Billiards and the Shindo

Her eyes pleaded with me. I put my mug down and pulled her up into my arms, close, kissing her temple, her ear, her neck, speaking calmly, "Sure, honey. I'll do anything you ask. I lov..."

She jerked back before I could finish and put up her hand sternly, "Not... yet."

"But... "

"Not yet!" Her face calmed from the surprise on my own, and then, "Shhhh. This is what we're going to do. You do your laps in the pool while I make us breakfast, we'll take a shower together and then make some slow, meaningful love in your bed, and we'll spend the day together in your pool. Maybe make hamburgers for lunch and even work on your pool table. We'll spend the whole day in our bathing suits. I have one that you haven't seen before that I think you'll like." She smiled at me honestly, "We can still have a nice day together, OK?"

That's exactly what we did, and it was an epic day, only morning gave way to noon, and that's when I sensed something. She was getting more and more pensive while getting worse at hiding it.

At about two, I cracked us open our first beers of the day. I had bought an array of local craft beers and I planned on sharing them with her like a wine tasting, only with beer. I wanted to understand her tastes, thinking I'd take her to the breweries of the ones she liked on future dates. That's always a fun thing to do in the San Diego area.

We had done some surgery on my pool table, changing out the dead cushions, filling the chips on the edges of the slate at the joints, and we re-felted the whole table together as she thought I didn't pull it tight enough over the slate when I changed it out initially myself. I learned a lot and after she showed me the nuances of the new pool cues, with her signature burned into the shaft, it got hot so we took another dip in the swimming pool to cool off.

We were evaluating another beer under the shade of my in-pool umbrella when it happened. I knew in an instant what Eun-Ji had foretold and what was making her so upset, but I would have never guessed it myself. Standing feet from the edge of the pool, looking down on us, was no other than my ex, Brittany.

I don't want to say it was like seeing my life run before my eyes, but all kinds of shit came back to me at once. With the image of her unceremoniously leaving being the crescendo, burning through my brain. I actually felt the pain I felt that day all over again.

"Hi, Sean," She said as if she had never left, "how are you?" Britt's eyes darted back and forth between Eun-Ji and me.

I used all my intelligence and wit at that moment and said, "What....?"

Britt took a deep breath and apologetically said, "I hope you don't mind that I came in through the side gate. I came over earlier but no one was home, but then later I remembered that we could never hear the doorbell when we were in the pool, and being as hot as it is today I figured that's where you were so I turned around."

I looked over at Eun-Ji who had that signature laser-like gaze of hers looking right at Britt and then she turned to me with pursed lips, putting that gaze into my own eyes. She was trembling. Everything she had told me this morning came back to me and then her eyes told me something else. Something I had almost forgotten. That Friday night when she had given me her life's story and had borne her soul to me, she said that my mind still needed to do something important before she would take my heart and give her own to me freely. This was that thing. I had never shaken off what Brittany had done to me, to us I guess, and I was still wallowing in the hurt. That and holding on to some hope that she would come back. And now she has.

I was still staring at Eun-Ji, and she nodded her head. She knew that I understood everything now.

Yes, this could only go one of two ways and I knew which way I wanted it to go with absolute clarity.

Did I detect Eun-Ji making a slight smile? I at least did catch her motioning her head towards Brittany, like for me to get on with it.

I turned to Brittany and before I could say anything, Britt cut me off. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Uh, yeah," I looked from one to another, "Brittany, this is my girlfriend, Eun-Ji. Eun, this is my ex-girlfriend, Britt."

I collected myself, I had to do this right. "Britt. What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in three years and the last time I did see you, you were leaving with a spring in your step like you couldn't get away fast enough. You never even looked back."

She was wringing her hands when she responded with, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Sean. I didn't handle that right. I have missed you though. Is there any way that you and I can talk for a little bit. Um. Privately?"

I didn't answer right away, instead getting out of the pool and wrapping a towel around my waist with Eun-Ji right behind me. I held a towel out for her as she reached the top step and I couldn't help but notice Brittany taking appraisal of her. Eun-Ji's bathing suit was a very sheer and flattering two piece, black of course, but her lady parts showed through like she wasn't wearing anything at all. I might have even detected Brittany gulping and her expression looked a little more nervous.

