a small bet, between friends

[katydarling]

The bar was a lot darker inside than Katy had expected, and for a moment she thought about leaving. There weren't many people there, but when her eyes adjusted, they didn't seem as bad as she had been afraid of. They mostly looked like the same kind of people as she saw every day at the cafe shop, talking and watching TV and playing games. They were just drinking beer and cocktails instead of mochacinos and lattes. She took a deep breath and went in, peering around the corner and finally spotting Willem standing by the pool table, focused on the half dozen balls spread out on the table and holding his stick casually.

For a moment, she looked at him. He was a few years older than she was, probably around thirty, she guessed. He was cute when he was so intent, she thought, and started walking over. Since she had started working at the cafe on Spring Street about a year ago, she had seen him almost every day. She knew he drank regular lattes with low-fat milk, and that he ate strawberry croissants when he was under a lot of stress. She knew he read a lot of serious stuff, but slipped a paperback thriller in about every 3rd or 4th book. She knew when he laughed, he sounded about half his age, and that he made people smile more often than frown when he talked to them in line.

Sometimes when it was slow, he'd stay and chat for a few minutes, and she knew he was a decent guy. By the time she learned his name, she was surprised that she hadn't already known it. Then a couple of days ago, he had invited her out for a drink. She would have said no, ordinarily, because her experiences with drinking had been in college and had usually ended up with some guy pawing at her. She just couldn't see Willem acting like that, though, and it had been a long time since she'd gone on anything like a date.

Not that this was a date. He had assured her it was just to hang out, and so she had agreed. She had thought about putting her contacts in, but it wasn't a date, so she had gone with her little wire-rimmed glasses. She had put her brown hair up in a bun with a pencil stuck through it, and pulled on a thick sweater and jeans. She was glad it was fall, and she could get away with wearing heavier clothing that did a little to hide her shape. She had never really gotten comfortable with her figure since her senior year of high school when she had gone from being a stick figure to a curvy woman with an hourglass figure in what felt like about a day and a half.

“Hey, you,” she said to Willem, trying to hide her nerves. It wasn't a date, after all. “Playing with yourself?”

((closed for ZomDom))

 

[Zom_Dom]

Willem racked the billiard balls lazily, haphazardly, not paying too much attention to the formation in which they were set within the triangle, except for the eight ball, which he placed dead center amidst all the others. Had someone else been a part of the game, he would most likely have issued more control over the arrangement, but as it was just him he felt no real need. After all, he was really only killing time until Katy showed up, and after that he’d probably simply clear the table in case someone else decided to play later on. Somehow he doubted she’d be up for a game of pool, but the night was young and he’d been surprised before. Not all of those surprises had been pleasant, or welcome, such as with his last relationship. Still, that wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on, especially not that night.

Shaking his head, he chalked up the tip of the cue and lined up the break in an attempt to dispel the memories that had already begun to creep in like weeds in a garden after a spring rain. He didn’t need to be dwelling on past relationships gone sour that night, even though it wasn’t a date. He’d made that point clear when he asked Katy to drinks the other day. “Just a few drinks, hanging out,” had been his exact words, and even then he could see the hesitation etched upon her face. Katy wore her emotions on her sleeve, or so it seemed to him. Perhaps that was just because he’d seen her almost daily at the café for as long as he’d been going there, and talked with her so often. By that point he could easily see the trepidation and worried maybe he’d pushed too far. Of course he hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable or anything, but after seeing each other so often he thought it might be nice to talk without a countertop between them. It had seemed like a great idea at the time, and he did want to get to know her better. During their semi-frequent talks he had only been able to glean small details about her; her name, obviously, the fact she’d been to college but not what her major had been, she lived in town, like him, various other minor facets of her life.

