Page 8 of Winner Takes All

“I always figured you and Nikki would end up together. There’s way too much passion between the two of you to let it slip away.”

“Things have always been going on between us, but we’ve both fought it. Maybe I’m done fighting. I saw enough of that in my time in the military and learned I’d rather make love than war. Besides, the woman drives me crazy... in all of the good ways.”

“So what exactly are your plans?” Robert asks. He’s trying to stir things up, but I’m not giving him that opportunity. I’m admitting what I want. “Are you going to try to beat her? That isn’t exactly the way to win her heart.”

I give him another grin. “She loves a healthy competition,” I tell him. “If I did try to throw the contest she’d be ticked... and she’d know. A lot can be said about Nikki, but she can never be called a fool.”

“What if you stopped playing games altogether and told her how you feel?” he suggests.

I give a shrug. “I’m not sure either of us are capable of that,” I say. “Besides, the game playing is a part of us, and it’s fun. If I bore her, she’ll lose interest. It’s like she’s a big fish on the end of my line... I have to reel when she gets tired and let her run when she’s feisty. In the end I’m gonna net her.”

This makes Robert laugh hard. “You could simply ask her out on a real date.”

“She’d turn me down flat,” I admit.

“Well, you have options. We just have to figure out what they are,” he says.

Before I can say something more, Dale, our local fisherman with a missing finger he keeps in his pocket, sits at the bar and raps, making Robert laugh. Robert moves over to the beer taps, grabs an ice-cold glass, then fills it before handing it over. Once he takes a nice long swallow he looks through the large window at me.

“Something sure smells good. You better be sharing,” he says.

I laugh. “You came in on a good night. The food’s free.”

“I like that.”

“Tips are appreciated,” Robert says, making Dale laugh.

“You know how I feel about tips.”

“That doing your job doesn’t entitle you to a tip,” Robert says.

“Exactly. Tips are supposed to be for exceptional service, but now everyone has their hand out. I don’t get tips for catching the fish you serve, but you grab a glass, fill it with good beer, hand it over, and expect a tip. Boggles my mind. I work far harder.”

Robert laughs at this. “You love fishing, though.”

“And you love beer,” Dale quickly replies, making Robert and me both laugh.

“That’s very true. Okay, instead of a tip, how about a fresh salmon?” Robert suggests.

“I think that can be arranged, and it’s a hell of a lot better than a dollar.”

“I fully agree with you on that,” Robert says.

“If you give me a fresh salmon, I’ll make you some salmon pâté, and a filet that will make you weep,” I tell him..

“Now we’re talking. Two salmon for you,” Dale says. His grin widens as mischievousness enters his eyes. “I can’t help but have overheard you and Robert talking about you and our little Nikki.”

“The entire town has overheard us,” I say.

“If you don’t want to be overheard, you’re in the wrong town.”

“That’s very true. There’s something almost comforting in knowing an entire town is rooting for me.”

“Don’t get too big of a head, it might be that the entire town is rooting for Nikki, and you just happen to be the one she wants,” Robert says.

This makes me laugh. “I fully believe everyone is rooting for her,” I tell him. “Nikki’s special.”

“That she is,” Dale says. “It’s awfully fun watching the two of you dance around each other as well.”

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