Page 15 of Her Always Choice

“Maybe…he taught me and Tate to play. Tate doesn’t really care for the game, though he can still beat anyone out there except for me.”

“You are certainly full of mysteries, aren’t you?” he asked leaning closer so she could hear him over the noise.

“Jordan who’s your friend?” someone called out and he backed away, leaving her to wonder if she was happy or sad about that.

“Heard you were hustled by a babe,whoa-ho-ho,” another said as they made their way through the crowd towards them. “Man-oh-man can you pick em.”

“Sorry,” Jordan said giving her a half-smile. “Mel, these are Fred and Adam…my ex-best friends if they don’t cut it out.”

“What’d we say?” Adam the more obnoxious one asked.

“No wonder you’ve been hiding away for the last few weeks. I would too with her,” Fred added.

“I think you all should go,” Jordan told them.

“Nah, let’s stay, see how good your girl is,” Adam stated wiggling his brows at them.

“She’s not…” Jordan said but she cut him off not about to put up with that kind of crap.

“Alright,” she said setting up the table, “how about a wager? If I can make this shot…eight ball in the side pocket, you all leave and let us enjoy the night. If I don’t, we’ll stay and play a game with you.”

“Throw in dinner if you miss and we’ll play,” Fred agreed.

“Mel, there’s no way you can make that and as much as it pains me to say it, my friends here aren’t the wisest of the bunch,” Jordan said giving her an apologetic look that had her smiling.

“Trust me Jordan, I can make this shot with my eyes closed.”

“Really?” he asked.

“I’ll be nice and do it the first time with them open and once they’re gone, you can try me.”

“Okay,” he said taking a step back from the table. “Eight ball in the side pocket?”

“Eight ball in the side pocket,” she agreed hitting the cue ball with just the right angle and speed. It jumped the two balls then landed hitting the side of the eight ball sending it directly into the pocket.

“No shitin’ way,” Adam gaped.

“Watch the mouth,” Jordan warned. “A bet’s a bet right? So scram.”

“She’s not a pool shark; she’s a goddess,” Fred joked bowing down to her. “We are not worthy to be in your company, oh great one.”

Mel threw her head back and laughed until tears ran down her cheeks.

“What’s so funny Mel?” she heard a new voice ask, and she looked over in surprise making sure she wasn’t losing her mind.

“Oh, these guys are just amazed at my skills,” she answered as Tate headed towards them. “How’d you know where we were?”

“I have my ways,” he answered kissing her cheek and studying the table. “Really, you got them on this shot?”

“She claims she can make it with her eyes closed too,” Jordan said before introducing himself.

“Ah showing off Mel?”

“Not at all Tate.”

“I don’t think they’re going to believe you if you don’t prove it,” he replied.

“Yeah, and I’m turning the GPS locator on my phone off again. How you manage to keep turning it back on…you hacked into my phone’s profile, didn’t you?”