noteasytobepink | Wheelsy AU ~ Tire changing

"We could probably sit around until doomsday an' I still wouldn't get it all."

Inside Bill cast a look around. This sure wasn't his usual place. It had been years since he'd spent any time in a dive (since he was sneaking into them, actually).

Still, he gave a snort and a smirk.

"Darlin', I was raised on moonshine an' Pabst. I can handle the swill if it comes down to it."

...honestly, this was closer to the kind of place she'd known as a kid. Mean little bars because even outlaws and slaves wanted to drink sometime. "Mr. Creed said there wasn't any reason I shouldn't get an education just because the world was a mess. Educations increases survival chances." And Bill had had real education opportunities! And No survival drive hammering it in! He didn't need to understand it!

"And there's no reason why you should drink swill when I'm sure there's other options."

"Of course not. I'm just sayin', I could if I had to. But since you're gonna make us rich in here I guess there's no need."

He gave her a grin and nudge with his elbow, then stood beside her ready to take her lead.

The hustling game was hers, so he would let her take point.

She kissed him with a grin and dragged him slowly over to the pool tables. There to...lean against the wall and watch. The name of the game now was to get an invite in.

Or prick their egos enough when they missed up shots to make them explode...

Yes, she was watching and...giggling...when there were mistakes and leaning in to tell Bill what so and so should have done if they were a real pool player...

Bill stood with her and laughed when she did.

He also got a second look or three from some of the ladies who were about, and was as oblivious as ever.

When he did catch a gaze he returned it with a friendly smile, perhaps not the best thing to do with the type of people about.

Leaning in to catch another bit of commentary from Clarice, Bill laughed a bit too loud, trying to set her up as he'd done before.

"Well, maybe one of these guys'll let you show 'em how it's done," he drawled, loudly.

Oh, Clarice noticed those looks, and offered the women smiles that were simply...friendly. She wasn't firm enough with Bill yet to make him off limits if he wanted to flirt so...

...she decided not to get jealous. Decided harshly.

"Nah," Clarice laughed at Bill's suggestion. "They aren't looking for real players. They just want to dink around with sticks. See?" She gestured to the table. "Even if they had anything worth taking they wouldn't hold up very long."

Bill wasn't really flirting, it was just with the amount he's had to drink tonight his amiable nature had multiplied ten fold or so.

With how Bill was feeling Victor Creed could be around snarling at him, and Bill would probably take it as a smile and buy the guy a beer.

Their conversation was noticed, and was thrown dirty looks from the playing crowd.

Finally, one man straightened up from a shot he was heckled for, and set a glare on Clarice and Bill.

"You been flappin' your mouth quite a bit, girl. You think you can back it up?"

Clarice offered a big, honest smile in kind. A good smile could go a long way as far as she knew...that or it was just fun to smile at angry people! "Would it actually be worth my while?"

And there were more women eying Bill since it seemed like his female escort was about to step away...

...feeding frenzy might be the term judging by the teeth in those smiles.

The man eyed Clarice.

"I'll start you at the low end. Twenty-five bucks a pop, call your shots, goin' in order. Still wanna play?"

Bill choked a moment like he'd swallowed gum. He had every confidence in Clarice's abilities, but hell, that was a lot of money. At least, he thought it was...

Unaware of the circling predators, Bill took a moment to work the math out in his head.

"Twenty-five an' four s'a hundred... seven balls plus the eight... s'two hundred bucks. Ouch."

Clarice kept smiling and turned back to kiss Bill's cheek as a matter of course before she selected her cue. "Sure, that's small change in my games but sure."

Who was going to break? She didn't care really. "Flip for rack?"

Oh yeah, the women were now jockeying, quietly, for a chance at Bill. Beware, beware!

The man snorted and spat when he heard 'small change'.

"C'n double it if you like, but your boyfriend there better be able t'cover."

Digging into his pocket for a quarter, the man flipped it and slapped it onto the back of his hand.

"Call it."

Bill heard 'double it', thought of four hundred bucks, and quickly snagged the attention of a passing waitress.

"Can I get a beer, an' some of them cocktail cherries?"

"Now why would he need to do that? I try not to make him worry." She smiled and called 'Heads' for breaking. "As long as you can cover your end we're golden." Smile.

SMILE!

The waitress was more than happy to oblige, and one of the women sidled over with a grin. "Ohhhh, cherries."

His return smile was more like a smirked sneer as he lifted his hand and revealed the quarter laying there tails up.

"Rack 'em."

Bill turned to give his attention back to the game, and had it caught instead by the woman.

"Yep. I like 'em."

She coudl work with sneers to be honest. It wasn't like she was destined to like man after all. Better to compete against someone you would enjoy smashing to bits! "So sad for me then. We callling break sinks as well?"

The woman was blonde and just a touch too skinny, but the shirt she was wearing showed what she had to best advantage. "So do I. Gotta love a man who likes fruit. Can you tie a cherry stem in a knot?"

"Nah, but I'll do it just fer fun."

He called the one in a corner pocket, and sunk it easy. From there he went through and picked apart the table, ending with just his six and seven remaining.

Bill was having a minor heart attack, dividing his attention between the game and the lady beside him.

