”

Jamie swivelled her head so fast she was surprised she didn’t get whiplash. Her eyes flew to the pretty blonde who was bouncing into the Globe, standing out from the rest in her white jeans and pink sparkly pumps.

Maya and her?

Jamie didn’t know what to make of Leah’s comment. Her gaydar was the equivalent of a faulty satnav, directing people the wrong way down one-way systems and off a cliff edge. She decided she didn’t need to worry about it.

She avoided Leah’s inquisitive stare and focused instead on winning the game. She lined up her shot again, ears pricking at the high-pitched laughter coming from the group on the other side of the pub. Concentrate, Jaim. She pulled back her cue and smacked the black ball straight into the pocket. Unfortunately, the white ball spun and dived right in after it. She sighed. Game over. Jamie lost.

Leah cheered, finishing the dregs of her pint before looping her arm around Jamie’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “I’ve figured out your weakness now, Jamie. I think I’m gonna win a lot more games.”