“Holy shit,” Tyler laughed. “I can’t believe you just pulled that off.”
“I can’t believe I have to buy this asshole a glass of sixty-thousand-dollar scotch,” Matt said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Chase walked over and clapped him on the back. “Why don’t we start with a Heineken,” he grinned, twirling the cue between his fingers as he walked back toward the other side of the table. As he reached for the chalk, his eyes fell on a girl sitting at the bar. She was looking at him, and the second they made eye contact, she smiled shyly, looking away.
Chase kept his eyes on her as he chalked the cue; she had turned away from him slightly, her wavy red hair shielding her face from him, and his eyes dropped to take in the rest of her. She was wearing black pants and a green shirt that fit her just right. He could see that her stomach was flat, that her chest swelled nicely before it was concealed by the length of her hair. He lifted his eyes back to her face just as she tucked the curtain of red behind her ear, glancing again in his direction. She smiled again, her face flushing slightly as she looked away.
“Alright, Heineken it is,” Matt sighed, walking past Chase.
“Hold up,” Chase said, taking the twenty out of Matt’s hand. “I’ll get the drinks. You rack.” He grabbed the triangle off the side of the table and tossed it to his friend as he walked toward the bar.
He kept to the right, leaving several chairs between him and the girl. He could see her out of the corner of his eye, stealing glances at him as he waited.
“What can I get you?”
“Can I get three Heinekens?”
“Yup,” the bartender said as he turned and reached into the cooler, grabbing three bottles.
As he placed them on the bar, Chase asked, “That redhead down at the other end, do you know what she’s drinking?”
The bartender glanced discreetly in her direction, and Chase smiled at his skill. “Shiraz,” he said, looking up at Chase.
He nodded, reaching in his back pocket for his wallet. “And send her a glass of Shiraz, please.”
“You got it,” he said, taking the money Chase handed him.
He left a generous tip on the bar before he grabbed the three bottles, cocking his head over his shoulder as he walked back to the pool table. He saw the bartender place the glass of red wine down in front of her and say something, gesturing with his head in Chase’s direction. She turned, a slow smile curving her lips as she made eye contact with him.
“Thank you,” she mouthed, and Chase winked, smiling when he saw her cheeks flush a shade of red that rivaled her hair.
“Alright man, see you in a few,” he heard Matt say, and he turned his head in his friend’s direction just in time to see him end the call and put his phone back in his pocket.
“Who was that?” he asked, handing Matt one of the beers.
“Colin. He’s on his way here.”
Chase froze. At the mention of his name, he felt something welling in the pit of his stomach. Something he hadn’t felt in years, because he made no apologies for himself anymore.
He dropped his head, exhaling softly.
He hadn’t seen Colin since Florida, and tonight was not the night he wanted to see him again. He was trying to get his mind off of everything, and the last thing he needed was a flesh and blood reminder of why he couldn’t have what he wanted.
A reminder of what a shitty friend he had become.
“Break,” Chase said to Tyler as he picked up his cue, trying to rid himself of the irritating feeling in his stomach.
Grow up, he thought, taking a swig of his beer. This won’t be awkward unless you make it awkward.
A few minutes later, he heard the door swing open, and he glanced up, catching sight of Colin walking through the door. And at that moment, he knew it wouldn’t be nearly as bad as he thought it would be.
It was going to be a hundred times worse.
Because right behind him, her hair loose and wild, her cheeks flushed with cold and her hand clasped in his, was Andie.
He longed for the uneasiness he felt before; it would have been much preferred to the nausea that now rolled through him. He stood quickly, turning away from the door and bringing the bottle to his lips, taking down the rest of his beer.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Colin! What’s up,” he heard Tyler say behind him, and he knew there was nowhere for him to go. He grit his teeth together and squeezed his eyes shut before he righted his expression and turned, an easy smile on his face.
“What’s up, Chase,” Colin said.
“Good to see you, man,” Chase responded, clapping him on the shoulder with his smile still intact. “How are things?”
“Great,” Colin said with a shrug, slipping one of his hands around the small of Andie’s back, and Chase fought hard to keep the smile on his face, to keep his eyes on his friend.
Colin turned to Andie. “You want a drink, babe?”
“Your shot, man,” he heard Tyler say, and he turned from them, thankful for the distraction. Chase blinked quickly, trying to focus on the table.
What reason could he give for leaving? Chase thought as he attempted to line up a shot. He could fake an important phone call. He could say he didn’t feel well. He could say he was tired.
“T-t-t-today, Junior!” Tyler yelled.
Chase forced a smile, thrusting the cue forward, having no idea where he even sent the cue ball or what it would hit. He heard the clatter of a few balls, followed by Tyler’s jeering.
And when he stood and turned, he nearly bumped right into her.
“Shit, sorry,” he said, backing up quickly.
“No, it’s okay, I shouldn’t have walked behind you like that,” she said softly.
He nodded, looking at her, and she alternated between making eye contact with him and looking somewhere over his shoulder.
“Hi,” Chase finally said, and she smiled tentatively.
“Hi.”
A tension filled the space between them, so thick that Chase felt as if he couldn’t breathe. It was not the uncomfortable awkwardness that comes when there’s nothing to say, but rather when there are a million things, but they’re left unsaid.
“Here you go,” Colin said, his presence offering a sort of ironic relief, and Andie turned, taking the glass of wine out of his hands.
“Thank you,” she said, glancing at Chase one more time before she crossed to the other side of the table.
“Alright, we’re playing doubles,” Tyler said. “Colin, you’re with me. McGuire’s losing his hot streak anyway,” he added, and Chase flipped him off just as Matt came over to him.
“Yo, dude, you okay?”
Chase straightened up as he cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m good, why?”
“That last shot sucked, bro,” he laughed. “Pull it together if you want to stay on my team.” He slapped him on the back as he crossed to the other side of the table.
He watched Matt line up his shot, and out of his peripheral vision, he could see Colin sweep Andie’s hair over her shoulder and plant a soft kiss on the side of her neck.
He had to get the fuck out of there.
He would finish this game, and then he’d say something, anything, that would explain his sudden departure. He just needed to get through this game. That was it. He’d throw it if he had to. And actually, at that moment, that seemed like his best plan of attack.
Ten excruciating minutes later, as he circled the table and attempted to look like he was strategizing, he heard Andie say, “No, it’s okay, really. You stay.”
“Babe, if you don’t feel well, I’ll drive you home.”
Chase bent over the table, his entire focus on the conversation happening a few feet away.