Title: The Naked Truth (3 of 4)
Author: Emmylou/EmmyAngua
Disclaimer: Ashes to Ashes, Life on Mars, and the characters therein belong to the BBC and Kudos.
Rating: PG-15 (swearing, nudity)
Summary: A Mexican standoff about a case leads to Alex and Gene playing a game involving truth and stripping. The last one clothed gets the case resolution they want, but to get it they've got to answer some very personal questions...
Author's Notes: Short chapter today. Hopefully a fun one though.
"So where's this daughter you keep banging on about?" he cut in, going straight for the kill.
Alex paused. "A long way away."
"If that's the kind of bollocks answer you're planning to give you can just strip now."
Oh god, she thought, that was why playing this game wasn't such a good idea in this world. When she was 19 her only secrets were about what the most depraved thing she'd ever done in bed (it involved non police issue handcuffs, a dice, and a pillow) and which Wet Wet Wet singer she'd fuck (Marti). Now she had big secrets and she knew she'd have to risk lying or loose.
She had (she calculated), six items of clothing; her shirt, skirt, stockings, shoes, pants, and bra. He already had an advantage, his tie giving him seven.
There was nothing for it. She'd have to try and lie – even if it meant getting caught out and loosing an item. Her only option was to hit him with more awkward questions than he did her. Her inner psychologist smiled - no problem there.
"She's with her father and step-mother. They fought for custody...I'm not allowed to see her."
It wasn't a total lie. It had happened, back in 2008 and they'd lost. Without Evan on her side, who knew where Molly would be now.
She carefully looked at his face – it was stony. She needed to push it up a gear to convince him and so she spoke honestly, from the heart. "It seems so far away now...I thought life wouldn't get any worse for me than that. How wrong I was..."
She looked at the vodka, suddenly wanting another shot. She poured one; even knowing it was stupid to incapacitate herself so early in the game.
"Are you going to ask me a question then or not?" he asked sharply.
"What? Oh..." She stumbled over the words as she choked her drink down. She knew she had to strike hard early on, but she hadn't got around to thinking anything up. "Uh...one word answer. Who do you like best...me or Sam?"
He looked down at her again, with that stony face. Then he reached up and tugged at his tie. A moment later he tossed it onto the table.
Stunned at her strike on such a hastily thought up question, she bit back a smile. "I'll try not to be offended."
He finished gulping down the Vodka shot and fired back almost instantly. "Who would you rather shag? Me or Sam?"
Alex actually laughed at that one. "You," she raised her glass at him. "No question about that. But as my last husband tried to steal my daughter...perhaps I shouldn't trust my gut instinct anymore." She said that last leaning in at him and speaking conspiratorially.
Again he hid his expression from her. He looked as blank as in any poker game. She hoped, though, she'd shocked him just a little.
-
Some time later, it was still Gene – 0, Alex – 1. She tried to push him on the sexual angle. He wasn't afraid of talking about sex, but rarely went past blatant innuendo to her actual face. Hopefully she'd hit a nerve pushing him to go further...
"Last sexual fantasy?"
He smirked. "You won't beat me on that score, luv. It was you on the hood of the Quattro. Old standby, that one."
She bit back her peal of laughter. She needed to unsettle him to keep ahead. Instead, she raised an eyebrow coldly. "Really? How very professional of you."
-
"So what was your maiden name then Bolly?"
Shiiiit. There was no escape from that one. He'd know she was lying if she made something up – who had to think to remember their maiden name? And there was no way in the world she could tell him it was Price.
She slowly unbuttoned her blouse, vaguely hoping that choosing something revealing early on would distract him from his game. He looked surprised, and she wondered whether it was over her choice of clothing or him scoring on such an easy question.
She leaned forward across the coffee table. "Tell me about something embarrassingly soft-hearted you've done."
And the game continued...
---
A/N: Right, well I know it was short but this story was only ever meant to be split into two parts – but when I came to post on LJ it said it was too long. As a result splitting it in a sensible place makes this part shorter.
Hopefully you thought it was a fun chappie though (and in character, something - again – that is bothering me far too much in this story.) Please let me know!
Next time Alex get's grilled about her connection to Sam and all those other things that make her seem crazy – will she loose or lie? He's going to have to open up a bit...and the winner is announced!
