Free Girl in the White Dress: Sam's Story by Nikki D. Walker

again. “Eight ball side pocket.”
                  “We’ll see,” he took a few steps closer and was about two inches from my face.
                  “Can I help you?” I asked. He was very close.
                  “I just wanted to observe the master.”
                  “Uh huh.” I leaned down to shoot and got a strong whiff of his cologne. Wow, he smelled amazing. It was somewhat distracting. He was sweet, spicy, and intoxicating. I took a deep breath. (Focus, Sam. You relish in making boys cry at pool.)
                  “Something wrong?” he said right in my ear. I was going to kill him.
                  “Uh,” I tried to collect my thoughts. “I am just aiming.” Damn. I took the shot and fortunately, it went in. “Ha! In your face!” Yeah, I was a sore loser, too.
                  “Whatever. I want a rematch. I was distracted.” He was distracted? Ha!
                  “Uh huh, by what?”
                  “You.” He took a step even closer. He was doing the whole gazing at me thing. Panic set in. I stepped back.
                  “I’m going to get another drink. Want one?”
                  “Sure.” He looked disappointed. I felt bad but I originally went on this date as a favor to Trinity and, unlike the guys in the past, I was starting to genuinely like Danny. I got the drinks and headed back to the table. Danny was talking to someone when I got there. “Hey, Sam, this is my brother, Tim.” I stared at him for a minute, speechless. Yes, it was that Tim.
                  “Brother?” I asked. I nearly dropped the drinks. Really? What were the odds? Was fate against me?
                  “Step brother but he was only three when our parents got married, and then divorced five years later, but we’ve always been really close,” Tim explained.
                  “I’m confused. I thought your parents were together.”
                  “They are now. They got back together awhile after my mom and Danny’s dad got divorced.”
                  “Interesting. And you own this place?” I asked
                  “Kind of. Austin, my best friend from way back, wanted to start the business and needed some financial help. I like pool so I figured why not.”
                  “I see.”
                  “Well, I don’t.” It was at that moment that I realized we were both totally ignoring Danny and the very confused look on his face. “You two know each other?”
                  “Yeah, we work at the same school,” Tim said. “And we’ve hung out a few times.”
                  “Oh,” he shot Tim a look. I was an only child. I clearly just missed something important because Tim said he had to go.
                  “Ok, ready for some nine ball?” Danny asked.
                  “Sure.” I could not believe they were brothers. That was just my luck. We played a few more games and he beat me a couple of times. Then he wanted to go to the bar. As soon as we walked in, we heard someone belting out “Lost in Love” by Air Supply, badly I might add. So badly, that I only knew the song because Trinity had an obsession with Air Supply and pretty much any cheesy eighties band.
                  “You want to look at the book?” he asked.
                  I just stared at him. “Yeah, no. I am not singing. I am not that drunk,” I laughed.
                  “Uh uh. I told you that you were going to sing tonight.” He went to get the book. Son of a bitch. I saw him walk over to the karaoke guy. I was seriously going to kill him.
                  “Ok, names are in,” he said when he got back to the table.
                  “Pardon?” I was going to kill