A/N: I want to thank everyone who's read and reviewed this story. I apologize for the delay. I was on vacation out of town. Again, this is not beta'd, so please forgive typos. Thanks to the PwF chat room regulars for their help with this chapter. You guys rock!
Chapter five, the Bluff"Straight flush to the nine," Sara declared triumphantly, laying her hole cards on the table.
"You got it," Grissom tossed his cards in face down.
"Wow, a buck eighty," Sara scooped the loose change toward herself. "Your deal, Ruth."
Ruth gathered and shuffled the deck of cards, "Five card draw, fives are wild." She dealt the cards with the deftness of a professional. "Care to open?"
"Hmmm…" Sara examined her hand carefully. "I'll open for a dime." She tossed the coin to the center of the table.
"I'll see your dime and raise twenty cents more," Gil challenged confidently.
Ruth quickly read her son's face and added her thirty cents to the pot. Sara studied Grissom at length. "I don't think so," she said finally, and folded her hand.
"He's bluffing," Ruth informed her. "How many cards, Gil?"
Grissom indicated he wanted three and the dealer obliged. She took two cards herself. "What's your bet, sucker?"
"Fifty cents."
"And I'll raise fifty."
"Damn it," Grissom laughed, conceding defeat. "As usual, you were right. I got nothing."
"That's too bad," Ruth collected her winnings. "Because I had nothing either."
"I need a snack," Gil went into the kitchen and rummaged in the freezer. "You want a Popsicle, Sara?"
"Sure."
"Uh oh, there's only one left. We can split it." He returned to the table and broke the Popsicle in half, handing one part to Sara.
"Thanks. I guess that makes it my deal."
Ruth gathered the cards, "I'll deal for you so you can eat. How about seven card stud, nothing wild?"
"Sounds good. Thanks for dealing," Sara replied.
Ruth dealt each player two hole cards and one exposed card. Sara had the seven of clubs, Gil the jack of diamonds and Ruth the ace of diamonds. "Big ace bets," Sara stated.
"We'll start small with just a nickel," Ruth tossed her nickel in, and the others followed suit. She then continued the deal, giving Sara the nine of hearts, Gil the jack of hearts and herself the king of diamonds.
Gil studied each of their faces and bet a dime. Both women called his bet. The fifth card was then dealt giving Sara the seven of hearts, Gil the queen of spades and Ruth the nine of clubs. Grissom bet twenty cents. Ruth looked at the cards and folded, "Pair of jacks, pair of sevens, and my flush blown all to hell by a stupid club." She excused herself to go to the restroom. Sara called, and smiled at her boss.
After the sixth card, Gil still had a pair of jacks showing, while Sara still had a pair of sevens. He wagered fifty cents. Sara unflinchingly called his bet and raised it twenty-five cents. Grissom stared at her intently, attempting to get a read. She knows I have her beaten showing, but she's not backing down. What does she have? Sara sucked strongly on her end of her Popsicle, moving it sensually in her mouth. What is she doing? Could she do that for—stop it Gil! "You don't play fair," he told her with an arched eyebrow. He called her raise.
"What do you mean?" she asked innocently. Why is he looking at me like that? I'm just eating my Popsicle. Wait, he doesn't think I'm using the Popsicle to…no. The last card Gil dealt down. He checked the bet to Sara. "Fifty," she said.
Gil glanced down at his hand. In addition to his pair of jacks, he had a pair of queens. She must have three—what is she doing with that Popsicle? "Fold."
Sara collected the money and for her own amusement she flipped her cards over. She had nothing but two sevens. Her laughter was contagious.
"Damn," Gil laughed. "I bought it, hook, line and sinker."
As Ruth returned to the table, Sara decided to take the money and run. "I really should be going. Thanks for everything. I've had a wonderful day."
"It was great to meet you, Sara. I hope next time we meet it's under better circumstances," Ruth pulled her into a hug.
"It was nice meeting you, too. I'm glad you're okay."
"Good night, Sara, thank you for coming," Grissom briefly put his hand on her back.
"Thank you for inviting me. I'll see you tomorrow at work."
Grissom walked her to the door and shut it after she departed. He and Ruth finished cleaning up the townhouse in silence. When they had completed the task, they sat at the table with coffee. It was obvious that his mother had something on her mind, and Gil knew he had no choice but to hear it. They conversed in American Sign Language.
She's lovely, Gil
Yes. Inside and out.
So what's the scoop?
There is no scoop.
My ears don't work, Gil, but my eyes do. You can't tell me there's nothing going on there…the way you look at each other. There's chemistry. Tell me you're not interested.
I never said I wasn't interested. There are so many obstacles…
So you'd have to fight for it.
Yes.
Is she worth fighting for?
My heart says "yes", but my head…my head gets in the way. I don't see how it could work.
I don't see how you can be so sure it wouldn't work.
I'm her boss.
So, you'd have to be discreet.
And I'm a lot older than she is
Are you joking?
You don't see anything wrong with that?
You're both adults! If she were 15, I'd have a problem with it. But she looks 30-35. No problem. Besides, if you marry a woman your own age, I'll never be a grandmother. What's the real issue here?
Maybe I'm afraid. If I let her into my heart, it would kill me if she left. If she found someone younger, or stronger, or—
You're selling yourself short. Actually, you're selling her short. Does she seem that shallow to you? You're insulting her by thinking she's that superficial.
I don't think she's shallow.
Whether you want her there or not, she's already in your heart. Only you're not reaping any of the rewards. Life is full of risk, Gil. We only succeed by trying, and it looks as if you've given up before you even got started. Love is worth fighting for. When it's right, it's amazing and wonderful. Don't deprive yourself, or Sara, of that.
I don't know what to think.
Then don't. You think too much sometimes. You think when you should feel. And I think you're running out of time here.
You sound like Sara.
She's a smart woman.
Yes, she is.
TBC