Page 44 of Ink & Stardust

I shake off the thought, turning my attention back to Owen.

“How bad are we talking?” I ask.

“Pretty sure he didn’t know the difference between stripes and solids.”

“There’s a difference?”

Wide eyes swing to me.

“Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“I am.” I give him a cheeky smile.

“Beautifulandfunny.” He clucks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, staring at me long enough that I feel the need to divert.

“So are you asking me to play or what?” I tip my head toward the pool table, which is currently occupied.

“You want to?”

“Sure,” I agree, because really, what else do I have to do?

“We got winners,” Owen announces as we reach the far side of the table where two sets of guys are currently playing. By the looks of it, they’re almost done too, given that there are only three balls left on the table.

“Didn’t realize you’d be so eager to lose again already,” one of the guys says to Owen.

“I blame Sam. As you can see, I have a new partner.” He nudges me softly.

“Well, she’s a fuck ton hotter than Sam, I’ll give you that.” He smiles, throwing a brief glance my way before returning to his shot.

I dip my face to hide the blush teasing my cheeks.

He nails the eight ball seconds later and then proceeds to rub the victory in his opponents’ faces for a good two minutes before he reracks the table and calls next game.

Turns out, I’m not quite as bad as I expected to be. I mean, I’m not necessarily good either, but I do manage to knock in a couple of balls and not completely embarrass myself in the process. We lose the first game but not by much, and since there’s no one else waiting for next game, we play another, this one coming down to only the eight ball, which Owen ends up scratching on, losing us the game a second time.

We’re on game three by the time Char finds us, having long since abandoned her shirt swap guy. She partners up with another guy I’ve never met and takes next game, while me and Owen hang back and watch them get completely annihilated.

We play for another hour or so, by which time Owen has killed at least six beers to my two. The more he drinks, the louder and more hysterical he becomes. We only talked for a few days before that disastrous first date, though I use the worddatevery loosely, so I never really got to see this side of him, and I have to admit, I don’t totally hate it. Sure, he’s a bit obnoxious, but in a cute way, if such a thing exists.

I can’t deny that I’m having fun. I am. But I also can’t deny that I find myself looking back toward the door every few minutes, waiting for someone who will likely never show. I mean, I practically jumped the guy on the quad and then he ghosted me for nearly a week. If I haven’t gotten the hint by now, then I’m even more pathetic than I already thought.

“I need another drink,” Owen announces after we lose... again. At this point, I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve been defeated. I just know it’s a lot. “Come with me?” he asks, snagging my hand.

Without waiting for an answer, he pulls me alongside him. I don’t mind, though, so I go willingly, waving at Maisie as Ipass, who’s sitting on the far side couches with a couple of other people, looking oddly distracted and yet like she’s having a good time all the same. Funny enough, that’s kind of how I feel.

“I’m so glad you pulled my name,” Owen tells me for about the hundredth time tonight as we head down the hallway in the direction of the kitchen.

“So you’ve said.” I chuckle.

“Well, I mean it.” He stops short of the kitchen, turning so abruptly that I don’t have time to step away before he has me trapped between him and the wall. “I know I fucked up last time.”

I suck in a breath and hold it when his face dips.

If he kisses me, I don’t know what I’ll do. Not that I’d be totally offended by him kissing me, but I don’t know; something about it makes my stomach feel sour.

“But I’m hoping maybe we can start over.” He finishes his sentence after a long pause.

“Start over?” I act like I have no idea what he’s talking about, stalling really. “We’re friends,” I remind him.

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