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Justin laughed. “Women. Although I don’t have a problem with them.”
Abe set the pizza boxes on the table, then went to the pool table. “Holy crap.”
Milo came up beside him. “You like?”
“I love it.”
“You still owe me $500.00.”
“You’ll get it. I’m good for it.”
Milo held up his hand, then lowered it. “Sorry, I popped into teacher mode. How about we draw names for the first round? Play two out of three. Winners move on until there’s one man standing.” He glanced at Rachel. Or, a really long shot, a woman standing.
Wes looked at Wilda. “Will you hold the money?”
“I’d love to have a purpose. You should decide beforehand how the second round will go.”
Wes nodded. “Winners of one and three and two and four play?”
“Sounds good.”
They all gave her twenty dollars, then Wes dropped eight slips of paper into Abe’s cap with two sets of the numbers one through four. He handed it to Wilda. “You can be in charge of this, too.”
She held up the cap. “Milo, do you want to go first?”
He looked at Rachel. “Ladies first.”
Rachel drew the number four. Milo went next and was relieved to draw the number two. Rachel had beaten him from time to time over the years. Mathias went next and also drew the number two. He and Milo would be playing against each other. Luke went next and drew the other number four, which he seemed pretty happy about. He’d always had a bit of a crush on Rachel.
Justin paired up with Abe, leaving Gentry and Wes to face each other.
Abe held up his number one. “Do we go first?”
Milo nodded. “Go for it, brother.”
Abe was a better player than Justin, but not by much. After the break, he walked around the table slowly, looking for his best shot. He chalked his cue, then leaned over the table. It took him three games to secure his second win, and Justin grumbled as he set the balls up for the next match.
“I’ll get you next time, Abe.”
“I look forward to you trying.”
Milo and Mathias were next, and Milo took the first game. But Mathias won the second and third after sinking an impossible shot.
Milo set down his cue. “Dammit. There’s no way that should’ve gone in.”
“That was a lucky shot, for sure.”
As the two oldest brothers, Gentry and Wes had started playing together before the others were old enough to see over the edge of the table, and they were evenly matched. Gentry came out on top tonight, winning the first two games.
Wes sighed, then shook Gentry’s hand. “Good game.”
“Luck was on my side tonight.”
Rachel stepped up to the table. “Okay, Luke, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Luke was a good player, but Rachel knew how to get to him. She flirted and teased her way through the first two games and won them both.
Luke went to Milo and sighed while Wilda congratulated Rachel. “Man, I know I’m better than her.”
