Passing through corridors and wooden partitions, observing the surrounding with the corner of my eye, the way you like it, appreciate it and take notice.
Three tall women standing at the entrance of the games room. The one in the middle watches me with her head down. The way I like it. I return the contact. She moves aside and makes way for me to stride to the entrance. If it wasn't for the mission tonight, I could be spending all night with you.
Head down, I pass through the crowd to the pool tables. Wrote my name on the waiting list, ignoring the two guys that have beat me and can actually do the same thing again... But not tonight! I like my confidence. Sometimes it's all that makes me better in doing things when I might not be the better one by default. I Maintain the winning spirit, projecting the belief that you know you're going to win from your eyes and body is the first step of the actual win.
I stride firmly to the bar. I know I have time and I know I need it. Waiting for the bartender to give me a confirmation, I carefully watch around. It's crowded. Everyone's struggling to get to the bar to booze up. Lebron james passing the ball to Dwayne wade and he scores. Two of the bests in the business, one cocky and the other flirty. Wade is the best.
I take my eyes from the TV and two long legs walk into my scope. Wearing light blue, she already knows I'm there. I have this strange but reliable feeling that she was looking at me for a few seconds earlier. I can visualize it. I avoid her eyes and keep them at the level no one can find out where they're focused on. Then I raise my chin in an abrupt and fully noticable move and span the scene without moving my head. She notices, I look her in the eyes and drop my eyelids a little. Her face is beautiful and elegant like her legs. Harmony in physique is essential. Her bust is firm and the muscle lines in her arms clearly visible. I like her immediately although I need to smell her to know for sure. I subtly nod and take my eyes off her but maintain the level of the eye. Many glances recieved and responded. I'm not in the mood for flirting. Not at the moment. It's business, at 11 Saturday night, that I'm here to take care of after all. I need to focus.
Ironically, I rush for my phone. I expect a text. She and friends were hanging out downtown before going on a seven day hiking trip along the West coast. She's fascinating. I'm about to start dreaming but I avoid it. A pint of beer is all I need right now.
Taking my beer in one hand I take a few steps to the woman with the tall legs and the warm blue dress. Lifting the glass, I nod right into her eyes with a smile and take a sip. Then change direction and walk straight to the pool table. It should be about time and I can see bobby, the korean looking player, shakes his head as he watches how the other player sinks the last ball in the pocket. He must be good and I must be careful. He wasnt meant to win though. I get this feeling that tonight is going to be a long night.
***
I look at Carolina's eyes and follow them as she drops her look down to her neck and chest where the blue dress starts to cover them. I do not stop and continue down to the legs, a few inches above the knees where the naked body of hers appears again to me. The beauty of it all makes me unable to control my smile and I don't mind to show my admiration. I take a good deep breath and lift my stick and lean it's waist to the corner of the pool table. While trying to adjust the approximate direction of my shot, I put my left hand in my pocket. I already dealt with the fear of playing with one hand against one of the bests in doing it earlier this game, so I successfully avoid the fear again. I can feel how anxiously bobby is standing at the other corner. He's already lost 300 bucks to me and he knows this is his last chance to make up for it. That, I'm sure, was why he offered me to double the bet and play with one hand when I had only two balls left on the table against his six. I avoid looking at him for I know he's much better than me in shooting with a hand in pocket. I don't know why I accepted the offer. Maybe he made it such so that I couldn't refuse, but I'm going to use that against him. I'm going to sink this ball, and after that, the black ball, and collect another 300 and that's it. I'm done with the business. 1200 bucks in ninety minutes of playing pool. 750 from bobby which makes me a huge winner after last week's loss, and 450 from the Slovenian. He can shoot better than me. I know he can. But I do not allow him to do so confronting me. That's how I maintain my superiority against him, almost every time.
I know I'm distracting myself. Discipline shrinks when mixed with this much alcohol and most importantly being ahead this much in a game. I try to go back on focusing on the shot. He's tough. I don't care but I should, and I can't help it! I know I'm not going to sink this one so I just try to take the best defensive move. It works. He has nothing. A petty untimely victorious feeling fills me and I know this can be my most vulnerable moment. And bobby knows that too as he takes an incredible shot and sinks his first ball since the break off, with one hand. Something drops in my stomach. I know it's going to consume me if I let it. I try to avoid it but it strikes again as bobby sinks another ball. And another. I feel smaller in size. In my aroura. Next shot is very easy and he makes it, obviously. This is the moment though. The last chance. The kind of circumstances I thrive in. I feel the miss-arrangement in the bobby's remaining shots and I start to seize it. It's a masochistic approach, I know, but I cannot help it!
I imagine hearing a voice in my head telling me to breath and I follow without a moment of hesitation. Straightening my shoulders, I feel a presence beside me. A hand touches my arm and then my face, lifts it and brings it to hers and kisses my lips. It's her in the bluest form.
I imagine hearing a voice in my head telling me to breath and I follow without a moment of hesitation. Straightening my shoulders, I feel a presence beside me. A hand touches my arm and then my face, lifts it and brings it to hers and kisses my lips. It's her in the bluest form.
The rest I can only remember in three still snapshots. Bobby's ridiculous screwed over grin after failing to sink, me bent over the table stretched out in every limb, three blue fifty dollar bills bobby carefully places inside one of the pockets of the table, and me leaving the bar in long strides after a kiss back and quick bye bye in a state of mixed feelings of adrenaline rush's excitement, calmness of satisfaction and...
