The Game

I thought about what happened in the elevator while I drove home; the rain had caused an accident and traffic wasn’t going anywhere. I pulled a fresh pack of cigarettes out of the glove box and opened it. I pulled one out and lit it as I cracked the window open slightly. Did what happened really happened? I’d swear it seemed like something you read about in those stroke books you picked up in adult stores. Just to be sure, I put my hands in my lap and I still felt the throbbing down there. Maybe, I was just overanalyzing the whole damned thing. Besides, this could lead to something very interesting. Traffic started to move and I continued on home.

When I got there, I walked straight to the answering machine. The first message was trying to sell me satellite service, so I fast-forwarded the machine to the next. The second message was from my mother; she wanted to know if I planned to come see her and dad anytime soon. I zipped passed that message before it got to the ‘when will you make us grandparents’ lecture. As if… The last message was from Col; he wanted to meet at the Korean restaurant near the school at seven. I glanced down at my watch: four o’clock. I guessed that I had time to kill. I walked over to my desk and turned the computer on. I finished an evaluation essay I had due the following day and updated my journal entries for another class that met later on during the week. After that, I checked my e-mails, an online auction I had been watching and shut the system down. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. I twisted the cap off and swallowed about a quarter of the bottle. I sighed, sat the bottle on the counter and stretched my arms over my head. I tilted my head from side to side until it popped. I picked up my beer and moved to the sliding glass door to the backyard.

I opened the door and stepped out. I loved the garden the most because it was my safe space. The wind chimes rang softly as a gentle breeze wafted by, carrying the scent of roses. In the background, I heard the splashing of the fountain in the pond I built all by myself. I sat the beer down and lit a cigarette. My mind drifted back to Col. Was this guy for real? Intelligent, sexy and a damned good card player; qualities any woman appreciated in a partner. So, why me? Granted, I possessed intelligence and I learned things pretty quick. Independent, resourceful and fun to be around; people wanted to be in my close circle of friends. On the flip side, I preferred to be alone. I had been betrayed too many times to count and that led to a circle within a circle; this one had boundaries that very few people ever crossed. I crushed the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray on the table. Dammit…when had I become so moody? I grabbed the beer and swallowed the rest quickly. I stood up and headed back into the house. I flopped down on the couch, turned on the TV and got lost in a cartoon.

At six, I turned off the TV to get ready. I showered and put on a clean shirt and my most comfortable jeans. I never wore much make-up and my hair was just pulled back with a clip. I figured that since he saw me at school like this and liked what he saw, why worry. I went out to the car and drove to the restaurant. It was a popular hangout for the students, being so close to campus. It also helped that they served a decent array of sushi and Korean style bar-b-que. I found an excellent parking place and went inside. I was greeted by the mama-san, who I knew well. I nodded when she asked if I wanted my usual beer. Col sat at the bar, waiting for me to walk in. He smiled and waved at me. Mama-san brought me my beer and she nodded approvingly when she saw Col as he greeted me. She escorted us to a table and walked off.

“Are you doing okay?” he asked as I sipped the Kirin beer. I nodded as I swallowed and said, “Yeah…sorry if you got freaked out.”

“You surprised me. I had no idea how passionate you really were. Do you have an extra cigarette?” I slid my pack across the table with my Zippo. He picked it up, lit his smoke and stared at it. “When were you ever in the Marine Corps?”

“I wasn’t…dude gave it to me after a bar fight.”

“Really…do tell,” he said as I reached for a cigarette of my own.

“Well, there’s not much to tell. I was in a bar, drinking and shooting darts, with a couple of buddies. This gang of Marines came over and asked if they could join. We said sure and ended up playing a drinking game. They had this bet to see who could drink the most without passing out. My friends tried to get me to quit, but I didn’t listen.”

“Keep going…”

“Anyway, twelve shots later…it was just me, the guy who invited us to play and seven hundred bucks on the table. We slammed two more shots apiece before he slid under the table, out cold. I reached out to collect my money when another Marine grabbed my wrist and said it was time I got a tattoo to prove myself. I didn’t appreciate being manhandled and one thing led to another…”

Col stared, “Then what? There has to be more than that. How many were there?”

I sipped my beer again, “Seven or eight, not counting the one who was passed out. I don’t drink tequila anymore because of that night. I’m a mean and vicious drunk when cornered.”

“So…what happened? You’re killing me, you know that, right?”

I sighed heavily, “I broke two fingers on the guy who grabbed me. A couple of them got black eyes and busted lips. Blah, blah, blah…one guy managed to stop me before I really got started. He laughed, apologized for his friend and gave me his Zippo with my money.”

