Part I
Another dull Saturday night with nothing to do. I was going stir crazy, and just needed to get out of the house for a while, so I decided to head downtown and play and look for some fun. I thought I'd start out at the pool hall. The place that I often refer to as the "pool hall" is really a classy billiards and drinks kind of place; not dressy, but hardly the kind of place where you'd expect to see bikers playing pool. It was really a place where guys took their dates, or where guys and girls went looking for dates.
Now, since it was Saturday, I expected the place to be crowded. It was more than crowded; it was really packed. If I wanted my own table, I was going to be waiting all night. So, I figured I'd just grab a cue and see if I could join a group that already had a table. Scanning the place, I saw a table that seemed to have only one person playing, a very attractive girl. She had long dark hair, legs that wouldn't quit, and was wearing a low cut top that seemed very inviting, especially as she leaned over the table to make a shot. And, she was leaning over the table right now, lining up a shot that looked to be pretty difficult. I thought about introducing myself, but decided I'd better wait until she finished her shot. The cue ball bounced off two bumpers, and then gently tapped another ball into a side pocket.
"Impressive," I said, smiling at her. "You must have practiced that one a lot."
"Nope," she said, "I'm just making them up as I go..."
"You got this table all to yourself?" I asked.
"For now, yeah," she replied.
"Want some company?" I asked.
"That depends. Are you any good?" She said with a sly grin.
"Are we talking about pool?" I answered, with a similar grin.
"Among other things, yeah."
"Then, sure, I'm pretty good."
"We'll see about that. Why don't you rack 'em up for us?" she asked.
I grabbed that rack and started collecting the balls.
"By the way, I'm Dona," she said, busily chalking her cue while she sized me up.
"Mark," I replied, using the first name that came to mind. For all I knew, she was using a fake name too. Girls do it all the time; give the guy a fake name and phone number, and then if he turns out to be a loser, he'll never be able to find her. But she'll always try to get the guy's real name, so that she can call him if he's really interesting. I could play that game too.
As I racked the balls, she just stood there, sipping her drink, leaning on her pool cue. She seemed to be sizing me up, but not just as a pool player. I noticed her eyes going up and down the length of my body, lingering slightly around waist level. She threw her head back, finishing her drink with one last big swallow. Then she looked over at the bar and raised her glass. In no time, a waitress appeared carrying another one on a tray. It looked like a scotch on the rocks. I threw a twenty on the tray, and asked the waitress to bring me whatever Dona was having. The waitress nodded. They seemed to know her at this place.
"You go first. Guest privilege."
I didn't argue. I leaned over the table and broke, knocking one ball into a corner pocket. It was luck, but I wasn't about to tell her that. I moved to the other side of the table, and took another shot. I actually made the second one too. Then I made my fourth and fifth. On my sixth try, I finally missed, and it was her turn. She set her drink down on the edge of the table and walked with confidence around to the cue ball. Then, she proceeded to casually make her next seven shots in a row, never once looking up from the table. She finally missed, then looked up at me and made a sweeping gesture with one hand, indicating that the shot was mine. I proceeded to clear the table, finishing off the game. I wasn't really sure whether she let me win, or whether I actually beat her. But, it was important that I establish some credibility early on; I had to get her to take me seriously as competition.
"Not bad," she said. "I think I could use a break. You mind if I step outside for a cigarette?"
"Not at all. I could use some air anyway," I replied.
As we walked away from the table, I started to wonder if it would still be ours when we came back. I saw Dona gesture to the waitress, then point to the table. Regular customers usually get their way.
We stepped outside the door and leaned against the front of the building. As I looked at her, I realized that she was not carrying a purse. She lifted up the corner of her skirt, revealing the top of her black lacy nylons. They were held up by a black garter and, in that garter, was a silver cigarette case. There was a curve in the case that allowed it to fit flush against her thigh, without leaving any unsightly bulge to spoil the line of her skirt. She opened the case, placed a cigarette carefully between her full lips, and lit it using a slim lighter that was in the case as well. She put the case back into her garter, and smoothed her skirt back out to cover the wrinkle.
She took a deep drag and looked at me. "You're pretty good," she stated.
"Maybe. Maybe I'm just lucky."
"Let find out," she said, flatly. "How about we make the next game a little more interesting?"