Chapter 8
Paige
“ H ey, gorgeous,” the very handsome stranger says as I walk into the condo, still dazed from my gym encounter.
It was the blond-haired, gem-like, blue-eyed dream boat from the coffee shop. He is here sitting in my apartment.
What was he doing in my apartment?
I put my gym bag on the ground and throw my keys in the bowl by the front door not sure how to feel.
“Bre,” I yell, trying not to sound panicked.
“Oh, good, you’re home.”
She is way too excited.
“Do you know there is an insanely attractive man who isn’t Chris in our living room?” I ask, letting a smile settle in my voice.
His eyes begin to sparkle, and he lets out a small laugh.
“I’m Chris’s roommate, Seth.”
He extends his hand toward me, but I don’t move. My anxiety has taken over, and I smile uncomfortably before stepping forward and shaking his hand.
“That’s Seth, Chris’s roommate,” Bre replies.
She ignores what Seth has said entirely as she enters the room, and I drop his hand almost immediately.
“He is here to pick us up for dinner tonight, remember?” she adds.
Shit .
I managed to forget Bre’s little show before in my room. Dr. Graham Beckett is way too distracting.
“I need about thirty minutes to get ready if you guys don’t mind.”
“Sure. Chris is still napping anyway,” Bre says, sitting on the couch beside Seth.
“I don’t mind,” Seth adds, his eyes taking a long sweep of my face.
I smile and head towards my bedroom.
After a quick shower, I braid my hair partially and split it into two space buns. I throw on my only clean bra and underwear before grabbing my favorite pair of jeans. They always seem to hang on my curves perfectly. Shuffling through the shirts in my closet and settling on one of my favorite band t-shirts, muffled voices begin through the door before Bre shouts.
“Paige, we have to go!”
“I’m finishing now!” I yell back, slightly annoyed, and quickly finish my light makeup. I opt for a hint of neutral eyeshadows and a deep brown liner to make my green eyes pop.
Then, just some flavored ChapStick before a quick spray of my favorite perfume. Opening my bedroom door, I walk past them, talking amongst themselves on the couch.
“That was worth the wait,” Seth says smoothly from behind me.
We stare briefly at each other before Seth smiles, rising from the couch. It is then I take in the full sight of him. As he comes around the couch, I can tell he is slightly over six feet tall, wearing a well-fitted dark gray t-shirt and medium-wash jeans with brown boots. His shaggy blond hair is almost chin-length and messy.
As we leave the apartment, I linger in the doorway, and Chris stops to wait for me. He looks relaxed in light-wash jeans and a grunt-style t-shirt.
“You good?”
Focusing his attention on me, his question is confusing, and I know it shows all over my face.
He lets out a small laugh.
“You seemed a bit overwhelmed earlier. I just want to ensure you felt okay before we left and didn’t need more time.” His words are so unexpected and sincere. I can’t help the broad smile that dances across my lips. I wrap my arms around Chris and kiss his cheek.
“God, it is a shame you don’t have a brother.”
He laughs in response and returns my affection. We both pull away a moment later before heading to Seth’s truck.
The car ride to the bar is uneventful, even though I notice Seth attempting to look back at me occasionally. I pretend not to notice and scroll through social media on my phone.
Bre rambles about nothing important on the whole car ride. She can talk for hours non-stop, never really leaving room for silence. Unlike me, I live in silence. Ever since my overdose, Bre has been like this. Sometimes, I wonder if she is afraid to stop.
I close my eyes and lean against the headrest when Seth parks his truck. I let out a small sigh and open the door. Halfway out, Seth appears from around the corner to help me.
Through the window, I see Chris helping Bre out of the truck. She is talking about nothing and adjusting her skirt while he watches, completely lost in her rambling—there is so much love between them.
“He has never looked at any girl like that.”
Seth smiles, standing beside me and closing the truck door. He offers me his arm, and I take it without hesitation.
“Looks like we will be seeing a lot of each other,” I respond with a flirty smile.
“It looks like it,” he says as he holds open the bar door.
The space is small and comfortable. I have driven past it a few times here and there but never really paid attention to it. It looks as I expect—a large wooden bar to one side with black bar stools, a few pool tables scattered about, and a wall of booths.
“Let me guess, you’re a beer girl?”
His smile is sinful. I flirt back.
“Sure.”
His eyes linger on me before he turns towards the bar with Chris. I watch the boy walk away from earshot before turning towards my sister and taking a seat at a booth.
“Remember a few days ago when I called you about that weird encounter with the hot guy at the coffee shop?”
Bre blinks in confusion, and realization dawns in her emerald eyes as she turns her attention toward the two beautiful men at the bar.
