Page 18 of Lie for a Lie

“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.

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