Free Stranded by Brooksley Borne

might have to look unfavorably upon you.”
    “But what if he cheated first?” asked Naomi.
    Foley fired a stern glance her way.   Naomi quickly retracted her question
    “I mean if I were to step outside the marriage?  Didn’t the marriage end when Daryl cheated?” she asked.
    “That makes sense to me,” said John.  “But I am not a lawyer.  And I am not a judge.  I just encourage you to keep your friendship on the down-low.”
    Naomi heard the sheriff’s wise words and then seemingly ignored them.  She was up in the game of pool.  She made a slight adjustment to the rack.  She converted the triangle to a crown by rolling the two corner balls at the base up.  She took her position at the head of the table.  She bent over and aim.  Foley let go a lone whistle, a cat call.  The sheriff shook his head.
    With her rump jutting out her upper body hugged the table, Naomi knew she was in a provocative stance.  Her exhibitionism gave her pleasure.  It was true that she had to stand the way she was to make a decent shot, but she sucked it in and flexed and hammed it up for him. 
    She turned and gave him her wickedest, most seductive gaze because blasting the balls with the cue ball.  It was a great shot and she sunk one.  Her heart fluttered in her chest as she moved around to survey her next shot.  She had been a show off and she didn’t want to blow it now.
    She was a pretty good player but she was rusty and she was shaking.  She got lucky.  She called a cautious shot and made it.  Again.  That was three for her.  She was on the fence about whether or not she wanted to give Foley a run for his money or let him have a turn.   He must have been reading her mind.
    “You know we are playing teams,” he said with a grin.
    Naomi could have melted right then and there.  She handed him the cue.
    “No by all means, please continue.  But let these poor guys have a turn, eventually,” he said.
    And with that she missed.  She fired off her next shot without taking careful aim and she missed.  It wasn’t his fault even though he was a blissful distraction.
    “Oh did I do that?” he asked apologetically.
    “No I did that,” she said.
    “Okay I am going to go,” said Crystal dryly.  “Donny you might want to crack a window. It’s getting thick in here.”
    Donny grinned. “I know it.  I think somebody’s been bit.”
    Neither Naomi nor Foley denied it.  She rolled up in his embrace as they looked on to see Crystal run the table.
    “Jeez, everyone’s a shark,” said Foley.
    “Should have put money on this,” remarked Donny. 
    “I think it’s interesting already,” said Foley smiling down on Naomi.
    Thunder slammed the restaurant.  Russ moved around from behind the bar.  There was now just the four pool players and him in the restaurant area.  A cook appeared from the kitchen.
    “Mario’s closed due to storm,” announced Russ.  “Help yourself to drinks.  I play winner.  That is after the sheriff, a’course.”
    Crystal missed and Foley was up.
    “Anybody wanna a shot?” offered Crystal already heading for the bar.
    “Yeah all around,” said Donny.
    “Na I can’t,” said Foley looking up from his aim. 
    “I can,” said John. “I am off duty.”
    “Well maybe I won’t either,” said Naomi.
    “Go ahead baby, if you feel like it,” said Foley.
    She loved that.  When he called her baby.  This thing that was supposed to be kind of a revenge one night stand was turning into something different, at least for her.  Naomi was way too vulnerable.  She might have to step back and do a reality check.  Not mistake what was happening between them for something that wasn’t happening between them.
    A particularly harsh thunder boomed.  Everyone paused and looked around and smiled.
    “That was a good one,” said Donny in his slow drawl.
    On cue, the door to Mario’s burst open.  Lighting flickered on the person who had come in from the storm.  Daryl.  John