noteasytobepink | Wheelsy AU ~ Tire changing

"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.

"Just 'cause she what? Brought you to a bad part of town, to a seedy bar, and picked the biggest, meanest regular to sharp? Yeah, you been played man. I'm sorry, that's just how it is. Why don't we take your cherries to another table now huh?" C'mon, she'd keep him company, she would!

Clarice was...leaning against a wall and watching the shots, quietly. Each and every stroke was measured and weighed to make sure the man was following the rules. And yes, if he pulled off a flawless game with properly called shots and no mistakes she would walk. She had set the rules after all.

But that was a rather weighty gaze, and she was awfully quiet as she watched. She wasn't a bragger, she didn't try to distract him, this was his one and only fair chance.

Bill frowned, trying to think of a comeback, and found himself with a familiar feeling settling in his gut.

He'd made a lot of excuses for Starla, too. Explaining away the things she did, and the reasons he let it go. But it was different with Clarice. This wasn't what that was.

At least, that's what he told himself.

"I'm fine t'sit here an' wait on her."

One by one the rest of the balls fell off the table, and Roger was sure to have that money back in his pocket again. He did his best to ignore the stare of the creepy pink girl, and cleared the table down to the eight.

It was an easy setup. Straight shot into the corner pocket. Lining it up, he took his shot and watched as it bounced off of the corner of the pocket and richoteted back out into the middle of the table.

"Shit."

The blonde huffed a sigh and stole another of Bill's cherries. She was not happy with Bill's answer and it showed on her face. "Fine, but I get to say I told you so."

And Clarice was...just going to flow into motion. Shot after shot after shot called properly with no hinderance from his balls at all.

Her eight shot didn't bounce.

This had to be enough to pay for truck tires right? "It's been a pleasure. You had a nice come back. Straighten your elbows a bit on your straight shots and you won't get a bounce again."

"You wouldn't be the first," he muttered, deciding he didn't much care what she said or thought, and turning his attention back to the game.

Roger's annoyance grew into anger as he watched. With the game over he kept back against the wall, grating his teeth.

"Bitch."

There was a slight attempt to keep it under his breath, but it was still loud enough to be heard.

Bill certainly did, and the shift from calm and easy to anger was instantaneous.

"Hey."

He could be as angry as he liked as long as he didn't try to stop Clarice from picking up the money. That wouldn't go well at all if he did! "Asshole," Clarice offered back rather genially. "Pointless to get angry." And it was.

Really pointless to get angry over losing a game he knew someone else was capable of winning at! He could have walked away at $800 now couldn't he have? Yep.

The blonde's gaze snapped to Bill when he got angry, a strange smile on her face. She seemed to like that look. Clarice was...heading in Bill's direction once she had the money in her pocket?

He didn't stop her. Instead his attention flicked to Bill, who was now standing, unsteadily, and walking over.

"You don't talk t'her like that." Sure Bill knew Clarice was plenty capable of taking care of herself, but that didn't mean he was going to sit and take this jackass tossing out insults.

Roger spat to the side with a sneer. He wasn't about to pick a real fight with a woman, but her drunk boyfriend? Hell yeah. Especially because he knew this was one he would win.

"Why? You gonna do somethin' about it?"

Ah, facepalming time.

"No," Clarice figured she'd drop that in there between whatever they were going to say next. "Bill, I'm a far better bitch and I bite a damn site harder than any this little piece has ever known." She was and she did quite honestly.

Cue the blonde woman snickering. "Ohhhh, yeah, I warned you Bill."

Clarice was going to ignore her now yep. "And we have everything we want Bill. I suggest we head for friendlier places where I can kiss you properly. You keep this up and I WILL be cracking skulls."

Bill stood by Clarice, jaw set. He tossed a Look at the blonde before backing down from an escalation with Roger. Giving Clarice a nod, Bill stepped back, ready to go.

"Yeah, that's it," Roger taunted. "Tuck your tail an' slink off behind your woman. Already let 'er fight one battle for you tonight."

Bill paused halfway into turning around and glared back at Roger.

"Kicked your ass, didn't she?"

Roger strode forward a couple steps.

"That freak got lucky. But I'll kick your chicken shit ass all over this place."

"Freak?"

Clarice sighed and stepped forward enough to rabbit punch Roger. She was kind and didn't aim for his throat like she wanted to. "Violent freak" she noted mildly.

That breaking bottle sound? Yeah, that was the blonde that hadn't gotten what she wanted smashing a glasss to arm herself. The sound seemed to be a signal to the bar at large.

"Oh, well, " damn, she had actually tried to head this off? "Bill? Bathrooms?" They could hop from there if necessary.

Both men were taken by surprise by the action. Bill blinked, and Roger had his head snap back and his nose crunch.

The bottle pulled Bill out of it, and he glanced at Clarice, then looked around.

"But... "

Getting the hell out would be the smart thing to do, but being the cop that he was he felt like maybe he should try and diffuse the situation.

And then a chair went sailing by and the bar errupted, and he thought better of trying to police the situation alone.

He turned, having lost track of the exit since they came in.

"Wh-- " That Uphf and grunt was the result of Bill being clocked upside the head by a man who just didn't know when to quit.

Yeah, well, Clarice really hadn't liked Roger at all and it was nice to get to hit him? But then ther ewas a brawl and nothing EVER went as planned in a brawl.

Ever.

She tried to keep track of Bill but she had a suddenly crazy blonde after her and taht took a bit of not getting stabbed, "Bill?! Speak up babe!"

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