by Claire Adams
I shook my head.
“Well, what can I get you two?”
“How about a couple of beers to start.”
“Sure thing, sweetie, I'll be right back.” The waitress sauntered off toward the bar, and I turned back to Natalie.
“Well, well, well, aren't you the one with a shady past?”
“Who says it's shady?”
“Call it a guess.”
She stuck her tongue out at me, and I realized that I had a damn sexy girl sitting across from me. The waitress came back quickly with our beers, and left us to them.
“So, why is this your favorite place?” I asked as I took a swig of my beer. She took a pull on hers as well as she watched me carefully. The girl had zero trust in me, but I wasn't going to hold it against her. I probably deserved her mistrust.
“I don't know; I like the people here. They are good people; hard workers who just are trying to make an honest living and be happy. They don't judge you for who you are; they make me feel safe. I guess I like it because some of the best memories I have of my dad are here as well. He wasn't the best father I could have asked for, but he definitely had his moments. He taught me a lot in these walls.”
I nodded. I liked learning these new little tidbits about Natalie. She was an interesting girl, and this place certainly threw me for a loop. I had not expected this part at all.
We finished off our first beers, and the waitress automatically brought us two more. I decided to tip her well for that alone.
“So, why did you bring me here?”
“What do you mean, Jet, you don't like beer?” She was smiling, and that was always a good thing.
“No. I mean, let's be honest, you barely like me, so why bring me to your favorite place?”
“I don't know. I have a feeling about you. Plus, I hadn't been here in forever, and my girlfriends would never set foot in this place. So I had to bring a guy if I wanted to come, so why not bring you?”
I laughed. “Gee, thanks. So really, it could have been anyone.”
She winked. “I guess so.”
“So, gorgeous, what do you say that we have a little wager? We'll see just how good you are at playing pool. The winner buys shots.”
She laughed. “You're on, but be prepared to buy the shots.”
We walked over to the pool table, and she racked the balls just like a pro. I grabbed a stick, put some chalk on it, and did the same for her. I passed her a stick, and gave her the opportunity to break.
She cracked into the balls so hard they went all over the table. “Wow, great break,” I said. She sunk a few different balls, so it was up to her to pick what balls she wanted to go for.
“Solid,” she announced.
We kept taking turns making shots for the win. Before long, it was obvious that I was getting my butt whipped. Although I felt like I was a strong player, she killed me, leaving me with four balls I still had to sink. I laughed. “Well, that didn't go as planned.”
“Order us up some shots. Would you like to lose again?”
“No way. Let's try our hand at darts this time. I doubt you're as good at darts as I am.”
The waitress came over to replenish our beers, and I asked her if she could bring over a couple of shots of tequila. She headed off in search of them.
Natalie made a face at me. “Now, you didn't have to go and order the nastiest shot available.”
“Hey, I'm the loser. I can pretty much do what I want. If you want to pick the shot, then I suggest you lose.”
She laughed. “Not going to happen.”
The waitress came back with the shots and set them down on the table. I looked up at her as she walked away. “Hey, where's the lemon and salt?”
She started laughing as she walked away. Apparently, they didn't serve that stuff with tequila.
“I told you that you shouldn't have ordered it.”
“Well, I didn't expect that they were inhumane here.”
She giggled. “Well, man up, sunshine. Let's do this, because you have another game to lose.”
We picked up our shots and both downed them. As soon as it hit my throat, I gagged. Thankfully I wasn't the only one, or I may have lost my man card permanently.
“Yikes, that definitely wasn't Patron.”
She laughed loudly. “Let's go.”
We headed over to the dartboard, took the darts off the board, and she handed me ones that were a shade of yellow while she kept the ones that were red.
We started taking turns throwing darts, and it became obvious that Natalie is a strong player. It was like looking at the girl for the first time. I already thought she was really cool, but not only was she cool, she was a pool shark, and she could handle darts like a pro. Although I felt like I was a pretty good player at darts, I hadn't played in forever, and the girl smoked me long before I realized she was going to win again.
When she threw the last dart and it stuck straight in the middle, I couldn't help but laugh. She turned to me with a huge grin on her face.
“So, what are you buying me this time?”
I walked right up to her, wishing to God that I could kiss her without worrying that she might slap me across the face.
“Well, I'm definitely avoiding tequila this time. Let me think about it.”
I left her there at the dartboard, and made my way over to the bar. When I saw the waitress, I ordered a couple more beers, and told her I wanted two shots of whiskey and made sure to specify that I wanted Crown Royal.
“Ohhhh, a fancy guy, aren't we?”
“Well, my dear, you almost killed me with the last poison you brought to our table.”
She smiled sweetly at me.
“Tell me, is there any game that girl is not good at? She just whipped my ass twice without mercy.”
She chuckled. “No, I'm afraid not. Her dad wasn't much of a dad, and the only time they had quality time together was here, if you can imagine that. He taught her everything he knew when it came to winning games that you could bet money on.”
