Page 4 of Kali

Chapter Two

Kali

It's been a long time since I've been out. I feel a little frisson of excitement in my stomach as I pull on my black jeans and a slinky navy top that I bought on a whim after I sold my first painting, hoping I'd have a reason to wear it one day. Secretly, I hoped that reason would be Noah. There’s always been something about him, something warm and comforting. I always enjoyed bumping into him whenever I was with Lora and just hearing his voice would ease my anxiety after a stressful time with my parents. Leaving the island was hard enough knowing I was leaving my mum and best friend behind, but it was all the more difficult when he came to wave me away that morning.

It's weird knowing he saw me at my worst, even sat with me at times when Lora couldn't, and I was too scared to be alone. The days before I'd told my mum I was back. I couldn't bear the thought of her seeing me like that.

Lora sticks her head around the door and gasps. 'You scrub up, babe!' she says, and I laugh.

'Who knew, right?'

'I knew. Noah's eyes are going to pop straight out of his head when he sees you.'

The blush feels like it comes up from my toes.

'Oh, stop it, you've fancied him forever...' she wraps a tendril of my hair around her finger. 'You still fancy him, right?'

I nod my head, unable to meet her eyes.

'I'll tell you a secret, because I firmly believe there should be no secrets between us, and because I think with your...’ she scrunches her face and waves her hands as though trying to find the right word. ‘History... it's only fair that all of the cards are on the table.'

I frown at her; nervous she is going to tell me something I don't want to hear.

'Noah fancies you too. Has done since forever, but you know, the age thing.' She sticks her tongue out, pulling a face of mock disgust which has me snorting out a laugh. 'I can find a way to sneak out if you like, later on, maybe you could tug your ear or something to let me know you're ready to be left alone with him.' She wriggles her eyebrows and I laugh harder.

I blush. ‘I’m sure that’s not true,’ I mumble, even though I want it to be.

We arrive at the pub to find Noah already seated at the bar discussing something with Judd, the same man who has owned this bar ever since forever, and a guy I don't recognise.

Judd nods his head in welcome to Lora and when he recognises me, does a miserable job of hiding his surprise.

'Kali Rhodes. It's been a while,' he says while rubbing a pint glass with a cloth. 'What can I get for you?'

Lora and I went to school with his daughter Sara and I'm desperate to ask after her as I order a lemonade.

'Lemonade?' Lora screeches like I've whispered some kind of death curse on the bar. 'We’re celebrating,' she declares to Judd and the random guy sat with Noah. 'We would like a bottle of your finest champagne.'

'That would be a pee-not-noyr then,' Judd says as he pulls a bottle of white from the fridge with a grin, and I can't help but smile. He hasn't changed a bit. I remember him looking after mum in secret when dad had done a round on her. He would also cut dad off when he knew he'd had enough. Then when he realised that would just send him home in a rage to take it out on mum, he began letting dad stay in the bar until he passed out.

Noah nods his goodbyes to his friend and joins me and Lora at a table where we toast to new beginnings.

'Can you still shoot pool?' Noah asks me and I flick my eyes across at the old pool table that looks like it has seen better days.

'It's been a while,' I admit. Nights out in bars were few and far between once I married Gary. Too often they would result in arguments and baseless accusations. It got to the point where they just weren't worth it. And that was before Gary got physical with his punishments.

I follow Noah to the pool table, and he sets up a game, handing me a cue and some blue chalk.

'Ladies first,' he says, and I nod, bending over the table and taking my first shot. I can feel his eyes on me as the balls blast apart with that satisfying ripple of 'thunks'. A yellow slides smoothly across the felt and into the right corner pocket. 'Hustler,' he grumbles at my smirk. His eyes are full of humour and his jeans and T-shirt look casual but fit him just right. Snug in all the right places.

Noah

I don't know if she is aware but every time she bends forward the cowl neck of the top she is wearing hangs forward revealing a hint of her cleavage. I'm trying to play it cool, but I can't keep my eyes from roving to her cleavage as she wipes the floor with me. It isn't long before she is trying for black. But the shot is impossible.

'Want to make it fun?' I ask. Still bent over the table, she lifts her eyes to mine. I'm hit by a bolt that must have come directly from the air between us. It feels like the residual blast from a gas explosion and it takes me a moment to realise I wasn't lifted and blown backwards from her.

She looks at me, her green eyes huge, the corners of her mouth cocked. 'Aren't you having fun, Noah?' she asks from her position bent over the pool table and that's when I realise. Kali Rhodes is playing with me as a cat plays with a mouse.

I swallow the dryness that tries to stop me from saying what I want. 'You miss that shot, you let me take you out for dinner.'

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