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“What do you mean?”
What do I mean? I mean it was nice when we were in the woods on the trail talking and she was just treating me like an ordinary person. Not a competitor. Not an often-failed competitor.
“I trained pretty hard for this event.” Can’t I be happy about it for five minutes? Is that so wrong?
“I mean, what do you mean, join you? What did you have in mind?”
Oh. I have no idea what I had in mind. I was pretty sure she’d say no. I think fast.
“Skysight Tavern next door, you know it?
Mira turns her head and looks out the window. The large sign has the name and colorful streaks of light pouring down from the sky. The outdoor deck is supposed to be the best view of the Skylights in the village.
“I may have heard of it.”
I know she’s making fun of me, but I laugh anyway.
“How about it? When are you done with work?”
“About an hour…”
She hesitates. I’m trying to come up with something clever to say when she nods and gives me a shy little smile.
“Let’s do it.” I tap the desk lightly with my fist, somewhat triumphantly. “I’ll go clean up, meet you…?”
“Here is fine.”
“Okay.”
It doesn’t take me that long to clean up. I’m back downstairs fifteen minutes early, but Mira’s boss says to go ahead. It takesus all of two minutes to cross the road and enter the place. The bar is empty. We look at each other.
“How about we get a drink and play cups?”
“Cups?”
I point to the table. She squints at it.
“Oh, we call that pool.”
“Why would you call it pool?”
“You know, I’m not sure. The tables are usually green, too. If it was a pool, it would be kind of nasty.”
We order our drinks and take them over to the table. I set up the balls.
“Just so you know, I’m not very good at this.”
I look at her. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to admit that. But she doesn’t seem upset or even nervous. It was just a simple statement.
Huh,I think.
An hour later, the bar is starting to fill up. Mira suggests we leave the table ‘to the professionals.’
“How much did you win by?” The Kiphian asking is directing the question to me. Before I can answer, Mira does.
“We didn’t keep score. We were just playing for fun.”
The man emits a loud snort which I am sure is disgust.
