Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"An American has no sense of privacy. He does not know what it means. There is no such thing in the country." �" Bernard Shaw

Ronnie

He was staring at me.  I could swear there was a tint of red fogging in behind the original onyx black.  Red.  Usually means aroused or passion.  But he’s not a slayer or obviously a demon, so there’s no way I really did see red.  It must’ve just been a trick of the light.  I was certain of, however, the lustful look his expression took on.  It’s like when I was trying to get that human guy to let me get back to him; I didn’t miss Ace’s expression.  It wasn’t completely defensive or jealous or anything like that…it was more of a possessive, competing expression.

“When you first saw me,” he started, keeping his focus on the cue ball.  He pulled the cue stick back and looked up at me, “what was your impression?” He pushed the stick forward, hitting the cue ball.  Two stripes went in.  I grabbed a couple more fries and dipped them in ketchup, sticking them in my mouth.  It was impossible to miss the smug expression on his face when he made both stripes in a row, and I smiled.

“Total badass.” I nodded before taking a quick swig of beer.  He looked at me with amusement. “Intimidating.” Hot and sexy on top of that, but I wasn’t about to say anything about it.  He was still amused and when he shrugged, it told me that his intimidation was something he took as a complement.

“Hm…I like the sound of that…” He closed his eyes as if to be wallowing in my first impression of him, making me laugh.  His focus returned back to the pool table as he got in position again to hit the cue ball. “Now don’t get me wrong, but when I first saw you, I thought that most guys that see you would only see you as a good time and a lucky night.  But you’re obviously a stubborn person with boundaries that need to be respected.  I don’t think you’d put up with anyone’s bullshit.” He missed a stripe and accidentally hit a solid in. “S**t.”

“My turn, hot shot.” I snatched the stick out of his hand and slipped between him and the table, feeling heat radiating off of him.  Literally.  He stepped sideways in the same direction I was going in order to get around him, making me stop.  I was stuck between him and the table, even though I had plenty of room to go both to the right and to the left.  He seemed pretty satisfied that I didn’t try to get around him again, but instead, I casually got on the edge of the table and sat there.  I didn’t look away from him as he reached over and grabbed a few fries from the basket, popping them in his mouth quickly.

Staring at him made my stomach flutter subtly and if it wasn’t for my control, I’d probably be blushing.  Why is he just standing there…staring at me?  Why does it make my stomach feel funny?  I know why.  He’s got that charming look in his eyes and a charming grin.  The three steel spikes that were piercing his left brow didn’t even protrude out far enough to be a centimeter out.  There was something about his piercing that made me even more interested in him.  It might’ve been because it gave him a rebellious look.

Looking away from his piercing, I looked down and saw that he was wearing that skull bracelet that he wore last week.  The skulls were precisely designed; all of them exactly the same size and perfectly proportionate.  Still shiny silver and scratch free.  The cross he wore around his neck was the same.  There were no fingerprints, no scratches, and no smudges.  Nothing.  Perfectly kept.  He must take great pride in taking care of it.

“So where’s your tattoo exactly?” I crossed my arms over my chest and crossed my legs.  He didn’t step back and he didn’t step forward.  His hand rose up to his chest, resting it over his heart.

“Right here.” He patted his chest and grinned. “Can’t wait to see it, huh?  Take your turn.” He backed up.  His heat went away as he turned his back to me, grabbing his beer. “So, if your friend has never kissed you, have you ever kissed someone?”

“Of course I have; believe it or not, I’ve been told I’m an amazing kisser.” I didn’t look at him after saying that, but I was tempted to.  I heard him choking on whatever he had in his mouth, which I bet it was his beer again.  Despite the choking, he was laughing. “Don’t you go getting any ideas.” A solid ball went in.  He was down to two stripes and I was down to two solids, other than the eight ball.  I walked around the table and leaned over it once again, aiming at the cue ball. “Are you good with kids?”

“Dunno.  Never been around ‘em.”

I missed the cue ball completely and had to use the table for support, almost screwing up where the pool balls lied.  He’s never been around kids?  What kind of life does he live?  I just looked at him and stood up straighter.

“What?  I haven’t; don’t judge.”

“I’m not,” I said causally.  I pointed the cue stick at him and grinned as he grabbed the other end in his free hand. “And you timed it like that on purpose just so I would miss.”

