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It’s dead today. Ava has wiped down the same part of the bar about a hundred times now. So when she hears the bell above the door ring she’s thrilled for something to do even if that’s that one dude they’ve kicked out like four times just this week. It isn’t, thankfully.
“I think I’ve finally thought of someone who can beat you at pool,” Lilith says as she claims her seat at the bar.
She loves when Lilith comes in. It’s always something interesting. And she’s one of the few that will actually riff with her instead of just trying to hit on her.
Ava leans onto the bar towards Lilith, “Oh yeah? Another dumbass dude who claims he can beat anyone?”
Lilith grins, “Not quite, a childhood friend actually, we just reconnected and they always wiped the floor with me in billiards, though much more humble about it. Unlike someone I know.” She finishes with a roll of her eyes.
Ava bats her eyes at Lilith, making her a drink, “Oof, so what I’m hearing is you’ve always been bad? Is that right, Lily? Also, they? Do you have friends other than stuck up men?”
“Oh fuck off, Silva.”
Ava finishes making it and slides it across the bar. “So what’s the wager?”
Lilith slides the glass around a little, twisting it between her fingers, suddenly a little shy. “If they win, you will introduce me to your friend, Camila.”
Ava rolls her eyes as dramatically as she can muster. “Oh my god, she’s here just as often as you are for Christ’s sake. She’s the nicest person I know! You could just talk to her, you know.”
“Yes well, as you so lovingly put it, I have a reputation of hanging around stuck up men, so it would be nice to have an introduction.”
“Alright,” she wipes her hands on a bar rag, “and if I win, you buy my drinks for next week.” Ava sticks her hand out.
Lilith takes her hand and shakes it. “I won’t be buying your drinks and I’ll have a date by then.”
Ava tightens her grip on Lilith’s hand, “and last thing, you can’t tell them it’s a bet. I’ll ask them if they want to play pool when you get here. Deal?”
Lilith lifts an eyebrow, “Deal.”
—
Ava is pouring drinks for a rowdy group of men as she keeps glancing up at the clock, “You waiting on a hot date or something?” One of them slurs, glancing up at the clock on the wall.
“Just waiting for my shift to end, so that I don’t have to talk to you all anymore,” she says with no malice in her voice.
The man mimes being stabbed in the heart, “You wound me, Ava, and here I thought you liked it when we came in!” He leans over the bar into her space a little.
“Oh, don’t worry, I do. I love awarding one of you ‘dumbass of the night’ each time you come in.” And she blows a kiss to the rest of the group as he laughs. But then he stares at her chest for a moment too long, and that moment is over.
Just a few more minutes. Lilith had said her and her friend would be there around the time she got off so they could put this whole bet thing into motion. She waves at Camila as she makes her way towards the bar, and Ava starts to make a cocktail for her as she sits down next to the group of men.
“Just a few minutes, and guess who’s going to be here?” Ava asks.
“Your regular who won’t look me in the eye?” Camila wiggles her eyebrows up and down a couple times.
Ava busts out laughing. “You know it,” and as she lifts her eyes she sees Lilith walk through the door, “Speak of the devil,” and she gestures with her chin towards the door.
Lilith nods at Ava as she gets closer and blushes a little when she sees Camila sitting in the seat directly next to her usual seat. “Hello,” she smiles as she sits down, Ava loves this shy version of Lilith, it’s incredibly endearing and not at all the version of her she usually sees.
Camila turns her body towards Lilith, “Hi, it’s nice to see you.”
Lilith stiffens and stays turned towards Ava, “Oh yeah, of course, you too.”
Camila rolls her eyes at Ava and stifles a laugh.
“Where’s your friend, Lil? You talked a lot of shit the other day.”
Lilith grins at Ava, “Oh, she’ll be here, don’t worry.”
Ava is called across the bar by some other patrons so she gets to work finishing up the last of her duties before she can clock out.
“Ava, get out from behind the bar. People on the clock only!” Hans yells before pulling her a little closer, “Wipe the floor with them.” And he gives her a high five.
