Chapter 9

Alice leaned back at the table and watched as Dana had another shot followed by a beer chaser, grimacing as the liquid pooled in her stomach and settled with a slow burn.

“This is going to eat my stomach,” Dana said as she shook her head to ward off the effects of the alcohol. “What are we still doing here?”

“Planning our night.”

“The night is almost over, it’s nearly 1:00 in the morning Al.”

“I haven’t found anyone that tips my gaydar yet,” Alice allowed her eyes to still comb the crowds interested in finding someone for nothing more then casual sex.

“Why must we do this?”

“You wouldn’t complain if it was Shane looking for someone to take home.”

“Shane doesn’t have to look,” Dana pointed out smiling. “Besides that’s her not you. You’re not a ‘hook up’ person.”

“I believe in casual sex.”

“In casual sex yes, but prowling around a country bar isn’t casual sex.”

“What is it then?” Alice challenged Dana.

“The word pathetic comes to mind,” Dana countered.

“I would have thought that the Daisy Dukes would have sparked someone’s interest,” Alice complained as she played with her wadded up napkin.

“They’re insulting at best Alice.”

“They are not!”

“You’re mocking the entire Southern culture with your ass cheeks hanging out of your shorts.”

“Where is your sense of adventure?”

“I have one,” Dana said uncomfortable with the sudden change in the focus of the conversation. “I just don’t need my ass cheeks hanging out to show it.”

The spotlight moved from the dance floor where a two-step was in full force to the corner of the bar near where Alice and Dana sat. Both women declared a sudden truce in the discussion, simply because their attention was drawn to where the spotlight settled making their debate uninteresting to them both.

Dana felt a rush of heat rising from her neck, to her cheeks, and up past her ears. She looked around as if to try to avert her attention away from her desire, which sat alone in the corner since they had first arrived at the bar. It was virtually impossible because the spotlight was settled right on it demanding the crowd’s attention.

The music faded into the background as the DJ walked into the spotlight’s glare. The remote microphone he used squeaked with feedback as he began to talk eliciting groans from the crowd.

“Whoa sorry about that folks,” the young man said smiling at the crowd that began to gather near the mechanical bull. “Most of you already know that right now every Friday night we use this here bad boy to separate the real cowboys from the city folk.”

Dana smiled as the DJ’s hand smacked the side of the mechanical bull and began to solicit people to partake in the first round of taming the bull. The first few people he had asked dutifully refused out of fear of being thrown. However, the DJ had no trouble goading a young man into it by playing to his ego.

The young man climbed onto the mechanical bull quickly, playing to the cheers of the crowd. Alice quickly got bored with the show the young man put on and began her people watching activities once more.

The door to the bar opened and in walked a group of young women. The one leading the group caught Alice’s eye instantly. She nudged Dana and tilted her head toward the door to be discreet about wanting Dana to look in the direction of the door.

“Her,” Alice simply said. “That’s her.”

“Who?” Dana squinted toward the door annoyed that Alice had taken her focus off the mechanical bull.

“The woman I’m going home with tonight.”

“You can’t be serious,” Dana laughed as she surveyed the blonde that caught Alice’s attention. “She’s not even gay.”

“The hell she’s not,” Alice challenged.

“I’ll bet you $20 she isn’t gay.”

“I couldn’t just take your money Dane,” Alice smiled. “So I have a better bet.”

“What’s that?”

“If she’s not gay, I retire my Daisy Dukes by burning them ceremoniously at The Planet.”

“Thank God,” Dana rolled her eyes.

“If she is gay, you stop staring at that mechanical thing like it’s the woman of your dreams and ride it like it is.”

“Ride it?” Dana’s eyes got wide as she gulped in en effort to settle her nerves.

“Like a cheap date that you’ll never see again.”

Dana looked from the blonde at the bar ordering a beer, to the bull that just threw the young man without consideration on the ground, weighing her options.

“What if I get hurt?”

“Stop making excuses,” Alice countered.

“I play tennis for a living Al. I can’t just put my body at risk.”

“You’ve never even won a tournament so if you get hurt, you’re still at the same point you were before you gave in to your temptation.”

“I’m not tempted!”

“You’ve eyed that damn thing since we got here,” Alice said smiling. “If you’re so sure she isn’t gay, then you should have no problem betting me.”

“I’ll take that bet on the behalf of all mankind so that you can stop burning people’s eyes with your ass cheeks hanging out.”

“You’re on,” Alice challenged.

Alice got up and made her way to the bar as Dana watched the events playing out before her eyes. She divided her focus between Alice at the bar and another young man that was easily thrown from the mechanical bull within seconds of mounting it.

“Excuse me,” Alice snuck next to the woman that held her attention and leaned against the bar. “Can I have a…” Alice attempted to sneak a peak at the woman’s beer to order the same one. Her efforts were easily spotted as the woman held it up to the bartender to ensure he knew what Alice was requesting.

“Corona,” the woman said simply. “You don’t look much like a beer drinker.”

