Page 58 of Gabriel's Album

“Good point,” Sebastian replies as I fail to sink a ball, leaving him set up for his next shot.

My friend, who is by far the best pool player I know, after his dad, proceeds to sink five stripes in a row before he misses sinking a sixth.

“I’m sorry, guys,” I say as I take a shot but fail to sink a ball. “I don’t think I’m going to be the one to beat him.”

“Better men than you have tried,” Sebastian says as he sinks another and lines up his next shot to sink his final ball.

“Hmph, if you say so,” I grimace as Sebastian sinks the ball with little effort.

We’ve been playing pool against Sebastian for years, and none of us has beaten him yet. Even on his worst day, he’s far and away a better pool player than any of us. I’ve gotten used to him kicking my ass, and I don’t ever expect to win at pool unless I’m playing Hayden.

“Center pocket,” Sebastian replies while pointing to his left with his cue.

“Really?” Hayden asks. “Why wouldn’t you go for the corner pocket?”

“That’s why I’m the pool shark, not you,” Sebastian says, and leans over to neatly pocket the eight ball in the center pocket as he’d indicated. “Next victim?”

“I’ll go next,” Ariana says and stands up to take the pool cue from my hands.

“Good luck, sweetheart,” I tell her and give her a quick kiss on the lips.

Ariana immediately looks around the room with a panic-stricken look on her face, and I sigh internally as I go to sit next to Heather. I take a swig of my beer, resentment pouring into me over the fact that I can’t even kiss my girlfriend in public without it apparently being a problem for her.

Sebastian racks up the balls again, and Ariana takes the first shot. She hits the white ball with a great amount of force, and it crashes into the triangle, causing the rest of the balls to scatter. With this shot, she manages to sink one striped ball.

“Way to go, Ari!” I cheer.

“You can beat him,” Heather joins in.

“Once again, I’m so not feeling the love,” Sebastian jokes as he watches Ariana take her next shot.

“Go in!” Ariana yells at the ball, but it completely ignores her instruction and bounces off the side of the pocket before rolling back to the center of the table.

“Too bad,” Sebastian says while easily sinking a solid that she’s set him up for.

“Well, there goes my chance,” Ariana tells us as Sebastian sinks another one.

“You never know; you might beat him,” Heather says in a doubtful tone, and as she does, the ball Sebastian hit bounces out of the pocket.

“There you go. I’ve set you up, too,” Sebastian says.

“You’re too kind.” She rolls her eyes at him.

The white ball ends up in perfect alignment with the number fourteen, which Ariana sends rolling into the pocket.

“Come on, Ari, kick his ass,” I encourage her.

Unfortunately for Ariana, the white ball rolls into the pocket as well.

“Two shots,” Sebastian says, then turns to Ariana and offers, “Unless you want the ball back on the table?”

“No, just go ahead and take your turn,” she laughs back at him.

Sure enough, Sebastian proceeds to win the game, sinking ball after ball until his solids are all down, and then sinking the eight ball in the corner pocket he nominates.

“Well played,” Sebastian tells her.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.” She pokes her tongue out at him.

---