Ace walked around the tables as he studied the potential shots he could make with the white ball. It was a dead night at Irby's Billiards and Ace had no competition so he settled on practising.
"Not too much longer now Merrill," Irby called out from behind the register, "gotta close up soon."
Ace placed he cue back on the rack. He was getting bored anyway.
"Whoa slow down little girl," he heard Irby address someone behind him.
"Laura?" Ace was surprised to see her cowering at the doorway, dressed in her dressing robe looking scared out of her wits.
"What's the matter with her?" Irby asked, peering over at her.
Ace ignored him as he pulled Laura out into the car park. He hadn't seen her since he'd dropped her back at her house a few hours ago.
"How did you get here?" he asked.
"I ran," she said, "I think there was someone in my house."
"What? Were they after anything?"
He was confused. There was nothing really of great value at her house, nothing to tempt a burglar anyway.
"Were they after you?" he said a bit more forcefully.
"I don't know," she sobbed.
"Where's your Ma?"
"She's working tonight, I was home alone."
"Shit," Ace spat out.
This was one time he wasn't happy about Laura not having a Daddy.
"Ok get in the car," he ordered before gunning the engine.
They drove to her house in relative silence, Ace fuming and Laura sobbing quietly to herself. As they parked the car Ace told her to wait before he locked her in and went to search through he house alone, switch blade at the ready.
It was obvious someone had been here. The usually immaculate house had things strewn on the floor everywhere, furniture had been tipped over and a few glasses had broken in the kitchen. After asserting that the house was at least now empty Ace went back to his car to retrieve Laura.
"It's ok babe, they're gone now," he said quietly as he pulled her out of the car.
"Stay with me tonight?" she asked quietly.
"Of course doll."
Laura woke early to clean the house before her mother got home. She didn't want to worry her, she knew how hard her mother worked and she didn't want her to feel guilty about leaving her alone at night. She finished up and started making breakfast. She was grateful to Ace for staying with her last night so she tried extra hard to make everything perfect.
"Mmmm, something smells good," he said murmured as he joined her in the kitchen, dressed only in his jeans, lazily scratching at his bare chest.
He scooped her up and spun her around before nibbling at her neck.
"Tasty," he teased, before kissing her exuberantly on the mouth.
"Now why haven't I seen you in this before?" he asked, studying her nightgown.
It was knee length, semi-sheer and clung to her bustline, he hadn't been able to fully appreciate it in the darkness last night.
"Maybe we should forget breakfast," he said suggestively.
"I have to get ready before my mother comes home," Laura said reluctantly.
Ace let her go to dress as he started on his breakfast, marvelling at his girlfriend. She looks sexy in a nightgown, she's handy to have around when the police are about, she'll let him do anything to her and she'll cook him breakfast.
He wondered what he ever did without her.