“So, Lexi, do you want to play pool? I bet I could show you a thing or two.” Ethan said, that same confident grin firmly in place. Alex desperately wanted to wipe it off, and what better way to do that than to beat him? “Sure!” Alex said, hopping off his seat and walking around the table to join Ethan. That was strange; Ethan must have had a growth spurt or something. Alex had been taller than him just the other day, but now he was having to crane his neck slightly to meet his teammate’s gaze.
“So have you played pool before?” Ethan asked. Alex nodded confidently. “Yeah, Sarah’s brother taught me in their basement.” He answered as Ethan took his first shot. He may have been dressed in what apparently were girls clothes, and people might keep mistaking him for a girl, but that didn’t change the fact he’d always been pretty good at pool. He leaned over the table to take his own shot….and paused.
He could feel people watching him. As a quarterback, that had been normal, but now the attention wasn’t on the pool table, but rather his ass. Cursing his aunt’s bizarre fashion decisions in his head yet again, Alex took careful aim…. as the bar erupted in cheers. His carefully timed shot went awry, the stick slipping past as the ball rolled a few inches forward. Alex bit back a curse. Glancing up, he saw their local NFL team had just scored a touchdown. Good for them, but terrible timing for him, he thought ruefully. “Hey, at least you hit it.” Ethan said with a smile.
Unfortunately for Alex, as the game went on Ethan quickly built a lead. He just couldn’t focus with the feeling of everyone watching him, and to make matters worse Max was happily chatting with Sarah over at their table. Max had a reputation for hitting on just about any girl he could, but Alex hadn’t realized he would stoop so low as to flirt with his girlfriend! To make matters worse, Sarah was playing along, clearly finding the whole situation hysterically funny if the looks she kept shooting him were any indication. Alex missed another shot and stomped his foot angrily. “You sure you know how to play?” Ethan asked. “I could give you some pointers.”
Alex didn’t even dignify that with a response, just grabbing his cue and getting ready to take a shot. Ethan shook his head. “You’re never going to get a point like that. Here let me show you.” He added, walking up next to Alex. “Lean like this.” Ethan put his hands around Alex’s waist and leaned his chest and face closer to the felt table, his butt sticking more in the air. Ethan then placed his hand on Alex’s mid back, guiding his shot. The ball moved forward, better than it had in his previous tries.
Alex’s chest felt itchy, and he shifted uncomfortably, stepping away from the table. “Guess it’s your turn, Ethan.” He said. Ethan shook his head. “No, we gotta let you catch up. Let’s try again.” He said. Reluctantly, Alex allowed Ethan to wrap his arms around him once more, guiding his shot. After what seemed like twenty tries, he finally sank one. Relieved, Alex began jumping up and down, impulsively wrapping his arms around Ethan in a hug. “Great job, babe!” His friend said.
Alex had been so wrapped up in the pool game he hadn’t even noticed how, over at the other table, Sarah and Max’s eyes had glazed over. They both robotically rose and slipped out of the bar, leaving Ethan and Alex alone.