“You can break.” Mason pointed to where he’d set up the table.
I nodded before leaning down to take the correct position. When I pulled the cue back, I rammed it forward as hard as I could. The balls scattered, but nothing dropped. “Damn,” I hissed.
“Yep. Sounds about right.” Mason laughed as Jenni giggled from behind us. He leaned over, and in one attempt, dropped the red ball. “Lookie there. Guess I’m solids.” He shrugged as a smug smile spread across his face. I watched as he circled the table, and dropped three more balls before missing. “Wanna put money on this?” He stepped back, letting me take my turn.
“I don’t wanna take your money.” I shook my head as I leaned over but before I could take my shot, Jenni hopped off her stool. She walked over to where Mason was and whispered something in his ear. He nodded, and she started to walk away. I could smell her perfume in her wake. I shook my head again as I watched her, trying to clear my mind.
“She’s grabbing a pitcher,” Mason chimed in. “I drink for free since I work here,” he clarified. “You get to reap the benefits of knowing me.” He laughed.
“Wait. You let me buy drinks knowing I didn’t have to?” I stood up and held my cue beside me.
“It was a test. You passed.” He moved to lean against the wall. “No biggie.”
Guess I was making it into all sorts of circles tonight. I knew one thing… Jenni Stone was slowly becoming my kryptonite, and if I didn’t watch it, she’d be the end of me… literally.
Chapter 14
Jenni
Ever seen the way two dogs act when you introduce them? You know, they might growl or bare their teeth. You convince them that the other is friendly, and then they might sniff each other. Before you know it, they’re playing together and marking things as theirs. That’s kinda what tonight was like. I watched my brother stare Evan down. They played a few games of pool, and by the third game I think Mason finally realized that Evan was a cool guy. They’re on their fifth game now, and it’s like they’re best friends. I’ve watched them punch each other’s shoulders, pour each other drinks, and now Mason’s trying to set up some group outing.
Dani was here for a while, and my brother thinks we should double date. At least Evan thought of me. I wasn’t real keen on the idea, and I think he could sense it. He told Mason that he’d have to check his schedule at work. I didn’t know how many shifts he covered, but I appreciated the break.
“Hey, Jen. You wanna play?” Mason held out his cue toward me.
“I’ll take it easy on you.” Evan grinned. It was cute, really. The fact that he thought he could beat me.
“Sure. I mean, I guess.” I hopped off the stool, and came over to where my brother was grinning. He knew I’d kick Evan’s ass, but he wasn’t going to out me. “I think this cue might be a little long.” I examined it like I didn’t know what I was doing.
“Wanna switch?” Evan started to hand me his.
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “Let me see how I do with this one. You wanna rack ‘em?” I watched as Evan rounded the table, tossing balls up on it from the pockets. He tossed the triangle near the end, and began lining everything up. “You can break. I’ve never been good at that. Not enough upper body strength.”
“Sure thing.” Evan leaned over and took a shot. He ended up dropping a striped.
“That’s pretty good.” I smiled.
As he circled and took a few shots, he ended up sinking two balls. “Your turn. I’d go for the yellow. It’s an easy shot.”
“I’ll consider it.” I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. What Evan didn’t understand was my brother taught me to play not long after my parents passed. We used to go to pool halls to pass the time. It helped with the healing process, and we kinda bonded over the game. Mason is the only person who’s ever beaten me. “I like the red better.”
“That’s a banked shot, and considerably more difficult.” Evan’s brow scrunched.
“I know.” I smiled as I leaned over and took the shot. The cue ball bounced against the bumper before tapping the red ball, causing it to drop. “Hey. I made it.” I widened my eyes as I glanced at Mason.
“Way to go, sis.” Mason raised his hand for a high five.
“Thanks.” I rounded the table to where Evan was standing. “Do you mind?” I glanced at him.
“By all means.” He stepped back, and I leaned down to line up my next shot. One by one I sunk the solids until all that was left was the eight ball. “Looks like I’m about to win.” I nibbled my lip as I lined up.
“Looks like somebody is a hustler.” Evan chuckled from behind me.
“Eh. Learned from the best.” I shrugged as I tapped the eight ball and watched it slowly fall into the side pocket. “Wanna go again?”
“You’re on, but I want another beer first.” Evan turned to go over to the table we had claimed for our drinks, and discovered the pitcher was empty. He held it up, signaling that he was going to get a refill at the bar.
“If you think that’ll help you.” I tried, I really did, but I couldn’t help but laugh. I grabbed my middle and bent over as it took me over. I hadn’t had this much fun in years. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like.