Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 39: Pool Room

"Bea, let it go," I said, but she didn’t.

"Just how many visits to the reflection room did it take you to turn into a momma’s boy? Oh, let’s play a game. Is it higher or lower than the number it took King?"

Ben’s features hardened, aging him from the young grad student he was to a world-weary middle-aged man.

"What does the reflection room have to do with Mom’s money?"

"You tell us, Ben. We’d really like to know."

I put a hand on Bea’s. "Let it go, Bea. Please. We don’t know anything."

"What do you suspect?" Ben asked.

"It’s nothing. Bea’s drunk. I’ll take her home now."

"Stay. King should hear this too."

"No, I think we should go. I’ve seen enough of King today. Take care of the bill, Ben, will you?"

"Not this time," Ben raised a hand and signaled someone to come forward.

I scanned the room, looking for who he signaled while trying to get Bea to her feet, but she was dead weight.

"I’m not going," Bea said. "Not without another beer and a chance to tell King what I think."

She lunged for a beer and chugged a good couple of gulps before Stiff and I wrestled the drink from her.

Four bodyguards flanked us.

Ben waved for the manager, who came right over. Money talked at Shoot the BB. "We need some privacy."

"Certainly, Mr. Heavenly. This way."

I didn’t like this. There was safety in the public dining room that we wouldn’t have in private. At the very least, I’d feel better if Jake was with us.

Ben waited for us. "Don’t make a scene, Teela. We’re not planning to hurt you. It just sounded like we might be having a conversation that shouldn’t be open to public consumption. When we’re done, you’re free to leave."

"Ben, don’t do this to me."

Stiff said, "Do you know what your mom and Anya did to her last time? Do you even care? Joshua, too. He was as guilty as the rest."

A flash of confusion crossed Ben’s features before he corrected. "All the more reason to talk somewhere safe, yeah?"

When I continued my standstill, Ben reached out. "Listen, I’ve never hurt you. Can’t you trust me this once? Mom knows nothing about this. I’m not telling her, and I certainly don’t see King telling her. He’s too busy trying to get you back."

Stiff tried to intercede. "You’re not the only one here with pull, Ben. Don’t turn this into a whose dick is bigger contest." He pointed his chin at five men standing near the exit.

Where did they come from? I’d never noticed Stiff traveling with an entourage. Nor had I gotten the feeling that I was being followed since meeting with Stiff in person.

Either Stiff summoned these guys as soon as Ben showed up, or they were so highly skilled that a commoner like me would never suspect them.

Just exactly how wealthy was Stiff to garner VIP seating at one of the hottest restaurants in town and to keep elite security on retainer? Wealthy enough to throw around a black card without blinking an eye.

Ben said, "If it makes you feel better, they can come too."

That did make me feel better. Short of a public scuffle between the two groups, this was probably the best outcome. I agreed, and we followed the manager to a private pool room.

The room held four pool tables and several four-tops where patrons could drink beer and hang out. The manager and a server pushed together two four-tops so we could sit together and still leave room for King.

The server left two ice-filled tubs in the middle of the table. One was filled with a variety of beers. The other held bottled water.

Stiff tried to focus Bea on the water, but she gravitated to the beer. At this point, what did it matter? The damage was done.

"Leave her alone. Let her drink. I’ll handle this."

I couldn’t sit and just wait for King. I needed to move. "Stiff, do you know how to play pool?"

"Yeah."

"Teach me?"

Stiff’s face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "I’d love to."

"Ben, watch over Bea."

"Watch for what?" Ben asked.

"Make sure she doesn’t do anything else stupid like burn down the place or get naked. And Ben, whatever she says, ignore her. I promise, if there is anything real to tell, I’ll tell you myself."

And I would, in my own time. Now wasn’t the time. Plus, I didn’t know much of anything. CK would help fill in some of the missing pieces, and I would look for more as Night Shadows as soon as King gave me access to the Heavenly network. Why hack when he was giving me the keys to the kingdom?

"Hey, hey." Stiff snapped his fingers in my face. "Earth to Teela."

"Yeah, I’m here. Pool balls, cue stick, break. I’m listening."

Stiff walked me through the basic rules before handing me the cue.

"Here, let me show you how to use the stick to hit the ball."

Stiff moved behind me and put his arms around my body to hold the stick as I leaned over the table. His body cushioned mine. It was a very intimate position. It was probably the most intimate I’d ever been with a man other than King.

For a moment, I froze as my face heated, but then I thought about it. We weren’t doing anything wrong. Stiff was showing me how to play a game in front of a number of people. While it might look and feel suggestive, especially when Stiff’s breath warmed the side of my face and his pelvis bumped into me, it was actually innocent. Two friends playing a game. No more dangerous than dancing.

Only then I remembered my last dance with Stiff and how it ended. My friend had kissed me. He would kiss me again if I let him.

My focus gone, I aimed at the pool ball but missed.

"That’s alright. Let’s try again." Stiff reset the ball and resumed his position. "Nice and easy. Give the ball a firm tap."

King stormed into the room with Min at his back. "What the hell. Get your hands off my woman."

Stiff snuggled in closer and whispered. "Play along."

We took the shot together. This time, I managed to hit the ball. Stiff gave me a congratulatory squeeze before backing off enough to allow me to straighten. He kept a possessive hand on my waist as he addressed King.

"She doesn’t feel like your woman. In fact, knowing Teela the way I do, and I’ve known her much longer than you, I’d say she does a fine job of being her own person." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Teela, over here," King demanded.

I stepped out of Stiff’s reach but not toward King. I was no one’s pet, not anymore. It didn’t pay to give in to the whims of others. The Heavenly family had expended a lot of energy teaching me that lesson.

"You’re here now, so can we go?"

"You’re not listening. I’m your husband."

"I did listen, King. I chose, as is my right as a human being, not to obey."

"Fine, just do me a favor and keep some distance from that playboy."

Stiff beamed, "I’m a playboy? How cool. My dad will be proud. For the record, the new standard for being a playboy is to chase the same woman for how many years?"

King ignored him and sat down next to Ben. "Why did you call me here?"

"This drunk," Ben indicated Bea, who was now passed out while cuddling a beer bottle, "accused Mom of earning dirty money. Then she started questioning me about the reflection room. None of them were willing to explain what she meant, so I thought you might want to ask them yourself."

"I could have asked Teela tomorrow. We meet for couple’s therapy daily, remember?"

"No, I didn’t remember."

King rubbed at his eyes, then turned to address me. "We’re all here. Might as well get it over with. Teela, I assume you told your friends about the reflection room?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Nothing can be done about that now. It happened. You shared. It’s done. I’d prefer it stayed private, though, so anything you can do to contain the knowledge is appreciated. It’s a family matter."

"No one is out to spread rumors about your family, King."

"Then what about the dirty money comment? I assume that stemmed from something you said as well? What did you see or think you heard?"

I shook my head. I wasn’t taking the blame for that one. "I’m not responsible for her jumping to conclusions about the family money. I know where the thoughts stemmed from, but it wasn’t me. I’ve already warned her that we shouldn’t make assumptions without proof, and I don’t know of any proof.

"Bea is drunk. She was trying to rile up Ben because he won’t let her DJ at Well Water. She asked those crazy questions to see what he would say. Ben overreacted and called you. The end."

King stared at me as if he had a lie detector installed in his retinas. I did my best to maintain eye contact and appear innocent, which for the most part, I was.

"What aren’t you telling me, Teela?"