sighing in
frustration.
“You’re doing great; it’s okay,
you’ll get it. I’ve been playing for a while, so that’s why I’m so good,” he
said, his eyes crinkling with his confident smile. I almost felt bad. Almost .
I was still going in for the kill.
“I think I just need a goal. I’m
good with goals,” I said as I pulled the balls from our practice game out of
the pockets, and rolled them in the center to rack them.
“Okay,” Gavin said, scrunching
his brow and not really following me.
“Sorry, I’m not making much
sense. I’m just a competitive person by nature, so I’m thinking if there’s
something I can win, maybe I’ll play harder,” I squinted my eyes and looked
around the room a bit, pretending, as I knew full well what I was about to
propose. “Ah, how about this. If I can win just one game …but only one ,”
I was playing up my desperation some, “you and the dingles here have to wear my
red lipstick out on the dance floor.”
“Haaaaaaaaa,” Cory laughed,
completely taken by my acting skills. “That’s funny. You’re so on. There’s no
way you’re winning.”
Gavin leaned into the bar and
had a pensive look, not as convinced by my performance. He was chewing on his
bottom lip for a few seconds, considering, and finally spoke up. “Okay, but
what if I shut you out?” He wasn’t as trusting as the dingles, smart man.
We stood there in a staring
contest for a few seconds, considering each other’s bluffs. I was starting to
think that maybe Gavin had been holding back a little, too, when he chimed in
with his idea.
“If I shut you out, you have to
kiss each of us on the cheek, with the red lipstick, leaving your mark
behind—so that way everyone here tonight will know you lost a bet,” he
said. He smiled with tight lips, laying down all his cards. He was definitely
holding back. But I was still pretty sure I could surprise him. My grandpa had
won thousands at the tables and had trophies named for him in Vegas. I’d been
taught by the best, and I was about to put all of my faith in those skills.
I reached out my hand to shake
Gavin’s, and the bet was sealed. “You’re on,” I said, sliding the balls into
the rack with flair, just to show the boys a hint of my skills.
“Fuuuuuck,” I heard Steven
whisper to Cory. It made me giggle.
I leaned my weight to one side
and posted my cue on the floor, grabbing my glass of beer with my free hand and
taking a big chug just for effect. I was getting better at holding my liquor.
“You wanna break first or do you just want me to run the table right now and
win the bet,” I smiled and winked, just as Gavin had done minutes before.
He just laughed at my boldness
and waved me through. “By all means. Show me what you’ve got,” he said, sliding
into one of the stools by the dingle twins and their harem.
It had been a few months since
I’d played, but I wasn’t very rusty. I broke and sunk the one ball right away.
Two, three, four and five went soon after. I strutted around the table with a
cocky swagger just to show off my new confidence, and then polished off the
rest of the balls in a matter of minutes. Just to be a bit of an asshole, I
tilted my stick sideways when I was done and blew the chalk off the tip. Gavin
just nodded, smiled and looked down before reaching out to shake my hand again.
“Well played,” he said. “I knew
you were holding back. I didn’t think you’d be that good, but I knew you
were playing me.”
“Why’d you take the bet then?” I
asked, feeling a little guilty for flaying him in front of everyone now.
He just turned to look at the
stunned dingle twins and then looked back at me. “Wearing lipstick for the next
30 minutes out there on that floor is worth every ounce of embarrassment
knowing these jack-offs have to, too,” he laughed.
I smiled and took another drink
of my beer. I was having an amazing time. I felt freedom I hadn’t felt in
weeks, and the weight of my secret was
frustration.
“You’re doing great; it’s okay,
you’ll get it. I’ve been playing for a while, so that’s why I’m so good,” he
said, his eyes crinkling with his confident smile. I almost felt bad. Almost .
I was still going in for the kill.
“I think I just need a goal. I’m
good with goals,” I said as I pulled the balls from our practice game out of
the pockets, and rolled them in the center to rack them.
“Okay,” Gavin said, scrunching
his brow and not really following me.
“Sorry, I’m not making much
sense. I’m just a competitive person by nature, so I’m thinking if there’s
something I can win, maybe I’ll play harder,” I squinted my eyes and looked
around the room a bit, pretending, as I knew full well what I was about to
propose. “Ah, how about this. If I can win just one game …but only one ,”
I was playing up my desperation some, “you and the dingles here have to wear my
red lipstick out on the dance floor.”
“Haaaaaaaaa,” Cory laughed,
completely taken by my acting skills. “That’s funny. You’re so on. There’s no
way you’re winning.”
Gavin leaned into the bar and
had a pensive look, not as convinced by my performance. He was chewing on his
bottom lip for a few seconds, considering, and finally spoke up. “Okay, but
what if I shut you out?” He wasn’t as trusting as the dingles, smart man.
We stood there in a staring
contest for a few seconds, considering each other’s bluffs. I was starting to
think that maybe Gavin had been holding back a little, too, when he chimed in
with his idea.
“If I shut you out, you have to
kiss each of us on the cheek, with the red lipstick, leaving your mark
behind—so that way everyone here tonight will know you lost a bet,” he
said. He smiled with tight lips, laying down all his cards. He was definitely
holding back. But I was still pretty sure I could surprise him. My grandpa had
won thousands at the tables and had trophies named for him in Vegas. I’d been
taught by the best, and I was about to put all of my faith in those skills.
I reached out my hand to shake
Gavin’s, and the bet was sealed. “You’re on,” I said, sliding the balls into
the rack with flair, just to show the boys a hint of my skills.
“Fuuuuuck,” I heard Steven
whisper to Cory. It made me giggle.
I leaned my weight to one side
and posted my cue on the floor, grabbing my glass of beer with my free hand and
taking a big chug just for effect. I was getting better at holding my liquor.
“You wanna break first or do you just want me to run the table right now and
win the bet,” I smiled and winked, just as Gavin had done minutes before.
He just laughed at my boldness
and waved me through. “By all means. Show me what you’ve got,” he said, sliding
into one of the stools by the dingle twins and their harem.
It had been a few months since
I’d played, but I wasn’t very rusty. I broke and sunk the one ball right away.
Two, three, four and five went soon after. I strutted around the table with a
cocky swagger just to show off my new confidence, and then polished off the
rest of the balls in a matter of minutes. Just to be a bit of an asshole, I
tilted my stick sideways when I was done and blew the chalk off the tip. Gavin
just nodded, smiled and looked down before reaching out to shake my hand again.
“Well played,” he said. “I knew
you were holding back. I didn’t think you’d be that good, but I knew you
were playing me.”
“Why’d you take the bet then?” I
asked, feeling a little guilty for flaying him in front of everyone now.
He just turned to look at the
stunned dingle twins and then looked back at me. “Wearing lipstick for the next
30 minutes out there on that floor is worth every ounce of embarrassment
knowing these jack-offs have to, too,” he laughed.
I smiled and took another drink
of my beer. I was having an amazing time. I felt freedom I hadn’t felt in
weeks, and the weight of my secret was
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