After achieving a new high score on Ms. Pac Man, Scud got up from his chair and headed to the bar for a refill. Time for some foosball. He ordered his drink and made his way towards the game table. He noticed quite a few people standing around it, cheering and jeering. Interesting, usually foosball doesn't draw many spectators. He eavesdropped on two guys in front of him, catching bits of their conversation. "Unbelievable. Never seen anyone this good." "She's won ten straight games now. She's taken Thompson for everything he had!"
Scud was surprised. Very few people ever beat Thompson. He was trying to get a look at this 'she' who cleaned up at the foosball table. He caught a glimpse of pink plaid. He smiled. He made his way through the crowd into the challenger's spot just as "Hot Stuff" began playing on the jukebox. Sweet! Entrance music.
Janet was scooping up the last of the cash she had won, when she noticed a man step up to the edge of the foosball table. She almost laughed when "Hot Stuff" seemed to start on cue. She swung her ponytail from one shoulder to the other, and said, "Game?" He eyed her with a flair of recognition, and asked her, "Did you go to Dalton?" She looked at him curiously and nodded, "Yeah." Then she smiled and said, "Let's see what you got 'Hot Stuff'." He smiled back and said, "I am a god at foosball."
They had a very heated, very back and forth foosball match. In the end, Scud ended up winning the fourth tiebreaker. The crowd quickly dispersed as 'The Champ's winning streak came to an end. Janet reapplied her shiny lip gloss, and said, "Good game. Another?" He was surprised. Usually when the one running the table lost a match, they were done. He shrugged. "Ok, sure." He paused slightly, and looked at the black smudge on her sweater. "Hey, I like your sweater, but I was wondering...what happened to it?" Janet pressed her lips together in a thin line. "A jerk ruined it! Do you really like it? I have it in taupe too!"
They played another very close game, Janet coming out the victor in this match. She grabbed her coat, intent on heading home since she was becoming quite self conscious about her sweater. She and Scud had exchanged emails, and she couldn't help but thinking that maybe the night wasn't a total loss after all. Not only did she rack up $236.50 in foosball winnings, snag a really nice teal scarf from an unsuspecting girl playing pool (hey, if she really liked it she would have kept a better eye on it), but she also met a nice guy. Which reminded her, she really needed to remove her online dating profile.
Scud walked her to the large double wooden doors of the bar. "Nice to meet you Janet." "Nice to meet you too Scud. Oh, and by the way - I let you win." With that she twirled around on her pretty ballerina legs and walked out to the cab Scud had called for her. He opened his mouth and raised his hand up to yell something out, closed his mouth. Opened it again, and closed it. He just shook his head and walked back inside for a few more rounds with Ms. Pac Man.
Lucy made it back to the lair and flopped down on her bed, slightly shell-shocked from her evening. She flipped on her iPod and hit play without looking. Every time I think of you, I feel shot right through with a bolt of blue. You can say that again New Order. She was trying to recall if she'd ever felt such a natural and instant connection with someone. She wasn't talking about attraction. God knows she's had plenty of natural and instant attractions with many women. It was almost a tangible thing. She could feel it. She shook her head. She hoped she hadn't made a mistake by not getting her number. At least she had her full name.
Lucy sat up. She wanted to call off the bet she'd made with Scud. But then she thought of Max lying on top of that piano and she chuckled to herself. If she'd wanted Amy to call her before, she really wanted it now. Lucy had a pretty strong feeling no good would come out of whomever (or whatever) Scud found her dates with. All her 'spidey senses' were tingling. So she would fight fire with fire. Starting with Max.
She changed into a tank top and comfy pair of boxer shorts, brushed her teeth and got ready for sleep. If Scud had looked into her eyes at that moment, he'd know for sure she was plotting something. You could almost hear the gears turning. So with thoughts and images of Amy in her head followed by plots to get back at Scud for something he had not yet done, Lucy drifted off to sleep.