8 - Elizabeth
Elizabeth
Jenna and I stayed to watch a bit of the football practice. Then things got a little heated, and we decided to leave before they got out of hand. It was still early though, and we weren’t ready to lock ourselves up in our room just yet. So we freshened up and headed to the campus bar.
The minute my eyes landed on the pool table, things went next level. It was my favorite way to pass time, and the one thing my dad and I spent the most quality time on. When there was a pool table, we could connect like he would with a son, and I loved it. So I had more than enough practice.
“Girl, you look like you’re gonna bring the world down around us,” Jenna said, seemingly amused.
“I absolutely love pool,” I said with a dazzling smile. “It always reminds me of my dad.”
“Then we’re in for a fun-filled night.”
I got acquainted with the table while Jenna headed to the bar to get some cues.
I looked at her for a moment and realized that she wasn’t herself.
That date she’d gone on must’ve been really terrible to have such an effect on her.
They usually didn’t affect her much, but it had been three days and she still didn’t seem to have gotten over it.
“What happened with the guy you met the other night?” I asked when she returned.
She rolled her eyes. “It was the worst date I’ve ever been on.
When you meet him, you wouldn’t think that.
He was gorgeous, smart, charming, funny but I’ve never been so bored.
He tried his best not to get overly excited about biology, but he failed.
And then he started talking about his mother and I wanted to slice my wrists with a butter knife. ”
“Oh, God,” I said, barely able to contain my laughter. “Did you stay through the whole thing, or did you end up leaving early?”
“Oh, no, I stayed. I stayed much longer than I should’ve.
I learned everything there was to know about the man, his studies, and his family.
Then after all that we went to a movie, and it was something he had already seen so he kept spoiling it with comments about how they did it wrong and what they should’ve done better. ”
In my opinion, that was the best kind of guy for Jenna.
He was good looking, so he’d fulfill his needs.
He was smart, so he could help her with stuff she struggled with.
And he was open about his family so she wouldn’t be walking into a situation that she wasn’t prepared for.
I could also see why she’d find that boring.
“So… if you hated it so much, why have you been so down? I mean, with the way you’ve been acting, I would’ve sworn a priest stole your candy cane.”
“Because I actually like him a hell of a lot and I think we could have some amazing times together. Getting him there will be one hell of a mission, though.”
I broke the balls and sunk a solid. Awesome. I always preferred solids.
“And when have you ever been the type to back away from a challenge?” I asked as I walked around the table to take my next shot.
“Since I don’t know if he’s worth the effort,” she said, preparing to shoot. “Getting him where I want him will take months, and I don’t know if I’m up for that kind of commitment right now.”
She sank her first and second balls. Then she slipped up and sank the white while she was going for the third. I took the ball out and lined it up for the perfect restart.
“Enough about me and my terrible date,” Jenna said, leaning down next to me. “What’s going on with your love life? Do you have any potential suitors lined up?”
I sank the ball I had in mind, and with a stroke of pure luck, the one I hit out of the way also ended up in a pocket. Excitement coursed through my veins, and I quickly sank two more. If Jenna wasn’t careful, I was going to whip her ass.
“I’m not too hung up about that at the moment,” I said honestly. “Dates come with some admin and drama. First, you have to find a decent guy. Then you have to worry about your hair, makeup, and nails. And at the end of the day, they’re probably not even worth all that effort.”
I missed my shot, giving Jenna a chance to catch up.
“It’s too much of a hassle for me,” I continued. “I’m so much happier just focusing on my schoolwork and cheerleading. At least that is something I can build a future on.”
“So you’re not into guys at all right now?” she asked, looking slightly disgusted.
“It’s not that I’m not interested in them. I’ve just come to the point where I believe the right guy will come along when he comes along. There’s no point in kissing a million frogs with the hope that you’ll find a prince. The knight always shows up when the damsel needs him the most.”
“Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” Jenna said, and motioned to the door.
My eyes followed hers, and I saw Ethan standing in the entrance.
His hair was slicked back like he had just gotten out of a shower.
The black shirt he had on was so tight I could see the outlines of his muscles.
And those molten eyes were scanning the room as if he was looking for something.
Then he stepped inside and I saw he wasn’t alone. The entire team was there.
“Do you feel that?” Jenna asked, rubbing her arms. “The tension in the room just went up a few notches.”
“You suck,” I said, jokingly slapping her arm.
But she wasn’t wrong. There had been a few encounters between Ethan and me, and each one affected me more than the last. I had to start admitting the truth to myself at some point.
I liked Ethan so much more than I should’ve.
He stirred things within me that I never knew existed.
And the more it happened, the more I wanted.
“Oh, it’s getting hot in here now,” Jenna said as the guys started moving closer to us.
I tried to get my mind off the situation and lined up to take the next shot but just as I pulled back, his delicious scent enveloped me. My hand slipped, and the ball bounced right into the corner pocket. I guessed that I wasn’t as good as I thought. At least not when he was around.
“Well, hello, boys,” Jenna said, with a loaded look. “How are you doing this fine evening?”
“Hello, ladies,” Malik said before giving me a hug. “It’s good to see you out and about.”
“Do you guys wanna join us? It never hurts to have some eye candy,” Dylan said, earning himself a serious eye roll.
