Of Tea and Music

Chapter 28: A Normal Week - Wednesday

He was seated in the mess hall, eating his breakfast, when Jim slid into the seat across from him. "I need you tonight, Spock."

He quirked one eyebrow at the Captain. "Why do you need me tonight?"

"I need another body at the table." At the blank look from the other side of the table, Jim realized that Spock had no idea what he meant. "The weekly poker game - we need more people. Three just isn't enough. So you have to come. And you as well - I know you play poker." This last sentence was addressed to Nyota, as she set her tray down beside Spock.

"Yes, I play poker, why?"

"I've been trying to get a weekly game established. So far, there are only three of us and it just isn't enough. So I expect you tonight. It'll be fun."

"Okay. I haven't played in months. It will be fun." She smiled at Jim. Then she turned toward Spock. "And you'll enjoy it, too. Mathematics. Probabilities. Memory tests. It's just right up your alley."

"Alley?" Why did they persist in using such strange terminology instead of just saying what they meant?

"It's something you will enjoy. Trust me." She patted his thigh under the table, letting her hand stroke down his leg from the top of his thigh all the way to his knee.

With great difficulty, he suppressed a shiver. "If you both think this is something that I should do, then I shall participate. However, I must state that most card games do not seem to make much sense to me. They seem to be a great waste of time."

Both of his friends chuckled at him. Jim spoke again. "Poker is different. You'll like it. Trust me."

***

The day passed uneventfully. Nothing in any way out of the ordinary occurred. The bridge was quiet all day. Much idle conversation occurred as the bridge crew tried to make the time pass faster. It was almost a relief to leave the bridge and head for the mess hall.

As everyone gathered around their usual table, there was much talk of the poker game to come. There seemed to be a lot of jesting about who would take home the 'pot'. Why anyone would want to take a pot back to their quarters he wasn't sure. Like many human customs, it was bewildering. But Nyota was smiling at him from across the table, so he was content. It was better when she sat beside him, but not always possible.

***

At the appointed time, he entered the small room which had been reserved for the poker game. There was a round table, surrounded by chairs. Someone had replicated two new decks of cards, which sat on the table, still in their wrappers. There were dishes of nuts and chips on the table as well, and a cooler full of beer bottles on the floor beside it. He wished he had had more time to read up on the rules of this game. There seemed to be many variations. He stood to the side, waiting for the others to arrive, which they did in a few minutes. People took seats around the table, Nyota motioning discretely at him to come and sit beside her. He sat down on her left side, where hopefully she would be able to touch him occasionally. He was still unsure about this whole thing.

Jim opened one of the packets of cards, bending them back and forth, then shuffling them. He started flipping the cards out across the table, explaining the rules. Beside him, Nyota gave him quiet instruction. As the play progressed, he kept careful count of the cards which had been played. When he realized that there was no possibility of achieving a winning hand, he folded. Everyone else complained. Apparently he was supposed to 'bluff'. This was confusing.

As the evening wore on, he became more adept. The rules, although confusing at times, began to make more sense. The small hints that Nyota gave him helped more than the advice from the others. He managed to win one hand and got many comments about his 'poker face'. Nyota just giggled at his look of incomprehension.

He was relieved when the game drew to a close. He felt that he had functioned adequately. And he would be able to walk Nyota down the corridors to her quarters. But he was totally startled to hear that he was expected to participate in this activity every week from now on.