Ok, I admit. This song may be pretty damn old and the joke behind it overused…but I was bored. It is very out of the box, if you would say. Whatever, I had fun writing this.
Takes place after all the Burns bullshit. Maybe season three? Cal and Gillian are both on fantastic footing.
The season finale was great! Now I can't wait till November. So glad they are continuing!
Reviews are fabulous. They truly mean a lot to me!
Thank you! Please enjoy!
I own nothing. Pokerface belongs to Gaga, Lie To Me to Fox, etc….
Poker Face
Gillian makes a joke.
Cal found her sitting in the conference room with a magazine and about five pounds of sugar in the shape of a candy bar.
She was crossed legged in a big swivel office chair, black skirt raised mid-thigh. Shiny heels to match lay perfectly side by side next to her on the floor.
Walking in, his usual manner ever present, made himself known by knocking on the glass rather loudly and swaying in, moving over to sit opposite her. Propping his feet unceremoniously in the chair next to his, he hefts a mock sigh of exhaustion, leaning sideways.
"Oi! There she is. You know, you're getting pretty good at disappearing around here. Been looking everywhere for you."
Glancing up at him while taking a small bite of chocolate, Gillian grins. "That or you just can't see all too well anymore. Maybe we need to get you some new glasses."
He grunts at her, staring down at what she was looking at. "I mean, we don't have a case love, so why on earth are you in here in the middle of the night?"
"It's only eleven, Cal."
"My point exactly! You should be out on the town or at home reading your mushy novels."
She gave him a knowing smile.
"Cal, you're the one to talk. You are always here way past midnight. Anyways, I don't really know why I'm not home yet. I…I just wanted to hang out here, I suppose. I was finishing a document for Heidi to mail tomorrow, found this magazine on her desk and knew that I had this delightful piece of heaven in the fridge. Just thought I'd sit down for a bit and relax."
Cal nods. "Well I don't want you here by yourself. Y'know security has already gone for the night."
"Well then I guess you should stay and watch over me, keep me company, because I'm not leaving until this baby is all gone." She takes another small bite, letting the richness melt in her mouth.
He scrutinizes the chocolate on the table. She found his face comical. It was as if the candy was an enemy lying to him and he was trying to figure out the truth in the dark shape.
She giggles and Cal sucks in a small, strained breath.
"Cal, it's just chocolate. Work it off easily. It won't hurt you. Plus, it's delicious!"
He looks back up into her face. "I know very well that it doesn't harm you love; Quite the opposite actually." He pauses here, clearing his throat, eyes landing anywhere but on her. "I just can't seem to want any myself."
"I'm sure I could change your way of thinking."
Gillian was in such a great mood, she didn't realize how flirtatious her comment sounded. Not that they didn't say things you would not normally say to your partner.
"I'm sure you could darling."
Point taken.
She flips a page, scanning the advertisement filled book for anything interesting.
"What exactly are you reading; other than ad after ad for hair products?"
"Cosmopolitan."
"Ah…"
She reads a line in the magazine to herself, her lips moving silently. When she hits a certain word, they flick up at the corners. He fiddles with the edge of the table, giving his hands something to do as he watches, with zeal, her face.
Her tongue slides along her bottom lip. His eyes, ever so on target, followed the movement carefully. He couldn't help the thought blasting into his mind of how he'd like to follow that same movement with his own tongue.
"You can't read my poker face."
She says it with an air of certainty. Her face is serious but the twinkle in her eye tells otherwise. Cal just stares at her like she had said something foreign. He curves his head to the side, trying to understand if he heard her correctly.
She looks over the magazine one more time before lifting her eyes to his. Seeing his strange look, she meets it with a smirk and a shrug.
"Knowing your history with poker Cal, have you ever wondered why we've never played? I mean, other than the fact that I've tried to keep you from putting a toe into a casino, we've never sat down, just for fun, with no way of losing money, to play around here at the office."
Receiving still an odd look, Gillian puts another piece of chocolate into her mouth and continues. "You may not know, but I was taught by my father how to play when I was just six. I'm sure my skills are a little rusty and despite how much I don't want you anywhere near a poker table again, I've always wanted to try it out with you."
He blinks, intrigued, giving her a unique look. "You always keep me guessing love."
"I surprise myself sometimes. Actually I heard this song earlier today and thought of you. Now I see the same song here in this magazine and it got me thinking."
"Just what song is this?"
She laughs as she leans forward, eyes sparkling enticingly into his. "First, I'll get him hot. Show him what I got."
He stares into her eyes, feeling an unwavering, uncontrollable and so bloody familiar heat enter swiftly inside him.
"Then roll with him what a hard pair we would be. A little bit of gambling and its fun when you're with me. Russian roulette is not the same without a gun. Though, if it's love, if it's not rough it isn't fun."
The heat now a blaze, Cal shifts uncomfortably in his chair, feet falling to the ground with a thud, as she professionally keeps a straight face, but playfully recites certain words out of a song.
Cal, the expert at hiding his face from emotion and here he was with his walls almost literally melting away as she continues, her eyes smoldering into his.
"You better take your bank before I pay you out. I promise this. Promise this. Check this hand, because I am marvelous." She suddenly stops, like she couldn't hold it in any longer and her laughter fills the room.
A sound he could never get tired of hearing.
He grins at her perfect frame, chuckling along with her. She wipes at her eyes and meets his gaze again.
"Oh Cal…looks like I need to work on my poker face. It's easier to do when we're actually out on a case. When it's only us, I guess I feel there's no need to perform. You know what I mean. You'll have to give me some time, and then maybe we could play a game, you know like an office party! We could get Torres and Loker to join us."
"I prefer it being just the two of us."
There is a small pause.
Cal leans forward, taking a piece of chocolate sitting close to her on the table. Gillian's cheeks were tinted a faint red as she watches his hand.
"That would work too."
Even though they felt like there should be, there was nothing uncomfortable about their words.
He bit down on the sugar filled brown candy, making a face. Gillian smiles, eyes dancing. Glancing at his mouth as he tries out the chocolate, a whirl of emotions soars within her. She takes a piece too, holding it to her lips.
"Well that's just marvelous. You are marvelous."
He winks at her. His eyes hold something deeper in them. Something Gillian has seen flicker inside them for mere seconds then covered up in an even faster time. She was overcome with thoughts and sensations of how she'd like to see those feelings bursting brightly in his eyes all of the time.
The room suddenly got warmer.
"I told you I could convert you into liking it."
"Mm…indeed; At this point Gillian, you can make me do anything you want and I will more than likely…like it."
Their eyes were roaming easily over each other's faces. The walls had fallen, crashed and burned, without any complaints, and the line seemed so distant now, they couldn't even see where it went. Ever since her divorce and so called boyfriend, they hadn't really mentioned the line anyways.
Truth be told, it had gotten rather old.
"You aren't using that poker face of yours now, are you?"
Gillian smiles, her eyes crinkling, face glowing.
She jokes, "Only when I'm on the clock."
They both laugh.
"But really Cal, you can read me more than anyone else I've ever known. You know me. I know you."
He smiles and leans back into his chair, already knowing what she just stated as true. "Well then Gill, I would like to take you up on that offer. Let's just see how good we both are at these…whatever you call them. Poker faces, eh? I got a deck o' cards and such stashed away in the study. What do you say? Loser buys take-out."
Gillian swings her chair around, standing up and straightening her skirt. She slips her heels on quickly. Grabbing the rest of the chocolate, she heads for the door. Opening it, she turns, hair flowing, and grins at him.
"You're on."
Cal didn't think he had ever moved fast enough in his life.