After sinking probably half of the balls on the table, he stood up straight, leaning slightly upon the cue and scanning the bar for some sign of her. Glancing around, he didn’t see any sign of her and was about to return to his game when he heard her lilting voice from a mere few feet away. Turning towards the voice he saw her and smiled. He almost made a snarky crack about playing with himself and sticks, but remembered at the last moment that she probably wouldn’t take it the way most of his friends would. Katy had her own moral sensibilities and stuck to them steadfastedly, which he admired, though at times it made it a little harder to joke with her. As she drew closer he saw she was a different person outside of work, which he really should have expected. It’s not like she would have worn her regular work clothes to drinks, he certainly hadn’t. He had traded his usual out for a comfortable pair of jeans and a dark merlot colored button down, as fall was clearly coming and soon enough it would be too cool even for that, and he intended to go without a jacket as long as possible.

Smiling warmly and setting the cue aside, he stepped around the pool table and gave her a quick hug. “Hey! Yeah, I was, just until you got here. Don’t worry about this, though; there are a few booths in back where we can sit down and relax.” Setting the cue down upon the table, he made a gentle sweeping gesture towards the back of the bar and nodded for her to take her pick. After they’d sat down a waitress promptly appeared to take drink orders. If they’d been at the café he would have known just what both she, and he, would be drinking, but given the new setting he could only speak for himself and sat, mouth agape, for a few moments. “Ummm, scotch and soda?” It came out more as a question than anything, and he the waitress both glanced at Katy. “You?”

 

[katydarling]

Even though it had felt a little awkward when he hugged her, Katy felt good about deciding to come. He didn't try to hold onto her or grope her, just a buddyish pat on the back and then he let go. She made herself smile, but he was already on to the next thing, having a seat. Maybe it didn't need to be a big thing, she thought. She had almost given up hugging, because of the comments guys made about her chest, or just the looks, but maybe not every single guy in the world was a creep.

All the booths seemed fairly dark, so she chose the nearest one, glad for teh seats high back, which helped to hide her a little bit. When the waitress came and took their order, she was stumped for a second. She couldn't think what to order, and the drinks that she had in college all had names that she couldn't bring herself to say aloud.

"Rum and coke," she said at last. She had liked them well enough, and she didn't have to say anything that might give Willem the wrong idea. When the waitress left, they just made small talk for a few minutes. Then they had their drinks. Katy clinked her glass against his when their drinks came, and took a sip. It was strong enough to make her cough and shiver. She blushed when she looked up at him. "Told you I wasn't a big drinker."

 

[Zom_Dom]

Willem smiled across the table at Katy, raising his glass and clinking it against hers in a gentle toast to the evening, watching the way the golden liquid within his glass sloshed gently up towards the rim, catching the light of the dim overhead lamp and refracting it down onto their table. As he took a sip, savoring the smoothness of it and the rich bite, he glanced across the table, watching the way the light refracted in a slightly different way from Katy’s glasses. When she sputtered and coughed he leaned forward slightly, reaching out a reassuring hand, more out of habit than anything. As Katy choked out the few soft words he gave a tentative smile, not wanting to laugh and embarrass her. “It’s ok, really, I’m not much of a drinker anymore either. Back in college was another story, but these days I’m happy with one or two with friends and then done.” He tried to be reassuring and helpful, and was starting to have second thoughts about asking her out to drinks. He’d known she wasn’t much for alcohol, but it was the first thing that had come to mind the other day, as the only other things he could think of at the time were coffee or a bite to eat, and that idea just seemed in bad taste given her job.

At that moment he was glad for the dim light of the lamp overhead as it hopefully hid the worst of the flush which had colored his cheeks at that moment. Clasping his hands around his glass, he centered it upon the table between them and cast about for a change in subject. “I used to love this place because they pour drinks a little heavy handedly, but uhhh…” Smiling awkwardly as the attempt failed, he fumbled for another bit of small talk and saw the light catch the edge of her glasses once more. “I like you’re glasses, by the way. You look very sophisticated in them.” The knot in his chest began to loosen slightly as the conversation moved back into safer waters. He’d always enjoyed talking with Katy at the café, but sometimes it was a little difficult as she could grow aloof or closed off if the subject veered into the wrong territory and he really didn’t want their first time hanging out outside of her work to go that way.

