Moose and Goose

Chapter Forty-two

Andrés is leaning against the mahogany table with the cue stick under his right arm, held tightly in both hands. He's aiming at a spotted ball near the left corner pocket.

Judith's standing on the other end with her cue at her side and her attention on her portrait by the exit. Her mind is elsewhere, anticipating the upcoming protest.

The sharp clack snaps her out of her thoughts, and she jolts her eyes onto him. He's upright, smiling at the ball that's racing for the hole. Once it drops, he meets her gaze, then leans forward again. He aims for the final ball, but his dark irises refuse to leave hers.

She watches him draw the brown stick back before thrusting it forward again, sending the ball racing down the green rug and crashing into her end of the rail.

They glance at it, then at each other, and she sees the raised corners of his lips drop.

"Your turn," he tells her with a disappointed huff. She takes a deep breath, then bends over the edge of the table, hovering the black circle of her cue stick close to the black ball in the center of the table.

Judy shuts her eyes and takes in a breath of the sweat-tinged air around them. Andrés sits his lower lip between his teeth and taps his right foot, the cue standing in front of him in both hands.

She draws hers back, then fires, but the ball barely shifts forward. He exhales, and his shoulders drop as another grin forms against his mouth.

"Okay, so, you're supposed to hit it harder," he reminds her as she leans off the table and straightens her posture. "It's okay, though. I mean, I wasn't always this good, believe it or not."

I wonder if Juniper's done with her class.

She veers her eyes onto the clock above the door and notices that fifteen minutes have passed. Andrés' incessant rambling fades in her ears as her thoughts drift her attention away.

I hope we draw a big crowd. I'd hate for this to be for nothing.

"But I'll show you how to actually hit the ball." He sits his cue against the side of the table and walks toward her. Once he's in front of her line of sight, she blinks out of her head again and looks at him.

"What?" He stands behind her, and she turns her head to look at him. She furrows her eyebrows.

"I said I'll show you the right way to do it," he reminds her, and she narrows her eyes. Before she can ask him to elaborate, he wraps his arms around her and places his hands around the back of hers. Her lungs hold the air in her chest, and her heart skips a beat. Her eyes grow wide at the people across the room conversing around another pool table. "You're tense, firstly."

He caresses her skin under his thumbs, and she quickly drops the stick, then pushes her way out of his embrace. Andrés knits his brows at her, and she rushes toward her belongings.

Judy tosses her bag over her shoulders, lifts her portrait off the floor, and exits the room without looking at him. She enters the main lobby of the student lounge, which is now filled with more students. Jerome, Manuel, Khalíd, and Eric are among the crowd.

Judith runs toward the main doors, and Manuel glances at her with apathy in his eyes that drift onto the papers in front of them. As if he's noticed something strange about her, he darts his head upward again, looking at her a second time.

He nudges Jerome with his right elbow with concern plastered on his face, earning a look from all three of them. They follow his eyes onto her just as she pushes through the doors.

The winter breeze hits Judith upon exiting the building, but she continues walking forward without a destination in mind. Her teeth begin to chatter, and tears pool in her eyes at the lingering feeling of his hands on her.