"Where would I go to take Pool lessons?" Pam asked as she was making my morning coffee.
"Pool lessons? What do you want pool lessons for? Ron and I showed you how to play last week," I responded, a bit curious as to the interest in pool.
"I know, but I really want to get better. That was fun the other night, but I would really like to learn how to play well before we go out with Ron and Brea again."
"Honestly, the best way to learn is just by playing more," I told her.
"But where do you play? I don't want to have a bunch of people standing around watching me make a fool out of myself," she said. "I really just want to be able to learn without the pressure of others around."
"Well, you'll find a pool table at just about any bar. We could go during the day time when people are working and practice then," I offered.
"I don't really want to go to some bar during the day, and you really don't need to join me. In fact, it would be easier if you weren't there, Babe," she said. "I would really feel more comfortable if I could just practice by myself."
"Why not try going to the Wild Horse? It's just down the road a ways and it is more of a pub than bar. During the afternoon you would probably be the only one in the place. You probably want to be out of there by 6 pm as it is known as a biker bar, but during the day it should be pretty good," I offered.
The term "Biker Bar" probably isn't a very good description as today's "Biker's" are usually middle aged, urban professionals that now have the money to pretend that they are wild and free when in reality they are just as tied down with responsibility as anyone. Even on its wild nights the Wild Horse is a decent place to have a beer and socialize with friends.
"I don't know," she said. "A biker bar isn't really my kind of place."
"Like I said, it is known as a biker bar, it is really more of a pub than a bar. Especially during the day" "Well, how much do you think it will cost me to play? It's not like I have lots of extra money." She remarked.
"Oh, not much," I replied. "It will cost about $1 per game and if you practiced 5 games a couple times per week, you would get pretty good in a couple months time."
"I'll think about that. That could work," she said. I could see the gears turning in her head as she calculated the cost and time commitment involved in learning how to play.
I was a bit curious about her wanting to take lessons, but Pam does get rather competitive. After last weekend's night out with Ron and Brea, I was hoping she would want to try again, but I also knew that if she did play pool again, she would want to be more in control and able to hold her own at the table. I didn't really expect a repeat of the indecent display during the game, or the incredible sex afterwards, but I did like the idea of being able to go out and have fun once in a while.
A week went by and Pam had not taken any action toward playing more pool. I figured that it was a passing fancy and that she would forget about it until the next time I suggested we go out with Ron and Brea. I was wrong, though, as that Wednesday night, Pam told me that she had gone to the Wild Horse to play pool
She told me that she really debated on whether she wanted to go into a bar to play pool. She was a bit fearful of the atmosphere that she expected to find at the Wild Horse, knowing that it was a biker bar. After talking with a friend of hers that has been to the Wild Horse, she decided that it would be "OK" during the day.
Pam arrived at the Wild Horse at 2:00 in the afternoon that Wednesday. There were only a couple of cars in the parking lot and as she entered the building she soon found that the cars had to have belonged to the employees. There was no one else in the place.
She felt a bit uncomfortable, mostly because it was a new surrounding and she was self conscious of her lack of experience with playing pool. She was really afraid someone would actually be there to watch what she was doing.
Upon entering, the bartender, an attractive lady who Pam figured to be approximately 50 years old, asked Pam what she would like to drink. Not really wanting to drink, but feeling obligated to order something, she ordered a beer. As the bartender get her beer, Pam wondered over to the pool table to check out what she would need to do next.
The layout of the building was designed to allow some separation between the main lounge area and the game room. The main lounge area had seating for probably 100 people, plus a dance floor and a stage area for a small band. It was pretty well lighted and had a friendly feel about it. Booths lined the wall and a series of short dining style tables speckled the area between the booths and the dance floor.
In the game room there was a pool table, a couple of dart boards, 4 pin ball machines and some video poker machines. There were some additional booths along the wall and a half dozen or so taller, pub style tables. The tables were positioned far enough from the games so as not to interfere in anyway.
The lighting in the game room was a bit dimmer, with the main source of light being the Pool Table lamp over the pool table and some type of spot lamps shining on the dart boards. There was also the glow of the neon Beer/Alcohol company lights that adorned the walls of the room.
Entry into the game room was through an archway that was 8' wide. The archway was positioned so that the bartender could see into most of the room, but people in the lounge would be blocked from any real view. This helped keep the activities of one room from being a distraction to the activities of the other room.
As Pam stood looking at the Pool Table, the bartender brought her beer over to her and asked if she would like to sit in the lounge or the game room.
"Well, I would like to sit in the game room. I think I would like to play a game of pool, but I'm not sure what to do," she replied.
The lady barkeep chuckled as she set the beer down on the nearest table. "No problem, Dear," she said. She then started to explain to Pam, in an almost motherly way, where to put the money, where the chalk was and where to cue sticks were. "If you need anything, just call. My name is Mary," she added.
"Thanks, Mary," Pam responded as she took a sip of the beer before headed over to pick out a cue stick.
Remembering what I had taught her about straight versus crooked cue sticks, Pam carefully inspected each stick, finally settling on one that seemed to be straight, though she really did not have a clue as to what difference it would make. At this point it was just a stick that she was going to try to hit a ball with.
Pam put her dollar in the table and out poured the balls. "Darn, how do you set up the balls?" she asked herself, trying to remember if there were any special rules that she could remember from her childhood. After a bit of debate in her head, she remembered that the black ball went in the middle so, pulling the rack from its resting place, she started putting the balls in the frame.
Over the course of the next hour and a half, Pam managed to knock the balls around the table, occasionally making one go into a hole, though it was almost always a result of blind luck rather than any kind of skill. The room remained empty with the exception of an occasional head from a patron peering in the archway before settling on a seat near to bar.
Pam had just decided that it was about time to get going home and was working at clearing the table of the balls when she noticed a shadow on the pool table. Glancing to her left as she was bent over aiming at the cue ball, she was startled and stood straight up. There, standing just behind her a few feet stood a man. A big, dark man.
He stood close to 6'4" tall and had to weigh 250 lbs or more. There was no sign of flab or fat on this guy as he had a very athletic build, even though he appeared to be in his 50's. His dark skin was slightly lighter than the black tee shirt and vest he wore and his short curly hair had signs of graying. A jolt of fear shot through Pam's body and mind as she started to quiver.
"I...I'm sorry, do you want the table?" Pam said, shakily.
"No. I'm just watching," came his reply. His voice was deep and menacing and a stoic look remained on his face.
"I...I'm not very good," Pam offered, unaware that she had taken a step backward and was now leaning up against the pool table. "I'm just practicing." Her body language betrayed her as she was becoming more frightened by the moment and was trying to figure out a way to leave without causing a scene.
"I can see that, little lady," the man responded. As he said the words, a big smile spread across his face, softening his intimidating presence. Extending his hand toward Pam he added, "I'm James Browning. I own this place. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, ma'am, I just came over to watch. Have you played pool before?"
"Just once," Pam offered, sheepishly shaking her head no in the process. "I played with some friends a couple weeks ago and just wanted to practice to try and get better," Pam continued.
Sitting down at the table where Pam's empty beer bottle sat, James waived over to the bartender, who nodded an acknowledgement and started his direction with a couple of beers in her hands.
"Have a seat," James said, motioning to the empty chair across the table from him.
Pam glanced at the table and responded, "I really need to get going," still nervous to be in his presence.