The small talk drifted here and there from that point and he slowly drained his glass, at which point the rather observant waitress reappeared and asked if they’d like a refill. He agreed absently and she returned shortly with not only another for him, but another for run and coke for Katy as well. Unable to keep it in, Willem laughed softly and shrugged as the waitress walked away. “Oops. You know, you don’t have to drink that one, we can send it back or something…” Looking around for their once again absent waitress he spied a few people dancing on the far side of the room and gave a soft chuckle. “Look at that, this early and people are already dancing. I don’t suppose you dance, do you, Katy?” The alcohol was clearly beginning to circulate because he wouldn’t ordinarily have asked; he certainly couldn’t dance and didn’t expect her to be much for it either given their similar attitudes. Taking a tentative sip he sat back in his seat, relaxed and happy to be out with a friend for the first time in quite a while.

 

[katydarling]

As they talked, Katy sipped more carefully at her drink, not wanting to embarass herself again. She also didn't want him to think she was a total bore, though she wondered if maybe she was. People - well, usually men - asked her what she did for fun, and often she had trouble thinking of anything. It wasn't that big of a deal, she thought. She had fun doing a lot of things. Just not with other people. This wasn't bad, she thought, as the rum took the edge off of her tension and she even found herself laughing when the waitress brought her another.

She had meant to have one and then call it a night, but she hadn't expected to enjoy herself. So she shrugged her shoulders and took a small sip. This one was just as strong, but she was ready for it now. It didn't burn, but spread a hot mellowness through her and made her smile. Then he asked her to dance.

"Oh, I don't know how," she said. "I'd probably just end up falling over myself."

 

[Zom_Dom]

Willem chuckled softly and shook his head, “That’s ok, neither do I. Ahh well, perhaps a little later?” The question came out a little more hopeful than tentative, which was probably due to the alcohol mixing in his bloodstream. Offering a small shrug of concession, he smiled warmly and took another sip of his drink. Looking up from his glass, he saw a soft smile upon Katy’s face and realized something. Without thinking, probably again due to the alcohol, he spoke. “You know, your eyes light up when you smile. You should do it more often. And maybe not hide them behind those glasses every once in a while…” His own smile broadened as he said it, and he saw her flush a little, despite the dim light which might have hid it had his eyes not finally become accustomed to it. Only then did he realize that it probably wasn’t the best comment he could have made; after all, that would have been more typically said during a date, rather than just a drink with a friend…

Attempting to steer the conversation into more neutral territory, he turned to look at the people on the dance floor again and said, “You know, I never could dance. I was always that guy hanging at the edge of the crowd, watching everybody else. Even at weddings.” With a soft laugh and another shake of his head, he continued, turning to face Katy again. “Seriously. The one time I tried to dance at a wedding…” He took another sip, wetting his dry throat for the embarrassing moment he was about to recall, realizing that he’d blundered into it and didn’t have much choice anymore. “A friend of mine got married to this great guy, they looked fantastic together, especially out on the floor. She told me I’d dance with her at the reception and I kept telling her no, I couldn’t, and it’d all end badly if I tried. Well, she didn’t believe me, and so what does she do? Halfway through the reception, she physically drags me out onto the floor, big wedding dress and all. At that point I couldn’t really refuse, or else end up looking like an ass, so I go and thankfully it was a slower number. Even so, I fumble a bit and try to stumble through it, and we’re almost at the end…” He grinned, watching her face for some sign that he wasn’t boring her, and was pleasantly surprised to see all trace of her embarrassment at being asked to dance before had disappeared. “I was almost in the clear, when my big ole feet get in the way and I trip. This wasn’t a little stumble, one of those ‘whoops!’ type moments, it was a fall, and I fall, face first, right to the floor.” Unable to contain it, he laughed aloud at the memory, and was happy to see Katy laughing right along with him. “Oh… It was so bad! I couldn’t escape that for months after…”

