“Wise-ass and bad at pool,” she counters, and I hold my chest, pretending to be stabbed in the heart.
We agree on bottomless wings, which impresses the shit out of me. Women back in Seattle, well, the ones I went out with, would die before being seen in public eating with their hands. We scour through the drinks menu and decide on sodas. This is a first: a sober date. But the way she looks in this setting, that tiny leather jacket pushing together her cleavage, is a heady enough sensation.
“Wanna shoot some pool while we wait?” I suggest. Shelby nods her head toward one of the empty tables.
I rub my hands together and stand, holding my hand out to help her up. She takes it with a smirk, shrugs out of her jacket, and we walk over to the pool table, only to be interjected by a couple heading for the same table.
“Shelby?” The man frowns down at her, obviously surprised to see her. He gives me a once over. I still when I see the redhead beside him.
“Leon, hey,” Shelby greets.” Turning toward me. “This is—”
“Ember, wasn’t it?” the redhead interrupts, a sneer on her face that makes her look dangerous. Her eyes shoot daggers at me.
“You two know each other?” Shelby asks, looking between us.
“So, you two are here, like together?” Leon asks, speaking again. He sizes me up pretty good, a scowl on his face.
“Well, yeah, it’s not like that, though,” Shelby objects.
“Not like what?” I ask her, frowning at Leon. The asshole doesn’t have any right to question her. I wrap an arm around her waist and tug her close to me.
“I mean, we’rejust friends,Ember,” she says, utterly taken back by this whole showdown.
“Just friends, huh?” Red snickers. Lily, no, Lauren. Oh, who cares.
“Lisa.” She smiles wickedly up at me as if reading my mind. “The girl you took home the other night after your little striptease.”
I look down at Shelby, whose eyes are wide as saucers. Leon looks pretty taken aback too.
“I thought you weren’t seeing anyone?” He folds his arms, pinning Lisa with his gaze.
“It was nothing. He didn’t even remember my name.” She waves him off. “Let’s go dance.”
Shelby glares at me, then walks back to the table, gathering her purse and pulling on her jacket.
“Wait... Shelby, listen. Nothing happened. She just said that to piss you off. I couldn’t even remember her name. I was flat out drunk.”
“Yeah, and how much to make you forget mine too. Is that your game? You think I’m some fucking notch on your bedpost?” She looks like a ball of molten lava right now, her shoulders trembling.
“Gosh, Shelby, no—” I reach out for her arm.
“Don’t touch me,” she hisses through gritted teeth, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, and I want to take her in my arms, hold her until she falls apart.
“Let me drive you to Marcy’s?”
“No, I’ll get a cab,” she states with finality.
Leon walks up to the table. “Need a ride, Shelby, don’t feel much like hanging out here, either.” I fist my hands at my side. I should smash his pretty face.
She nods and lets him lead her by the small of her back out of the bar. I look on, and my blood boils. I want to fucking crush something so bad right now.
“Well, that’s a bummer.” Lisa sighs then offers me a drink. And even though I am pissed at her, I take it and down the honey-colored liquid in one gulp. I slip into the booth, and she tells me she’ll get us a bottle. I nod, irritated at her presence but needing to lose myself at the same time.
The truth is Shelby doesn’t know me, this looks bad, and I should never have taken this girl home in the first place, not when I knew I liked Shelby.
I stand and walk through the crowd. “Hey, where ya going?” Lisa shouts as I near the door. I ignore her, tug open the door and walk out into the crisp night. I should go home, get wasted, and forget all of this shit.
* * *
