Corner Pocket III

Cora felt her heart speed up as soon as spotted Jean walking into the pub. His head was hung low as he shuffled to a booth. She could venture a guess at who had caused him to look so dejected. Cora had not met Jean’s girlfriend but she seemed only to cause him grief. Cora felt that she should go try to cheer him up but was not certain that it was her place.

“Earth to Cora,” Darcy said waving his hands in front of her face. Cora turned his attention to him.

“What?” she asked looking between Bryn and Darcy who seemed to be sharing a secret smile between themselves.

“Well, you have yet to answer Darcy question and have been staring at that table for a good five minutes,” Bryn stated. Cora felt a blush rise to cheeks; she had not meant to appear like a creeper.

“I...was, I mean,” Cora said, grasping for some type of reason for her behavior but she was quickly cut off by Bryn.

“Oh, don’t worry. He has been staring over most of the night,” Bryn inserted. Cora eyes instinctively went back to the table only to catch Jean looking straight at her. She gave him a small smile before returning her attention back to Darcy.

“So why are you staring a hole into that guy?” Darcy asked a hint of jealousy creeping into his voice. Cora was not quite sure how to answer. She sighed trying to come up with a coherent thought.

“He is my study partner,” Cora responded the best she could. Bryn could not help but raise her eyebrows at this.

“So that is what Jean looks like. No wonder you study so long,” Bryn said wickedly. Cora blanched, nearly spitting out her drink.

“Studying, is that what they are calling it these days?” Darcy added. Cora whipped her head around to glare at him.

“Darcy,” she said, “He has a girlfriend. I am not that type of girl”.

“Good, because he looks like a bit of a pussy. He is clearly not your type,” he said with a smile. Cora could only shake her head in disapproval, this was quickly getting ridiculous.

“What is my type?” Cora asked even though she felt like she already knew Darcy’s answer.

“Tall, dark and handsome with a wicked sense of humor,” he stated.

“So in other words,” Bryn said, “you”.

“Exactly,” Darcy answered.

“Why do you think he is such a wuss?” Cora asked not quite sure what to make of this whole exchange. Darcy was obviously being a flirt and was a bit jealous but she could not bring herself to be mean as so not to lead him on. She could not let herself fall for Darcy again. He would only leave her again.

“Look, I could beat him in a game of darts,” he said as if that was the answer.

“I just beat you in darts,” Bryn injected.

“Girls don’t count in losing. I am only being a gentleman and letting you win,” he stated as Bryn rolled her eyes.

“Look, just introduce me and I will show you why he is such a wimp,” Darcy begged. Cora sat sipping her drink weighing the options. She did not want to embarrass herself but she was sure Jean could knock Darcy’s ego by quite a bit. It might get Jean’s mind off of whatever his girlfriend had done. She stood placing her drink back on the table and ushered Darcy and Bryn with her. She walked straight up to the booth where Jean was sitting trying to seem as normal as possible.

“Are you here alone?” she exclaimed but did not allow him time to answer before introducing the two standing behind her. “These are my friends, Bryn and Darcy.”

Darcy immediately extended his hand for a handshake. “How about a game of darts?”

Corner Pocket II

Jean walked alone into the pub. The car ride over had been absolutely excruciating, as Natalie berated him the entire trip. How he survived the onslaught of angry words, he’ll never understand, unless it was purely God’s protection. An entire army of angels must have surrounded him, because her words were as piercing as daggers. The fact that she was so upset about his study partner didn’t make sense to Jean, which only angered her more. He did his best to argue with her, but anything he said was quickly shot down as void. So, he sat quietly until she dropped him off in front of the pub. He slammed the door shut and watched her speed away quickly down the road. He’d have hell to pay later, especially if his mother found out, but he would just have to deal with it when it happened. No use worrying over the inevitable.


With a weary expression, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. His eyes swept the room and immediately landed on a familiar face. Cora was standing at the bar with two drinks in her hands. She gave him a much appreciated smile and walked toward the back of the room where a redheaded girl and dark-haired guy were playing darts. He could feel his heart beating sporadically as his eyes followed her retreating figure. There was something about her that felt so liberating. He had only known her for a month or so, and he couldn’t explain why he was so drawn to her, but he could tell that she was so much different from Natalie.


Jean sat down in a booth, sitting on a bench facing Cora’s direction. A waitress with short, spiky brown hair came up to his table and took his drink order, a coke. The waitress seemed a little annoyed at the lack of alcohol but gave him a fake smile and left. Jean scanned over the menu, and having already chosen his dinner — his favorite dish “Oysters Rockefeller”— his eyes traveled over to Cora again. It looked like she was flirting with the dark-haired guy, giggling and sipping her drink seductively in his direction. But Jean didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. What he didn’t realize at the moment was that he had become flush with jealousy. Just a little warmth in the neck and ears. Jean’s eyes caught Cora’s for a split second, enough to see her smiling at him, and he looked away with a tiny smirk on his lips.


The waitress set his drink down, and Jean told her his order. Looking as bored as ever, she nodded, saying absolutely nothing to him and left again. Just then, Cora’s group cheered loudly. Someone must have won the game.