After that the conversation flowed much more smoothly, and soon enough Willem realized that his drink was getting towards halfway, leaving him a bit torn. On the one hand he wanted to stay, have another, as he was really enjoying the night out and this time with Katy, but on the other, he doubted she’d be up for another round and didn’t want her to think he was trying to get her drunk. Glancing about he saw the pool table he’d been standing by earlier had never been taken and his game remained atop it unfinished. “Would you like to get up, maybe stretch your legs a little?” he asked. When she agreed he motioned for her to get up first and led her gently towards the pool table. “You don’t seem much like the type for pool, but I figured it might be nice to stand for a few. I can even teach you a little if you’re interested…” Smiling warmly at her, Willem took up the cue and began explaining the minor workings and general rules of the game until he realized that he’d been rambling and only one ball remained on the table. At that point both their drinks were gone and he felt a pleasant buzz. Glancing at Katy’s eyes as they twinkled in the glowing lamp light, and feeling a little emboldened; whether by the alcohol or the way the evening had gone so far he couldn’t say, but for whatever reason he decided to take a chance. “I’ll make you a bet. If I can make this last shot, bank that eight ball off the back bumper and hit this corner pocket,” he gestured with the cue, pointing out the finer points of the trick shot, “you come to work tomorrow without those glasses, show off those pretty eyes of yours. If I miss, or pocket the cue instead, I’ll dig out my old ones and wear them all day instead. What do you say?” Grinning, he waited for her reply, and when she gave a slight shrug and a smile of assent he nodded vigorously, “Well alright! Here goes nothin’.”

 

[katydarling]

She was surprised. He seemed such a pleasant guy, she kept waiting for him to do or say something out of line, but after a while, she started to think maybe he wasn't. Maybe she had actually stumbled on the world's only non-pervy guy. When he had offered to teach her to shoot pool, she had been cautious, but accepted. She kept waiting for him to try something in the guise of helping her with her form, but other than showing her how to place her feet and where to grip the cue, he didn't come near her.

By the end of the game, she was feeling perfectly relaxed. So much that she hardly blinked when he suggested his bet. The idea of going to work without her glasses to hide behind made her feel a little nervous, but he wouldn't know that, and she couldn't help but smile at the compliment he gave her.

"OK," she said. "You make the shot, I wear contacts tomorrow."

Then he had her giggling with his mock seriousness about lining up the shot, and just when she swore he was never going to take the shot at all, he took it. The cue it the bank, and then the eight, which shot into the pocket, bouncing off the sides a few times before it plonked down, and they heard it rolling through the inside of the table.

"OK, OK," she said, grinning with the silliness of it all. "But if I'm going to wear my contacts tomorrow, I'm going to need my beauty sleep."

She could see he was about to object, but then he shrugged it off, nodding.

"Thank you," she said. "I had a really nice time."

She tried to give him a one-armed, side-to-side hug, but it felt so awkward that she gave him both arms, still tensing a little as she felt her breasts squashed between them, but relieved when he kept his eyes and hands where they belonged.

The next morning, she had an early shift. She wore jeans and one of her shapeless sweatshirts, and put her hair back in a bun. She still felt naked with her face exposed, and when she got to work, there were a lot of questions and kidding. She ignored it, and concentrated on stocking the display with muffins and cakes, until six, when the lights went on and the doors opened, and the early morning commuters began shuffling in to get their fix for the train.

Every time she got in a grove of working and forgot about the bet, some regular would remark on how there was something different, or that she had such pretty eyes, or some other comment that made her blush and feel self conscious again.

 

[Zom_Dom]

Willem concentrated on the shot, lining everything up and taking a fair while longer than usual. He wasn’t generally one to be so careful or precise, but then again, he wasn’t used to making bets on difficult shots either, so he supposed it balanced out. Still, when the eight wobbled back and forth at the edge of the pocket, he couldn’t help holding his breath and tensing slightly. When it finally dropped he let out a quick, shallow sigh of relief and risked a quick glance and a smile at Katy. Her reaction was a little hard to gauge, and his smile grew a little tentative, until she grinned and he let out a much deeper inward sigh of relief. When she claimed she then needed beauty sleep before the next day he opened his mouth to object. He wanted to tell her she clearly didn’t need any and she’d be just as beautiful without it, but held his tongue. It might have been loosened by the alcohol, but he didn’t want her to feel awkward or say anything he might later regret. Just friends… he told himself with a shrug.