"No, Britt," I finally responded. "Whatever you want to say to me, you can speak freely in front of Eun. You have to understand that we are one now." Eun-Ji was trying to hide her face but I still caught her fighting back a smile.

"Oh...," was all that Britt could utter. It was not like her to be at a loss of words. Like ever.

Eun-Ji turned on some acting skills that I didn't know she had, pretending to be a stereotypical subservient Asian hostess, Geisha-girl like. "Brittany, may I bring you a beer in a frosted glass? My great, intelligent Sean was just teaching me the different flavors of the brewing process. Perhaps you would like tea instead?"

The funny part was that Britt hated both beer and tea. There was no way Eun-Ji could have known that, could she?

Brittany stuttered when she asked for water instead which Eun-Ji made appear almost out of thin air from our pool-side cooler. Eun-Ji cracked the water bottle open and handed it over with both hands and a slight bow.

I couldn't help but notice that Brittany looked every bit the 40 year old she was. Her hair was the same color as when I met her but now it got a big assist from a bottle. Some creases starting to show next to her eyes and to her temple. She was certainly softer than when I last saw her, but I'll give her credit, still a beautiful woman.

"Britt," I started, "now maybe you would like to tell us why you're here."

Brittany took a drink of water and then straightened up, she had regained her composure and she was going to do what she was good at which was talking and selling herself as being always right and above reproach. "I'm going to be straight with you, Sean, and throw it all out there. I was here for the big lawyer's conference downtown. I feel bad about the way things ended between us so I wanted to drop in and see how you were doing. We were lovers and best friends for 6 years, remember? Even though I had to leave for a new job, I really did love you. Still love you even. I did what I thought was best for you. I never stopped caring about you, Sean. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

With a crack in Eun's voice, she said, "Lying. Fucking. Bitch." With cold determination, Eun-Ji took a step forward which made Brittany take a step back, looking a little worried. "Your last few cases didn't go so well, did they? You're worried that your firm might throw you out, so while you're in town for the conference, you decide to see if there's a bridge left that you can fall back on if you have to."

Brittany almost gasped, "No!"

"Oh my god, you know I'm right. No wonder you're nervous about your job, you suck at it." Eun-Ji's eyes were locked on now and I knew that she was doing her shindo thing. I actually felt sorry for Brittany, so I kept my emotions in check.

Brittany looked lost now, her composure completely gone. "What I can't understand," Eun-Ji continued on offense, "is why you would throw Sean away. Good, kind, honest men don't come around every day. Did you really think you are such hot stuff that you'd just attract another on the east coast?" Eun-Ji formed a knowing look on her face. "Ah, I see it now. Wealth was your angle, huh? Sleeping with your boss even. I'm right, aren't I." It wasn't asked as a question. Britt looked at the ground, maybe understanding that her eyes were giving her away to Eun-Ji or just possibly looking for a way out. With some sympathy now, Eun-Ji continued, "The thing is, you don't value the same things that Sean and I do, and that is the main ingredient for a lasting, loving relationship. This man, I know deep inside my soul, will worship me for a lifetime and beyond, even though I won't ask him to. In turn, every bit of love he has for me will be fully and unconditionally paid back, and with interest, from me."

There was no doubt in my mind that Eun-Ji was right about everything she had said about my ex, but my mind was swirling about what sounded like a declaration of love to me. A lifetime of worshiping Eun. Fuck yes.

Brittany looked at me, like I might save her or just to beg for me to tell her that what Eun-Ji had said wasn't true. At first I just shrugged, and then I got in between the women and spread them apart. "I accept your apology. It was great to see you, Britt. I hope you work everything out. Good luck."

I went over to Eun-Ji and put my arm around her. She looked at me with eyes telling me she was sorry for overstepping. I kissed her forehead and then the two of us looked at Brittany who got the message.

"Thanks, Sean. Nice to meet you Eun-Ji, and take care of him, OK? He really is good and everything like you said. Goodbye." Brittany, with tears in her eyes, turned and left by way of the side gate that she had come in through.

We stared at the closed gate for a moment before Eun-Ji broke the silence, "Shit. I need a beer."

