After Hours

making a sort-of move

"I wanna play."

        "NO."

"What?" Althea asked, a little shocked by Charlie's abrupt refusal. "Why not?"

"Allie, you're the worst beer pong player I've ever met in my life."

"No I'm—"

"Winter last year. You missed every shot except  for the last one. Then you threw up and I finished your drinks for you." She winced at the unpleasant memory.

"I was a young spring chicken then. C'mon Charlie, let me play with you." Looking unconvinced, he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why do you even wanna play so badly?"

"For...experience."

"Experience?" he echoed. Defensive, she squared her shoulders at him as he dissected her with a glance.

"Yes," she answered.

"But you hate beer pong," he said as if reminding her.

"And I...would like to make sure."Amused, Charlie looked to be hiding his smile for her benefit.

"You'd like to make sure that you hate it?" She squared her shoulders again when she heard the teasing lilt to his tone.

"Yes." He nodded once and then turned to Nick.

"Hey Nick, find a new partner. We're playing against each other." Nick, who had been chatting with a few guys around the pool table turned when he heard his name called.

"Okay, sounds cool. Are you playing, Althea?" She smiled easily and nodded at him, her hand coming to rest on Charlie's shoulder in nonverbal thanks.

"I'm not taking your drinks tonight," he murmured. "You better keep that in mind when you do a shitty throw."

"I wouldn't want you to anyway." She didn't add that it was because she had plans of her own. "Why don't we set up on the pool table?"

"But there's a table right down the—"

"Hey Nick," she said, walking over to the tall brown haired boy. "Where should we set up?"

"Um, I guess the—"

"Pool table, right?" He blinked down once at her before scratching at his jaw.

"I guess that'd work, too." She smiled at him and watched as he asked some of his housemates to help him bring the keg out and some plastic cups. Although Nick had complained about the frat house, there was no doubt he was an authority figure there. The younger brothers respected him greatly, it was clear in the way they volunteered to help him. After Nick had left with them, she felt Charlie's presence behind her and turned.

"What're you planning, Allie?"

"Nothing."

"Allie," sounded exasperated with her. She rolled her eyes at him and crossed her arms.

"Althea," his tone was pleading.

"I'm making my move."

"What does that mean?"

"Malcolm," Leaning in closer, she spoke low in Charlie's ear over the sound of the music that had progressively gotten louder. "I'm trying to get him to play beer pong with us. And when I do, he'll actually know me from outside of work or school." Charlie blinked down at her and tugged on one of her loose curls gently.

"Why can't you just be a normal person and ask him out? Why does it have to be all schemes and plans?" Althea frowned at him.

"But that's what makes it fun," she tried to reason. Charlie rolled his eyes at her and reached up to fiddle with his own curls.