Page 8 of Tough Score

He gives me a stern glare and then turns to hand the bill to the customer waiting for it. He already suspects what I know… that I won't be calling Jaxson, or anyone else from any city soccer league.

"Hey, can you clear that table over by the pool tables? It’s starting to fill up with empty beer bottles." he says, deciding to fight the good fight another day.

I appreciate his professionalism in not handling family squabbles during working hours.

I follow his line of sight to find a table full to the brim with empty beer bottles and glasses. It seems to be the discarded drink dumping spot for all of the patrons standing around the busy pool tables now that the Hawkeyes game is over and everyone needs a new source of entertainment.

I grab my tray and head straight for it.

I get to work right away, clearing the glasses.

A few minutes later, I hear a voice right behind me.

"You're new here, aren't you. I haven't seen you at this bar before."

I turn to find an older man with slightly graying hair, glossy chocolate brown eyes, and probably a few inches taller than my five-foot-five height.

"Yes, I am. I started last week. Are you a regular?" I ask, attempting to be polite, though his body language signals to me that I should stay alert.

"I haven't been here in a while, but I'll make a greater effort to show up more frequently if I know that you'll be here," he says, taking a step closer.

I don't feel comfortable with how close he's standing or how he leans in when he talks. Nor do I like the fact that his eyes are glued to the small amount of cleavage that's noticeable from the top of my V-neck shirt.

"I'm Charlie," he says, offering out his hand for me to take.

Before I can refuse his handshake by quickly filling them with empty beer bottles, a voice pipes up.

"Charlie, leave her alone."

I look up to find Reeve Aisa, walking up behind Charlie. I hadn't seen him walk in with the last group of Hawkeyes players. Either he slipped in without me noticing or he just got here. "And didn't Oakley ban you from this bar a while ago?"

I'm not surprised in the least that my uncle told Charlie to get lost and not to come back.

"Oakley banned me?" he asks, chuckling and glancing over at me as if Reeve must be kidding. "That's a ridiculous rumor. Where did you hear that?"

Reeve doesn't seem the least bit amused, and neither am I, for that matter. I'm just relieved that a large hockey player entered this awkward conversation and seems to not like Charlie any more than I do.

"I'd suggest that you exit this bar before Slade sees you. He's still pissed about how you harassed Penelope on her birthday last year. He didn't get to finish what you two started, but I bet he'll like to. He's still wound up from all the time he spent in the penalty box tonight so I wouldn't push your luck."

Charlie turns around with his hands up in the air.

"I didn't do anything. What… is it a crime to talk to a pretty girl now?" Charlie asks.

I don't take that as a compliment, not from him.

"Yes, when the pretty girl is doing her job and feels obligated to be nice to your creepy ass so she doesn't lose her job."

Reeve finally makes eye contact with me for a second, his full lips pulling into a lopsided grin when our eyes meet for the first time, as if to assure me that he's here to help. His eyes are a warm amber with gold flecks and I bet if I was standing really close, there would be a little bit of green in them too. His eyes are set off by his olive skin tone and thick jet-black hair, which is just long enough for it to feather when he runs his hands through it.

Without all that goalie gear covering virtually every inch of the man, it's easy to see now that Reeve Aisa is an attractive man. The large cheering section, made up mostly of women in his jersey, that the cameraman panned over to after his impossible goal tonight makes even more sense.

"Charlie!" I hear my uncle's voice over the bar.

He must have just spotted us at the table.

Better late than never.

Charlie cowers just slightly at my uncle's booming voice and then searches formy uncle's location.

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