Ava grins, and hangs her apron up behind the bar, “you get the best view in the house to watch!” And as she circles the bar she runs directly into a solid body.
“I apologize.” A soft voice says, so so close to her ear.
“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention.” Ava’s hands are around the stranger's biceps as she talks.
Soft, brown eyes are the only thing Ava can truly pay attention to for several long moments. They’re in a nice button down and slacks, with the sleeves rolled up to just above their elbows. Those fucking forearms, Jesus Christ.
“Ava, this is Beatrice.” Lilith comes up out of nowhere and claps a hand on Beatrice’s shoulder. “And Beatrice, this is Ava.”
“Hello, Ava.” Beatrice's grin is bright and warm, and the way she says Ava’s name is wow.
“Hi, Beatrice, it’s nice to meet you.” Ava glances to where her hands are still curled around solid muscle, “And I’m still holding you, sorry.” Ava removes her hands and offers one to shake.
“Likewise, and don’t worry,” Beatrice smiles a little shy, “Can I buy you a drink?” Beatrice asks as she takes Ava’s hand to shake.
“You don’t have to do that,” but Beatrice just looks at her expectantly. “Okay, yes. Thank you. I’ll take whatever you’re drinking.” Ava says and then Beatrice is gone and Ava sets her sight on her next target.
Ava smacks Lilith hard on the shoulder. “What the fuck you didn’t tell me she was hot.”
Lilith laughs hard, and grabs at her shoulder. “I didn’t realize I needed to disclose if my friends were hot to you, Silva.” Lilith mocks.
“If they look like that you should.” And Ava shoves a thumb in the general direction that Beatrice had walked. Lilith rolls her eyes and leans back in her seat.
Beatrice walks back over only a minute later. She passes a lemon drop into Ava’s hand. “The bartender—uh Hans told me these were on the house?”
Ava looks at the bar and Hans is standing there with a dopey grin on his face and both thumbs up. Oh my god. “Well cheers to that then,” Ava clinks her glass to Beatrice’s and they both down the shots.
“So, Bea, Lilith here won’t play pool with me anymore, are you interested?”
Ava watches as Beatrice glances at Lilith for a second, “I’m afraid I’ve never really played before, so…” she trails off.
Lilith turns her head slightly in question, her eyes brows furrowing, “What?” Beatrice shoots her a look for half a second.
“I’d be happy to show you, if you’d like. No judgment or at least not from me. You know Lilith better than I do, she might judge.” Ava shrugs as Lilith still holds a confused look on her face.
“If you’d be willing. Then sure, why not.” Beatrice reaches up and undoes a button on her shirt, smiling at Lilith and Ava as she does.
Camila comes over, a scotch on the rocks in hand that she passes to Lilith without a word. Poor Lilith’s look of confusion only deepens. “Oh, thank you, how did you—”
“Shall we?” Ava loops an arm in Beatrice’s and pulls her in the direction of the pool table they have in the back corner of the bar. Lilith and Camila follow close behind them and sit at a small table nearby to watch.
Ava grabs a pool cue and hands one to Beatrice. She passes it back and forth in her hands, seemingly feeling the weight of it. It reminds Ava of how fighters will sometimes do that with a weapon. Ava wonders idly if Beatrice fights, she bets she does. Ava would pay too much money to get pinned to the— Beatrice cuts through her thoughts with a grin, “Alright, what are the basics?”
Ava walks around the side of the table, “I’m more of a “teach by example” kind of person.” She leans over the table and rests her hands on the soft felt. “Since you’ve never really played I’ll break.”
She exhales slowly, and sends the cue flying with impressive speed across the table. The satisfying smack sound filling the quiet corner of the bar. She manages to send a striped ball into the far corner pocket, flashing a grin in Lilith’s direction who rolls her eyes.
“Alright, so you’re solids and I’m stripes!” Ava skips back around to where Beatrice is standing leaning on her cue.
“So, my turn then?” Beatrice makes no move to get closer to the table though.
“Nope, since I made it I get one more go,” Ava says and Beatrice nods, and gestures to the table.
