14
EMERSYN
Gabe greeted his friends with bear hugs and introduced me as we walked inside the pool hall. “Syn, Drew. Drew, Syn. Syn, Stefan, Stefan, Syn,” he said, pointing at us in turn. “And of course, Harry.” Drew and Stefan were visiting from down south, and I’d already met Harry at the café.
“You know how to play?” Gabe asked as he racked up the balls.
“It’s been a while,” I admitted.
“Let’s play doubles and I’ll show you the ropes. You and me against Stefan and Harry.”
“But that leaves out Drew.” I looked over at Drew, already perched on a stool and drinking a bottle of beer.
“He’s used to it.” Gabe grinned.
Drew gave a look of resignation. “It’s true. I am.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not that much of a player anyway.”
“Okay then.” I grabbed the cue Gabe handed me. “Remind me, there are big balls and little balls, right?”
“Only big balls here, baby.” Harry grabbed his crotch.
“Don’t be a dick,” Gabe warned.
“A dick? I’ve got one of those too.” Harry laughed as he threw back a shot of something dark. He shook his head and let out a “Whoop!”
The three friends of Gabe’s couldn’t be more different. Harry was tall and skinny, with closely cropped hair and ears that stuck out a little. And he was loud—really loud. His voice seemed to echo off the walls. Stefan was a pretty boy, but in a different way from Gabe. He had perfectly groomed hair, and even his brows had been recently plucked and shaped, whereas Gabe leaned more toward the natural messy style, even if he was pretty. Drew was the one I liked best, even though I’d only known them for a few minutes. There was something gentle and sweet about him. Despite his young age, his hair was already thinning. It wasn’t thinning on his face, though; he had a full, thick beard and dressed impeccably well.
“Right.” Gabe came to stand beside me. “There are bigs and smalls, or stripes and solids, depending on what you call them. The first person to pot a ball must pot all the balls of that type. Pot a solid, we’re on solids. The black ball is last and wins the game. Don’t sink the white.”
“Okay, I remember now. I think.” I grabbed the chalk and rubbed it over the cue tip, then realized I probably should know that. “I remember this part at least,” I quickly added.
Gabe tossed a coin to see who would start. It was us. He broke; a solid ball fell into the pocket, and it was decided. My first shot didn’t even connect with its target. My second hit the ball but just rolled it further away from the pocket.
“Wow,” Gabe said as I came back to stand beside him. “You really are shit.”
“Hey!” I shoved him with my hip. “I’m rusty. Give me a bit.”
“What’s Syn short for?” Drew asked from where he was still perched on the stool, sipping his beer.
“Emersyn,” I replied. “But my family just calls me Emmy.”
“Emmy?” Gabe slapped his thigh before taking his next shot. “That sounds so strange. You are not an Emmy. Emmys are cute and sweet. You are neither of those.”
“Is that right, Gable?” I emphasized his full name.
Gabe merely folded his hands over the tip of his cue, rested his chin, and grinned at me. There was this look in his eyes. One of affection mixed with amusement. All I did was grin stupidly back at him, then stuck out my tongue, doing my best to ignore the flutter in my chest. It was hard not to get distracted by the beauty of him at times. I had to keep reminding myself who he was. Who his family was. Who I was.
We lost that game. And the next. Then Harry challenged Gabe to a game of one-on-one, putting a twenty-dollar bet on the outcome. I was secretly rooting for Gabe, as I didn’t like Harry, but despite Gabe being reasonably good at pool, Harry won easily.
“Who’s next?” Harry’s loud voice boomed through the pool hall. “Any challengers?” He puffed out his chest and did a slow circle, arms held wide, waiting to see if anyone would take him up on his offer.
“I will,” I said when no one else did.
Harry grinned eagerly. “You got money to burn, baby?”
“Maybe. And don’t call me baby.” I mentally calculated the money I had. My telemarketing pay had come through, but after I took out all the bill payments, I would have about two hundred and twenty dollars left. I’d like to have more.
“Sure thing, sweetheart.” Harry winked, and I scowled. “Pub rules apply. Twenty again?”
I shrugged. “Why not?”
Harry racked up the balls. “You can break.”
I managed to hit the balls and scatter them, even though I didn’t sink any. Harry won the game easily.
