Read You Should Smile for Free Online

near that night, for whatever reason.  That pissed me off.  It pissed off Ms. L., too, and you don’t mess with that bitch.  She’s crazy. 
    So I ignored him.  He just sat there and brooded like a bump on a log.  His grin was long gone, replaced with a permanent scowl and dirty looks exchanged amongst his friends.
    I listened to their conversation and interjected now and then to the other guys when they talked.  I learned that they’d all gone to a nearby college together and were on the baseball team.  Yes, baseball.  Now it all made sense.  Pickup Grinner had a baseball ass!  No doubt.  That is what a baseball ass looked like, my friends.  I learned that Thad had played shortstop.  (As a former college second baseman, I was totally impressed, but I said nothing.)  Chris (Pretty Boy) was their second baseman.  Motorcycle Guy, whose name was Lance, played left field.  The third guy, Sam, apparently played catcher.
    I also quickly learned their personalities.  Sam was a goofball – tall, lovable, kinda crazy.  He wasn’t necessarily hot, but he was cute in that goofy sort of way that guys sometimes have.  He was a high school teacher.  His wife (her name was Gail, I gathered) was home with their baby. 
    The other three were apparently single.  Chris was your All-American golden boy.  He was a legal aid attorney, so a good guy, too, it seemed.  And Lance, well, Lance was a force to be reckoned with, I could tell.  His jet black hair was longer and looked like it hadn’t been combed in days.  A five o’clock shadow framed his chiseled face.  Cocky as hell.  Investment banker by day, tattooed badass by night…..and a voice that oozed ‘I-can-give-you-a-very-good-time.’  I just knew that girls fell all over him – and he knew it, too.  He was a huge flirt.  Melissa had already set her eyes on him.  That was fine with me.  Even though I knew I had no claim on Pickup Grinner, I still didn’t want her to hook her claws in him.  Though, to be fair, with the mood he was in, no one would’ve wanted to get near him.
    Melissa batted her eyes again and squeaked, “So what’d y’all major in in college?” 
    Lance drawled, “Books, beers, babes.”  Then he winked at her.  I couldn’t help it.  I laughed and rolled my eyes.  He then winked at me, too.  I could tell he didn’t take himself too seriously.  He knew what he was. 
    Melissa, however, ate it up like candy.  “In that order?”  Her voice was so annoying.  I thought I saw Thad wince at it from my peripheral vision, but I refused to make direct eye contact with him.
    Chris interjected, “Not always in that order….” He grinned at me.  I smiled back.  I liked him. 
    I liked them all. They seemed like good guys.
    Lance jumped up from his seat.  “‘Scuse me.  I need to use the little boys’ room.”
    The conversation continued as Thad still sat there, avoiding eye contact and grunting an answer now and then.  The others seemed to enjoy his obvious discomfort.
    We heard a commotion in the back and looked back there to see that the waitress had dropped a tray of food in the floor.  Lance was helping her pick it up.  The whole bar seemed transfixed on the event, especially a group of college girls in the corner.  They giggled loudly.
    Lance was hot, I could admit that.  His body was basically solid muscle.  I could also admit he looked pretty good bent over in tight jeans picking up food from the floor.  I kept my head turned back, watching as he went over to the group of girls and said something.  A collective gasp ensued. 
    When Lance got back to the table, Sam piped up, “Hey Romeo, what’d you say to the college girls to get them all riled up over there?”
    Lance smirked.  “I heard one of them say something about my tattoos, so I told her that she could take a closer look if she wanted.”
    Melissa made a “hmmpph” sound and looked pissed.  Grant and I exchanged shared grins at her