Beatrice is watching her move around the outer edge of the table, so Ava leans over the table in her low cut top and glances up to watch Beatrice look down at her chest. Ava misses as another smack sound fills the room and the ball bounces off the corner.
Beatrice leans over the table then, fumbling her hands a little and looking awkward holding the cue, shit, maybe Lilith was thinking of the wrong friend? Ava watches as Beatrice misses the cue ball completely. She looks up at Ava, a little bit of pink on her cheeks. She stands and rolls her sleeves a bit further up her arms. Before glancing at Ava again, and leaning down to shakily reposition her arms. This was going to be easy free drinks. Ava slides up behind Beatrice, “May I?”
“Mhm,” Beatrice hums.
Ava moves so she’s pressed against Beatrice’s back. Then she reaches and guides Beatrice’s hands into the right spot. She can feel her breathing pick up a little. She moves her fingers to loosely grip the cue, “There we go, now just pull back and drive your hand forward.” Ava steps back as Beatrice hits the cue ball into a solid ball and sends it flying across the table and while it doesn’t find its mark, at least she hit something.
Beatrice hums, as she steps back away from the table, she grabs the chalk and presses it to the tip of the cue all while holding eye contact with Ava. “Your turn?”
Ava swallows dryly, “Yep, my turn.” She manages to connect with another ball but it too misses its mark.
“Another drink, maybe?” Ava suggests.
—
Two shots later and Ava is feeling loose and so, so good. “I don’t see a ring, no spouse? I’m a little surprised considering all of this,” Ava gestures up and down Beatrice’s body. “Even if you are lacking in the billiards department.” She grins and wiggles her eyebrows a little.
Beatrice smiles at her, and leans over the table for her turn. She adjusts the cue in her hand slightly and sinks a solid ball into the corner. “Huh, would you look at that? Maybe your teaching is already paying off,” Beatrice says and gestures to the table. “But as for your question, no spouse, no girlfriend either.” And she misses the next shot she tries. “What about you, Ava?”
Ava had assumed but didn’t want to put her foot in her mouth if she wasn’t into women obviously, but now that she knew she was rather pleased. “Single, not necessarily looking but wouldn’t turn the other way if an opportunity presented itself.” Ava lines herself up to sink the eight ball into the adjacent pocket. “This one,” she calls, before it slowly inches into the hole.
Ava grins victoriously, looking up at Lilith who is engrossed in conversation with Camila. She’d collect on this bet later. “Better luck next time, Bea.” Ava leans up and presses a kiss to Beatrice’s cheek.
“Wait, Ava, one more? I win, you let me take you out sometime?” Beatrice pushes her sleeves up her arms a little. Flexing her forearms so beautifully.
“And if I win?” Ava leans a little into Beatrice’s space. She smells nice.
“Whatever you’d like,” Beatrice leans into her a little too. Ava watches as Beatrice glances down to her lips and back up to her eyes. “In the meantime, should we ask Hans for another round?”
—
Another lemon drop sits lingering on her taste buds as she re-racks the balls while Beatrice is chatting with Lilith and Camila for a moment, “Do you want to try your hand at breaking this time?” Ava asks as she chalks the tip of her cue.
Beatrice makes a face like she’s contemplating for a moment. “Sure, why not!” She says cheerily. She has this cute pink hue to her cheeks, surely the alcohol taking effect, and Ava wants to kiss her.
Ava glances over at Lilith, who is suddenly grinning like a Cheshire Cat, and is watching Beatrice closely. Ava redirects her attention too. Beatrice leans over the table, expertly wrapping her fingers around the cue as she takes a deep breath. She slowly exhales and sends the ball flying into the others. She sinks two striped balls. Doesn’t look up from the table and moves to sink another, as Ava stands there with her jaw on the floor. She finally misses and looks up at Ava, a cocky grin spreading across her face.
“So what? That was an excuse to get me to put my hands on you?” Ava begins to laugh.
Beatrice shrugs a little, sidling up next to her, reaching a hand around her waist, “Beginner’s luck?”
Ava shoves Beatrice a little, “Oh, you’re so fucking on, Beatrice. When I win, you’re giving me all the cash in your wallet.”