“You are joking with me.”
Bre is clearly shocked.
“He is even better looking than I remember. This whole gentleman act, is it real?”
“As far as I know, yes, it is real,” Bre says. “They have lived together for years and have been best friends since college. Just in case you wanted to know, Graham and Chris have known each other since they were teens. Six years ago, Graham started dating Katherine. She has always been a mess, though something happened when they were deployed a few years ago, and it’s been rocky ever since.” Bre continues, “Chris thinks she cheated on him, but Graham never confirmed anything. I guess he never denied anything either.”
“I ran into Graham at the gym today.”
“And?” Bre asks and I shrug as the guys return to the table.
They place our drinks in front of us and sit down. Chris wraps his arm around Bre and kisses her temple.
“What were you lovely ladies talking about?”
Chris grins as I pull my hand away from Bre’s and reach for my drink.
“Gossiping,” I tease, shooting a glare toward Bre.
Bre laughs.
“About anything interesting?” Seth asks.
“Oh, I was getting all the information on you,” I tease, glancing toward Seth. “And you,” I say toward Chris with a nod and a wicked smile.
Chris’s eyes sparkle with amusement.
“Anything worth mentioning?”
“Nope, not even your dick size,” I say without skipping a beat.
Laughter erupts from next to me, and I smile sweetly and wink. Chris lets out a small laugh.
“Paige, be nice. You know size doesn’t matter. It’s about how you use it,” Bre teases.
I laugh, and Seth’s knee brushes mine under the table. I feel a slight blush across my cheek. He notices and smiles towards his lap.
God, he is sexy.
“I hear Katherine’s home from the hospital. Have either of you heard how she is doing?” Bre asks, steering this conversation.
I notice an immediate change in Seth. “She had mentioned you helped her.”
I nod toward him, not really sure what to say.
“I heard she was doing better. Visiting her mom,” Chris says, almost tense.
Bre reaches for his hand.
“So, Seth, what do you do?” Bre asks
I am grateful. I have no idea how to date. I’ve never really done it before.
“I have my own business in cyber security. Moved here with Chris after he finished his first year in the military,” Seth replies.
“I think it’s great you are your own boss,” I offer, not really having a clue what he does.
“It has its perks and a lot of flexibility.”
“Seth, do you recognize my sister?” Bre asks rather abruptly, and I scowl at her impatience.
Seth laughs.
“About a week ago, I went to grab some coffee to stay awake for work. When I entered the shop, the barista called me from the mobile order station.” He looks at me. “Standing at that counter was a five-foot-tallish blonde in gray scrubs. Her hair was thrown into a messy bun.”
“She is the hot nurse?” Chris asks, seeming to recognize the story.
I can’t help but feel flattered by Seth’s attention. I felt like a mess that day, but he apparently felt the opposite.
“What did you say to her?” Bre asks, intrigued.
“Excuse me, gorgeous.” He smiles, looking at me again.
“And Paige, what did you do?” Bre asks.
I break away from his eyes and smile. Seth responds, never taking his eyes off me.
“She froze. Her cheeks turned three different shades of red.”
“You didn’t ask for her number?”
Bre’s offended tone makes me laugh.
“I couldn’t even remember my name, much less figure out my number,” I admit.
“Honestly, I was afraid to. I have heard the horror stories of dating a nurse,” he jokes.
“She is married to her job.”
Bre looks at me over her glass.
Chris waves towards the waiter for another round.
“Could I have water, too, please?” I ask.
Chris nods.
Seth leans closer to me,
“Are you pacing or limiting yourself?”
“Both. I don’t like to drink too much.”
“Is that due to your work or other things?”
He has probably spent some time with my sister, but I don’t know what she has told him with that big mouth of hers. I glance in her direction, and she nods, confirming my suspicions.
“I have drinking rules, but please feel free to drink however much you would like. I have no problem being the designated driver. It’s how Bre got through law school.”
Bre laughs.
“Oh, my god. Only once did I ever get blackout drunk during school.”
Chris smiles wickedly. “Oh, this is a story I need to hear.”
“Oh no!” I say with a small laugh, taking the last sip of my beer. “I’ll save that story for your wedding toast.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Bre hisses as she swats toward me.
The guys both laugh in unison.
It seems so natural to talk to Seth. I never thought I would see him again, let alone be presented with potential unlimited access to him.
He seems gentle, sweet, and thoughtful, with a killer smile so I give Seth a chance.
As far as blind dates go, this one has been pretty successful. I like Seth. His shaggy, straight blond hair is tucked behind his ears, and his eyes sparkle like blue diamonds. I have been shamelessly flirting all night and am ready for more than some conversation.
