The Rules | ✅ Completed

Chapter 4

"The lounge," Lucas shook his head. "You're staying here. Where I can see you."

"Send one of the drooling minions to check in on me." Shane rubbed the back of his neck and Joseph covered his mouth to hide the smile. "I want to enjoy tonight. Please just let me enjoy this one. I'll even go upstairs at whatever time you say and crash for the night."

"Okay, Cinderella. Your ass better be upstairs by midnight. And you better be alone." I rolled my eyes as I spun on my heel and returned to the lounge. Owen was leaning against one of the tables, still holding his pool queue. I wandered over to him while taking a sip from the bottle in my hand. His eyes caught me and he smiled.

"You came back."

"I'm a woman of my word."

"Then have a seat woman and watch Ryan lose in this rematch." He pushed off the table and pulled out the chair.

Two rounds later and Ryan had lost all of them. I cheered Owen on. I could see it boosting his ego. He held of the pool stick to me and tilted his head to the table.

"Oh, no. You don't want to play me."

"I can teach you," his cocky grin made me laugh.

"Lester's know how to play pool," I finished off my drink before slipping off the chair. "You don't want to play me, because losing to a girl wouldn't look to good."

"I'll take my chances." He handed me to pool stick he was using and racked the balls. Rolling the rack back and forth he leaned down behind it to confirm it was in place. He lifted the frame and nodded to me. "Your up, Blaine."

"How sweet," I strolled over to the head of the table and adjust the cue ball. Lining up the stick, I met Owen's eyes and hit the white ball. It clipped the bumper and scattered the triangle of balls. Three had gone in and two were on the edge of a pocket. I declared my choice and aimed for the closest striped ball. It knocked into a solid that tapped the striped ball near a pocket. I circled the table slowly, using a few moves I watched Heather do.

I took two more shots, sinking a ball on the first one then intentionally missing the second. Owen brushed by me, his hand grazing the small of my back. He lined up his shot and made it. He took one more before missing. Tilting my head, I watched as he accused the table of being warped.

"It worked just fine for you a minute ago," Ryan mocked from one of the oversized chairs.

"You can give up now," I teased as I aimed my next shot. Two balls went in. That left me one more and the eight ball. Knocking in the last striped ball, I pointed to the pocket I was determined to sink the eight ball in. Ryan mocked Owen by declaring I was actually calling him out. Owen chuckled, but stopped as soon as the black ball danced across the table and slowed as it reached the edge. We all held our breath as the ball teetered then fell in.

"I think that's a record," Ryan jumped up, grabbed my hand and threw it into the air, "And a new champ!"

The room erupted into laughter and cheers as Owen walked over to me. I tilted my head and frowned a little. "Sorry for winning. I never was taught to go easy."

"Don't frown," he took my hand in his and smiled down at me. "You played fair and did give me a clear warning. Who knew the wallflower would be a pool shark."

"Yeah, well," I looked at my phone and bit my lip. "I had fun."

"Had fun? The night's still young. How about we get a drink. You can tell me how to hustle like you did."

"I can't," I held up my phone. "My carriage is about to turn into a pumpkin."

"Says who," he challenged as he closed the space between us.