Slowly she stood up and turned around, a teasing smile on her face, her voice husky, "nice try, but it didn't work."
He smiled, slowly nodding his head, "nope, it didn't...ready to up the ante a bit?" he asked.
She reached for her drink, taking a sip before setting it back down, her head tilting in an unspoken question.
"Let's say...$150...to the winner...what do ya say?" he asked, watching her intently, knowing she probably didn't carry that much cash.
"One hundred fifty dollars is a lot of money, Mike, I don't have that much on me" she responded.
Slowly nodding, looking thoughtful, he replied, "Ok...if you win, I'll give you $150 and if I win, I get that pretty pink bra you've been flashing me all night".
Slowly shaking her head, she hesitated...looking at him, trying to decide. She had been playing exceptionally well tonight...
He could see she was struggling, a blind man could see that. He grinned as he challenged her, "Well if you don't think you're that good..." and left it hanging as he threw down the gauntlet.
"Show me the money" she challenged back to him.
He reached for his wallet, pulling out two $100 bills, looking at them and then looking at her, "ahhh hell, I'll make it $200 if you win" he stated, arching his eyebrow in an unspoken challenge.
"And if you win, all you want is my bra, nothing else?" she asked skeptically.
"Yep, just your bra", he answered.
"Rack 'em up!" she quipped.
Arching an eyebrow at her command, he stared at her, neither moving or saying a word until she dropped 2 quarters into the machine and started racking the balls up herself.
"I don't take orders very well, as you can see" he stated as she dropped the last ball into position.
"I see that", she responded softly.
"Your shot", he gently prodded.
Again, she broke first, sinking a ball, and then another and another until she scratched. It was his turn now, slowly he circled the table as she settled back against a bar stool, sipping her drink and lighting another cigarette. He sank two balls and then another, keeping one eye on her as he sank the fourth one. Watching as she started to squirm against the stool.
"What the hell did I just get myself into", she scolded herself, her eyes watching intently as he lined up an easy shot.
He took careful aim, hitting the cue ball against one of her balls and ultimately sinking the 8 ball...intentionally losing the game. As soon as the 8 ball rolled into the pocket, he slowly stood up, muttering an expletive and reached for two $100 bills laying on the edge of the table, snatching them up. Walking up to the table he could see the relief in her eyes as he dangled the bills in front of her.
"You won, fair and square", he stated.
Slowly she took the bills from him, a guilty look hovering over her face. He saw it in an instant and tilted his head to her, his voice low and gravelly as he asked, "how 'bout double or nothing?"