Free Shallow by Georgia Cates

Don’t bet against me, Doll Face. What kind of prize do you want?”
    She looked around and then pointed toward a huge teddy bear in overalls hanging up by the basketball goals. “I want that big gaudy teddy bear.”
    Perfect. Basketball was my game of choice. “How ‘bout I win you that teddy bear and you give me a kiss?”
    She smiled and I took it as an agreement because it’s what I wanted. “Is that a ‘yes’?”
    “Let’s call it a... non-no .”
    I’d gladly take a non-no if it got me a kiss from her.
    The guy behind the counter noticed us showing some interest in his booth and he began to shout in our direction. “Three hoops wins the little lady her choice of a prize.”
    I slid my wallet out of my back pocket and reached for some of my earnings from the race. “How much?”
    I watched him eye Payton up and down. “Five dollars for five tries. Three hoops wins her choice of prize.”
    I loudly slammed a five dollar bill on the counter to take his attention off of Payton’s cleavage and he slowly pulled his eyes from her to look at me. “Best of luck, sir.”
    “Yeah, right.”
    He tossed a basketball in my direction and I bounced it a couple of times before I confidently took the first shot and missed. The guy behind the booth laughed. “You’re gonna have to do better than that to impress this little lady.”
    I didn’t say anything as I took the ball from his nasty hands a second time to take my next shot and then missed again. Yeah, this was definitely rigged. I had played basketball for six years and could have made this shot with my eyes closed.
    “Awe...Missed again. Now you have to make every shot left to win this little beauty a prize.” He leaned over the counter to look at Payton’s legs and I wanted to punch his face and knock out the last three teeth he had left in his head. “What do you think, Beautiful? Can he do it?”
    She looked at me and smiled. “I’ve learned to not underestimate him when there’s something he wants.”
    I took another ball from the sleaze bag and looked at the hoop closely to judge my next shot. I heard Payton ask, “Sir, do many people successfully make three hoops?” and I took my shot as she distracted him. A loud beep signaled my ball going into the hoop.
    “That’s one.” I reached in his direction for another ball.
    He narrowed his eyes at me and shoved a ball in my direction. I studied the hoop again and heard Payton say, “It’s so hot out here tonight,” and I knew she was doing something to distract him again. I really didn’t want to know what so I shook it off and took my next shot. A beep signaled my second hoop and he jerked his head around to look at the hoop.
    I held my hands up to signal for my next ball and again he unnecessarily shoved one in my direction. He wouldn’t fall for another one of Payton’s distractions unless she took off her top.
    “Last shot. Better make it count if you want to win that teddy for the little lady.”
    It was a given that he was going to do something to move the hoop. The only question was would it be left or right? There was a 50/50 chance I would guess the right direction so I went with the left.
    BEEP!
    It was a lucky guess and I knew that, but it wasn’t about making the shot. It was about seeing Payton walk around with one of those big, ugly bears and even better was the kiss she promised me. Sort of promised, my non-no kiss.
    She squealed with excitement and threw her arms around my neck so I took the opportunity to pick her up and swing her around like we had hit the Tennessee Lottery. I knew we looked ridiculous to those around us, but I didn’t care because it was a great excuse to put my arms around her.
    I put her down and looked into her eyes. This wasn’t where I wanted our first kiss to happen but I would take it if she offered.
    “I’ve got players behind you, so pick your prize and move on,” the sleaze bag called out.
    Great job of ruining this kiss for me, Dude. I