“Double or nothing?” he challenged afterward.
“Harry,” Gabe warned.
“Why not?” I replied, setting my trap.
He won again, and I placed the money I owed him on the pool table. Harry leaned over me to grab it. “I’d be more than happy to give you a few private pointers on how to handle that stick later,” he whispered in my ear.
I glanced at Gabe, who was watching intently, arms crossed, brows furrowed, gaze dark. He didn’t like Harry getting that close to me, and for some stupid reason, it made me happy.
“I’m good, thanks,” I replied dryly.
Harry leaned against the pool table. “Tell you what, since I’m such a nice guy, how about one more game?”
“Let me guess. Double or nothing?”
“How about an even hundy?”
“Oh, come on,” Gabe groaned. “Just leave her alone. We all know you think you’ve got a big dick.”
“She can easily say no if she wants. Let the woman make up her own mind.” Harry just lifted his brows, challenging me.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “That’s a decent chunk of money.”
“Am I sure?” Harry laughed. “You’re the one who has lost every game so far.”
I walked over and grabbed the chalk. “Maybe I did it so your fragile ego wouldn’t get hurt.”
“Sure, darling.”
I bristled. “Since you’re so confident, why not make it two hundred?”
Harry stepped closer, leaning down to whisper in my ear again. “Are you trying to hustle me, baby?”
I gritted my teeth as I chalked up my cue. “There’s only one way to find out.” I rubbed the chalk aggressively. “But if you want to back down…” I shrugged and blew away the excess dust, directing it straight into Harry’s face.
He just grinned. “Rack them up then, angel. Your break.”
After racking up, I leaned down, gliding the cue back and forth over my fingers.
“Nice rack.” Harry winked.
I abandoned the shot, straightening myself and trying to control my temper. “Last chance to back down,” I said with a forced smile.
Harry laughed. “You’re so full of shit.”
I lined up the shot, ignoring the way Harry’s eyes stayed glued to my chest. I paused for a moment and then straightened up again. “Down-trou rules apply?”
“Fuck off. There’s no way you’re winning without me sinking a ball.”
“So that’s a yes?”
Gabe looked over at me, one brow raised. He was beginning to catch on. A small smile played at the corners of his mouth.
“You realize it goes both ways?” Harry said.
I folded into position and took the shot powerfully, sinking two striped balls. “Guess I’m on stripes.”
“Oh, she’s playing you, dude,” Stefan laughed.
“Bright red in the top left pocket.” I sank it. “Yellow back left,” I said as I walked around the table to line up the shot. I sank it.
Harry laughed a little nervously.
“Light blue middle left. Dark blue right rear.” I pointed to the indicated pockets.
Gabe whistled long and low as I sank the balls. “You’re going down, Harry.”
“Whatever,” he scoffed. “Just wait until it’s my turn. All the balls in one go. I’m calling it now.”
I just grinned as I lined up the next shot. “It’s cute you think you’ll get a turn, sweetie. Green top right.”
“There’s no way you can make that shot.” Harry shook his head; his confidence was fading.
I shot the ball off the cushion, sending it across the table and into the designated pocket. Gabe, Stefan, and Drew whooped and hollered. They were off their seats now, standing around the table eagerly, waiting for me to take the final shot and sink the black.
“There’s no way,” Harry muttered. “No fucking way.”
I just smirked, placing the cue behind my back and taking the trick shot with exaggerated confidence, not even looking as the ball sank. “I believe you owe me two hundred.”
Harry narrowed his eyes. It was as though he was contemplating whether to congratulate me or curse me. In the end, he did both.
Stefan clapped slowly. “She played you, Harry. She played you so good.”
Harry dug into his pockets but came up short. “I’ll have to owe you,” he muttered.
Gabe cleared his throat. “I believe that was a clear cut down-trou. Drop ‘em, mate.”
Harry took a deep breath, dropped his pants around his ankles, and ran around the pool hall, much to the amusement and laughter of the other patrons.
“Haven’t played in a while, huh?” Gabe knocked shoulders with me.
“I haven’t. But my uncle had a pool table, so…” I shrugged.
