Page 88 of Picture Us

Before they get too lost in their thoughts, their intercom rang. They stood and buzzed in the expected guest. After a minute, a breathless Diana appeared on the landing outside Drew’s door.

“I will pay you to move.” Diana begged as she leaned against the doorframe.

“How much?” Drew smirked and let her in.

Making herself at home, Diana grabbed a glass from the cabinets in the kitchen and turned on the sink tap. After chugging the entire glass, Diana took a breath. “Are you ready, or what?”

Drew checked the time. “Shit, I thought you were early.”

“When have I ever been early to anything?” Wrinkling her eyebrows, she couldn’t help but wonder if Drew truly knew her at all.

“Fair enough.” Drew turned off their computer and the light box next to it. The prints would have to wait until tomorrow. Right now, Ginger’s was calling their name and they did not have the willpower to resist such a tempting bar.

They grabbed their flannel overshirt from the desk chair and walked to the door. Besides, they needed to get Rose off their mind.

Drew took a sip of their beer, setting it on the wood lip above the benches. Diana leaned over the pool table taking an impossible shot at a solid.

Their competitors, an older sapphic couple who wore matching leather vests, were not playing around. In fact, it may have only been Drew who didn’t see the match as life or death. As they moved around the table, a crowd of Ginger’s patrons gathered to watch the match.

Far less of a dancing kind of bar, Ginger’s was a perfect place to chat and watch some pool. All night a group of women were eyeing Drew as they bent over and took shots. They weren’t nearly as skilled as anyone else at the table but this crowd didn’t seem to mind.

“Ah!” Diana groaned as she missed her pocket. Grabbing her drink off the bar, she looked over at the group ogling Drew. “Are you gonna do something about that?”

Drew shook their head. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

With a heavy sigh, Diana leaned closer. “Dude, you know what they say. Get over by getting under.”

Rolling their eyes, Drew laughed. “It’s not even about that. I know it’s over. I’m just not in the mood.”

“Mmhm.” Diana downed the last few sips of her beer, sucking her teeth as she did. “God I fucking hate beer.”

After one of the elder lesbians took their shot, Drew grabbed their cue stick and wandered around the table. There weren’t any easy shots left, their skilled opponents had made sure of that. But Drew was a little tipsy and feeling a little daring.

There was one shot they might be able to pull off. Clearing their throat, they leaned over the felt table and lined up a shot with their cue stick. One arm resting on the table, their long fingers guided the stick in the right direction. Taking in a deep breath, Drew squinted their eyes and took their shot.

A cascade of clacking was music to their ears as the cue ball hit the solid. It was a near miss going into the pocket.

“Well, they’ve got this locked up.” Diana groaned.

Sure enough, the older couple sank the 8 ball on their next hit. Handshakes were exchanged and the next pairing shuffled into the table. As Drew left the table, one of the women who had been watching tapped them on the shoulder.

“Good game.” She flitted her eyelids at Drew. Holding out her hand, she smiled at them. “I’m Nicole.”

Drew took her hand and returned the gesture. There was no denying that she was pretty, blonde with a sweet face. “Thanks. Drew.”

“I think I’ve seen you here before.” Nicole blushed, leaning a little closer to them.

Looking down at her, Drew laughed. “Well, there’s not many places to go, are there?”

Nicole giggled a little too eagerly.

Drew took a second to think about what they were doing. By all logic, they should have been thrilled to have a beautiful woman throw herself at them. But their chest burned with anxiety.

None of them will ever be her.

Flinching away, Drew stood up and cleared their throat. “I’m gonna run to the bar and grab a drink, it was nice to meet you.”

Nicole strolled off back to her friends. As they leaned against the bar and waved to the bartender with their empty glass, Drew stared at their reflection in the glass behind the counter. For a second, they weren’t sure it was even them. But it was, something about their face had faded.

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