“I’d rather be burned at the stake than get within five feet of your nasty ass,” Jenna said, shooing him away.
“Burn,” Cam laughed, but he quickly gave us a quick bow. “I hope you ladies have a good night.”
Jenna gave me a wink, and we returned to our game. She reset the table and decided that she would be the one to break. I was happy with it because I needed a moment to regain my composure. Being that close to Ethan was affecting me in ways it shouldn’t have.
I took a couple of deep breaths as Jenna made her first shot.
My attention should’ve been on the game.
I wanted it to be on the game but just as I bent down to shoot, Ethan came through behind me, drinks in hand.
His hips grazed against my ass, stealing my breath.
I knew he didn’t do it intentionally, but it was torture either way.
I didn’t know if I wanted more of him or less.
Jenna gave me a wicked smile. “Damn, this place is getting really crowded. It’s impossible to move without touching someone.”
I shot, and failed miserably. My ball bounced instead of giving me the smooth roll I was aiming for.
“I don’t know what’s worse,” I said, mostly to myself. “The fact that my game is so bad or that I’m painfully aware of the guys sharing the pool table next to us.”
“Maybe you should go over and give Ethan some lessons,” Jenna teased. “He’s just sitting there. Maybe he doesn’t know how to play.”
I didn’t want that. I was very happy with us keeping to ourselves.
It was supposed to be a girl’s night, and that was exactly what I needed.
Yet, I could feel his eyes roaming over my body.
His gaze had been on me since they arrived, and it made me feel…
overwhelmed. Like I was overheating for no good reason.
“We need more aggression!” Lucas shouted, as he slammed his fist into the table.
Ethan got up, looking slightly annoyed, and grabbed a cue. He walked past me to find the right spot, and for a brief moment his hand grazed mine.
“If we hit them harder, they won’t want to tackle us,” Lucas continued.
“You can hit on me as hard as you want,” Jenna said with a wink.
I was mortified. I couldn’t believe she would brazenly flirt with Lucas while he was trying to get the guys to understand the game plan he had in mind. It was a bit much, especially because she hadn’t stopped teasing me since they arrived.
In my best attempt to avoid the whole situation, I bent down for my next shot. Just as I pulled back for the hit, Ethan did the same. He bumped into me, making me lose my focus.
“I’m so sorry,” Ethan said, getting back up. “I wasn’t paying attention to what was happening behind me. Please, take your shot.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You can go first.”
He shook his head. “Ladies always have the right of way.”
Oh, that was bad. If it were any other day, I’d be confident to take the shot in front of him, but with my game being so off that day, it was the last thing I wanted to do.
I was already embarrassed by my performance, and I didn’t need him to add fuel to that fire.
He wasn’t going to back down, though. I could see it in his eyes.
So I bent down again and lined up my cue. As I pulled back, Ethan leaned down over me, and put his hand on my hip.
“Do you mind if I help you?” he asked. His hot breath against my ear sent a shiver down my spine.
I shook my head, relieved by the offer. I needed to win at least one game if I wanted to keep my reputation intact.
Ethan kicked my legs apart a little and moved closer.
His growing erection pressed against my ass while his hand slowly moved up my body.
He gently took my elbow and pulled it out a little, while his other hand moved to correct my fingers.
Then both hands moved down again and rested on my hips.
He tilted my body slightly as he looked over my shoulder.
“Try now,” he whispered.
I pulled back, and he groaned softly as my body moved into his.
The shot fired, the ball pocketed while putting the next one in perfect alignment, but that was the last thing on my mind.
I couldn’t focus while his fingers were digging into the skin of my hips.
That was nothing compared to the desire I had burning through me, though.
I wanted him to take me, right there on that table, and at that point I didn’t care if people were watching.
“Thank you,” I mumbled as I stood up.
He didn’t move. Instead, his hand followed the curves of my skin. “It’s my pleasure. I’ve been watching you play since I walked in, and you botched a lot of shots.”
“I’m not usually this bad,” I admitted.
“Is something distracting you?”
His fingers were grazing the edge of my crop top.
They were so close to the bottom of my breasts that a little slip would put them exactly where I wanted them to be.
His other arm had wrapped around my waist, and held me against him.
It was the kind of closeness I’d yearned for but never thought we’d share.
“You could say that.”
His erection pulsed, and he quickly pulled away from me. I was disappointed, but when I looked up, I could see that he was just as shocked by what happened as I was.
“I need to get back to my table. Cam is waiting for me,” he said, before vanishing into the crowd.
I felt flustered and confused. Ethan was a completely different guy that night, and for a split second, I actually had hope that something could happen between us. Then it looked like he found himself again, and it disappeared faster than it started. It was so insane it nearly gave me whiplash.
“Girl… That man wants you more than he’d ever admit,” Jenna said, giving me a fright.
“Don’t be crazy. He was just trying to be helpful,” I scoffed.
“You can keep telling yourself that, but I bet you $100 that Ethan will ask you out before this season is over.”
I wished she was right, but Ethan constantly proved that he wasn’t the type. So I balked at the idea.
“I’ll counter your bet,” I said, feeling rather confident. “I bet you $200 that Ethan doesn’t think of anything other than football.”
“I accept your counter with a smile, because you’re about to lose $300.”