Page 15 of Liquid Courage
Vivian yanked the cue out of Kat’s hand. “I used to play softball. Shouldn’t be too different.”
“Of course you played softball.” Kat leaned against the wall while Vivian got the balls ready for play.Pretty sure they’re not in the right order. Wait. Is there an order?Oh, well. “Did you think we would allow you in here if you never playedsoftball?”
“So what position did you play?”
“Third basewoman, thank you very much.”
“I was shortstop.” Vivian lined up her cue. Yup. That view of her bending over wasexactlywhat Kat wanted. Had any woman in a pencil skirt ever looked this good playing pool? “Which means we would have stood right next to each other for most of the game.” Kat hissed through her clenched teeth when the cue ball made contact with the others. A rainbow display of her frustration bounced around the table with clicks and clacks that roused the attention of some of the other patrons. “That’s how relationships get started in college.”
“I was thinking high school.” Kat hadn’t gone to college. “But I like your version too.”
“You wouldn’t have liked me in high school, though. I didn’t even know I was gay yet.”
“I did.”
“Of course you did.”
“What makes you say that?”
Vivian looked up from her next shot. Cleavage, as ample as it had been two nights ago in that dress, greeted Kat. “Because a woman who oozes as much confidence as you must have been doing this whole lesbian thing for a while.”
“How old do you think I am?”
“Old enough to know what you’re about.”
Kat had no idea what to say to that. Other than, “Damn.”
They hung out for almost an hour, playing pool with the addition of two more patrons who wanted to play. It was more difficult to flirt in the immediate presence of another couple, but before one of them had to leave, Kat was informed that she had a hot girlfriend.
“She’s not my…” Ah, never mind. Let the woman think whatever she wanted. Kat wasn’t opposed to the whole bar thinking she was dating Vivian. It would definitely send up a flare alerting every single female in the vicinity that Vivian was somewhat spoken for already. Until she made it clear that she had no continuing interest in Kat, anyway.
But a woman who kept sending herthosekinds of looks, and letting her get close enough to kiss – let alone brush against her butt every time they switched positions? Vivian was interested. The question was justhow much.And maybewhen can we go finally go to bed together?
Kat didn’t usually get this hopeful around other women. She was more likely to take what bones were thrown to her and not worry about the others. Sometimes dates didn’t pan out. Chemistry fizzled. Personalities flared. But so far, every time she was around Vivian, Kat remembered what it was like to want a woman so badly that a fire burnt in the depths of her body and her brain cooked up asinine plans dumb enough to embarrass her at a later date.
But not right now. Right now, all Kat could think about was putting her hands all over that body and spreading kisses from Vivian’s ear to her shoulder.
I’m screwed.
“We’re out of balls.” Vivian sighed. “So how do we know who won?”
“You did. You kicked my ass.”
“How?”
“Because I decided it was so.”
Vivian pursed her lips into a sour smile. “You’re a hard core flirt, you know that?”
“I could back off.”
Nobody came near them, even though the bar was now almost at max capacity. Everyone was at the counter, laughing, talking, and ordering their drinks with friends and lovers. It was the kind of busy night that made Kat happy to work in such a vibrant place with likeminded women who didn’t mind if she flirted with them a little. Most women didn’t respond to her flirtations with anything but gratitude. But every once in a while, someone like Vivian came along and threatened to punch her in the heart.
How could anyone reject her?She was stunning in such a simple office uniform and with her hair down around her face. Yet Vivian was so self-conscious… and women like Shari had not helped one bit. When a woman’s self-esteem was already shot, it was easy to make her feel like the ugliest, most unwanted soul in the universe.
Kat would know. It was because of those experiences she wanted to make good love to women like Vivian so that they never once doubted their beauty again.
Someone came out of the only bathroom in the place. Kat put the cues away and pinned Vivian up against the table.I’m either gonna get slapped or get kissed.Damn. If she was slapped in a place like this, her coworkers would never let her live it down.
