A Iss Outside the Pub

He stood there, leaning on his pool stick, back slightly hunched as he surveyed the table. In the dim light, his face took on a slightly attractive cast. He circled the table, half smiling in acknowledgement as the young woman in the corduroy skirt moved out of his way. He stopped, bent and aimed in one fluid motion, his lips falling into a frown, eyes narrowed in concentration. 'tick!' The ball shot down the table, hitting another sharply so that it ricocheted off the side of the table, knocking a different color in. The girl in the skirt clapped her hands. He straightened up, one hand going to his head. He looked over at his teammate, a short, thick girl with hair that looked like it was in perpetual shock rioting on her head.

"Sorry." She shrugged, taking the pool stick and smiled.

"Ain't no thang." The watched together as the other man in the group, tall, with blond and brown hair that blurred into a soft caramel color take aim, as Nicole, his teammate, pointed out possible points of attack. "You wanna drink?" Ella asked, one hand pushing a mass of unruly hair away from her face.

"Yes. I will come with you." Jacques smiled, laying his pool stick against the wall.

"We're gonna go get drinks," Ella called as they exited the room. "Don't cheat too much, now. Nicole's childish giggle followed them as they exited the room. As they passed the entrance to the pub, Ella stopped, and walked out.

"What is wrong?" Jacques asked, following her.

"Nothin. Just want some fresh air. It was getting kinda stuffy in there. You feel me?"

"Yes, yes. I understand what you are saying." He joined her, leaning back against the building as she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

"Beautiful night, huh." He glanced over, nodding.

"Yes. I do like it."

"Yeah. Ok, we better get back in there before Nicole or Jack comes down here wondering where we went." She pushed up off the wall, and turned to step back into the pub.

"Ella."

"Yeah?"

"You do not like this game?"

"Naw, it's cool. Why do you ask?"

"Because you do not seem as if you like it."

"Oh. Well, sorry," she shrugged, mouth pursed somewhat contritely.

"We do not have to stay."

"No, I want to."

"Ella, I do not know—ahh I cannot say—why is it you are sad?"

"Jacques, it's not that serious. I guess I'm just kinda homesick, you know?"

"Homesick?"

"Like, I miss my family and stuff."

"Yes. I understand."

"Yeah, well you get homesick too, right?"

"Not so much, no."

"Then how can you understand?"

"Er, because I did when I was littler. When I first started school."

"Oh. Well here, give me a hug, and I will try to have some fun."

The embraced, Ella's head resting against Jacques' chest. She murmured something, and Jacques drew back, but she did not move. He sighed, a slight smile curling his lips as he rested his chin upon her head.

"Ella, Ella Ella. It will be okay."

"You don't know that." She looked up at him.

"I do." He kissed her forehead. "I do." He kissed her nose. She wrinkled it. He grinned. "I do," and kissed her lips. But when he drew back, she followed his lips with her own.

"Tell me again," she whispered. He kissed her lips again, and her arms tightened around him, body drawing closer to his own on a sigh. They stood there, outside the pub, shielding each other from the cold wind that whipped Ella's hair around her head, enveloping them both in its wildness. Finally, they drew apart. Ella giggled. Jacques looked at her quizzically, then shook his head. At that moment, Nicole burst from the pub.

"Now what on earth is taking you two so long?!?" She exclaimed, waving her cue stick at them angrily. Jacques stepped back, his arms falling to his sides. Ella rolled her eyes.

"Relax, kid. We got plenty of time."

"Well I don't have all night to stand around fucking waiting for you to get some drinks, or whatever the hell it is you're doing out here . . ." Bella's voice trailed off as the reality of the situation penetrated her brain. She shot Ella a speculative look.

"Um, let's go get drinks before Jack comes out here trying to start some shit too." She stepped back inside the pub and headed for the bar, leaving Nicole standing there with her mouth open, and Jacques smiling, somewhat foolishly, under the streetlight.