“Damn…you caught me…I feel so horrible…I’m a terrible person.  Would you like a retry?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, too bad, a turn’s a turn.” He pulled the stick out of my hands and handed me his beer with a smile, getting out of my range of reach before I could reach out and whack him.  His long frame leaned over the table, holding the stick steady.  Focus on the table.  Mouth set in a straight line.  He was fighting back a smile.  His jaw was clenched to help keep the smile hidden.  A stripe went in. “You have an athlete’s body, almost like a gymnast.  Your arms are well toned.  What kind of working out do you do?”

“Oh um…I used to do just about everything athletic…I’ve done it all at least once…and in our basement we have a punching bag that I use on a regular basis.  But you look pretty toned as well.  Care to share?”

“You name it I’ve done it.” There was a double meaning behind his words.  It caught my attention.  Looking at him, I saw that his eyes were showing the same thing his words told me.  He wasn’t just talking about working out.

The last stripe went in.

“When did you get your piercing?” I watched him as he lazily aimed at the black eight ball.  He wasn’t as focused as he has been the rest of the game.  He looked more like he was trying to think about something.

“Sixteen.  Parents weren’t too happy with me but it was too late for them to say no.” He shrugged and hit the cue ball, which hit the eight ball.  It hit the side of the table and rolled into the middle, somehow stopping between the cue ball and one of the solids I had to hit in.  The other solid was at an angle that I was unable to get at with where the cue ball was sitting. “Oh would you look at that…good luck with your next shot.” Cocky.

I took the stick from him.

“How long have you been playing pool?” I looked at the table, calculating how I should approach this next shot.  Getting eye level with the table was one tactic I was using, trying to ignore Ace, who was chuckling quietly while eating fries and drinking his beer.

“Since I was big enough to see over the table.” He leaned against the edge next to me with his hands on the table next to him.  I stood up and aimed at the cue ball, and even though I was aiming completely off track from the solid on the other side of the eight ball.  The cue ball hit off the side of the table and came back, hitting the green solid and sending it into a hole in the corner.

“Huh…sure doesn’t seem like it…” I gave him a smile and laughed when I saw the playfully insulted look he had on his face. “How close are you and your parents?”

“Oh, uh, they passed away when I was eighteen…my sister and I have been on our own since then.” Subtle.  Nonchalant.  He didn’t sound very upset about it.  More like bored.  He didn’t seem to care.  I just looked up at him, feeling bad for asking about them. “Go again.” He nodded at the table and turned his back to me, taking a drink of his beer.

I turned back to the table and leaned over it, aiming at the cue ball once again, glad that I had a better angle at the red solid.  The last one before the both of us were going for the eight ball.  I hit the last ball I needed too and it stopped just in front of a hole on the side of the table.  What the hell?  I know I hit it hard enough to make it fall into it.  There’s really know reason for it to stop that short of the hole.

“How many people are in your family?”

Slayer family…a lot.  Blood family… “Umm…well there’s my mom, Ardelle, and my dad, Felek…and then there’s my older brother, Chett, and my older sister, Andie…they’re the only ones I see around the house ever…but then there’s my sister’s boyfriend, Trick, who comes over all the time so I guess he’s like an older brother to me too.” At me mentioning Trick, Ace started coughing a little bit, bending over on the last few coughs.  His face was red and his expression both humored and knowing.  There was a quick flash of something that seemed like satisfaction mixed with frustration, but it quickly disappeared as his expression relaxed.

Okay…that’s weird.

“Can you cook?” I handed him the cue stick and grabbed a few fries, breaking them in half before popping them into my mouth.  They were almost gone.  So was my beer.  And his.  The game was almost done, and because of that, I wasn’t going to have any more beers or anything else to eat.

“If I take the time to, yeah.” He hit the cue ball at the eight ball, making it push my solid out of the way of the hole, taking its place.  My ball ended up closer to the middle of the table. “I think I ran out of questions.” Ace looked at me as he handed me the cue stick and I just laughed a little bit.

“Hmm…” I pursed my lips as I leaned over the table and aimed at the cue ball, focusing on both the solid red ball and on a new question.  I was running low on questions too.  I pulled the cue stick back and then pushed it forward, making the cue ball go for the ball I was aiming at, sending it into the hole across from it. “Oh! I got one!”

