Mark
I stood there watching her back as she disappeared around the corner of the building. I felt like I should say something, but I knew I needed to let her go. I got what I wanted, closure. She said her part, and I said mine. Nothing I added at the moment would change anything. We weren’t getting back together. Hell, I didn’t want to. What I really wanted was the woman that was currently inside with my friends, only I don’t think she was going to go down without a fight. Toni was stubborn, that much was blatantly obvious. The key was to make her see that pushing me away was not the answer. If I could get her to give in just once, I know that she’d be mine. Explosive didn’t even touch what we’d be together. That kiss at the ballpark was just a small spark of the inferno we’d have together.
I pushed off the wall I was leaning against and made my way back inside. When I got to the back, Jase had a shit eating grin on his face as Jeff stood in front of him, counting bills. “Why don’t all you assholes just give me your money, and we’ll call it a night?” I shook my head.
“I’m not playing you,” Jase growled. “Your little,” he waved in the area that Amber had gone before, “whatever she is, cleaned me out already. I had to collect from Horn here to have enough to pay my tab.”
“What tab?” Tiff rolled her eyes from where she was sitting with Toni. “When have you ever paid a tab here?”
Jase chuckled as he propped his cue against the table and waltzed over to where she was sitting. “I paid tabs all the time when you served me. I was a good tipper, too.”
“Right,” she rolled her eyes again as she sighed.
“You always liked my tips,” he murmured as he leaned in and kissed the side of her neck.
“Are we playing or flirting?” I swung my eyes in their direction.
“I’ll play,” Toni hopped off the stool.
“You ever play before?” I cocked my head to the side.
“Guess you’ll have to play me to find out,” she shoved at my chest as she walked by, heading towards the table. As she picked up the cue that had been abandoned by Jase, she eyed me, “Rack ‘em.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” I chuckled.
“Neither do you,” she giggled.
“Shit. I feel like they might start doing it right here in front of us,” Jase muttered under his breath.
“I’ll play left handed to make it even,” I winked as I placed the last few balls in the triangle. “You can break, sweetheart,” I swept my arm in front of me, giving her the table. I watched skeptically as Toni leaned over the end of the table and slammed the cue into the cue ball. The group flew apart and two solids dropped in.
“Nice,” Jeff whistled and Toni nodded in appreciation as she surveyed what she had left.
“Ah,” I waved them off. “Lucky shot.”
“Lucky my ass,” Jase hooted. “You sure you wanna play lefty? She might be a ringer.”
My head swung in his direction. “I’m taking your money next, Stevenson.”
I stayed rooted to my spot as Toni took shot after shot, sinking balls one after the other. It got to a point where I thought Jase might be right. I might not want to shoot lefty. Just as I was starting to sweat it out, she missed and muttered a curse under her breath. She’d left two of her balls still on the table, but the shot she’d tried to make was a hard one. Even I would have had trouble sinking it.
“Your brother teach you to play?” I smirked as I chalked the end of my stick.
“Nope,” she grinned.
I surveyed the table and walked around it once before settling on a shot. “Your dad?” I pressed.
“Nope,” she shook her head and laughed.
“You teach yourself?” I leaned down and lined up my shot.
“Stop stalling Colby and shoot,” she huffed.
I jerked up to a standing position and my mouth dropped open as I stared at her. “You just called me Colby.”
“Yeah,” she placed her hand on her hip, “and you’re stalling.”
I shook my head as I tried to clear the images that kept creeping in before returning to my previous position. “I’m getting an answer from you before this game is over,” I took aim and sunk the blue stripe. I slowly stood up, calculating where I should go next before nodding and rounding the table. As long as I stayed focused, I could put this game away and shut these assholes up that keep heckling me.
“So, who taught you?” I didn’t look at her, but I wanted her to know I wasn’t giving up.
“Who cares where she learned?” Jase groaned. “Just play the damn game. I wanna see someone finally beat you.”
“You shut up. I’m taking your money next,” I pointed at him before leaning back down to take my next shot.
“You’re cheating,” Toni narrowed her eyes on my hands. “You said lefty,” she tapped my right hand and waited for me to acknowledge that she was right.
“That was before I knew you were good,” I muttered.
“Doesn’t matter. You said lefty. Now switch.”
