she said persuade

she was fit  vivacious    single which in her vernacular meant never married

                                                                           If I divorced I’d say I was divorced.

he liked her candor

several mutual friends decided they would make a nice couple

they suggested to him first

                             he said No  Why so square they were couples

Nowadaysif Im not mistaken  men neednt carry the ball  womenif interested  can ask

they must have put the screws to her

trying to put them to him theyd strip out screwheads

one couple calledinvited him to a small party they were throwing

It’s a pool party, to celebrate summer.

                                         she laughed gayly I’m calling it Let’s Get Wet!

he always enjoyed her enthusiasm

they dated

she did

       

    You’ll come, won’t you?

he had no reason to sniff anything out

he believed it was understood  he made his own bed

                                                         owed that to his mother

a no-nonsense gal

when relationships veered badly after sheunsolicited warned it would

                                                                            she was cucumber cold

Made your own bed, now sleep in it.

Persuade he asked

she wasnt coy

    she relented she said that they were convinced she could bring him out of his shell

I could persuade you.

feeling his mothers pale steelblue eyes at the back of his head  coolly  Seduce me

Except for the C  the letters to seduce are in persuade 

                                                           See  Si

she wrote the words on a cocktail napkin with the red Bic pen he notoriously carried everywhere tucked over his ear

    Ohyes.  They are similar, look similar.

Are similar

             Youll not try to seduce me

handing the pen back she smiled great dimpleswere a plus in her column Has anyone everprior to now, uttered those words?

I don believe in one-offs

they hit it off

evening came surprisingly fast

 

there was a pool table in the couples home

                                              You play

I do. I’m quite good.

Good enough to bet on your game I can

As can I.

Wanna play

How much?

Not money   Clothing

    Clothing?

Im wearing  twothree    five  five articles of clothing

                                                          You

    

    Six.

Eightball for clothing

Nineball?

Well alternate

Let’s do that.

Now

      When one of us has lost their clothingupstairs well go to one of the bedrooms strip in order of our losses

Youre game

             Not askinagin

I’m game.

flipped a coin for the break she won

                                       The first of many. she said chuckling soft dimples 

called nineball promptly beat him  a keen combination to sink the nine early

on a cocktail napkin with the Bic he wrote his name

she beat him in eightball  a fine carom off his eleven into the side pocket

wrote his name again

he returned the favour an equally early nineball combination

wrote her name

then wrote her name a second time

wrote his

hers

                  four straight

while they played people wandered into the room

                                                    however witnessing their intensitytheir silent only sound the knockcollision of the balls they left without remarks

                                                           took to watching them from outside through windows that ran the length of the room

they returned the cues to the rack

he followed her upstairs

the bedroom had horizontal Venetian blinds a door that lead to a private patio

Before we begin

                  he crossed the foot of the bed to the door to the lightswitch on the wall

turned it on

Would you please turn off the overhead light

pliantly  she did

                   he saw anger build in her face during the last two games competitive anger though it dissolved as he ran the table during the final nineball game accepting her fate

he adjust the blinds striped the room

                                         he estimated fiftyfive percent dark slats

This okay

You’re generou . .

. . Not so quick

                When your naked  the overheads on again

I intend to thoroughly enjoyno doubt my winnings

a lighted slat ran across her mouth

big grin

          enormous dimples

0018,  Monday,  28  4. 25

1141,  Monday