Beatrice smiles, slow and so fucking cocky. “Deal,” she sticks her hand out for Ava to shake.
Ava shakes her head a little in disbelief as she shakes her hand. It’s warm, and soft, and that’s when she can hear the low laughs coming from behind her. She spins on her heel as Lilith claps a hand over her mouth to stifle the laugh. Camila pats Lilith’s arm, which she will be revisiting later, but then looks at Ava, “You got this.”
—
The cue ball and the eight ball are all that remain on the table. It has been a very, very close game. And now it’s Beatrice’s turn, and she’s circling the table like a hawk, eyes steady and focused. She bends down to line up the cue, breathing in deeply, before standing straight back up and circling once again.
Ava fakes a yawn, “I’m going gray, come on Bea,” she taunts.
Beatrice leans down again, calls the corner
pocket, and it bounces off the edge.
“Beatrice, come on!” Lilith damn near shouts.
The ball is perfect. It’s lined up so only a damn fool could miss this shot. Ava smiles, and bends over the table, but then out of the corner of her eye, she sees Beatrice move. Ava focuses on her for a moment as she sets her cue against the wall and turns and rests her weight on her hands on the edge of the table. Beatrice smiles sweetly at Ava and then drums her fingers along the edge causing her muscle to ripple in her forearm. Ava swallows hard and lines up, but at the last second her eyes betray her and she glances up again, and once again the ball bounces off the edge. “Fuck,” she whispers.
“Better luck next time?” Beatrice says as she grabs her cue stick again.
It’s a tough shot, the ball is too close to the edge to bounce off anything in a productive way, but Beatrice leans over and calls, “8-ball, corner pocket.”
Ava decides that if they’re playing dirty why shouldn’t she have some fun too? She walks over as Beatrice takes a breath in and glides her hand over the small of Beatrice’s back right as she takes her shot. The ball is launched across the table, and then Ava gets a front-seat view to the look on Lilith’s face as the ball falls into the wrong pocket.
Lilith throws her hands into the air, “You useless fucking lesbian.”
Ava grins at Lilith, “So, drinks on you next week and the week after?”
Lilith groans and Beatrice stands up straight next to her, “Wait, what? You bet on me?” Beatrice turns to Lilith.
Lilith stands up and gets into Beatrice’s space, “Yeah, and then somebody pretended they didn’t know how to play because a pretty girl told them she’d show ‘em how to play, Jesus Christ.” Then she walks towards the bar.
Beatrice shuts her eyes for a second, the cute blush she’s been sporting all night deepening. She sighs, “So, uh, you knew the whole time?” She grabs at the back of her neck, and won’t make eye contact.
Ava grabs her arm, “I must say, you’re a pretty convincing actor, because I was half convinced Lilith had the wrong person in mind.” She grabs the sides of Beatrice’s collar of her shirt, pulling her close to her face, “However, then you tried to hustle me.”
Beatrice crinkles her eyes a little and grins, “Can I call it showing off instead?”
Ava glances down at her lips, “Depends, how long are you in town for?”
Beatrice inches closer, “I just moved here actually, Lilith was offering to show me the city. This was the first stop, and she said there was some annoyingly charming bartender I should meet, I’m assuming she was talking about Hans.” Beatrice jokes.
Ava’s jaw drops open and she pushes back from Beatrice. Had Lilith just set her up with her friend? Ava searches the crowd and sees Lilith pressed into a corner with Camila kissing her, fucking finally! She makes a mental note to text Camila later.
Ava turns back to Beatrice, “Well, I know a really good ice cream place if you’d be interested in seeing more of the city? Then there’s another really exclusive place I could show you too, if you want.” She grabs Beatrice’s hand.
“Oh? Exclusive? Does it require a membership?” Beatrice asks, eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Ava laughs a little, “Even more exclusive than that,” she reaches into her pocket. “You need a key.” And she holds up her keys and swings them around her finger while she wiggles her eyebrows.
Beatrice squeezes her hand, “Seeing more of the city sounds lovely, Ava.”