When she spoke again there wasn’t any discomfort like he had partially anticipated, no uncertainty like there had been at the beginning of the evening. It almost sounded like she’d had as good a time as he had. “Me too, I had a great time.” He replied as she gave him a slightly awkward hug. It started out awkward any way, but they quickly resolved it with a gentle, friendly hug which felt much better. Willem realized at that moment how warm it was, though whether it was from Katy’s proximity or merely the alcohol in his system he couldn’t have said. Nodding slightly as they broke off, he gestured for her to lead the way and gave a slight wave of good evening to the bartender before they stepped out and into the night.

The next day started well enough; after a shower and a shave he felt ready to face the sunrise peaking through the shuttered blinds of his bedroom window. After pulling on something dark and comfortable, Willem gathered up his things for work and made his way out into the brisk morning air. As he walked slowly down the street he idly played the events of the previous night over again in his mind, chuckling at the random drift of the small talk they’d shared and smiling at the way Katy had finally opened up a bit more towards the end. As he ambled down the street his feet guided him towards his regular morning destination without thinking or hesitation, bringing him to the door of the café.

When he stepped inside he took in a deep breath, inhaling the warm, inviting scents of coffee and pastries and breakfast. Looking around casually, he recognized a few faces and gave a brief hello to those people he knew well enough. As he made his way towards the counter, he spotted Katy a little ways off and gave her a warm smile and a wave before striding over. After exchanging hellos he couldn’t help but comment on her new ‘look.’ “So how are you holding up without the glasses? I hope it’s not too embarrassing. On the plus side, you don’t look any less sophisticated without them and your eyes shine a little brighter now.” Flushing slightly and looking down and away in order to hide it, he gave a slight chuckle of embarrassment before turning to face her again. “So anyway, last night was a lot of fun. We should do it again some time…”

 

[katydarling]

The truth was that she was a little embarrassed by the attention she had been getting, and particularly his remark about her eyes. She also knew it was harmless, and he seemed genuine in his appreciation and his concern. She smiled and shrugged. She could be a good sport about it. "No big thing, really. I guess a few people were surprised."

What he said next took her off guard. He wanted to have drinks with her again? She couldn't see any reason why he wouldn't, really, but she still took a step back. She wasn't really sure what he might read into it if she agreed, but then, they had had fun. Why wouldn't he want to do it again? She realized that several seconds had gone by while the question sat there, unanswered, and she blushed.

"Sure," she said. "That sounds fun." She grabbed a paper napkin from a dispenser and wrote her number on it, handing it to him and smiling. "Anytime you want to get in touch."

 

[Zom_Dom]

Willem was almost entirely unprepared for Katy’s reaction, the end reaction anyway. He could see several emotions fighting for the dominant spot upon her face as she weighed options and tried to figure out what his angle might be, but in the end she seemed to come to the same conclusion as he, that the silence had drawn out a little longer between them than was usually comfortable. Still, that wasn’t entirely unexpected, considering how shy and reserved she could be at times. It surely didn’t help that he’d pointed out her lack of glasses… Actually thinking about it, he realized that they might have actually been a big part of her, something defining, and the lack of them could have shaken her up a bit.

All this ran through his mind as they stood there, silently, before each other, and he barely noticed the flush rise to her cheeks. It wasn’t until she broke the silence that he was jolted from his sullen reverie and returned to the present. The words were slow to sink in, but as they did a smile crept across his face. By the time she’d reached out with the napkin he was grinning, and after placing it in his pocket he was beaming. Perhaps he hadn’t messed things up after all…

“Great! I’ll give you a call, maybe we can grab dinner or something?” The possible implication of the idea didn’t even occur to Willem at the moment, and he continued, “Maybe something to soak up the alcohol in case we go for another drink. I don’t know about you, but one more in me last night and I could have been three sheets to the wind…” He slipped easily into the familiar, joking manner as he began to relax. “I tell you what, next time, you pick the place.” After that, the tension broken, the conversation turned mostly to the usual small talk. Willem finally excused himself and picked up his usual morning latte then headed off to work. As he was made his was to work he checked his pocket several times, reassuring himself that the napkin and phone number were still there. He knew he shouldn’t be as excited as he was, after all they were just going out as friends, but still…