“Alright, throw it out there.” He leaned against a wall just a few feet from the pool tables and crossed his arms over his chest.  I walked up to him, keeping the cue stick between the two of us, and stopped in front of him, leaning on the stick.  He was staring down at me.  Daring me.  I felt his heat once again.  Literally.

“What’s your favorite corny pick-up line?”

“Good question.  Uh,” he let out a sigh and looked away from me and up at the ceiling.  He was tapping his foot on the floor and clicking his tongue. “Well I know quite a bit of them but one of them would have to be…I know a great way to burn off the calories in that food you just ate.” He winked at me and stood up straight, dropping his arms to his sides.  I giggled and turned around, walking back to the table, looking at where the eight ball was sitting. “Nah, I’m serious, I do know a great way to do that for ya.”

“Oh I have no doubt about that.  I know a great way too.  However, I have a fast metabolism and…you’re not feeling lucky.” I gave him a look and leaned back over the table, stretching my arms, with the stick, over about a foot or two of the table space.

“What would you say if one of your friends told you to flirt with somebody to the point where it would make them fall in love with you?”

“I would say…” I pulled the cue stick back and looked away from the cue ball and down at the table, trying to find the right words, “trying to make someone fall in love with you is about as pointless as trying to control who you fall in love with.  You can’t force something that isn’t there and you can’t refuse something that always has been and always will be there.” I pushed the stick forward and made the cue ball go at the eight ball, the clanging of the two of them together quiet compared to the music playing overhead.  We watched as the eight ball hit the back of a hole and then disappeared from sight. “That’s game.” I tossed the cue stick at Ace, who caught it with amazing reflexes and put it back on the rack before walking over to me.

“Does that mean this is the end of our date?”

“This wasn’t a date.  It was a coincidental meeting and a test.” I bent down and picked up my book bag, slinging it over my shoulder.  He was just watching me with a small, amused grin, showing his teeth just slightly.  With his soul patch, along with his piercing and devilish grin, he reminded me of someone that could easily be in the mafia.  Or at least a hit man.  Now, had he been wearing a more classy outfit, he’d probably look the part even more and look more breath taking.

“Oh yeah…I almost forgot about the test…how’d I do?” He put his hand in his back pocket, his stance remaining casual.  I bit my bottom lip thoughtfully and took in a deep breath, shrugging my shoulders.

“Well…” I stepped forward and reached into the waistline of my sweatpants, pulling out my phone. “You’ve managed to entertain me quite a bit…a pretty…impressive amount actually.” I smiled at him when he smiled, and I caught a glimpse of him pulling a phone out of his back pocket.  He handed it to me and I gave him mine as I started entering my number into his.  I handed it back to him and waited for mine, and something told me that he was purposely taking his sweet time.  I let out a loud sigh, which made him laugh and look at me. “You can call me later if you hurry up; I really have to go.”

“That’s what I was waitin’ to hear.” He handed my phone back to me and looked at his, probably making sure I really put my number in there.  I held out my hand to him, and he just stood there, looking at it for a second before putting his in mine.  His skin was hot.  Like, literally hot.  It was a comforting heat though.  Well, it was to me anyways.  It made my skin tingle.  Even around my tattoo.  Odd. “Now, the next time we hang out will be a date, Miss Veronica Sandrino.”

“Maybe, Mr. Ace Liber.” I gave him a small smile as I dropped his hand and turned around, walking out of the bar.  The sun was high in the sky, its heat making me glad I was in a tank top.  Shorts would’ve been nicer than the sweatpants I had on but it’s not like I’m gonna be outside for very long.  I walked to my car and threw my book bag in the passenger seat as I started the engine.

Everyone was home when I got there.  Trick was even there.  He and Andie were sitting on the couch, talking and drinking something that was probably scotch, my mom and dad were in the kitchen, making lunch, and Chett was sitting in his usual spot, in the chair in the corner, texting Monica and maybe a couple of his friends.  No one looked at me when I opened the door, but as soon as it clicked shut, Andie was the first to look up at me, followed by our parents and then Trick.

