Carolina Blues

The crack of marble on marble rang out as we walked into the pool hall, Justin's hand on my lower back. I kept close as we made our way to the bar, the smell of his cologne deep and masculine as I leaned into him.

"What can I get y'all?"

Justin eyed me from behind long, dark lashes and my toes curled in my boots. The smile he shot me had my stomach flipping and I raised an eyebrow. "Rum and coke?"

"Sounds perfect. We'll take two." He slid a bill across the bar and took my hand in his, tugging me towards a table. "Have you ever played pool?"

"Oh buddy, you are in for a treat." He raised an eyebrow as I grabbed a cue, leaning down to sink a shot into the left-corner pocket. It ricocheted and two more rolled into the opposite corner, earning a low whistle from Justin in the process.

"My hospital back in Detroit was right across from a Billiards Hall. We played all the time. What about you?"

A waitress stepped between us and set our drinks on a small table, turning a wide grin to him as she went to leave. "Let me know if you need anything, Justin."

My turn to raise an eyebrow as he shrugged and grabbed his own cue. "I'm kind of a regular." I tossed him the triangle and he began to re-rack, setting up a perfect pyramid at one end of the table.

"Well, what do you say we make this interesting?" I sauntered over and took a sip of my drink. His hand brushed over the sliver of skin my shirt had exposed and I shivered.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Loser buys dinner?" Those big brown eyes dropped to my lips for a brief moment and I pulled one between my teeth, biting down gently as he held out a hand to shake.

"Deal."

He let me break the set, leaning back on his heels with a smirk on his face. I could feel the burn of a blush on my cheeks as he watched me. He quickly took his shot and we fell into a rhythm.

He was intoxicating, his biceps flexing as he took each shot. I couldn't help but notice how broad his shoulders were under his black t-shirt, especially when he leaned over in front of me. I eyed the dark jeans he wore, tight over his ass and his long, thick legs. I fought the urge to slip my hand in his back pocket and giggled when he turned to face me.

"What are you thinking about?"

I shook my head and he stepped back, allowing me to lean against the table. I fell forward to line up my shot and jumped when he wrapped his arms around me.

"You alright?"

I turned to him and nodded, keeping my gaze trained on his as he aligned his hips with mine. The warmth of his back and his breath against my cheek had the blood rushing to my core and I cleared my throat before turning my attention back to the ball.

"Last shot. Should I call it?"

"The sooner you do, the sooner we can get out of here."

"Eight ball, center pocket."

His hand slid down my hip as I took my shot, not bothering to watch it sink. Instead, I turned back to Justin to capture his lips in a kiss, hot and sweet. He hummed gently, reaching to brush my hair back and trace a line down my cheek. Sucking softly, I stood up, turning to let him pin me against the table as he pulled away to take a heavy breath.

"Hmm, Justin?"

"Yeah?"

"You owe me dinner."

He looked over my shoulder at the table and laughed, arm wrapping around my waist as he grabbed his drink and downed the rest. Setting the glass down, he leaned back in and kissed my cheek.

"How about a rematch?"

"You re-rack and I'll grab the drinks." I turned to go and he held fast, hand dropping from my body as I made my way towards the bar. The sweet waitress came over and leaned forward.

"What can I get you sweetheart?"

"Uh, two rum and cokes please." She began to pour and I smiled, still feeling his stubble on my skin. "Hey, can I ask you a question? That guy I'm with, you know him?"

"Justin? Yeah, he's a regular; really sweet guy."

"Oh, yeah... he seems wonderful."

"Is this your first date?"

She handed me two glasses and I handed her a twenty, shrugging as I took a sip. "Sort of. I really like him."

I watched her glance over my shoulder and then meet my gaze again, reaching forward with a wide grin. "Yeah, I've been watching you two. He's definitely into you."

I turned back towards my date and caught him staring, the blush creeping onto his cheeks with an alarming speed. He sat back against the table and watched me walk over.

"Make any new friends?"

"Just the bartender. She told me you're a good guy, not so great at pool though."

"Oh she did, did she?"

"Well, her and that epic loss you just took." I held out his glass and he took it, pulling me in for another short kiss. "Trying to distract the competition?"

He nodded and I smiled, tilting my head to the side. "You wanna get out of here?" I could feel the chemistry between us and I wanted nothing more than a private moment. "Maybe go back to my place?"

He took my hand in his and started pulling me towards the door. "Oh, what about the game?"

I watched him turn and reach for the black ball in the center of the table. He flung it into a pocket and turned back, a sly grin on his face. "You win! I guess I owe you dinner."

His arm was wrapped around me as we stepped outside, dim streetlights guiding our way towards his car. He moved to open my door and I climbed in. Justin made his way around to the driver's seat and slammed the door, reaching out to set a hand on my knee. "Your place?"

Notes

I've never gone on a real date.