The day passed in a bit of a blur, everything blending together as he slowly counted down hours, then minutes until he could leave. There weren’t any pressing appointments, and at times he wondered if anyone would notice if he simply slipped out. He could certainly get a few things done with the extra time, maybe go by the bookstore and check out the new releases, hit the year round farmers market a few blocks from his apartment, take care of the minor errands like that. Rather than risk anything too brash, he skipped out only an hour early, easily enough, and headed home. By that point in the day he couldn’t muster the drive to tackle the little things he’d thought of earlier, and so instead simply showered and changed into something more comfortable, picked up a well thumbed paperback from his bookcase and walked back down to the same bar he had visited the night before with Katy. Slipping into a small booth by the window, he opened the book and ordered a beer from a passing waitress, content to spend the rest of his afternoon reading, unconscious of the bright smile plastered across his face.

 

[katydarling]

Katy was supposed to work until noon, but one of the afternoon people called in, and the managers knew exactly who to ask. She was hardly ever able to say no when they asked her to work extra hours, and the truth was that she did need the money. Student loans that had seemed reasonable when she had thought she would be able to get a decent job ate a huge chunk of her earnings, and she had insisted on having her own place after college. It was a tiny apartment in an old house in a fairly rough neighborhood, but it was her own.

She stayed at the cafe until 4, and left with a good sized stack of one dollar bills from the tip jar, and a little bigger paycheck coming at the end of the week. She was exhausted but pumped up, one of the perks of her job being the near-infinite supply of espresso. The official policy was one drink per shift on the house, but the owners turned a blind eye unless anyone tried to hook up their friends. She deposited the money at the bank down the block, and was headed back to collect her bike when she heard a tapping.

She looked up, and realized that she was walking by the bar she had been at last night. There was Willem, sitting at a booth by the window with a pint and a book, waving at her with that sweet, boyish grin on his face.

She felt a grin of her own answering, and went inside.

"Boozing in the afternoon? Must be a good life," she teased. Then she ordered a rum and coke from the waitress. "So what you reading?"

 

[Zom_Dom]

Willem glanced up from his book as the sun seemed to come from behind a cloud, stirring his drink a little with his finger and taking a sip. The afternoon was turning out to be quite enjoyable, and he was quite glad he’d decided on this path. Glancing through the window beside which he sat, he watched the people milling about and passing by for a few moments before one in particular caught his attention. Coming up the block was Katy… “Katy!” His voice sounded strange, almost giddy, but quiet after so much time spent reading silently. He began waving, hoping to get her attention as she passed, and at that moment fate smiled upon him, for she looked up and saw him with what was surely a goofy expression on his face, waving a bit more than was probably necessary, and actually smiled back.

Her opening comment left him at a loss for words, with his mouth hanging ajar and a bright pink flush rising to his cheeks. He didn’t feel as bad though when she ordered a drink as well and the conversation turned to other matters. “This? It’s nothing, really, an old one I’ve read probably ten times or more. It just makes me feel less like an alcoholic bringing a book with me when I drink alone.” He winked and laughed, hoping she’d take it as the joke it was. Clearly the alcohol had given him a little bit of a buzz. Willem cleared his throat, setting the book aside and attempted to steer the conversation in another direction. “So, what are you doing around here at this time of day? You look like you’re just getting off work. I can’t imagine any other reason you’d be running around, still without your glasses, hehehe…”

When the waitress returned with her rum and coke, he asked for another pint, at which the waitress nodded and skipped off again. “You hungry at all? I didn’t even think to ask her for a menu.” Willem turned and craned his head, raising his arm to wave after the waitress but feeling a little self conscious about his wave, lowered the arm again. “Guess I shouldn’t be waving my arms about so much, I’m sure I look pretty foolish.” He felt his cheeks flushing again, but the smile never left his face as he turned to face Katy again, his face turning stony and serious. “So, I have to ask… Are you stalking me? Is that why you’re here?” The serious expression cracked and crumbled, a wide grin crossing his face as his tongue began to poke past his teeth, playfully, at her. Obviously the alcohol was loosening him up a bit.