32. Chapter 32
Rafe leaned over the table, his cue stick a smooth extension of his arm, as he took the break shot. The satisfying crack echoed through the room, signaling the start of the game, even if it meant he was likely to pocket a solid or two.
It was a sweltering July Friday at Congress Street Social Club in downtown Savannah, our unofficial hangout for catchups and leisurely games of pool.
The atmosphere was always just right—lively but not too crowded, with a perfect blend of locals and the occasional tourist. The scent of spiced wings and fried pickles mingled in the air, a backdrop to the clack of pool balls and the low hum of conversation.
”I thought you”d be with Aurora.” Rafe began lining up his next shot.
”She”s out with friends. Luna and Stella.”
Rafe laughed. ”Luna is probably corrupting her.”
”No doubt. Have you seen Lev around lately?” Luna”s brother Lev, his friend Dom and Rafe had been the three musketeers growing up.
”Yeah, but he”s busy working all the fucking time.”
”How”s Dom?” I asked.
”He”s moving back to Savannah,” Rafe stated, ”it”s going to be interesting.”
”No doubt.”
Dom was the son of the housekeeper at the Steele Estate, and sure, there had been those who scoffed at Rafe and Lev for allowing him into the ”elite” circles, but they never gave a shit. Dom was a close friend and continued to be.
I chalked my cue, watching Rafe miss sinking a solid into the corner pocket.
”How”s it going with your second chance with Aurora?” Rafe rested his cue on the rack and picked up his beer.
I leaned over the table, focusing on the cue ball and lining it up with a stripe. The shot was clean, the ball rolling smoothly into the side pocket. ”One step forward, ten steps backward.”
”What do you mean?”
I moved around the table and lined up my cue again.
”She”s scared I”m going to be an asshole again.”
”It”s a legit fear.” He took a pull of his beer.
I pocketed another stripe.
”I don”t know how to convince her that I love her. She doesn”t believe me.” I looked at the pool table critically.
I leaned again to take a shot. ”Have you had sex yet?”
I missed the shot hearing his question, which rattled me as he”d hoped it would. ”Fucker.”
Rafe grinned, setting his beer down. ”Have you?”
”No. I…I told her we wouldn”t until she trusted me again. I have the worst case of blue balls.”
”Mama said the picnic was a success.”
”Yeah.” I got to kiss her that night. Since then, we”d gone out twice, both times to a restaurant. She used to invite me home for dinner, but she didn”t anymore. It bothered me that she thought that if she asked me over, I”d take her to bed. I wanted to, but I wasn”t going to fucking seduce her when she looked at me like I was going to break her heart.
”But?” Rafael took a shot and pocketed another solid.
”But…she”s cautious. I asked her to come over for dinner with Sophia and me; but she turned me down. Said, she doesn”t want to confuse Sophia since she doesn”t think we”re going to make it.”
Rafael paused, straightening up. ”Ouch.”
”Tell me about it.” I took a long pull of beer.
”Can I ask you something?”
”Sure.”
”Is she worth it?”
I looked at Rafe, and he was watching me, I knew, to assess how I really felt. We were close, and he knew me as well as I knew him. ”Yeah. I love her, Rafe.”
”You really fucked up. Don”t get me wrong, Iris and Sophia pulled a number on you, but…fuck, Gabe.”
”I know,” I snapped. ”You don”t have to tell me again and again.”
”Tell you what again and again?” I heard Beau from behind me. Great, another person who was going to bust my chops about Aurora.
”That he fucked up with Aurora.”
Beau slapped me on the shoulder. ”Fuck yeah, he did. It was epic.” And then gave Rafe a hug. ”Been a long time, brother.”
”I know. How are things with you? I hear Trevor is getting married soon.”
”Yeah. Mama is running around like a chicken without a head planning the wedding. I steer clear of all that shit.”
A server came by, and Beau gave her his ”drop your panties, baby” smile. ”Darlin”, I”ll have whatever IPA you have on tap.”
”We have Stone Hazy and Voodoo Ranger.” She smiled wide at Beau. They all always did.
”Well, darlin”, what do you recommend. I like my beer real bitter.”
She flushed. ”Voodoo Ranger, then.”
”Thanks.”
”Jesus, she”s a kid, Beau,” I muttered.
”She”s a full-grown woman,” Beau replied. ”And I was only flirtin” with her.”
”You”re a pig, you know that?”
”I”m not the one who got drunk and told the love of his life that she”s bad mama material,” Beau reminded me.
”Fuck, here we go again.” I shook my head.
”We playing or what?” Rafe asked.
”Why don”t you just trounce my ass, and we can drink beer while Beau reams my ass about my lousy choices?” I suggested.
”Since you ask so nice.” And then Rafe expertly cleared the table of his remaining solids, setting himself up for the eight-ball.
”I hear Dom”s coming home,” Beau remarked.
Rafe lined up his last shot. ”Yeah, in a few months.”
”He visiting or…?”
”He”s coming to stay.” Rafe moved his cue, and the eight-ball rolled smoothly into the pocket.
”Yeah? Lev didn”t mention it. I saw him the other day at some charity nonsense that Mama dragged me to so I could give them a boatload of money.”
”Dom just told me yesterday,” Rafe remarked when his phone buzzed. He smiled when he looked at the message. ”Gabe, your woman is down the street at Tree House Savannah.”
”Who messaged you?” I asked.
”Luna.”
”Now that”s a hot woman,” Beau commented.
”Don”t poach, man.” Rafe cocked his eyebrow.
”Yeah, Dom will fuckin” kill me if I look wrong at her.”
”They still doing that dance?” I mused.
”Oh yeah. Every time we talk, there”s a lot of, so is she dating someone without asking if she is. He asks about everyone”s love life like he gives a shit. I just stopped playing the game and told him to ask Luna.” Rafe set our cues away and finished his beer.
”So…should we go to Tree House?” I suggested.
”After I finish my beer and maybe get that cute server”s number,” Beau chuckled.
I checked my phone to see if Aurora had sent me a message by chance. She”d started to once in a while initiate conversations, which made me believe we were making progress. But she was still skittish about it. It was as if she was always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
”I”ll buy you another beer at Tree House, asshole.”
”Son of a bitch, she”s got you by the short and curlies,” Beau shook his head in disgust and awe.
”Afraid so,” I confessed.