Page 116 of Under Her Skin

“Damn!” Peyton shouts. The men both look ather.

I ask, “What?”

She pointsat the table and says. “You won, Shelly! You’re right. You do have beginner’s luck. But, we’ll see if you can keep it up. Kip’s next, and he’s really greattoo.”

Kip hops up and jogs over to the table. He turns back just before he gets here and points at Blake. “You’re playing the winner,mate.”

Blake nods and goes back to drinking his beer and looking at his phone. Peyton goes to sit across from him and starts talking away to him. Kip smacks me on the ass and I turn to look at him as I rubit.

“Ow!” I say. “So, what am I, stripes or solids? Cause I didn’t even know lasttime.”

Kip howls with laughter. “Oh, baby!” He shouts at Peyton. “She beat you without even knowing what the hell balls she was supposed to be hitting in. You must be way off yourgame.”

She shoots the finger at him and yells at me. “Kick his assRachelle!”

“Okay, I’ll try,” I yell back over the loud music. Then I say to myself. “I don’t know how I did it while ago, but I’lltry.”

Kip racks up the balls then goes and pours two shots of Patron and comes back to me. “We need to even up the playing field and seeing as you’re so damn good, we each have to take ashot.”

He intertwines our arms then places a shot in each of our hands. Our faces are really close and I glance sideways, noticing neither Blake nor Peyton is paying a bit of attention to us. I take the drink in one gulp and hand the glass back toKip.

“Get ready to get your ass handed to you, rock star,” I say then wipe my mouth with the back of myhand.

“Whew!”Peyton shouts. “She’s about to burst your bubble, PopRock!”

He bows and says, “Please, make the starting shot,princess.”

I break the balls up and look back at him for what’s next. “So what am I thistime?”

“Whatever you want,” he says as he looks astonished. “You got four of eachsunk.”

“I pick the stripped ones them. I think they’re prettier,” I say and step back and lean on the long pool stick. My eyes dart to Blake and he’s playing with hisphone.

I want to win this round so bad so he has to play with me. I take every shot I can with my back to him and lean way over so my ass shoots out. But I never catch him looking atme.

Kip laughs as he sees what I’m doing and he goads me. “Don’t even try, love. He’s moved on. He’s doing as you wished after all. Leaving you alone, moving on and such.” He passes me on his way to the other side of the table and lands another hard slap on myass.

“Hey! Cut that out!” I shout and look again to see if Blake is looking. Surely he has to be wondering what I’m yelling about. But nope he’s talking toPeyton.

Three more shots and Kip shouts, “Un-fucking believable! Shewon!”

I jump up and down and scream, “Yes!!! Ha, in your face, Kip.” I dance over to him and smack him on theass.

“Beginner’s luck is all it is, Shelly. You really are a clueless player,” he says then walks to the table and pours two moreshots.

He walks back up and places one in my hand and gestures for Blake to come to us. I bite my lip as I’m pretty sure he’s going to have me and Blake intertwine our hands like he and Idid.

“Here, mate. Wrap your arm around hers and take your shots,” Kip directs and Blake follows thecommand.

Only Blake doesn’t look at me as we take the shots so close to one another. He unwinds his arm from mine and hands Kip the glass. “Let me show you two how to stomp beginner’s luck’sass.”

Kip and Peyton make little ewwwing sounds and I frown. “Goodluck.”

“Don’t need it,” he says without looking atme.

Blake.

He racks up the balls and breaks them himself. I see he’s not into being gentlemanly with me right now. He makes in two solid balls so I can safely assume those are his to get in. He takes shot after shot and gets his in every time. Then he misses and I jump up anddown.