“Hey, sweetie, I haven't seen you in ages. How are you?”
“Oh, I'm busy with school. I'm over at the university now.”
“You're kidding! Well, good for you. How's your dad?”
“Same old guy; he never changes. But overall, he's doing well. I don't think he would complain.”
“That's great. He hasn't been around here in ages.”
“No, he moved to a different area, so he has a new hangout.”
She looked at me, and I smiled up at her.
“Who's your friend here? He's cute, but he looks like trouble.”
“Hey!” I said.
Natalie laughed. “This is Jet. I know him from school, we're buddies.” She winked at me. “But you are right about the trouble part.”
I shook my head.
“Well, what can I get you two?”
“How about a couple of beers to start.”
“Sure thing, sweetie, I'll be right back.” The waitress sauntered off toward the bar, and I turned back to Natalie.
“Well, well, well, aren't you the one with a shady past?”
“Who says it's shady?”
“Call it a guess.”
She stuck her tongue out at me, and I realized that I had a damn sexy girl sitting across from me. The waitress came back quickly with our beers, and left us to them.
“So, why is this your favorite place?” I asked as I took a swig of my beer. She took a pull on hers as well as she watched me carefully. The girl had zero trust in me, but I wasn't going to hold it against her. I probably deserved her mistrust.
“I don't know; I like the people here. They are good people; hard workers who just are trying to make an honest living and be happy. They don't judge you for who you are; they make me feel safe. I guess I like it because some of the best memories I have of my dad are here as well. He wasn't the best father I could have asked for, but he definitely had his moments. He taught me a lot in these walls.”
I nodded. I liked learning these new little tidbits about Natalie. She was an interesting girl, and this place certainly threw me for a loop. I had not expected this part at all.
We finished off our first beers, and the waitress automatically brought us two more. I decided to tip her well for that alone.
“So, why did you bring me here?”
“What do you mean, Jet, you don't like beer?” She was smiling, and that was always a good thing.
“No. I mean, let's be honest, you barely like me, so why bring me to your favorite place?”
“I don't know. I have a feeling about you. Plus, I hadn't been here in forever, and my girlfriends would never set foot in this place. So I had to bring a guy if I wanted to come, so why not bring you?”
I laughed. “Gee, thanks. So really, it could have been anyone.”
She winked. “I guess so.”
“So, gorgeous, what do you say that we have a little wager? We'll see just how good you are at playing pool. The winner buys shots.”
She laughed. “You're on, but be prepared to buy the shots.”