Into the Light

16. Good Company

This table is absolutely perfect. Balanced and level within very small fractions of an inch. Heavy and sturdy, and oh so smooth. The deep green baize covering it is equally smooth and immaculate. Beautiful.

I watch the steady, unwavering passage of the white hit ball across it. The ball touches two others in passing, changes direction ever so slightly, knocks gently the red ball so that it falls into the corner bag, and finally comes to a halt only half an inch shy of the bag itself. I can exhale at last.

"Wow," Rashim and Kim sigh in unison. I bet neither of them has been really breathing for a few seconds, either. I smirk and Rashim kisses me on the cheek.

"You're amazing," he says.

"Impressive, Toni dear," Chaim says with a little bow, takes the last drag of the cigarette that has been emitting a thin curl of smoke, and crushes it into the ashtray. "And next?"

I walk slowly around the table. This is going to be tricky. "Next... next I'll bag the yellow one into the upper right corner."

"It's a deal." Chaim nods and crosses his arms, the cue upright like a lance between them. "Go ahead."

I feel all their eyes on me as I bend over the table and position myself for the hit. This time, too, the hit ball does exactly what I want it to, until the very last moment. It hits the wall and bounces off in the correct angle, nudges the yellow ball into the correct bag - and then, after spinning almost in one place for a few breathless moments, decides to slip over the edge too. I close my eyes. "Fuck."

"Just this wee little bit too much force," Chaim comments. Now I've left him an easy task to finish me off, and he promptly does that.

"You're both totally amazing!" Rashim is full of awe. "That's incredible."

I preen a little; after all I have won three of the previous five games. Rashim slips comfortably to my side. Chaim gets a congratulatory hug from Kim, I squeeze Rashim closer and grin. Life is so good, right now. We've just had an absolutely fantastic dinner at the famed 'Blue Seagull', and at the moment we're holed up in said restaurant's billiards room that's reserved only for us. With enough drinks, cigarettes and good humor to last well into the next day.

This time Rashim didn't require much persuading. He was clearly fascinated by the suggestion, and besides, he knows my friends already. So we are happily snuggled together, me leaning against the edge of the billiards table and Rashim pressed against me. He's laughing softly, a little bit drunk but only very slightly. Those green eyes are glittering and he looks devastating in the skin-tight pants, loose shirt and tiny vest that he's chosen for the night - the last two items from my wardrobe. We're so close to the same size that as long as he skips the most close-fitting garments, everything's fine. He's developed quite a taste for the thin, flowing materials, something that doesn't make me at all unhappy. They look good on him.

"Will you still play another?" Kim asks hopefully. Chaim shakes his head.

"I think we might have a break," he says. "Or what do you say, Toni?"

"Suits me fine, having my hands free for other things for a while." I let them slip underneath the waistband of Rashim's trousers behind his back. "Besides, to me it rather sounds like Kim would want to have a go at it."

"I would!" Kim grabs a cue from the rack. "Will you play with me, Rashim?"

"I've never tried," Rashim protests.

"Try it," I encourage him. "Here, take this. Hold on a second, Kim, let me teach him some basics first."

I almost chuckle as I get to show Rashim the technique: how to place his hands, how to support the cue, how to take aim, how to calculate the route the ball will take. It's impossible to do that without plenty of touching, sprawling on the table, putting my arms around him, squeezing him this way and that to get him settle his weight just right, to get him bend down the way he should.

"Mmmh..." Rashim rubs his cheek against mine as I drape over him on the table - to place his arms right, of course. "I like this."

"Concentrate," I chide but kiss him nevertheless. "Here, you must look along the cue at the ball and try to hit it in the middle. If you hit away from the middle, you'll make it spin. That's very useful in a lot of situations, but it makes it far more difficult to predict how the ball will behave. You need practice for that."

Chaim is laughing under his breath, and Kim rolls his eyes. "Honest, Toni, can't you just let us have some fun?"

"Sure, baby, but - ouch!"

Rashim has kicked me a little in the shin, though heaven knows how he managed to do that, the way I have him pinned against the table. "Don't you 'baby' anyone else but me," he commands with an exaggerated scowl. "Understood?"