I replied, "Me too." I poured us a couple of cold ones and we sat down in the shade of the patio.

"Eun," I started, "how did you know all that stuff about Brittany? Was it your shindo?"

She giggled, "A little bit, but like I told you earlier, I'm not Yoda. Shindo won't tell me the future, but while you were at work all week, I looked into a few things. Even before, after we went to dinner in Orlando, it wasn't hard to find out who your ex-girlfriend was. Um, just so you know, there's some pictures of you two together that are buried in your sister's Facebook account. Also, Brittany and your sister need to work on their security settings. I'll work with Jessica on that the next time I see her.

"From there, I was able to look at Brittany's law firm and some of the newsworthy cases she had been on. She botched a recent one, but I had a feeling that there were more and went with it. Shindo confirmed it after I had brought it up to her.

"While you were at work this week, I was able to find out that she was registered for the conference downtown, and I had a strong feeling that she was going to make an appearance after her conference ended. She was signed up for the seminar's closing remarks for this morning, and after that she made her way here and the rest is history."

I asked with raised eyebrows, "And the part about sleeping with her boss?"

She took a pull from her beer and with an enormous smile said, "Wild ass guess!" She laughed. "And I was right! Shindo confirmed that one loud and clear."

I got a little serious now, "I get it now. What you were trying to tell me before."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you about it before, but it was something you had to do yourself and if you didn't shut that door to Brittany on your own, I wasn't going to force it. I mean I could have. I told you that your heart was mine for the taking, and if I did force it, Brittany wouldn't have had a chance, but I don't want it that way." I found out later that she had packed her bags last night and would have made a quick exit if I had made a different choice.

"Wait a minute," I told her, "You jumped in and took care of business for me. So much for wanting me to take care of it on my own."

She smiled at that, "Yeah, OK. I might have overstepped, but.... even without shindo, I knew. It was just, well.... the instant I read that you had made up your mind, and in my favor, I just moved things along." She looked sheepishly at me. "You know how I am. Do you forgive me?"

I didn't answer right away. I leaned forward in my chair and took both of her hands in mine. "Eun-Ji Lee, I give to you, freely and unconditionally, my heart. All of it if you want it. I love you."

She replied in absolute seriousness, "Sean Miles, I give to you, freely and unconditionally, all of my heart. I love you too." A single tear ran down her cheek.

"Please, um,.... don't hurt me," I whispered to her, our lips almost touching as we moved in.

"Never." She kissed me and then added, "And I promise never to hold anything back from you ever again." She got up, taking me with her and then she pulled me inside and down the hall to our bedroom.

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It was about six months later I was marveling at the sheer size of the WestPort Casino billiards room in Las Vegas while I waited for Eun-Ji to show up after she ran off to check on the opening bracket. There were reportedly 350 pool tables, all lined up and ready for the Worlds 8-ball and Worlds 9-ball tournaments that would be played out over the next five days, the ladies divisions starting mid-week and the men's tournaments to follow, with the 8-ball finals for both to be played out over the weekend. The finals for each tournament was to be recorded by ESPN. I took the whole week off of work to support Eun-Ji.

Through the crowd I eventually spotted Eun-Ji, she was coming towards me, almost skipping really, with an enormous smile. She threw her arms around my neck and gave me a deep kiss before asking me if I would bring her gear over to table number 55 where she would start the 9-ball tournament which I knew was her strongest game.

She certainly started off strong. Mopping through the competition, navigating the bracket with precision. After each series win, she would give a heartfelt handshake and hug to her opponent, encouraging them to keep working at it and return next year. Then she would give me a million-dollar smile, complete with dimples before treating me to a deep kiss that always left me weak in the knees.

Eun-Ji had quite the transformation after exchanging our hearts and declaring love and devotion to one another. The most amusing, though I didn't tease her about it, was that the woman in black now wore nothing but white. Her tournament clothing of choice was white leather pants and a white sleeveless top that hugged her form tight enough to not drag on the pool table when reaching. She had her long hair highlighted with two white/silver streaks down either side and she had it fastened in a tight ponytail. I loved her new look.

She traded her Porsche in for a new one, also white. She claimed it was because her older black one had so many miles from crisscrossing the country chasing tournaments, but she said that with a wink and smile.

