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We flip a coin, and I get to break.

I bend to line up the cue with the white ball, and it’s then I realize how short my dress is. Short of flashing my butt at the entire bar, I can’t do this in the correct position.

Nicole laughs, realizing my situation, and moves to stand behind me.

Not realizing what she’s doing, Jake calls her out for assisting.

“She’s err...not assisting. She’s covering my ass.” I swish the skirt of my dress, which falls indecently high.

“I thought you looked hot. Maybe bend over with her next time.” Aaron laughs.

I laugh, too, but it feels forced. I glance back over to the table. Austin has lined up another drink for Josh.

We run a few turns, and they’ve potted four to our one. Aaron is looking practically giddy as he lines up to take his next shot.

“The air con in here is running a little cool, eh, sweetheart?” His eyes dip down to my nipples which I realize are poking through the thin lace of my bra and silky dress.

He misses, and I huff a breath of relief, covering mychest with my arms.

“You know what I’ve never understood about men?” Nicole murmurs, lining up to pot a striped ball into the top left corner.

She hits the white ball perfectly, and it clunks against the ball so hard I barely see it fall into the pocket.

“They don’t understand that if they learned to shut up for a second, they’d still have access to view your beautiful breasts, Olivia.”

She lines up again, thwacking hard as another ball goes in. I bite down a smile as Aaron’s jaw slacks.

“But now...now you’re covering yourself up because he couldn’t keep his stupid mouth shut.”

She lines up her shot, hitting the white ball at an angle. It bounces off one ball,it goes in,it rebounds into another, and god damn,that goes in as well.

“Men,” she continues, “think the bar is their domain.” She looks Aaron dead in the eyes as she takes the final shot, the black rolling slowly toward the top right corner. “When really, they just got hustled by a couple ofgirlies.” The ball smoothly rolls into the pocket and clunks against the other balls.

A cheer erupts from the crowd. Apparently, our bet has drawn attention.

“Now...let’s hope that air conditioning isn’t too cold foryou.” She smirks, glancing down at his crotch.

I’m in awe. I squeal, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing tightly.

“You might be my new best friend,” I say, laughing loudly.

Aaron's face is stony, like he’s been deceived by some great trick when really he’s just underestimated us. Well...Nicole. I didn’t really do much.

“Fuck you, you cheated,” he spits out, throwing his pool cue across the floor like a toddler chucking his toys out of his stroller.

Jake has the good sense to put his hand on his chest,murmuring something in his ear. Aaron doesn’t see sense and makes his way around the table, pointing his fat finger in her face. Nicole must only be five-foot-three, maybe four at most. But the girl isn’t just in the fitness industry; she lives it. She’s strong as fuck and stares him down, not bending an inch.

He, however, bends right down into her face. That is before Josh strides across the room, and before I can blink, he punches Aaron right in the nose. Blood pisses out of his face as he screams. Chaos descends. Aaron takes a swing, which Josh easily ducks out of the way. He moves swiftly, raising his hand and then bitch-slapping him to add more insult to injury. Is there anything worse than getting bitch-slapped? Okay, maybe getting bitch-slapped by the guy who literally just broke your nose.

“Apologize to her,” he growls, grabbing Aaron’s collar and tugging him down so he has to crouch.

“FUCK YOU, YOU PRICK!”

Josh grabs his nose and squeezes.

Oh my god. I glance at Nicole, but she doesn’t seem fazed at all.

“NOW!” Josh bellows.