"Perfectly," I assure him and press my lips into the warm bend of his neck. Rashim's breath hisses.

"Toni, stop making love to him there on the table and let them play," Chaim says, voice bubbling laughter.

"Precisely." Rashim wiggles a little. "I bet that would be awfully uncomfortable, too. This isn't too soft."

Obediently, if reluctantly, I remove my arms from around the green-eyed wonder. Kim deftly positions the balls on the table and gives Rashim the first turn.

I stand back with Chaim to watch them. Mmm, such a nice sight they make too. Two beautiful young men stalking around the table, brows creasing, eyes narrowing. Kim squares his shoulders and peers sternly from underneath his dark curls, as if willing the balls to do what he wants. And Rashim has this adorable habit of pulling his lower lip between his teeth when he's trying to figure out what to do. Ah, the way their pants tighten on slim asses as they assume those almost indecent poses, trying to find a good position for hitting...

Chaim's eyebrow twitches and he gives me a sly look. "I could watch this for a long time. Not forever, but pretty long anyway. Don't you agree?"

"Absolutely," I assure him. "So depraved we are."

I lean a little closer, so that our arms touch, and feel his solid warmth. I can see Chaim smiling softly. I smile too. Gods, it feels good to be here, next to my best friend, watching our lovers engage in a duel on the billiards table. Hmm... it looks like my horse isn't winning today - but then, it's the first time. No wonder he's losing, even though beginners sometimes have this incredible luck.

About an hour and quite a few drinks later we're still at it, a lot more raucous than before. Me and Chaim have been playing for bets but that's got boring. I swear I'm not the one to suggest a series of challenges where the winner gets to kiss the loser, but I know I endorse the idea loudly. Even Kim is game immediately, and we draw the first pairs.

"Oh." His blue eyes go round with shock when it registers that the first round will be between me and Chaim, and Kim's opponent will be Rashim.

I look challengingly at Chaim. "Let the best man win."

Kim's forehead is deeply lined as he watches us, and I nearly snicker at his worried expression. Either way, Chaim and I are going to kiss... and I beat him, narrowly but anyway.

"My prize, please!" I step to stand in front of Chaim and look up. I can feel his surprise when I wrap my arms around him and give him a firm, warm kiss on the lips. Just a teasing touch of tongue on his lower lip, that's all, even though I'm careful not to make it too short. "So, the next pair, please!"

Kim is astonished, and I don't know whether his thoughts are still in disarray or if the beginner's luck has decided to demonstrate its might, but Rashim just keeps bagging ball after ball. Kim hasn't started badly, but that still doesn't save him. He looks totally stunned when Rashim pumps a fist in the air and grins ferociously. "I win!"

I watch with interest. Kim has no idea of what awaits him, but I can guess well enough, seeing Rashim's mischievous smirk just before he puts his arms around the beautiful 'Demieni.

The magic sure seems to work... when Rashim finally lets Kim go, the boy is flushed and panting and glassy-eyed. Chaim scoops him to his side and smiles tenderly to him.

"I... I've never kissed anyone else," Kim stutters. "Only Chaim."

"You imp!" I grab Rashim and slap his bottom, but he just laughs. "You know bloody well that you could kiss anybody senseless! You ought to go gently on the more innocent ones!"

"How could I know?" Rashim looks as perfectly innocent as he can, with those slanted eyes and catty face. "Besides, no harm done. It was just a kiss."

"You..." Kim swallows, gradually getting his bearings back. "How do you know how to kiss that way?"

"Please..." Rashim grinds his ass into my lap and pulls my arms around himself. "I had my first boyfriend when I was thirteen - I've had time to practice!"

Kim looks more than a little shell-shocked at this revelation, and we decide not to go on with the challenge. After all, luck is fickle and I'm not quite sure how he'd react if I were to kiss him. Besides, no matter how devoted Chaim is to Kim - I still wouldn't want to see him kissing Rashim. Not that I'd be jealous or anything. I'm just afraid that Rashim might enjoy it too much.

I must take extra good care that he's purring with pleasure tonight. Just to make sure that he won't start regretting anything.