"Actually, I like the sweet. Get 'em this way, ain't gotta worry 'bout the rest of the fruit cocktail gettin' in the way," he laughed, right before he gulped as another shot went in.

He was sure Clarice could come back, but that was only if she had the chance to. Bill let out a slow breath when it was finally her turn.

Well, there was one bonus to going second really, that was the fact that most his balls weren't hanging out blocking her shots.

Not that it would have really stopped her.

9, two banks. 10, three banks. 11 rail riding to corner. 12, two bank one ricochet off the 13 into pocket. 13, straight in. 14 a double bank to side. 15, one bank to corner. 8 straight into a corner.

"I believe that gives me next break?" She gave Bill a reassuring, soft smile, then narrowed her eyes on his companion who had...edged a lot closer.

"I can appreciate the sweet as well. But go ahead and try with your cherry stem, it's fun and good luck!"

The smirk he wore turned down with every shot until he was frowning on the eight ball.

He chewed on a few choice words, then set about racking the next set.

"You wanna name the price this go round, chick?"

Bill returned her smile with one that was wide and amused. She wasn't kidding about those truck tires.

Chewing on a cherry, he eyed the stem, then shrugged and popped it into his mouth and tried to work it around.

"There a way of doin' this without swallowin' the thing?"

"And make you bleed? No, I'm comfortable where we're at." Unless, of course, he wanted to up the stakes? Was it worth it with her getting break?

And hey, one more round should cover truck tires right? Then they could leave. Two games wouldn't make the idiots explode...right? She kind of hoped not, for Bill's sake.

The blonde was hoping for several long games though before she was grinning peering at his mouth in amusement. "Gotta have a good tongue, I can show you but there isn't much to see..."

He thought about pressing, but lifted the triangle without an argument and stepped back from the table.

He was still glaring, though, as he watched her break.

Bill, in the meantime gave up on the cherry stem. Taking it out, he shook his head and settled for having another cherry.

"Nope. S'harder than it sounds."

That sharp smile Clarice was wearing? Yeah, she had an idea that the man wanted to push things. Things might get interesting huh? She called three balls on break (3,11,15) , correct pockets for each then went with solids. They had a better set up.

But first things first...she slipped by Bill to give him a kiss. Mmm, cherry-flavored kiss! "For luck!" And it made the blonde glare before she herself took a cherry and...proceeded to eat it and tie the stem in a knot.

Blondie had skills.

Right, back to the table. Flawless calls and a wolfish smile all the way through the eight. "I believe that makes it eight hundred to me?"

"

Bill was surprised by the kiss, and returned it, smiling after her as she went back to the game.

"She's my girl," Bill said with a nod towards Clarice and a dopey smile. The knot got a laugh and one handed clap on the side of his beer mug before he took a drink.

"Not bad."

As the game ended, the man's frown was a full fledged scowl. His jaw tightened, as did his grip on his cue.

"An' what if I don't feel like payin' up?"

"Really?" The blonde scowled after Clarice, thoughtful. "She doesn't look like a taken women, pushing things with Roger there." In fact she didn't think Clarice was much competition at all really.

She might have been drinking a bit herself tonight. "I bet I'm a better kisser, and I won't ignore you for a pool game." She wouldn't ignore the man at all now. Nope.

Clarice, for her part, shot another smile Bill's way, not catching the conversation over there because, well, belligerent guy. "I can understand how you wouldn't want to admit a girl beat you, though admitting you backed out on a promise with a girl looks just as bad...and you did know I could play pool since I was offering shooting advice earlier." So now trying to call her a liar either!

"Tell you what. I can give you an out I guess. Double or nothing, but you put the cash on the table, sixteen hundred. You win I'll walk away quiet. I win, I take my money and you walk away quiet."

Bill glanced over at the game, and shook his head.

"Huh? Oh, I promise, she c'n handle herself."

The kissing comment made him blink, and finally it clicked that he may have wandered into a bit of a situation here.

"She uh, she ain't ignorin' me. She's tryin' t'win me some new truck tires."

"My rep ain't gonna hurt none losin' out t'someone like you," he snorted, trying to sound unconcerned, but giving a quick glance around right after he said it.

Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a wad of bills. Counting out the money, he held the sixteen in his hand.

"Double or nothin', but I break, an' I'll do it in any damn order I please."

"Out of Roger?!" the blonde laughed and slapped Bill on the shoulder. "Really? Man you been played. She was just looking for some danger. C'mon and let's go that way she doesn't get you hurt right?"

Clarice waved her cue to an empty table nearby where he could lay the money. That way they could both keep an eye on it right? "One condition, regardless of order you still call pockets and banks." Or else? Or else what?

She tore him apart verbally, in front of his friends and peers, and made sure he never lived it down.

"I have not. Just 'cause she-- " Well true, Clarice had been kind of spoiling for some action, but Bill knew she hadn't played him. "She wouldn't do that. "Why? What's he like t'do?"

Bill turned his attention back to the table again, taking in the look of Roger, that glare and grip on the money, and then of Clarice.

He wet his lips, wondering if he shouldn't say something.

Roger slapped the money down onto the table.

"Fine."

Once the balls were set, he took his break and started working through the stripes, sinking two on the break, and a third right after. If he could clear the table before giving her a shot he'd have the money.

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