“Are you guys interested in a pool game?” I ask the table.
Bre’s eyes light up.
We were raised in and out of pool halls our whole life. Our dad often gambled away our little money, and billiards had proven very profitable. He showed us at a young age the best way to line up our shots and how to play. Bre had gotten pretty good, but I was better.
The small coffee shop I worked at in college was next to a bar with a few pool tables. I sometimes would head over and gamble my tip money on my lunch breaks. In the three years I worked there, I never lost. I often tripled my tips and even had the bartender lining up scheduled games for me.
Once Bre heard about my side gig, she headed over to the bar and began to do the same thing. We finally had to stop when I fucked one of the bartenders and his girlfriend. It was a somewhat confusing time, but I had to admit it was fun.
“Why do I feel like saying yes is a trap?” Chris says a few moments later, looking concerned between Bre and myself.
Seth just laughs and stands up from the table.
“I’m ready when you are.”
Seth smiles, heading to the open pool tables, and signals to the bartender for another round as I rack the balls. Bre is playing dumb as Chris explains to her what a pool stick is and the difference between the colors of the balls. I can’t help but smile at the sweetness of the moment.
“Teams?” I ask out loud, and Bre looks over at me, confused.
I wink at her before saying, “I just want to ensure the teams are fair.”
I can feel Seth’s eyes as he watches me, “I’ll partner with Paige.”
Our eyes meet, and a heat is now building between us. I remove the rack and head over to Seth. He has two pool sticks and offers me the shorter one.
“Can I break?” Bre asks Chris excitedly.
I know it is completely fake.
He nods, and the smile he is giving her is nothing short of devastatingly handsome. I can see Bre struggling to play in this situation.
She looks to me for guidance, and I just smile arrogantly. She shoots me a dirty look as I motion for her to start the game. Seth leans towards me.
“She is about to destroy us, isn’t she?”
I just laugh and watch Bre as she lines up her shot. It becomes apparent to Chris that his girlfriend may be more than she appears. I hear her pool stick hit the white cue ball, followed by the balls rolling chaotically as two stripe balls land in either side pocket.
She smiles.
“Stripes.”
I laugh, and Bre lines up her second shot, sinking in a third stripe ball before missing on the next shot. Both men remain stunned and speechless as Bre makes a pouty face and walks toward Chris to grab her beer.
Seth bumps my shoulder and says, “Ladies first.”
I walk over to the table and let my eyes dance between the possibilities of different shot combinations. I finally settle on one and sink my first two solid-color balls.
“Why do I feel like we are about to get played,” Chris says, and Bre kisses his cheek softly.
“Ah, don’t worry, babe. Paige and I have paid our rent in pool halls since Paige was about six,” Bre says, looking at me as I nod in confirmation.
“Brother, we are getting played,” Seth confirms to Chris as a comfort when I sink in two more shots before barely missing a corner pocket.
“Shit,” I say, frustrated. “I haven’t played in two years. This game is going to be rough.”
Both men look at me dumbfounded, and Bre laughs, taking another sip of her beer. Somehow, Chris manages the courage to take his turn and misses his first shot. Seth does not want to leave his buddy hanging and misses.
Bre wastes no time clearing the rest of the stripes from the table before signaling a pocket for the eight ball. I don’t bother looking and can tell by her reaction Bre misses, and she is pissed about it knowing I will clear the rest of this table.
After a few well-placed shots, we take the first round. Bre reracks the balls, and Chris hasn’t spoken for probably five minutes. I am having a hard time reading his emotions besides being shocked. I know this has been an issue for both of us.
Most men bail once they hear about our childhood. Assuming we are both so messed up that it’s not worth the investment. Bre’s last serious boyfriend left her after she beat him in the only pool game they ever played. He didn’t believe her when she told him a few of our pool hall stories and demanded a game. He made the mistake of letting Bre break and never even got a chance to play. She cleared the table in three minutes. He broke up with her ten minutes after that.
I can see the fear beginning to show in Bre’s eyes when Seth leans over and says something to Chris, almost like snapping him out of a trance. Chris looks over to me and smiles before looking at Bre, becoming immediately concerned with the emotion on her face. I walk over and break the rerack while Chris wraps Bre in his arms, placing a passionate kiss on her lips before pulling away and telling her, “I am so fucking in love with you.”
His words completely throw me off my game, and I scratch the cue ball in a side pocket. I yell fuck loudly, and everyone’s attention turns to me before they let out a laugh.
Bre looks back toward Chris.
“I love you too,” she says with a soft kiss and smile. “Now, let’s kick my sister’s ass.”