Keeping Score

I gritted my teeth. “You call me Hawk because my last name is Hawkins.”

“Oh, ok so which is it? Kane or Hawk?” she asked.

I grinned. “I’ll let you choose.”

Her eyes fell to the floor again. “I’ll be back to check on your beers.”

Before I could keep her at the table for another round of sparring she wedged herself between an oncoming party and disappeared.

“Fuck,” I whispered. There was a certain thump under my ribs. Women were my vice. And for a quick second I thought that one had the potential to kill me.

“Looks like we’re going to be here all night ordering drinks.” Joe laughed, watching her retreat into the darkness of the bar.

I touched the glass to my lips, seeking the poison to fill my veins with the kind of speed and power I needed.

I placed the empty glass on the table. “I’m trying to behave for Savannah. She’s always busting my balls for drinking too much and being seen with too many different women.”

“Tonight’s not going to help your case,” Joe added.

I shook my head. “No, it’s not.” I searched the few tables for any signs of Julie.

Joe kept talking. “Kenny is the same way. Always trying to be my daddy. What’s the deal with these damn agents?”

I shrugged. My attention was somewhere else tonight.

I spotted a familiar face coming from the bar and I smiled. I stood, meeting him at the table with a warm hug. He slapped me on the back a few times before pulling up a chair.

“It’s good to see you, Pops.”

“You too, son. I thought I’d find you here after that win tonight. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, old man.”

Pops was my neighbor growing up. As a young kid without a dad he was the closest thing I had to a role model. For a quick second I thought about mentioning the nightmares that had been wrecking my sleep lately, but I saw how he looked at me. I was the pillar of strength now. I kept my damn mouth shut.

“How have you been, Kane? It’s been a while. How’s life at the top of the food chain?” He asked with a wink.

“Not bad. Sharks are one game from the playoffs. One game.”

He nodded. “I know. I saw the entire thing. I never miss one of your games.”

My stomach clenched. I was so used to doing my own thing, I forgot there were people out the

re who remembered when I was kid. When I didn’t have shit for parents. Pops, who watched me on television, like a dad watching his son.

“Just a game away,” I repeated. I looked around for Julie. We needed another round.

“I tried to get to one earlier this season, but a thousand for a ticket is too rich for my blood.”

I stared at the man who had tried to replace the biggest void a boy can have in his life. He stepped in when no one else tried. “If you want tickets, you’ve got them.”

“No. No. You don’t have to do that.”

“You’re going to the next game. You have a spot in my family box.” I eyed him. “No arguments. Do you understand?” I grinend

He was getting ready to say something when the hot waitress appeared.

Pops smiled at her. He saw what I did. What every hot-blooded man in this bar saw. She was sexy as hell, without even trying. She pulled off an undeniable vibe and it drove me crazy.