Page 88 of Before Eve
Love. It comes across as very real to me right now. All warm and bubbly and floaty. All sexy and smiley and well, cute tothe point of ridiculous. I lift the mug and take another sip, acting like I’m not thinking about what I am.Love.
“So, what do you want to do today?” The bank of windows offers an already sunny view. “Looks like it’s going to be pretty. Oh, wait—it’s New Year’s Eve!”
“Yep, and that’s a perfect lead into what I want to ask you.” He leans forward. “There’s supposed to be a festival going on in the next town over. Thought we could browse the booths and share a funnel cake. Then come back here for a quiet New Year’s Eve. Yes? No?”
“I love that idea!” I hop up. “Give me thirty and I’ll be ready.”
He tweaks my butt as I trot past, and I quirk an eyebrow, smiling.
We spend the entire day in the small town, winding in and out of booths and eating entirely too much junk food. At a pet stand, we buy an enormous bone for Jake. West wears his usual fedora and sunglasses, but other than my blue hair, no one pays us much mind. Then again, this isn’t an indie rock area. People probably have no clue who West is.
Late afternoon rolls in, and still out and about West asks, “Know how to play pool?”
Anne’s awesome at pool, and she spent a whole day back when we first met teaching me how to play. I caught on quick. I like the game. “Yeah, a little,” I answer.
“Are you a betting girl?”
“I can be,” I tell him.
“Well, I usually wager kisses.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“But since we’re way past that point, how about this: if I win, you have to go back with me to visit my family.”
I would’ve gone anyway. “If I win?”
“You name it,” he says.
“I want to stay in a big fancy suite at some point on the tour.”
He nods. “Deal. Only if you let me come over and ravish you with my luscious kisses.”
“Luscious kisses?” I ask, completely amused.
West pulls me in and gives me a very public, very long, delicious one just to prove his point.I don’t want this to stop.It’s all I can think as he leads the way a couple of blocks down and into a small log cabin with a BBQ & POOL sign hanging from it.
A barbeque pit occupies one corner, and small tables sit scattered about. A horseshoe-shaped bar takes up the middle, and three pinball machines stand against the back wall. Four pool tables form a line, spaced a few feet apart. Two of the four pool tables are occupied, so West leads me to the farthest one.
He slides some quarters into the table’s slots, and after taking my jacket off, I start racking the balls. I place every striped and solid in their specific spot, like Anne taught me, then spin the eight ball for a tighter break. I pick up a cue stick and roll it across the table, making sure it isn’t bowed.
“Something tells me you’ve done this before.” West squints.
I chalk the tip. “Anne taught me a few things. Do you want to play eight ball, nine ball, snooker?”
“You’re going to kick my ass, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.” I slide him a look.
“I only know how to play eight ball.”
“Good choice. Anne says that’s a good betting game, and I have a hotel suite to win.” I reach inside my front jeans pocket and pull out a quarter. “Call it.” I flip it in the air.
“Heads.”
I snatch it on its descent, turn it over to reveal tails, and West grunts his disappointment. Shoving the quarter back into my pocket, I pull the rack from the balls and execute a cleanbreak. The loud cracking noise echoes around us as a solid red ball sails to the rear corner pocket.
I glance up at West to see if he’s impressed and catch him staring right down my shirt. “Cute bra.” My skin catches on fire, and he grins. “Just trying to distract you, that’s all.”
