Page 36 of Break My Heart
I look up and see Gina holding one of the pictures from the wooden ledge that goes around the basement. My dad installed the ledge for my mom to put pictures on and other decorative stuff.
‘Bring it over. I can’t see it from here.’
Gina walks over to me, close enough that I can smell her perfume. It’s a light flowery scent and reminds me that I didn’t wear cologne today. I didn’t even think about it. But now I wish I had. Gina’s clearly trying to distract me from the game and I should’ve done the same, although I’m not sure it would’ve worked. She doesn’t seem the least bit interested in me.
‘That’s Jason and me,’ I say, looking at the picture. ‘We were playing baseball. I was probably nine or ten.’
‘You guys were adorable.’ She stares at the picture. ‘You almost look like twins in this picture.’
‘No way. I’m better looking than him.’ I turn back to the table to figure out my next shot.
‘How old is Jason?’ she asks, putting the picture back.
‘Twenty-eight.’ I lean down, assessing my shot from a different angle.
‘Does he have a girlfriend?’
I glance up at Gina. ‘No. Why?’
She shrugs. ‘I just wondered. What’s he do for a job?’
‘He’s a teacher. High school science, and he’s the baseball coach.’
‘Here in town?’
‘Yeah.’ I rise to standing. ‘Why all the questions about Jason?’
‘No reason. I was just asking about your family. What about your other brother?’
‘Nick? You already met him, and I told you about him.’
‘The younger one.’
‘Brody? What about him?’
‘Is he single?’
‘Yeah. Why are you asking?’
‘I’m just curious.’ She has this devious smile on her face that makes me wonder if she’s only asking about my brothers to make me jealous, another ploy to distract me from the game. And I hate to say it, but it’s working. She should be interested in me, not my stupid brothers. Gina and I are the same age and we both own breweries. We have a lot more in common than she does with my brothers.
I make the next shot. The balls scatter and one almost goes in but stops before it does.
‘My turn,’ Gina says, her devious smile now a smug grin as she leans down to the table to take her shot. She gets three of her balls in, then continues to her next shot. I watch in awe as she sinks her remaining balls, ending with the eight ball.
‘Nice job,’ I say, truly impressed with her skills.
‘Thanks!’ She goes to put her cue stick away. ‘That was fun!’
‘You sure you don’t want to play again?’
She puts on her sweater. ‘I think I’ve beat you enough for today.’
I walk over to her. ‘I could’ve won if I’d warmed up a little. I haven’t played in months.’
‘I haven’t played in over a year. So when can you come over?’
‘Tomorrow, if that works. I could be there in the morning.’
