Don't bet on it

My volleyball team played last night, as they do every Wednesday evening. I'm considering my team participation an additional workout every week and so far its been lots of fun, if not terribly successful (we kinda suck.)

Besides the usual banter on the court, there is usually at least a round of beer and pizza following the game (okay, sometimes BEFORE the game), so it's a nice addition to my somewhat limited social engagements.

My team is made up mostly of single people between the ages of 21-mid 40s and there are eight of us, including one married couple. Two of the single guys (40-somethings) often bemoan their unattached status, so the rest of us try to hook them up. So far, no luck.

One guy (I'll call him Lion King) is always very complimentary on the court ("nice shot") and he does a lot of volunteer work. A very nice guy. He recently broke up with an evil bitch who cheated on him with one of his friends. Surprisingly enough, he's not bitter about it and eager to meet someone new.

I know what you're thinking....why doesn't The Writer flirt with him a bit and see if he's interested??

Two reasons:

1) He smokes, and

2) He's a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

Last night, the post-game conversation turned to baseball and yours truly opened with comments about the Cubs' off-season acquisitions.

Juan Pierre: great.
Jacques Jones: not so much.

Lion King countered with praise for the rat-bastard Cardinals' moves. (okay, he didn't call them rat-bastard. I did.)

He offered to bet me that his team will finish with a better regular season record than my Cubs. Oh, now you're in trouble! Fine, you want to bet me?? Sure, I'll take that bet!

I'm thinking about how much money I would be willing to take from him without seeming greedy. I'm sure I could use an extra $25 or $50 come October.

Lion King says, "Let's bet dinner at a nice restaurant. Loser pays."

Um....what?