I nodded, understanding now why Natalie had some of her trust issues. I took the beers, while the waitress brought the shots back to our table.
Natalie met us there. “What, you don't want to play any more games with me?”
“No way, you're whooping my butt. I will, however, play a drinking game with you, because I'm pretty sure I have you beat on that front.”
She laughed in a way that made me doubt my confidence. I asked the waitress for a deck of cards, and she promptly brought them over. We ended up playing blackjack. It was one of my favorite card games, and we started going drink for drink for the loser. We played a solid five rounds before she started whooping my ass again. I groaned. She had only let me get that far just to make me feel safe. How could I have been so stupid; the girl was a shark through and through. I should have asked the waitress if Daddy ever taught Natalie cards.
“Let me guess, your dad taught you how to play Blackjack?”
She nodded. “Poker, too.”
“Of course. Brilliant.”
We continued the game for the next hour, laughing together. That was one thing Natalie and I did well―laugh together. We always seemed to have such a great time together. We were progressively getting drunk at that point, and I worried that she might end up throwing up if she drank anymore. Or maybe I was just worried that I would throw up. We had been doing rounds of shots all night, and at that point, I couldn't even taste them anymore.
“Well, well, well. Haven't I just kicked your butt all night? How does it feel, Jet, to have your ass handed to you?” She slurred as she said it, but her slurring was actually kind of cute.
“Well, I'm not impressed with you, if that's what you're asking. I was actually going to suggest going for burgers later, but there's no way I can bring your drunk little ass anywhere. They would surely have you arrested for being drunk and disorderly.”
She giggled. She had totally embarrassed me when it came to winning any games that n
ight, but I had a hard time caring; she looked so happy, and that was worth losing any game for. There was no way either of us was driving home, either, so we definitely needed a new plan.
“Well, darling, I think I'm tapping out for the rest of the night. So do you want to catch a cab back to my place?”
She could suggest going home alone, and I wouldn't fight her, but I also wasn't throwing away an opportunity to have that beautiful redhead sleep beside me another night. Maybe I could even convince her to stay in the morning instead of sneaking off, which seemed to be her MO.
The waitress came back to the table, and I asked her for the tab. When she returned, I realized that we had spent over $100 in booze that night.
I left her with a $35 tip, and her mouth hung open. I realized she didn’t get generous tips on a regular basis.
“How are you kids getting home? You're not thinking of driving, I hope?”
“No, we're just going to grab a cab back to my place.”
“Well, I'm getting off in a few minutes, I just have to count my till, and I can give you a drive home. Do you live far from here?”
“No, I live by the university.”
“Okay, I will get you there. Just give me a minute.”
“Thanks, Deb,” Natalie jumped in.
“You're welcome, sweetie, and don't be a stranger next time. Come back soon.”
Natalie nodded. We waited until Deb had finished work, and we walked with her out to her car. She drove an old station wagon and Natalie and I piled into the back seat. I told Deb where I lived and she pulled out of the parking lot and headed to my place.
Natalie hadn't argued about our destination at that point, so I assumed she was okay with crashing at my place.
Deb dropped us off at the front of my building and we both thanked her for the ride. Natalie and I headed up the stairs, and I realized that the door was open, so I knew that Kyle was awake. He was watching a movie in the living room, and looked up when we walked in. He smirked and shook his head, but didn't say anything about Natalie being there.
“Did you guys have a good night?”
“Yeah, we did; pretty awesome, actually. Did you stay in all night?”
“Yup, just chilled out with a movie and some beers.”
“That's cool. Anyway, goodnight.”
Kyle just nodded as he returned to his movie. Natalie and I walked down the hall to my bedroom and went inside. She went and sat on the bed, and I closed the door behind us. I went to the bed as well and sat beside her.
We started kissing, and it began slowly. Her soft lips were against mine, and there was no rush. Her tongue entered my mouth, and I liked the way it felt against my tongue. Our kisses grew more passionate, and the next thing you know, we were full on making out. I had one hand in her hair and the other was fondling her breast.
She stopped me, and pushed my hand away. I pulled away from the kiss with a confused look on my face. I was worried that she was upset, but she didn’t appear to be.
“Look, Jet, I'm not feeling so hot right now. I don't feel very well at all. I think I'm just going to call it a night.”
“Sure, no problem. Let's just go to bed, then.”
“I want to go home, Jet.”
“Why, Natalie? It's late. I understand if you don't want to fool around, but it seems silly for you to go all the way home at this point.”
“I would just be more comfortable, that's all.”
“If you're worried about getting sick, it's okay. I can take care of you. I've had many drunk friends puke in my presence.” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. I didn't understand why she wanted to go home, but the fact that she did was a red flag for me.
“No, I want to go home. I just don't feel very well, and I would like to sleep in my own bed. I think it's time for me to go. Please understand.”
I nodded, though I had no understanding of what was happening. In fact, I couldn't figure it out at all.
“Let me call you a cab, okay? I don't want you waiting outside for one.”
