For You - By Mimi Strong Page 0,3
humor them. They'll give you a hundred bucks if you sink a ball.”
I tried not to gag over her referring to them as cutie-pies. “Forget it. Fuck those guys.”
“You won't lose, though. And if you do, you won't lose money.” She grinned and nodded in their direction. “Just go over there.”
I looked around for Bruce, but he was deep in conversation with some regulars at the bar.
The two rednecks had become a group of five at the pool table, all chanting, “Aubrey, Aubrey!”
Lana told them my name? I sincerely wished I'd made up a fake name for working at the bar. It felt so invasive to have people I didn't know using my name, acting like I was their friend.
One of the guys put a pile of rumpled bills on the edge of the table. A hundred dollars.
The skinny guy handed me a pool cue and taunted me with his hateful glare. “Sink that shot and you get that money,” he said.
“What if I don't make the shot?”
“If you lose, you have to give me a big smile.”
“Fine.”
I approached the pool table. Everyone got quiet, all eyes on me.
I leaned down and looked at the balls. The orange ball was in the easiest position, so I leaned forward and rested the cue on my knuckles.
“Not that one,” the guy said, angling to get behind me as his friends all leered, practically slobbering at the prospect of me leaning over the pool table. “The green. Corner pocket.”
“Fine.”
“Get ready to smile.”
I tried to focus on the shot, to block out the noise of the bar, but that only made me more aware of my heart pounding and my hands sweating. I wiped my palms on my black skirt and leaned forward again.
Everything felt wrong. My arms felt wrong, and my legs were shaking. When was the last time I'd eaten? Was this the kind of shot that seems easy, but the white ball just follows the other down the pocket?
I was so focused on the shot, I didn't notice the guy moving up on me until it was too late, and he had his body behind me and his hands on my ass.
I grabbed one of the pool balls and wheeled around, ready to hit him with it.
The dirtbag was down on the floor, and a tattooed arm flashed before me as Sawyer pulled away from the man. One punch, and the guy was already down, holding his hands up and apologizing. Sawyer looked furious, but in control.
Holy shit, that happened fast.
Lana was there, breathless and patting my hand.
“Honey, you all right? I just saw it happening from over there and we came right over. They were getting a little handsy, but that was out of line.” Her eyes were wide and sympathetic.
Sawyer and the guy's friend were already hauling the man up and out by his armpits. I wanted to kick him, but stayed back with Lana.
“I think my shift is over,” I said.
“Get on home, then! I'll see to your section's tabs. It's the least I can do for sending you over here like this.”
People were staring, and someone was pointing a cell phone our way, taking a photo or video. Or maybe just checking their email. I couldn't tell, but I felt suspicious.
My head was buzzing from the adrenaline. I darted behind the bar to grab my purse, and ran out the back door, on the opposite side of the building as the entrance. Walking wasn't fast enough. Hearing nothing but the sound of my feet on the pavement and my own breathing was all I needed to clear my head.
How could I have been so stupid? Bruce had mentioned that he needed to get a mirror put up in that corner of the bar. I should have known those guys were trouble, but I'd lost my senses for what… a hundred dollars. Or the promise of it. And what if he'd tried to do more than grab my ass? I didn't want to think about it.
Someone was running after me, calling my name.
I thought maybe it was Bruce, but it was Sawyer, gaining on me.
CHAPTER TWO
“Oh, just leave me alone!” I yelled back at Sawyer. “I'm fine.”
“Let me walk you home!”
I stopped and wheeled around, ready to lay into him. It was all his fault. He'd gotten those guys riled up in the first place with his little talk.
As he got closer, I saw he had blood on his knuckles.
The world started to get blacker than it already