The waiter came up and took Col’s order; he already knew what I wanted since I had eaten there so much. Col looked at me and smiled.

“Okay, let me see if I got it right. You can handle yourself in a bar fight but you’re afraid of closed in places…”

I huffed, “I’m not afraid; I just dislike them intensely.”

“Fine…you ‘intensely dislike’ being closed in. Hmmm…you learn fast and you’re very intelligent. Your school work is exceptional and you’re on the Dean’s List.”

My head whipped up, “Huh? How do you know that? I didn’t even know that last bit of info.”

“Hush…I cannot reveal my sources. You’re the oldest of three and your family is well enough off for you to live comfortably on your trust fund. Did I miss anything?” he asked as he grinned wickedly. I glared at him from across the table.

“That big-mouthed son of a bitch. You’ve been talking to Red, haven’t you?”

He smiled and refused to be baited. Red was going to pay hell for this. Col reached over and grabbed my hand. He squeezed it gently.

“You’re an unusual woman. The world has been handed to you on a silver platter but you want to use redneck china. You’re passionate and aggressive; but you can be soft when the moment calls for it. You are the woman I’ve been searching for,” he stated mysteriously. I gave him an arched look at the last statement but couldn’t reply as dinner arrived.

Plates loaded down with bar-b-qued beef, bowls of miso soup and steamed rice, lettuce, glass noodles, kimchee and seasoned boiled spinach were set upon the table. Another plate contained teriyaki-braised mahi-mahi. Japanese pickled radish and pickled ginger were set in the center. All in all, a feast had been laid before us. The waiter placed a pair of chopsticks by my plate and fork on Col’s side of the table. He grinned and bowed before he left our table. Mama-san came over with more beer and removed the empty bottles. She smiled at me again. I grabbed my chopsticks and my rice bowl. He watched in amazement as I started to eat.

“I don’t think I have ever dated a woman who let a man see them eat. It’s usually a glass of water with a salad or nothing at all.”

“You’re about to discover that I’m not like any other woman.”

After we demolished the meal and paid the tab, I followed Col to his house. It was a single story, tastefully set back away from the road. There was a stone privacy fence that surrounded the property. We parked and walked to the door. I noticed the motorcycle parked close to the garage…very nice. I added excellent taste to my mental list of Col’s attributes. He unlocked the door and held it open for me. “If it gets too cold, let me know,” he said as he led me to the living room. “I like to keep it low as I usually run a little hot.” He turned on a couple of lamps and the room appeared cozy. On the coffee table, I noticed a deck of cards had been dealt out four ways. So, we were going to work on my Spades game after all. He walked over to the fireplace mantle and lit a couple of pillar candles. I sniffed the air appreciatively: sandalwood and vanilla-very nice touch.

He pulled a leather footstool closer to the coffee table and I leaned in from my place on the couch. He picked up each pile of cards, one by one, fanned them out and then laid them back down on the table. “The first thing we need to work on is how you bid the hand. You have the general idea but you tend to under-bid, which could eventually lead to sandbags.” I picked up one of the stacks off the table. I put them in order by suit and started to count the books. I did that with each pile of cards and he pointed out my mistakes. He distracted me with the way he looked: dark blue denim, button-down shirt and buttery soft black leather pants. My mind flashed back to the elevator: shirt unbuttoned, jeans around his ankles while his body strained above mine. I reached out to touch him but he stopped me.

“Focus…you’re good but you can be so much better,” he said softly. “Tell me what you would bid for each of these hands.” I looked at the table again. He had shuffled the cards and dealt new hands when I wasn’t paying attention. I sighed and reorganized the hands to re-bid the books. This went on for an hour or so before he picked the cards up to put away. “You did well…just have more confidence in your bidding ability,” he said as he moved to sit next to me on the couch. I scooted closer to him and we sat quietly, savoring the warmth we shared. He gently moved his lips across my ear, moving down towards my neck. “Stay here, with me, tonight,” he mumbled against my skin. “I want to explore every inch of you…but not on a hard floor.”

He must have felt my pulse quicken, as close as he was. I sat back and stared at him. “Are you sure?” I stammered. “Sex on the floor of the elevator was one thing but spending the night? Where would that lead us?”

He stood and held out one hand. “It will lead us to where ever you want to go.”

I just sat there, dumbfounded. Slowly, I reached out and placed my hand in his. He pulled me to my feet and led me to his bedroom…