Page 42 of B-ry
Even though we weren’t looking at one another, I knew there was a smile on his face. Yeah, he didn’t mind one damn bit. And I guessed that was what happened when you truly loved someone.
“How sweet of you,” I joked. Hey, it was better than turning into sad and irritated me.
Then I playfully pushed him on the shoulder.
“Yeah. Sweet,” he said with a smirk. “It’s not like I’m not going to get anything out if it later.”
“Wow,” I said and chuckled. “You really just said that, didn’t you?”
“Yep,” he replied and then pressed his lips into a thin line.
I could tell he was trying not to bust out laughing.
Ky had once been a player. A low-key player, if that was such a thing. He didn’t really boast and brag about his conquest like some people around here did, but he also didn’t hide the fact that he was heading off to get some tail. That changed once he really started seeing Chris. He didn’t talk about his sex life or hint to it, even. Not that he needed to. It was clear as day when those two were together. I mean, damn. I always felt like I wanted to shout ‘why don’t you two just go and do it already?!’ like all the time when they were around.
“I’m not going to ask, but I am going to say something,” he said and I gritted my teeth and waited for it. “I’ve noticed. And if I have, I’m sure other’s have as well. I’m going to guess that you have something going on that you don’t want to talk about. But the whole sneaking off in the middle of the night thing, it’s going to raise some suspicion. Especially because you’ve kept whatever it is on lockdown for months.”
A blanket of silence fell around us. This was my chance. Maybe? To say something and possibly even get some advice. But I kept my mouth closed for some reason.
“I get it,” he finally said and slapped me on the back. “Looks like they’re done. I’m heading up to the bar. Come on.” The way he said it made it seem like not going to the bar wasn’t an option for me.
We went in the back way because it just made sense. The music was blaring and the chatter was at a level a few notches above that. It sounded like everyone was having a good ole time.
I, for sure, was ready to kick back and have a few. I figured I’d let someone take the weight off my shoulders for the night. So when I found Mouse sober as could be, I asked him to keep an eye out for anything that might go down. He seemed kind of in an off mood and said he didn’t mind at all. I got the feeling like he was almost glad to have a distraction.
I didn’t think any more of it as Ky walked over to where Brand, Cami, and Chris were huddled. I grabbed a beer and joined my brothers by the pool table. Cable was on a roll and I didn’t dare try to play him. By the stack of money sitting there, I would have figured he’d cleaned everyone out already.
“Come on, man,” Sketch said as Cable racked the balls for the next game. “You’ve got to step up and win one for all of us losers.”
I shook my head and swallowed down half my beer. The table was surrounded by people now. Not surprisingly, half of those people were barely dressed, super made-up women looking to score one of us for the night. I had half a mind to just shrug it off and take my ass as far away from this scene as possible, but then someone called me a chickenshit and well, I couldn’t back down.
“Make it good,” Sketch said grabbing my shoulders from behind and shaking me back and forth. Well, trying to anyway. I was a hard guy to move when I didn’t want to. “Damn. Maybe I should start working out with you. Bet you could get me real buff in like two minutes.”
“Shut up,” I said with a laugh. “You’re too busy chasing ass to ever have enough focus to get this kind of body.”
Which was very true.
He laughed it off and agreed with me. See? I was right.
I was so into the game that I didn’t really pay attention to what was going on around me. I wanted to win but not because I was an asshole that couldn’t stand losing. It was that if I was going to do something like this, then I was going to give it my all. At least that way if I lost, I knew I had tried my damnedest.
“Eight ball, corner pocket,” I called out and did my best to keep the smirk at bay.
I was smart enough to know that you never counted all your eggs before they hatched… or something like that. My dad used to say that to me all the time. No, it was chickens. Yeah, don’t count your chickens before they hatched. That made more sense. The eggs went with the basket saying. What was with all those stupid sayings anyway?
I shook my head and focused really hard. I waited until it felt just right. The cue ball hit the right spot on the eight ball and that thing shot in the pocket like a rocket.
But then the cue ball decided to wander into the other corner pocket.
It seemed like half the bar joined in one big, sad ‘awwwww’ as my heart stopped for a split second.
Oh, well.
What could ya do?
“Good game,” Cable called out coolly. “I’ll buy you a beer. I don’t think anyone else is going to play me tonight.” He shrugged and I laughed.
Then I let him buy me a beer.
