Switchblade

Chapter 48: The Art of Pool

Both men stood up to shake hands and say their goodbyes.

"It was a good talk, Mr. Segal. I'll try my hardest to make you proud." said Clement.
"You have my faith."
The two nodded before Segal left the office.

He took out his phone and rang a number.

"Yes, sir?" Drake answered quickly.
"I want you to scare him." he said as the elevator doors closed.
"Who? Clement?"
"I just finished the meeting about expansion. Make sure he gets it done. I don't want to run into any problems."
"Yes, sir. Is there anything off the table?"
"Don't physically hurt him. Wounds serve as evidence. Just make him nervous."
"Yes, sir."
Segal hung up and the elevator doors opened. He stepped out to walk towards his suv.

~•~

Killian grabbed two pool sticks. Tati had poured drinks thanks to the bar Killian kept stocked.

"When you say you don't know how to play-..."
"I mean I only know hit the white ball at the other colored balls." Tati answered and took three shots quickly.
He sighed and handed her a pool stick.

Tati removed the wooden triangle from around the pool balls and Killian placed the cue ball where it belonged.
He bent over to make a move then pulled back and forced his pool stick forward.
Three solid colors went in as he stood up straight.
Tati watched in awe.
"You have stripes." he said casually. "Go ahead."
"Isn't it still your turn?"
"If I keep going, you won't get a turn." he said dryly then sipped his drink.

Tati looked and walked around the table to find which was the best angle for where the cue ball landed.

She picked a spot and stood there, bent over to aim.
She pulled back and pushed the pool stick forward. The cue ball missed its target and she sighed.
"You held it wrong." Killian spoke up. He poured himself another glass after finishing the first.
"Why didn't you tell me that sooner?!"
"Wanted to see if you could still make it in." He sipped.
She rolled her eyes.
"You held it too far back and your hand in the front wasn't sturdy." he explained as he found his next spot.
He bent over and aimed then thrusted the stick. Tati watched while she poured herself a drink.
The solid purple ball rolled into a pocket.
He looked for his next target.
Tati watched carefully and sipped.
He aimed, pulled back, and thrusted.
The solid green went in.
Tati sighed in defeat as Killian aimed again.
He pulled back and forced his stick forward at the cue ball.
It knocked the solid red ball in followed by the solid blue.
He looked at Tati. She looked back at him with annoyance. He winked with a cocky smile before putting the stick behind his back and aiming at the cue ball.
Tati watched him with zero faith that the ball would go in.
He looked up at her, pulled back, and forced the stick forward.

The eight ball rolled and bounced between the two corners before slipping into the pocket.
Tati rolled her eyes and put down the pool stick.

Killian chuckled fondly. "Where are you going?" he asked as she walked off.
"Fuck you." she stated.
"Did you think I would go easy on you?" He finished the last of his second glass.
"Most people would have the common decency to!" she said and turned around.
"Alright, I'm sorry." He chuckled.
She rolled her eyes and turned back around to continue leaving.
"Come back..." he commanded softly. "Let me teach you."
She faced him again.
"Come on. Can't learn if you leave." He hung up his pool stick so they could use hers.

She walked back towards him.

"Which ball do you want to hit in?" he asked and picked up her pool stick.
Tati looked at the table.
She pointed at the striped blue ball.
Killian handed her the stick.

She took it and bent over in front of him to aim. But both of them had their eyes on the cue and blue striped balls.
Tati held the stick and worked on her aim.
Killian looked.
He gently put his hand over hers and unraveled it to let go. He then pulled it further up the stick and wrapped it back around by the use of his hand over hers.
He bent over and adjusted how her hand towards the front kept the stick sturdy.
Tati watched his large tatted hand maneuver hers to hold it properly.
"First you need to learn how to hold it." he stated and she flinched. Not having noticed how close he was to her ear and feeling the soft, deep, voice dance towards her eardrum.
He chuckled. "Did I scare you again?"
"Yea..." she lied. It was more of a tickle.
"You need to know the right amount of force to put behind it. You hit it too hard and it's just gonna bounce off the wall. Hit it too soft and it doesn't go far enough."
"Yea..." she answered. She could feel his body lightly pressed against hers.
He let go and stood up. "Give it how much you think it needs." He went back to his glass and poured another drink.
Tati pulled her pool stick back and lightly pushed it forward. Killian walked back to the table as he sipped. He wanted to watch what the ball would do.

The cue ball hit the blue striped ball and it rolled. But only stopped on the cusp of the pocket.

She sighed. "I was scared I'd hit it too hard."
He snickered and knocked the ball into the pocket.

"Try again." he instructed and finished his drink.
She got behind the cue ball and aimed for the best target. "I'll tell you it's gotta better chance of going in if you hit it harder rather than softer."
As she was getting her hands situated on the stick, she knowingly slid them into their incorrect positions.
"That's not where I taught you to have your hands." Killian spoke up.
"I forgot..." Tati lied.
Killian bent over her yet again and started moving her hands.
"Right here. Not too far. Not too close. Easy for you to maneuver it and you're not uncomfortable." he said and gently moved the stick around so she could feel how easy it was to handle it.
She squirmed under him during her failed attempt to listen. His voice was right under her ear with his gentle breath against her neck.
He looked at her and noticed. "You gonna hit it?" he asked.
"Don't...do that..." she murmured.
"Don't do what?"
"Don't speak against my neck like that..."
He chuckled closely and his face buried into her. "Why, are you ticklish?"
She squirmed more. "Stop..." she whined and snickered.
"Come on, hit the ball." he instructed after quitting his antics.
She aimed and pulled back.

The moment she thrusted the stick forward, she felt a kiss against her neck and squirmed. Which led to her hitting the ball horribly and missing her target.

Killian laughed and Tati turned around to scold him.

He looked at her with a proud smile.
"Why would you do that?!" she asked.
"I wanted to see how ticklish you were."
"You made me miss!"
"I'm sorry." he snickered.
She rolled her eyes.
Her hand was grabbed and she was pulled towards him.

Tati's eyes found his lips first and his eyes found hers. The two finally looked up at each others eyes respectfully.
"I know you're going to. So just do it." Tati instructed.
"Do what?"
She looked in his eyes a few seconds longer. "Kiss me."
Killian quickly leaned in and pressed their lips together.

Tati's hands held his face gently as the two locked lips. He held her with his arms around her waist.
Killian picked her up and sat her on the pool table, legs spread so he could stand in between. Their tongues joined in and they kissed like there had never been a moment where they hated each other.
Tati stopped and pulled away.
He looked at her.
"Take me to the room..." she instructed.
Without debate, Killian took her hand and pulled her behind him to head back upstairs.