“Where’ve you been?” My dad was chopping peppers on the cutting board with a filet knife.  Hm…we were having fajitas for lunch.  Yum.  Meat was in a frying pan on the stove and mom was moving it around before going back to shredding lettuce.

“I was at a bar reading a book…I told you that I was going there.” I hugged my book bag under my arm as I kicked off my shoes casually and set my phone on the back of the chair by the door.  Chett was the only one that wasn’t looking at me at the moment, and that was relieving.  My dad was keeping his eyes down at what he was doing, but he was glancing up at me every few seconds, as was my mom.  I looked back at Trick and Andie and saw that Trick was setting his glass of scotch down on the coffee table as he got to his feet and stepped towards me.

“You smell like beer,” he said quietly.  He always acted like another brother to me.  With his short black hair and grey eyes, tall, lean frame with well toned muscles, strong jaw and stern expression, he really was an attractive guy.  Not only for a slayer but for any guy.  Other than him not having an original slayer tattoo, the weird thing about him, that was tricky, was that his eyes didn’t swirl colors based on his emotions.  They stayed grey the whole time. “Who were you with?”

“What’re you talking about?  I wasn’t with anyone else…” I hate lying to everyone but I do it so often it’s almost become a hobby.  Compared to everyone else, I’m the rebel in the family.  Trick looked at me doubtfully, making me look away from him and at Andie, who was staring at me, just as doubtfully as Trick was.

“I saw you with someone an hour ago,” Andie said quietly.  Her voice was filled with suspicion. “Some guy.  The two of you were playing a game of pool and obviously flirting.  Who was he?”

“Just a human I met last week…we ran into each other again today and we were just having some fun.  Don’t worry about it.” I gave everyone an annoyed look and walked down the hall and to my room to drop my bag off.  I laid the books out on my bed and noticed that one was missing.

The black book I was last in.  S**t.

I ran back out to the living room and grabbed my phone off the chair, ignoring the fact that everyone was watching me.  My mom was the one whose gaze I felt the strongest, along with Andie’s.  I glanced around at them and saw that Chett and Trick weren’t looking at me anymore.  My dad went back to focusing on cooking.  It was just Andie and our mom.

“Veronica, you better not be seeing that man your sister saw you with earlier today.  Keep in mind that you are with Corin,” my mom said sternly. “What’s his name?”

“If you must know, it’s Ace.”

Trick kind of choked on the drink of scotch he was taking, making me stop and look at him.  His face was turning a red color as he started coughing.  He was laughing though, which was a good sign.  I looked away from him and down at my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I came up to Ace’s name.

Do u remember tht book I was looking @ whn u came into the bar?

I needed to find that book.  Not just because I needed to get answers, but also because if it’s gone too long, my parents might notice and start questioning me.  I felt bad asking Ace if he knew where it went, but I was just curious.  It’s not like I was accusing him of taking it or anything.

“Does Corin have any knowledge of you hanging around this guy?” My mom took a break from shredding lettuce and looked at me while my dad set down his knife and scooped the peppers into his hands, carrying them to the frying pan.

“It was only a coincidental meeting, mom.  Chill out.” I was looking directly at her, not backing down from her gaze. “Besides, it’s not like we’ll ever run into each other again or anything.” My phone drew my attention away from my mom as it vibrated in my hand.

Faintly…y?

Did u c me puttin it in my bag? Cuz I can’t find it.

I started walking back towards my room, putting my phone in my pocket.  My dad and Trick cleared their throats at the same time, making me stop and turn around to face them.  This was getting a little annoying.  I wonder if Andie even told them that Ace and I were having fun when she saw it.  If so, they should be able to put together the fact that I was having more fun with him than I have had with Corin for the couple years we’ve been ‘together’.  And Ace and I were only hanging out for a couple of hours.

“Is that him?” Trick sounded, not only suspicious, but slightly amused as well as he leaned back into the couch and rested his ankle on his knee.  I just looked at him and saw that he was grinning at me.  Nothing was said.  My family’s eyes bore into me, every single person staring at me.

I had two options: piss off my parents or lie to them.

Well, either way I’d get in some sort of trouble if they caught me.  All I had to do was decide on what was worth getting in trouble with.

Piss them off or lie to them?

I squared my shoulders and gave them a grin.  Chett let out a short laugh and went back to texting Monica. “Yup.” I turned around and went back to my room.