I challenged Harry to another game, giving him the chance to win back his money, but he declined. Instead, we hung up the cues and headed for the bar. Stefan tried unsuccessfully to chat up the bartender. Harry sulked over his drink while Gabe and Drew took turns teasing him.
“You want to come surfing with us tomorrow? I’ve taken the day off,” Gabe asked me.
I made a pfffft sound. “You don’t want me tagging along.”
“Yes, I do. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”
“I’ve never surfed before.”
“Sure, sure.” Gabe rolled his eyes.
“No, I mean it!” I exclaimed. “I can’t surf. Never tried.”
Gabe narrowed his eyes. “I’ll teach you. You can swim, right?”
“Yes. I can swim.”
“It’s settled then. You’re coming.”
They had consumed far too much alcohol, so I drove, picking up more to drink along the way. I got myself a bottle of wine, just in case I felt like having a small drink. I was proud that I hadn’t gone overboard the other night and only had a few. It just reinforced that it wasn’t the drinking that was the problem; it was Conrad. He was my addiction.
Tara was the only one home. She was sitting in the lounge, watching some mindless show on TV, so I switched it off and put music on instead. She started to complain, but as soon as she saw Stefan, she fell silent. She was like a moth to a flame, her eyes lighting up at the mere sight of him.
We danced and sang. I sipped on a single glass of wine. Harry kept trying to grab me, pulling me close to him to dance, but I shoved him away, giving him a warning glare. But he kept following, kept trying to corner me.
“Come on,” he said. “Just one dance.” His eyes were glazed and his movements clumsy. “It’s not as though you’ve got the guys falling all over you. Gabe has barely touched you, and he’d fuck anything in a skirt.”
“Back off,” I growled. “Not interested.”
He frowned in confusion. “I thought you and Gabe were just friends?” He looked over to where Gabe and Drew were deep in conversation.
“We are,” I replied, trying to move away from where he had me cornered against the wall.
Harry’s eyes traveled to where Tara and Stefan were making out on the sofa. “But I’m lonely,” he pouted.
“Fuck off!” I said louder.
Gabe looked over. Tension rippled through him when he saw how close Harry was, but he stayed put, his eyes following Harry’s every move. Suddenly, without warning, Harry grabbed my face, shoved me against the wall, and crushed his lips to mine. I pushed my hands against his chest, panic flooding me, but he was too strong, and I couldn’t shove him off. I pushed again, harder, and managed to create a small amount of space between us. Harry leered at me as I kept my hands firmly against his chest.
“Feisty!” He ran his tongue along his bottom lip. “I like them feisty.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gabe leap to his feet, ready to drag Harry away. Calming my racing heart, I reached down and grabbed Harry’s balls, squeezing hard.
“I don’t remember saying you could do that,” I growled as Harry doubled over.
Gabe stopped in his tracks, watching our exchange with both brows raised.
Harry hissed and screamed, “You bitch!”
I bent over so I could twist my grip a bit more. “Excuse me?”
Harry’s face contorted with pain. “You fucking cu—” He gasped as I twisted harder.
I kept my voice steady, despite the heavy thudding in my chest. “I believe the word you’re looking for is sorry.”
Harry glared at me, his face all red. I lifted my brows, waiting for him to speak and not relinquishing my grip. My heart rate began to slow as I breathed deeply.
“Sorry,” he gasped.
It was only then that I let go. Harry fell to the ground, holding himself and cursing while wincing in discomfort.
Gabe came and stood between us, blocking Harry from my vision and glaring down at him. “I think you better go.”
I moved away from the wall, folding myself onto the edge of the sofa and pretended as though the altercation hadn’t affected me at all.
“It’s okay,” I said to Gabe as he moved to sit beside me, concern etched on his face. “I think we understand each other now, don’t we, Harry?”
I was trembling. Gabe reached out and grabbed my foot, which was tucked beside him, anchoring me. Somehow he knew not to ask if I was okay; he knew not to question why I was shaking.
“I’ll talk to him,” he said. “He’s done stuff like this before and he needs to know—”
“Just wait until tomorrow.” I did my best to keep my voice steady. “Maybe he’ll actually remember the conversation then.” I glanced at the others, who were cautiously waiting for my cue on how to proceed, and shifted my tone to be upbeat and cheerful. “Who wants another drink?”