It came as no surprise to Eun-Ji that after a brutally long day of 9-ball, the field narrowed to the final 8 competitors which was made up of six pros from the top 10 and two newcomers. Eun-Ji was cordial to all, even Alice, who had been keeping an eye on her (and me) all day.

"Hi, Alice. How've you been," Eun-Ji asked her nicely.

She didn't answer, instead remarking, "Gotta new boyfriend, I see, Erin."

After introductions and a polite handshake, Eun-Ji asked, "Where's Jack? I didn't see him this morning."

Alice replied, "He slept in this morning before the men's bracket started." She narrowed her eyes at Eun-Ji and then me, "He'll be around for the final to watch me win, of course."

Eun-Ji laughed and then said she'd see her later, wished her luck, and then we went and got something to eat before the final four that was scheduled in a standard bracket according to rank. She ordered a burger; I got the chili cheese dog with jalapenos.

Eun-Ji was uncharacteristically quiet while we ate, but I knew what was going through her head. "Oh, Kind and Wise woman of my dreams," I said, playing on the Korean definition of her name, "I think you can beat her."

She brought her eyes to mine, looking very serious, and slowly said, "Yeah. I think I can too. I saw it in her eyes, the confidence that she rattled me with before isn't there anymore."

I asked, "Are you sure that's it? Maybe you are just in a different place now and she knows it."

She chuckled, "You could be right. After Jack left me and then I lost my world champion ranking, I now know that I had defeated myself. What I saw in her eyes before were actually my own eyes, telling me that I couldn't beat her." She gave me a half smile and continued, "It's not like that now. I can do this."

"I know you can," I told her.

"I love you, Sean."

And win she did. Her competitors didn't exactly fall down either. The games were tight and hard fought. It came down to just two, a final that would be billed by ESPN a month later when it was broadcast after midnight as an epic rematch of the titans. #1 ranked Alice Jenkins vs. #2 Erin Lee.

We had an hour break before the final, that's when I spotted a guy who must have been ex-boyfriend Jack sidle up to Alice. He was a good looking guy. Clearly younger than me but he had this look about him. The first word that came to mind was, 'seedy', then I thought he looked something like a weasel. I just couldn't picture him and Eun-Ji once being an item. Introductions would have to wait as Eun-Ji was talking to her sponsor that had come over and was congratulating her for making it to the finals again.

Finally, Alice and Eun-Ji made their way towards each other, me and Jack in tow. I was introduced by Eun-Ji as her boyfriend. Jack was introduced by Alice as just Jack. He was sizing me up but I just smiled and shook hands as if I didn't have a care in the world. I kept my arm around Eun-Ji's waist the whole time, with her leaning into me while we exchanged pleasantries.

Eun-Ji asked Jack, "How are you shooting over there? Got a final finish in you today?"

He responded, "Yeah, I'm shooting well today. I think I can take this and keep my belt." That was his best attempt at humor, there are no belts in world champion billiards.

She turned to Alice, "I know you're shooting well. You really pulled off a big combination for that last win, Alice. Going to keep your number one status?"

Alice responded simply with just a nod, then, "Well, we have to get ready."

Eun-Ji said, "Me too. Good luck, Alice," then, almost as an afterthought, "You too, Jack."

My beautiful girlfriend turned to me with a beaming smile and kissed me on the lips, lingering a little longer than normal when we're in public. Then she put her mouth right by my ear and whispered, "Shindo. Jack is off his game and he knows it. And Alice is scared. She's not really sure of herself right now."

Confidence just oozed out of Eun-Ji, she was almost shaking before the start of the final. I thought her face might be sore later from both kissing me hard and smiling. Alice might have felt it, she botched the lag and Eun-Ji got the break.

It was almost no contest. Eun-Ji took the first game and narrowly gave up the second to Alice. The next three games were all Eun-Ji with one notable and impressive shot at the end. Eun-Ji clearly had the tournament, getting her number one world ranking back and could have played it safe, but in the final game she would have had to make a difficult bank shot. Instead she took to the air, jumping over the 9-ball to then carom and pocket the 8 before making the final shot on the 9. Proof that the nickname of Air-Shot was still earned.