AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Brenda breaks and sinks both a stripe and a solid. “I’ll take solids,” she says with authority. She grabs the chalk, twirls it on the end of her stick, and lines up her next shot. She hits the five ball and misses the corner pocket. This could be a really long game. I grab my stick and look for a decent shot, one that is not too difficult but easy to miss. I line up on the thirteen ball and just as I’m about to hit my shot, Brenda says sweetly, “The eleven ball is an easier shot, why go for the thirteen?” Damn her! I concede and aim for the eleven. It goes in without a hitch. I could have sunk that ball blindfolded. I look around for a harder shot but the table is wide open. Chase is sitting across from us, intent on watching me. His right hand cups his chin as his thumb strokes his bottom lip. That mouth! That type of distraction can mess a girl up.
“I need the bridge,” I admonish, revealing my irritation at this whole mess.
“No, you don’t, there’s a shot on the twelve ball right there,” Bren points out oh so matter-of-factly. Shit. This is not going to work in my favor. I capitulate to her game and sink three balls in a row. I miss the ten ball by accident.
“You play really well.” He sounds surprised.
“Why, did you think because I’m a girl I would suck?”
“No . . . I . . . just . . .” He stands there dumfounded.
“It’s okay,” Brenda says smooth as silk. “She used to play for a league. We’re not all as good as she is.” She looks over at me and mouths “Cut it out.”
I stand there fuming over the fact that I’m going to wind up playing him even though I clearly don’t want to. Brenda is not about to relent. She lines up her shot and sinks the four ball but totally misses the seven. I chalk
up my cue and line up my next shot. Sink three more balls so all I have left is the eight ball. I look over at Brenda, all pleased with herself. “Eight ball in the right corner pocket,” I announce. I line up my shot and without effort sink the black ball into the corner. Fuck. This is going to be awkward.
“Guess that means it’s my turn.” A sphinx like smile appears on his lips. Doesn’t he have anything better to do than harass me?
“Guess it does.”
“You break since you won.” He cocks his head to one side and motions with his hand toward the table.
“I’m going to need another drink for this,” I say with a slight undercurrent of hostility, mostly directed toward Brenda.
“Please, allow me.” He smiles that adorable crooked smile and heads toward the bar.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I hiss at Brenda. “This is not what I want or need right now.”
“You said it yourself,” she replies trying to reason with me. “You don’t know what you need. Relax and have a good time.”
Sure, it’s easy for her to say. I want to relax and wallow in my misery, but there is no way she’s going to let that happen. I narrow my eyes, and her smile gets bigger. Who am I kidding, I can’t stay mad at her. I sigh and acquiesce to the game.
“Ready?” Chase asks, back with our drinks.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I glance up at him only to find he’s gazing back at me expressionless. I turn around to say something to Brenda, but she’s disappeared to the other side of the bar, talking to a group of guys. She sees me staring over at her and waves. Death will come to her later. Now, I need to take a deep breath and focus on the game at hand. I grab the cue stick, chalk it up and go to the end of the table to break. I pull back on the cue and fire at the cue ball. The ball goes flying across the table taking my frustrations with it. Wow that felt good. I sink two stripes. “I’ll take stripes.” I am triumphant. Chase stands there smiling that amazing smile, shaking his head in disbelief. I can’t help but to smile back. I aim for the fifteen ball and miss horribly.
“My turn” he declares. He picks up his cue stick and chalks the end. Holy Shit. How can he make that look so sexual? My face turns bright red as I think about what he could do with those hands. I immediately look down at my feet so he can’t see my expression. I hear him hit a ball but can’t watch. I look up and see he’d sunk two balls. Good, I like a challenge. He comes around my side of the table and bends over to take a shot. Oh my God. I have to look away. He has the most amazing ass I have ever seen. Bending over the table like that does things to me. I close my eyes to clear my thoughts and concentrate on the game. He shoots at the one ball, and it bounces off the cushion and misses its target.
“How about a bet?” he challenges, a devilish smile appearing on his lips. “I win, you sit down with me, and we talk one on one. Maybe I’ll even get you to relax. You win, I’ll leave you alone. Go back to the house and not bother you again.”
I ponder this for a minute. What to do. He’s waiting for my decision. His face is impassive; he’s not giving anything away. God, he is way too beautiful. Well, this could be fun. “Okay, you’re on.” The score is even at this point, each of us having sunk two balls. There is no way I am letting him beat me.
I chalk up my cue stick and look around the table. He watches me as I walk past him. I accidentally brush past his hand, and his touch sends tingles down my spine. Concentrate. I take the shot, miss the fourteen ball, and sink one of his. Shit. He’s trying to hold back a smile. He is laughing at me, the prick.
“You know Olivia, I don’t need any help.” His serious look gives way to a wicked grin.
“I know,” I say affronted. He takes his shot, and the ball goes in. Then, he moves around to the other side of the table and takes another shot. That goes in too. Crap, he’s really good.
“Two left before the eight ball, are you sure you’re really trying?” God, he thinks I’m giving him the game. This is going to be painful. I know it. He sinks the two ball, then the five. Ugh. I look down and sigh. “Eight ball center pocket,” he announces, a ghost of a smile on his lips. He makes a shot for the eight, and it skirts wide of the pocket. He missed on purpose. That was a ridiculously easy shot. What’s his game? “Oops, I missed. Your turn.”
I try not to look at him. Those eyes will mess up my game more than they already have. I concentrate on the cue stick and chalk it up. I move in the opposite direction in fear of brushing up against him again and take a more difficult shot. Thank the Lord it went in.
The table is full of my balls, so it makes it a little easier for me to make shots. I sink three more in a row after that. I grab the bridge and try for an eleven thirteen combo. Sink both. Whew. All that’s left is the eight ball. The cue ball is on a weird angle making for a difficult shot. Not impossible, but difficult.
Do I want the ball to go in, or not? I sit there for a minute, pretending to contemplate where to take the shot, but I already know where that’s going to be. The question is do I want him to go away. I look for Brenda, but she’s still absorbed in conversation with the guys at the other end of the bar. I look at Chase. He’s not giving anything away. “Eight ball corner pocket,” I say softly. I make a decision, lean over, and take my shot.
The eight ball makes its way across the table and goes where I want it. In the corner pocket. I see Chase’s smile fading to disappointment. “I guess I’ll be going now. You won,” he says trying not to look wounded.
