After a few more rounds of discovering each other, I donned a leather mini, strategically ripped white tank, and short pair of combat boots. Chase put on a pair of jeans that hugged his ass to perfection and a black t-shirt, and we headed down to the lobby. Once we got there we opted to go on foot to look for a bar instead of just going to the one in the hotel. Chase had even texted the driver to ask if he wanted to join us. With no response we assumed he was either sleeping, or just didn’t want to come.

Walking hand in hand we found one about two or three blocks down. But that one had no pool table, so we walked right back out of it. Luckily this seemed to be the bar district we saw one across the road with a flashing pool table in the big picture window that was like a shining beacon to my grateful eyes. Which was a good thing too, because though Chase had said the night was still young, by the time we’d emerged from the room, it was already after eleven.

“This is the first time we’ve been to play pool together isn’t it?” I asked Chase as we walked into the bar. The best difference between a bar and a nightclub is the fact that the music is there, but isn’t blaring so loud that you can’t even hear the person next to you without shouting at the top of your lungs. “I think I’ve only ever met up with y’all at either a karaoke bar, or board game night. Or that one Halloween party when you kept staring at my chest in my corset.”

“You noticed that?”

“Yes, yes I did.”

The place wasn’t completely packed, but it did have a nice sized crowd. Lucky for us there was one pool table left open with a small table and chairs adjacent to it, I tugged Chase’s hand once I noticed it. Then he said to me, “I’ll grab us something to drink from the bar, how about you get a couple sticks and I’ll meet you over there.”

I was over by the sticks trying to choose the best two—you know, two that weren’t broken off at the tip—when someone walked up to the cue rack and leaned back on the wall beside it. “Don’t you look good tonight? Looking for some company?” Some guy mumbled from behind me, he didn’t seem quite drunk yet, but you could tell he was well on his way.

“Uh, no. I’m grabbing two sticks, not just one.”

Instead of just letting it go at that, he continued on, “One could be just a back-up, sort of how I could be yours if your date goes south.”

“My wife doesn’t need a back-up, in any way.” Chase had walked up behind me pulling me closer to him, my back to his front. “She’s bringing our drinks over to the table.” The man threw up his hands in a ‘no offense’ gesture, “Hey, man, didn’t see a ring. Might wanna take care of that.”

“Oh trust me, she’s being taken care of very well,” was Chase’s response to the question left unasked as we walked over to our table.

“Mr. Reynolds, I must admit, I like this side of you very much.”

After about fifteen minutes into our game, Chase said with a huge smile on his face, “You’re not that bad.”

I stared him down before responding. “You fucking liar.” I laughed at his look of mock outrage. “I know I suck ass, but I just like playing anyway.”

“Give yourself some credit, you’ve knocked in more balls than I have. Granted, some of those balls were mine, but still.”

After a few more games, more drinks, and a lot more shit talking, our giant platter of nachos arrived. We were more than halfway through with them when I asked the question I’d been dying to ask. “Why, if you’ve felt this way all this time, did you wait until now to say anything?”

“No time ever seemed like the right time, until now.”

“And it had nothing at all to do with Max?”

“No. And before you ask me anything else as you try to convince yourself of a million reasons why we shouldn’t be together, I’m going to run away to the men’s room.” Stepping out of his chair he stopped where I sat and bent down. Then he kissed me in a none-too-gentle, demanding and claiming kiss that left my head reeling and my toes curling, before telling me, “While I’m gone, think of a million reasons why we do belong together.”

Chase’s chair had barely even had the chance to cool down before that same guy from earlier stumbled over, having gone from buzzed to totally drunk. “Now dat he’s gone, how bout chu slide me dem digits?”

“Dude, I wouldn’t give you the number to nine one-one if you were standing there bleeding.”

“Chu liddle bitch.” The word had just barely escaped his foul mouth when a fist came from out of nowhere, knocking him out cold on the floor.

“No one disrespects my wife.” Turning to a stunned and very turned-on me, Chase held out his hand and asked, “You ready? Only court want to be in is where I’m being paid to be there.”

“More than ready.”

With that I took his hand and we stepped over the big, dumb brute, stopping for a second to leave a hefty tip on the table as we made our way out the door, and back to the hotel for a long memory making night that did not involve sleep.