Territory

I accept a glass of Pinot from an invisible hand. The bar was gifted new furniture and a pool table. Colleagues orbit everything like tipsy, lethargic planets.

Jake walks in, with his lady. They’ve been together years. Got grown-up kids. Comfortable enough to mingle without looking like they’re flirting, or to hide the possibility that they might be lonely together. Jake is old enough to know better. He nods at me. I nod back.

Beatrice arrives, orders a bottle of red for herself, sits beside me and declares her unhappiness about my reply to her email. I tell her: dude, it’s Friday. Chill.

I play a game of pool against one of the lads and get owned. Jake plays me and lets me win. His lady is in the corner with one eye on his cue. I invite her to join us, because I’m not interested in playing those games. She declines.

The bar grows dimmer. I start seeing more balls than are on the table. Beatrice barks my name. I ignore her.

As she grabs my hair, I catch her flash a look at Jake. It’s the look of a woman who’s looking for love anywhere she can without really knowing why. I hit the floor. I’m drunk but I get lucky, flail, and kick her in her desperate genitalia.

I’m picked up but not held back. Beatrice is escorted out. Jake stands on the edge of the bar, an arm around his lady. His eyes never leave my face.