“Neither do you to be honest.”

“I’m usually not, but I have a soft spot for Corona,” the woman smiled causing Alice to smile back. “You’re not from around here obviously.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Besides the lack of an accent? Nobody wears shorts like those in these parts.”

“Why does everyone hate my Daisy Dukes?” Alice asked defensively.

“I never said I hated ‘em,” the woman downed the rest of her beer quickly. “I just said nobody wears ‘em ’round here.”

“Well you’d be right, I’m from California,” Alice smiled and extended her hand. “I’m Alice.”

“Natalie,” the young woman said as she put her empty bottle on the bar and shook Alice’s hand.

“Well Natalie,” Alice smiled doing her best to flirt in an obvious manner. “Mind if I buy you another beer and we get to know each other a bit more?”

Bette’s mind fluttered to Alice and how, even though she had mocked her for staying at the bar, she would give anything to be with her at this very moment avoiding an intimate discussion with Jonathon Kennard. However, she dutifully descended the stairs and smiled warmly as she was greeted with a glass of scotch on ice and a pool cue from Jonathon’s collection.

“How about straight 8 ball, nothing fancy if you’re not familiar with the game?” Jonathon asked earning him an arched eyebrow from his opponent.

“I’m sure I can catch on if you want to play something a little fancier.”

“Well we could but all bets are off,” Jonathon chuckled as he racked the balls and began to put them in order in the triangle in anticipation of the break.

“Bets?”

“I typically play for money.”

“Oh,” Bette bit her lower lip in thought. “We can play for money.”

“Well if you don’t know the game it really wouldn’t be fair to just take your money.”

“It’s ok,” Bette said smiling shyly. “I’ll play by the rules, no exceptions.”

“It might cost you a lot Darlin’.”

“I think I can handle it,” Bette smiled as she took a long sip of her drink. “I tend to shun breaks that are handed to me in life if I haven’t earned them.”

“Ok,” Jonathon said carefully. “I can respect that.”

“How much do you usually play for?”

“We can set our own cost per shot,” Jonathon offered.

“How much?” Bette arched her eyebrow in question.

“We usually play for $5 a shot.”

“Then that’s what it’ll be,” Bette shrugged her shoulders and watched as the rack was lifted and she was offered the break. “I think you better do it.”

“You sure?”

“This is where it’s decided if I am the….” Bette hesitated to find the words. “What is it?”

“Stripes or solids?”

“Yes that’s it,” Bette smiled as she grabbed a napkin from the bar and a pen that was laying near the chair Jonathon was sitting in when she first saw him. “I’ll just keep track of the money on here because my cash is upstairs.”

Jonathon closed one eye, expertly lining up the cue ball, and slowly pulling his pool cue back and forth between his fingers. His tongue darted out and licked his upper lip as he pulled it back once more, slamming the cue into the cue ball and sending it rocketing down the table.

“Impressive,” Bette muttered as the once perfect triangle scattered in different directions and two balls fell into corner pockets.

“Were those solids?”

“Yes,” Bette confirmed after she checked both pockets. “Both of them were.”

“Solids it is,” Jonathon said as he lined up his next shot. “That’s $10 you owe me.”

Bette chuckled as she scribbled it on the napkin and turned back around to watch Jonathon’s next shot.

“I want to thank you for coming here,” Jonathon said without looking up.

“It’s my pleasure.”

“Before a show?” Jonathon struck another ball in the side pocket and Bette scribbled it on the napkin. “Tina seemed unsure of whether you’d be able to come. I suppose it was a concern for us as well.”

“What’s that?”

“Tina mentions often how much time you dedicate to the gallery and your work.”

“I think a lot of people would given the competitiveness of the art world,” Bette said as she began to line up her first shot given Jonathon’s missed attempt.

Bette took her time to line up the shot and bumped the ball easily into a side pocket.

“I imagine with all the hours you put in you make a decent living?” Jonathon took a long sip out of his glass and distracted Bette slightly by shaking the glass to bang the ice cubes against one another.

Bette looked up and arched her eyebrow waiting for him to stop. Once he noticed, he set the glass back down and watched as she began to line her next shot up once again.

“I know Tina has begun to work some crazy hours as well in her job,” Jonathon began probing once more. “I always hoped that Tina could be successful in many ways and not just in her career.”

“She is very successful,” Bette shot a ball across the table quickly causing it to ricochet at the entrance of the pocket and falling in quickly. “We’re even.”

“I thought you couldn’t play?”

“I never said I couldn’t play,” Bette lined up her next shot with ease. “I said I wasn’t very good.”

“But you are,” Jonathon said as he leaned back and watched Bette sink another ball. “I’m not sure how a nice girl like yourself knows how to play like that. I’ve only seen women play pool like that in bars around here.”

Bette felt her annoyance begin to rise from within her at the current line of questioning. She bit her bottom lip as she took her next shot missing the pocket completely.

“You’re up $5 but not for long,” Jonathon walked around the table to take his next round of shots. “Tina tells me that your father isn’t very accepting of your relationship?”