She smiled and excused herself to go to the bathroom while I called a cab. I informed them of my address, and they said they were on their way. I heard the tap running in the bathroom and assumed Natalie must be freshening up or rinsing her mouth out. I was a little disappointed by the fact that she wanted to go home instead of staying with me, but it was something that I was getting used to in regard to how Natalie behaved. It was probably for the best, considering how she was acting now. She probably would have left in the morning once again, and I would have awakened alone again.
She came out of the bathroom looking a little fresher than when she went in.
“Cab should be down there waiting for you.”
“Thanks, Jet, I will see you later.” She slipped out of my room quickly. I lay back down on the bed, imagining the look on Kyle's face when he saw her leave the apartment again. No wonder the guy was starting to think I was a loser. I must have looked like I had struck out with Natalie once again. I was thankful that he didn't come straight into my room the moment she left the apartment. He was probably sick of saying, “I told you so.”
I lay there, drunk off my ass, and vowed to myself that the next time Natalie and I kissed or had sex we would be completely sober.
Chapter Five
Natalie
After the drunken incident between Jet and me, I knew when I woke up with yet another hangover that I needed to get my shit together. I was thankful, however, that I’d had enough sense to get out of there last night and not have another romp in the sheets that would have had me slinking out again the next morning. I did, however, remember Kyle’s rather disgusted look when he turned to see me walking out of the apartment again. I knew the guy didn't like me, and I knew it had a lot to do with him not being able to understand why Jet even bothered with me.
He was probably right; however, I didn't think that I was right for Jet, either. I wasn't his type, and every time we got together it turned into a situation that I ended up regretting.
I had originally meant to use Jet as my drawing subject the following day, because it was time, and I didn't want to get behind on my project. But when I woke up, I knew I was going to have another day of recovering in bed. I would message him, however, and see if he wanted to come over in the evening and do the next picture.
Julie came into my bedroom then, bringing a cup of tea with her. She guessed since it was almost noon and I hadn't left my bedroom yet that I must have had a bad night.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.
“I don't know. What's the point? All this talking never gets me anywhere.”
“Maybe not, but it might make you feel better.”
I nodded as she came and sat on my bed. She passed me the cup of tea, and I took it from her gratefully.
“Thanks, Julie; you're the best.”
“No problem. Just don't vomit, because I have a weak stomach.”
I laughed. “I don't think that will be a problem. I have been popping pills all morning, and I'm telling you, they can't even touch the headache I have right now.”
Julie scrunched her face in mock pain. “Why do you do this to yourself? Isn't it time that you got over Tom? Why are you still going out and getting so wasted that you're like death the next day? I thought it was lots of fun at first, but now it's old, Natalie. You have to get over things and move on.”
“Oh man, this has nothing to do with Tom. In fact, aside from a phone call I got from him a week ago, I barely think about him anymore.”
“Wait, Tom called you? What did he say?”
“Nothing. I didn't answer the call; I ignored it. And he never called back. I can't imagine what he wanted, but it couldn't have been very important, or he would have called back, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I'm kind of shocked, though. I never thought he would have the balls to call you after all that, but it's probably a good thing you didn't answer the call. You don't need that nonsense.”
/> “Tell me about it.” I sipped my tea, and the warmth relaxed me and eased some of the pain my body was in. I continued to sip, lost in thought.
“Okay, well, if it isn't Tom, then what's the deal?”
“Couldn't tell you. It's Jet, and I mean, it's not that Jet is doing anything to cause me to go out and get drunk. He actually has no effect on me like that at all. But when we are together, we're just ridiculous and reckless.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for one, we have had sex multiple times and it's never been sober. I actually grew a brain last night and walked out of his room before we did it again. Being around him and drinking lowers my inhibitions, and I feel free when I'm with him. In part, I think that's okay, because I think he brings me out of my shell, but I also end up on my death bed the next day.”
She nodded. “Well, to be honest, I think you need to start figuring out what Jet means to you, and what you really want from him. ‘Cause if you genuinely don't want anything more from him than friendship, then you need to kill the sex, really. But if you do want more, then I think you owe it to both of you to have that conversation so you can stop sitting on the fence. I think that's why you're doing all this―because you're on the fence.”
“Maybe. Thanks a lot, Julie. You helped me a lot.”
She reached over and pulled me in for a hug. When we separated, I plopped myself back into my pillows to finish my tea.
“Thanks for the tea, too, by the way.”
She smiled and headed out the door, closing it behind her. I lay back and closed my eyes, thinking about the things that Julie had said. The truth of the matter was I didn't know what the hell I wanted. I opened my eyes and reached for my phone. I sent a message to Jet and asked if he would come over tonight to pose for a drawing. He replied in about half a minute and said he would be there. I set my phone down, and curled into my pillow for another nap.
When Jet arrived that evening, he looked a little sheepish. When I opened the door, he came straight in and sat on the couch.
“Hey, Jet, would you like something to drink?”
“What are you having?”
“Oh, you pretty much destroyed me last night, so I'm drinking water and coffee at this point. But you are welcome to have a beer if you want.”