Page 14 of Her Always Choice

“Let’s see then,” he said grabbing her hand and pulling her towards it. They played the first game, and she held back trying to gauge his skill level then on the second she decided to just enjoy the night.

“You’re setting that up wrong,” he warned coming up behind her. “You want to hit the middle of the cue, or it’ll just glance the ball you want and send it in the wrong direction.”

“Then show me how to do it,” she stated enjoying the feel of his arms around her body guiding her shot.

“Melinda?” some said as they went to hit the ball. It distracted them both and the cue went flying as they barely managed to hold onto the stick. “Damn…you don’t have to maim me with a cue ball.”

“Brent, hi,” she said glancing around the diner to see if anyone else from their school was there.

“Hi, I didn’t mean to interrupt I just thought it was you, now I guess I know why you continue to say no,” he said looking at Jordan. “Brent Rackers,” he said holding out his hand to Jordan.

“Jordan Holmes,” he replied curiously.

“I’ll see you around Melinda. Oh and I never told you but the way you put Stephanie in her place…classic,” he said as he turned to go.

“Who was he?” Jordan inquired putting the cue back onto the table.

“Someone from school; he’s a year ahead of me. We didn’t hang out much.”

“But he’s been asking you out constantly?”

“Yeah but he’s not my type. He’s one of the semi-rich who pretends they’re richer to impress people.”

“Opposed to the fabulously rich who pretend they’re poor?” he joked and she laughed in agreement.

“Something like that. Come on let’s finish this game and then loser of the third has to clean up the kitchen at work for…a month.”

“You really want to bet that? We take turns right now.”

“Maybe I’m feeling lucky all of a sudden.” She grinned with a little shrug knowing she could take him down in an instant.

“Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said as they finished, him winning the second round easily as he only had one ball left.

“Want me to break?” he offered as he sat up the table.

“I think I’ll give it a whirl,” she said holding the truth in behind her grin still. “I’ll stick with stripes,” she told him lining up the shot and letting the break sink two off the bat.

“What?” he said looking at her.

“I said I was feeling lucky,” she teased before rounding the table twice and sinking every single shot she called out before adding what should be an impossible choice for the eight ball.

“Okay you might have fooled me but that’s impossible Mel,” he remarked.

“Ah but I’m feeling…”

“Lucky?” he said as she aimed the cue and let it sail.

She stood back leaning against the table as the cue hit the eight ball sending it down against the wall before it flew back up hitting two solids and then landed in the corner pocket she’d picked.

“How the…” he asked turning to her as the crowd who’d been watching her shot cheered.

“Imightplay more than a little,” she told him with a huge grin.

“Oh I’d say so. Where did you learn to play like that?”

“Tate’s dad is Arthur Tatum.”

“The pool genius? Your best friend’s dad is the pool shark of the entire seaboard?”