“I think that’s a matter of opinion.”

“What’s your’s?” Jonathon pushed as he sank a ball easily into a corner pocket.

“I’d have to agree I suppose.”

“Does it upset you?”

“Wouldn’t it upset you if a member of your family wasn’t pleased with your lifestyle?” Bette questioned.

“I can understand your father’s position.”

“Really?” Bette made little effort to hide the anger in her voice.

“Bette,” Jonathon shot and missed the pocket entirely handing control of the table over to Bette. “Please don’t take it personally, my concern has nothing to do with the type of person you are, but the absence of a life that we dreamed of for Tina.”

“What life is that?”

“Well for starters we always imagined Tina would get married,” Jonathon began to explain himself. “She’s chosen a lifestyle that can’t include that.”

“Through no fault of her own,” Bette aggressively cracked the balls together on the table sinking the one her focus was on. “Did you bother to consider what Tina wanted when you dreamt of her life?”

“I’m not happy that my daughter isn’t afforded the same opportunities in life that others are when they choose a more traditional relationship.”

“Believe me,” Bette shot and missed sinking her next ball from lack of focusing on her objective of clearing the table. “I’m not happy to be discriminated against either.”

“As a parent you always want more for your child,” Jonathon tried to explain his stance on Tina’s life.

“What is it that you think Tina doesn’t have?”

“She won’t have a marriage, one that produces children,” Jonathon took his shot and sank one of his balls and set the approach up perfectly for his following attempt.

“Why couldn’t Tina have children?”

“Well beyond the obvious limitations of biology. Because it’s not something we raised her to do,” Jonathon hit the ball and looked up to make eye contact with Bette. “We didn’t raise her to have a child out of wedlock.”

“While I recognize that our relationship doesn’t fall into the confines of ‘traditional’, I can assure you that we’re no different then most other couples heterosexual or otherwise.”

“So you want children?” Jonathon took a shot and missed completely quickly surrendering the table to Bette once again.

“Someday,” Bette took a shot and easily sank another ball giving her a distinct advantage over Jonathon.

“And all that goes with it? Giving up time from your gallery? Making a permanent commitment to Tina and children and a home?” Jonathon probed carefully.

Tina rolled over and placed her hand on an empty bed where Bette should have been laying. She opened her eyes quickly, grimacing at the constant pounding behind her eyes due to her overindulgence. Tina sat up slowly, looking around the room for any sign of Bette. She saw the sweatpants thrown on the floor and the Levi’s missing.

“Bette?” Tina called out quietly.

When her voice was met with silence, she got up and slipped a pair of pants on to go find her lover. She looked outside first, but began to search quickly inside when she saw Bette was not sitting on the patio and there was no sign of her in the kitchen.

Tina walked toward the basement and heard her father’s voice and the crack of the pool balls as they were sent from one end of the table to the other quickly. She smiled as she heard Bette’s voice, unable to make out the conversation, but confirming Bette was still inside the house.

Tina walked down the stairs quietly, not wanting to disrupt the bonding between Bette and her father that surely had to be happening over a friendly game of pool. Tina peeked around the corner to see Bette’s back as she leaned over the table and cleared it of all her balls with the exception of the 8 Ball. She was busy lining it up as she spoke in what Tina could now hear was an angry voice.

“My point is not to defend a lifestyle that you may or may not agree with,” Bette took a shot and sank the 8 Ball easily before standing up and facing Tina’s father. “I can and will only speak to my relationship with Tina. And yes, I want that with Tina. Children, a home, a permanent commitment. I love your daughter. And I will do everything in my power to make sure that all of her dreams come true.”

Jonathon stood there, facing Bette, resting his back against the bar and looking at the remaining balls on the table that were all solid.

“Very good,” Jonathon smiled wide at a confused and frustrated Bette. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

Jonathon leaned his cue against the bar, walked to the other side of the table and grabbed Bette by the shoulders shocking her as evident by her eyes widening.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” Jonathon said as he embraced her in what could only be described as a manly shoulder hug.

“Oh no,” Bette said as her arms rested at her sides. “The hugging thing again.”

“Oh,” Jonathon smiled at Bette as he released her. “You didn’t call the 8 Ball.”

Bette stood there stunned as Jonathon tucked the napkin with the score on it in his pocket. He walked back to the cabinet and placed his pool cue in its dedicated place before walking past Bette who was still staring at the pool table in shock at the turn of events.

Tina saw her father begin to head toward the stairs and she scrambled to make her way quietly up to the sofa bed where she was left. The tears of happiness that glistened in her eyes now began to fall at the words that Bette used to describe her feelings for Tina. She worked to control her breathing so it wouldn’t be obvious that she had been up and listening to their conversation.

“A shot gun would have been easier,” Bette muttered as she grabbed her drink and emptied the amber liquid from the glass completely.

“What do you think this is? South Carolina?” Jonathon teased as he winked and started up the stairs, leaving Bette downstairs in disbelief.