Chapter Seven: Stop and Start
Chalk
Angie’s presence was distracting me from the frustration of my own life, but I knew I couldn’t put off working out the co-parenting issues with Lucy. When she called on Saturday, the conversation we were supposed to have didn’t happen.
“I’m not feeling well today. Can we put this off until next week? I have to lie down for a while.” Lucy even seemed to think her excuse felt weak.
A flash of anger ran through me and my distrust built the more time went on. “Okay, but we do need to sort this out. We can’t put it off forever. I might need to bring Sarah up there to see you if that’s what it takes.” I gritted my teeth to keep my response calm. I was willing to do it. Not because I wanted to, but because this was my daughter’s mother and if I had to sacrifice, I would.
“You won’t have to do that. Things will pass over. It will be okay, promise. Just give me a couple of days.”
She was making promises she’d never keep. I raked a hand through my hair. Same old. Same old. “If you say so. I’ll talk to you when you call me, that work?” I knew I was short with her, but the well had run dry.
“That’s fine, thanks, Chalk,” she said sweetly.
A little too late for that to work. I clicked off the call, grateful that in the next few days I had the pool competition to look forward to.
Coyote and Smoke were at the bar when I arrived at Wheelz on Wednesday. I made my mind up to arrive early to talk to Angie. We’d agreed to meet earlier and she promised me by then she would have information on the mystery pool player.
I snuck up behind them, thumping each one of them in the back of the head.
“Ouch, what’s your problem?” Coyote shot back, rubbing the back of his head.
“You are,” I responded, being mischievous. “I haven’t seen you guys in a while, where have you been?”
“I’ve been working too hard, that’s where I’ve been,” Smoke mentioned with a frown as he nursed his beer. “What about you? You got this pool comp under wraps? You’re doing good out here.”
“Yep, it’s working. I am concerned about that guy who’s playing, I think his name is Rocky.”
“You’re worried about that guy? Is that because he’s a threat to you? You’re trying to get rid of him already,” Coyote snickered.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re delusional, I still beat him, no matter how good he was. I like competition. I hope that someone can beat me one day. So far, I am a bonafide champion, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it,” I bragged.
Both Coyote and Smoke scoffed at my mock confidence.
Ink came over to join in. A tea towel hanging over the edge of his shoulder, and he looked fresh. “If your head gets any bigger, we'll need a pin to pop it. What about this Rocky guy? I have some suspicions about him too.” His mouth twitched as it formed a grim line.
“I don’t know. Where he said he was from and a few other things didn’t sit right with me. I got Angie looking into him for me. She should be here any minute now,” I reassured him.
“The reporter…ah.” Smoke side-eyed me with a grin. “She hasn’t interviewed me yet, but I saw her talking to Bear and some of the regulars. I just hope she writes a good story.”
“I’m sure she will, it’s not like we don’t know her work,” I replied calmly to Smoke. He was trying to get more out of me about her, but I refused to budge. She was attractive but… it wouldn’t go anywhere. I already knew this.
Ink tapped the wooden benchtop. “Ok, back to this Rocky character, that sounds like a biker name, what’s up with that? He ride?”
I nodded. “Yep, he rides. He was looking around the building too hard for my liking. Angie is pretty good at getting stuff outta people, so I know we’re about to find out.”
“I wonder what she’s trying to get outta you,” Smoke quipped, smugly. “You guys looked pretty cozy the last time I saw you.”
I opened my mouth to shut his jibes down.
Angie breezed over, smelling like fresh linen. “Who’s getting cozy?” she asked, stepping right into the hot seat.
Smoke smirked into his drink and Coyote raised both of his eyebrows, taking a sip instead of responding.
“Hey Angie, how are you doing tonight?” Ink was more civilized and greeted her as if we weren’t just talking about her.
Of course, Angie was too smart for that. “Why do I get the feeling my ears should be burning right about now?” She stuffed her hands in her back pockets, rocking back and forth on her heels.