A/N: Yeahhh…you know I had to do it. This is dedicated to Audrey and Nicole, cause…well basically, without them, I'd have no ideas. Hehe. Oh, and just FYI, even though it's entitled "Poker Face", Audrey declared that its theme song is "Love Game". Cause Juliet totally wants to take a ride on James' disco stick. Or um. Something. Ahem. ^_^ Enjoy!
"Sorry, boys. Full house, queens over nines." Juliet said with a smirk, laying down her cards and eliciting a groan from Miles, Jin, James, and Daniel. The fivesome had recently decided to start up a weekly poker game, though this was their third week and once again, Juliet was beating them all by a mile.
"She wins again? You sure she's not cheating?" Miles asked James, teasing her in order to mask his obvious feelings of emasculation at getting beaten by a girl.
"Nah, she ain't a cheater. She's just got a good poker face. Don't worry, though, I'm catchin' onta her tells." James replied, shooting a grin over at the blonde.
"Oh, really, you're onta me, huh?" she mimicked him, a playful expression on her face. "Fine, deal us another hand and we'll see who comes out on top."
"Baby, I always come out on top…" he countered with a chuckle, causing Miles to roll his eyes. Jin only understood about half the conversation, but he laughed along, and Daniel just shook his head.
Juliet laughed, "Well, these last five hands certainly haven't showcased that ability. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, LaFleur?" she asked with a teasing grin.
"Fine, Blondie. What are the stakes?" he asked, mirroring her smile.
"Loser does all the laundry and all the dishes for a week." she replied, arching an eyebrow.
"You're on."
"Well, I'm out." Miles said, tossing down his cards and standing up, "Night losers…and Juliet." he said with a grin, leaving the house James and Juliet shared.
"Me too. Out." Jin said, bidding them goodnight and following Miles.
"What about you, Twitchy? In or out?" James asked Daniel.
"Definitely out. I'll leave the two of you to your grudge match," he said with a kind smile, "Have fun."
"Goodnight, Daniel," Juliet said with a soft chuckle.
"Well, looks like it's just you and me, Blondie. Deal 'em."
She did so. "You're going down, LaFleur." she said with a semi-serious yet amused expression as she picked up her cards.
"I call." James said a few minutes later.
"Sure you wanna do that?"
"Course I am." he grinned assuredly and laid down his cards, "Cause I'm the one with the full house this time. C'mon now, let's see what you got."
Juliet shrugged, "Alright, cowboy," she said with a sigh, "I'm afraid all I've got is four of a kind." she wrinkled her nose, "Darn." A smirk grew on her lips, and James threw down his cards.
"Son of a bitch!" he said, though he began laughing. "Ya gotta gimme a chance to redeem myself here, Blondie…I demand a rematch."
"Fine, but just promise me I won't completely crush your manhood when I slaughter you. The guilt might overwhelm me." she said, joining in his laughter. "Double or nothing?" she asked as she dealt them another hand.
"Actually, I was thinkin' more along the lines of a little thing we call strip poker…"
Juliet's eyebrow arched, "You're joking, right? James, there is no way that I-"
"What, scared you're gonna lose?"
Juliet scoffed, "As if." she replied with a grin. "Alright, you're on."
A few hands later, James had lost his shirt, his shoes and socks, and was about to lose his pants. Juliet was still fully clothed.
"You know, this is actually kind of fun for me, I'm glad you suggested it." she said with a smirk, unable to help herself from appreciating his exceptional abs.
James laughed, "Glad ya like it. But I'm gonna getcha one a' these times."
"Well, it'll have to be after you take off your pants," she informed him. "Straight."
"Dammit!" he said, though he was still smiling. "You're just tryin' ta get me naked, I see how it is now."
"You're the one that suggested the game, James, not me." she said, grinning as she watched him shimmy out of his jeans. "Plaid boxers. Nice."
"Hey, no makin' fun." he said with a chuckle, sitting back down. "Okay, one more. Deal 'em."
"You know, it's kind of cold in here. Are you sure you can handle losing again?" she asked, smirking.
"I can handle it just fine. But I ain't losin'." he told her, smirking back.
"We'll see," she replied, picking up her cards.
This time, she called. "Show me what you've got," she said, grinning suggestively.
"Blondie, you're a damn tease, but there ain't no way you're beatin' me this time. Straight, all spades."
Juliet paused a moment before looking down and sighing, "Damn it." she said, beginning to laugh, "Three of a kind." She laid down her cards, lifted her head, and smirked at him. "Well, fair's fair." she said, standing up. Only then did he remember she was wearing a dress. And she was barefoot.
His jaw dropped as she unzipped the dress she'd borrowed from Amy, letting it fall to the floor, and revealing her white lace bra and matching panties. "What, do I look that horrible?" she asked him, looking down at herself.
"No, you…damn, Blondie, you been holdin' out on us…" he said with a chuckle, standing before her.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, "You don't have to say that, James, I-"
"You," he interrupted, stepping closer to her, "Are beautiful. And a hell of a poker player." he told her with a soft laugh.
"Can I tell you a secret?"
"Course."
"I was totally checking out your abs." she said, with an adorable seriousness that made James laugh wholeheartedly.
"Can I tell ya somethin', too?" he asked. She nodded. "I'm totally checkin' ya out right now." Juliet's cheeks grew slightly redder, and James smiled, lifting her chin and looking into her eyes. "Ya know, for someone with such a damn good poker face, you sure ain't hard to read." A moment later, his lips met hers, and she returned his kiss happily, arms sliding around his neck and pressing their mostly-naked bodies even closer together.
"James," Juliet managed to say when they finally came up for air, "Are you sure we should-"
"Blondie, ya remember that manhood a' mine that you crushed?" he asked with a grin, "Lemme have a shot at fixin' it."
And fix it he did. Once. Twice. And over again.
From then on, every night after their weekly game with their friends, James and Juliet began a little poker tradition of their own…and the best part was, neither one of them ever really lost.
THE END.