“Damn you’re pushy,” I grumbled as I changed positions.
“Only when I’m right,” she shrugged and Jase cracked up.
“I like you,” he hooted from where he and Tiff were watching. “She can stay. I think you finally found your match, Colby.”
“I’ve been saying that for weeks,” I uttered under my breath. Toni didn’t hear me, and I sighed as I leaned back down to take my shot. I pulled back and watched as the ball rolled across the table. When it got to the corner pocket, it bounced off the bumper and settled about an inch away from its destination. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I let my head fall between my shoulders.
“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Toni giggled as she rounded the end of the table and took a shot.
I shook my head as I watched her lean over. “I get a rematch if you beat me,” I crossed my arms over my chest, “and I’ll be playing without a handicap.”
“Whatever,” she shrugged as she took her shot. I know I was playing dirty, but right when she went to shoot, I coughed, causing her to almost dig up the felt. “That was low,” she tsked as she stepped back.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mused as I leaned down. I wasn’t sure if she’d try anything, but I wanted to be prepared if she did. I tuned out everything around us as I took aim. I don’t know how, but I was able to get a two for one deal as the yellow and red stripe both rolled to opposite corners and dropped in. “That’s what I’m talking about,” I fist pumped before looking smugly over at her.
“All right,” Tiff yawned as she stood up. “We know you two like each other. I honestly can’t take watching you beat around the bush anymore. Ask her out,” she glared at me. “We’re heading out,” she waved as Jase wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Later, Dude,” he waved his hand in the air as they left.
“I’m out too,” Jeff sighed. “Lena’s getting off soon and I owe her a foot rub.”
“You guys are a bunch of pussies,” I rolled my eyes.
“Game’s almost over anyway,” Toni giggled, bringing my attention back to her. “I mean, after I make this next shot, all I’ll have left is the eight ball. You still have almost all your balls on the table.”
“It’s still my turn, sweetheart. I don’t plan on letting you have another turn,” I leaned down and took another shot, sinking a ball in the side pocket. “I was just warming up,” I repeated the action, dropping another.
“You talk a lot a smack,” Toni tipped her head to the side. “How do you wade through all of it?”
“All of what?” I murmured as I sunk another ball.
“All the shit you toss around,” she propped her hip against the table.
“Feeling threatened? I mused as I sunk ball after ball, leaving us even. “You know,” I chuckled, “once I drop these two, maybe I can explain it over a drink.”
“Are you propositioning me?” she pressed her lips together.
“I don’t know. Is it working?” I moved to where she was standing to take another shot but leaned down next to her ear. “You’re killing me right now,” I let my breath blow across the shell of her ear, causing her to shiver. It was the first time that she’d actually returned my flirting, and I realized Jase was right. She was my match, and I had to have her, regardless of what that meant.
“Maybe,” she swallowed and looked away.
I stood back up and stared at her intently. “Let’s just cut the crap and test this theory,” I placed the cue against the table.
“What?” she stepped back slightly.
“Go on a date with me,” I stepped forward, closing the distance that she’d just created. “A real date, not one these pretend I’m your boyfriend dates.”
“That’s not a good idea,” she looked away and started picking at the felt on the table with her fingernail.
“And why the fuck not?” I scoffed as I placed my hand on her hip to keep her from moving away. “Do you not feel this?” I held her in place as I moved closer so our lower halves were pressed together. “You drive me crazy, Toni. I’ve tried to stay away, tried to be what you wanted, but I can’t do it anymore. It makes me fucking nuts to be around you. You can’t tell me after that kiss last week that you don’t want to see what we could be like together.” I paused as I waited for an answer, but she never gave me one.
“Mark,” she sighed.
“Say yes,” I growled as I leaned down, almost letting my lips touch hers. “If I don’t fulfil the promises I just made, you can tell me to walk away and I will.”
I watched the internal battle wage in her eyes as she struggled with what she wanted, and what she should do. When her eyes lifted to mine, I thought for sure that I’d lost and she was going to tell me no. “Ok,” she whispered, “but no one at station can know about this.”
“Agreed,” I nodded before releasing her. I turned and resumed my position and grinned as I sunk the last two balls, winning the game. “Now about that drink,” I winked as I held out my hand to lead her to the bar.