Playing to Win

atmosphere. He hadn’t been here in a while, had almost forgotten about it because he usually went to the other club these days.
    This challenge with Savannah had reminded him of some of the old places he used to frequent, like this one.
    Savannah gave him a dubious look as they grabbed a booth in the back of the club. It was quiet right now. The band must be on a break.
    “Someplace else your groupies hang out?”
    “I used to come here a lot. Not so much anymore. No idea who hangs out here.”
    The waitress came by and they ordered drinks.
    Savannah gave the place a once-over. Very dark wood paneling graced the walls. There was no ear-splitting loud music. Not a strobe or neon light in sight. The waitresses wore dark pants and tuxedo-like shirts and vests. There were business people in here. Some folks were dressed up. It was…classy.
    Very much not a Cole Riley kind of place.
    Several guys stepped up to the band area, pulled up trumpets and trombones and bass and guitars and started playing a slow, very mellow song. A woman got up and started singing, her voice melancholy and filled with lost love and regret.
    Surprised, she looked at Cole. “It’s blues music.”
    He raised his glass to her. “Yeah.”
    She listened for a while as the song sank deep into her bones. She closed her eyes and let the lyrics and the notes fill her as she sipped her most excellent wine. The singer’s voice was deep and throaty and filled with pain.
    She turned to Cole. “I love this.”
    “I thought you might.”
    Then she smiled. There were obviously facets to Cole she hadn’t explored yet, parts to him he didn’t let people see. All the media saw was the party Cole, the angry Cole. That side of him was definitelypresent, but she’d enjoyed seeing the city from the top of the Arch tonight. It had been so thoughtful of him to take her there. There was nothing more fun than playing tourist, especially when a native indulged you like that.
    And this club? Heavenly. She relaxed into the booth and every bone in her body melted into the music.
    “What kind of music do you like?” Cole asked.
    She sat up and faced him. “All kinds, really. Everything from classical to hip-hop.”
    “Eclectic, aren’t you?”
    “A bit. How about you?”
    “I’m a fan of country, blues, and jazz.”
    “And yet you go to the clubs. Where the autotuned, electropop, dance music plays.”
    He laughed. “Hey, I hang out at the clubs. I didn’t say I liked the club music.”
    “Then why do you go there?”
    “I like the people.”
    “Because they’re such good friends of yours? The ones whose last names you don’t know?”
    “You’re going there again?”
    She decided to take a different approach. “Okay. Now that you’re home, tell me about your friends. Any friends from high school you still hang out with?”
    “Not really. My two best friends from high school both live out of state now.”
    “That’s too bad. So you don’t see them anymore?”
    “One lives in Denver, and the other in Chicago. Whenever I have games there, we meet for dinner. Otherwise, no. They come home to see family over the holidays, and I’m usually home in the off-season, so our visits don’t coincide.”
    “I’m sorry. I suppose now that you’re back you’ll make new friends.”
    He rimmed the tip of his shot glass with his fingertip and gave her a lazy smile. “I already have.”
    “At the club.”
    He shrugged. “Sure.”
    “Those are groupies, not friends. You can make the distinction, can’t you?”
    “I think you’re hung up too much on the friends thing. Guys don’t need close friends like women seem to. With guys, wherever we are, that’s who our friends are. We don’t call guys on the phone to chat for hours. We don’t go shopping together. Guys don’t need the bonding rituals that women seem to need.”
    “Maybe you’re right.” She’d let that one drop…for now. But she’d get back to it, because he was wrong. He’d isolated himself for years, and there was a reason for it. Tonight wasn’t the night to discuss it in-depth.
    Not when there was great music and amazing ambience. Instead, she listened to the band play and the singer belt out more mournful songs that filled her soul. It was captivating. This place was lovely and, though crowded, it was understated. No one came up to Cole and bothered him. He blended in and they were able to enjoy the band without being bombarded with women or the media.
    “It’s still