Page 123 of Distortion
I’m lining up to take my shot when I feel a hand graze the bottom of my ass cheek. I yelp and straighten only to feel Blake pulling my hem down lower and sandwiching me between him and the table.
‘Are you not wearing any underwear?’ he breathes in my ear.
I shiver involuntarily and bite my lip as I look back at him. His eyes track the movement. I let it go immediately.
‘There was a line,’ I whisper.
‘Take your shot, kitten. I’ll make sure no one can see.’
‘Thanks.’ I turn back to the table and lean forward, lining up the cue with the ball.
I draw it back, and just as I let it go, I hear:
‘What the fuck is the kid killer doing here?’
Laurie.
I miss the pocket, the ball jumps off the table and it thuds to the carpeted floor. I wince.
Shade and Mav, who must not have heard the queen bee bitch, high five each other.
‘This game is arrrrghs!’
‘Sorry,’ I say to Blake, who’s still just behind me.
But when I turn, I find his eyes on Jolie. She’s got her hand lightly touching his bicep with a little smile on her face while she opens and shuts her eyes rapidly.
Something curls through me at the sight and I suddenly feel a little sick. I push it away. I have a job to do here tonight.
‘Do you need to wash out your eyes?’ I ask, barely noticing that Laurie is standing there too.
She looks at me, her eyes squinting. ‘What?’
I tilt my head at her. ‘You look like there’s something inyour eyes. Maybe you should go to the bathroom and wash them out. Is it the makeup? My friend gave me MAC to wear tonight, which seems really good.’ I blink, testing it as I speak and then nod. ‘Yeah, it’s really good, but if your brand is irritating your eyes, you should definitely get it off. Can’t be too careful when it comes to eyes.’
‘I—,’ she splutters at me. ‘No! There’s nothing wrong with my makeupor my eyes, you freak.’
Blake is shaking next to me and I glance up to see him laughing. I frown, the nasty feeling coming back. Is Blake laughing at me?
‘Okay,’ I murmur with a bit of a grimace as I look away.
The odd sensation coils low in my gut.
I’m getting upset about something, but I’m not sure what.
Laurie isn’t paying attention. Though she’s standing next to her friend, her eyes are on Shade and the game ... but mostly on Shade.
‘Get over your littletripthe other day?’ Jolie asks me with a sweet smile.
‘Yes, thank you,’ I say, though my chest still twinges a little. ‘I tend to heal quickly. I’m a bit clumsy, you see, so I’m used to it.’
She opens and closes her mouth but doesn’t seem sure of what she should say next.
‘Can I play?’ Laurie asks Shade and Mav, her eyes twitching as well, and I wonder if they both use the same brand of mascara.
Whatever it is, I want to find out the name so that I don’t waste my money on it.
But before I can voice my question, Jolie’s hand tightens on Blake’s arm. ‘Wanna go somewhere, baby?’ she asks in a weird, low voice, kind of like Marilyn Monroe in one of her old movies.
