Shots
Disclaimer: Not mine, but Dick's.
Four of NYC's finest walk into Dilligaf's, a bar entirely too close to One Police Plaza. It had been a particularly trying day. They had finally wrangled a confession out of one of their suspects, using his admission of guilt to get the other suspect to break.
"I've got first round, guys, so drink up." Mike Logan turned to his colleagues, whipping out his wallet. "I'm so glad we're done with that son of a bitch." Robert Goren, known as Bobby to the group, slapped him on the back.
"You're telling me. And that's a first."
"Shots! We're doing shots! Let's go!" Carolyn Barek yelled at the bartender, a huge grin on her face. She turned to the other woman next to her, Alexandra Eames, Alex for short. "What do you want a shot of, girl?"
Alex pondered for a minute before answering. "Johnny Walker Red." A groan went up from the guys.
"Listen, Alex, you don't shoot JWR, you sip it! It's a sipper. How about Jim Beam?" Mike tried to turn to the bartender to change the order when Alex grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket. She stood on tiptoes to meet his eyes.
"I. Want. Johnny Walker Red." Alex gave the bartender a short nod. He went back to pouring their shots. "It goes down smooth."
"That's why you sip it." Bobby stood up and headed over to the jukebox in the backroom of the bar. Carolyn followed.
"Play "Funkytown" please, Bobby. I need to go to funkytown." Carolyn looked up at him pleadingly. Bobby shook his head.
"You know Mike would kill me." Bobby sighed and put in his dollar. Four selections…"Carolyn, go back to the bar. You know this has to be a surprise." Carolyn harrumphed before listening to the tall man. Bobby chose his songs carefully and turned just in time to see Mike approach the table, eight little shot glasses balanced on a tray in his hand.
"Bartender liked your partner's show back there; gave us doubles." Bobby snorted and spotted Alex talking animatedly with Carolyn as they entered the ladies room. "Why do they go in pairs?"
"Bobby, you're asking the wrong guy. I suppose it's because they usually go in groups but there's only two of them tonight?" Mike laughed at his own joke.
"Mike, that made no sense. None at all. Because if it did – "
"Where's my "JWR", Mike?" Alex mocked Mike's abbreviation from earlier.
"Why it's right here, madam!" Mike handed Carolyn her shots, rum and rum, and picked up his, Jim Beam. Bobby had gone for gin.
"Okay, cheers to this goddamn case finally being over!" Alex raised her glass to meet the others.
SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!
Carolyn winced a little. "Rum too hard for you, kiddo?" Mike elbowed his partner in the ribs teasingly.
"Yeah right. Who made it tradition to slam the damn glasses down after every shot?" Everyone looked at Alex, who grinned sheepishly.
"I thought it would help get all the aggression out! And it's fun and you know it!" Alex poked Carolyn in the chest.
"Okay, okay no cat – "
"FUNKY TOWN! Bobby I love you!" Carolyn cut off Bobby's arguments and dragged Mike out on the dance floor.
"What is it with her and that song?" Bobby looked at Alex, who was laughing at her friend's attempt to get Mike to dance.
"It's a ritual. We started it when it was just Carolyn and I coming here. Get our shots, put "Funkytown" on and start dancing. When you guys started coming, she decided it would be much more fun to drag Mike into it. Besides, I have a song that does that to me too."
Bobby looked intrigued. He thought he had her song. "I thought it was "Everybody, Everybody"?" Alex smiled and shook her head.
"Oh no. That's just one of them. There's more." The song ended. Carolyn came back, exhilarated. Mike just looked miserable.
"I hear that this used to be your role. Next time it comes on – it falls on you again to dance like a moron with her." Mike wiped his brow.
"Come on, Mike. All out of breath already? How are you going to catch the bad guys Monday?" Bobby chided Mike.
"The bad guys don't make me dance to frigging "Funkytown" with them now do they, smart ass?" Everyone laughed. The next song came on. ""New York, New York"? Geez, Bobby. This I can dance to though." Mike grabbed Carolyn again and headed back out. Bobby and Alex were alone again.
"You never told me what your other song was." Bobby looked at Alex. She had taken off her jacket, wearing only a tight knit t-shirt and her black pants. She caught him looking at her.
"You see something you like?" She winked at him before laughing. "Sometimes, I miss vice. That line…gets me every time." She leaned back in her seat, legs stretched out in front of her, palms down on the table. "You want to know my song?" Bobby nodded. Alex shifted in her seat. "Don't laugh. "Got to Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn, I think her name was. Excellent song, great for dancing to." Bobby looked at her for a moment before biting his lip. Applause went up in the bar for Mike and Carolyn, who'd just finished a spectacular ending to their song – high kicks and all. Mike included. "You are going to laugh at me aren't you?" There was a trace of hurt in her eyes, enough to make Bobby feel bad.
"I was, but only because, honestly, I love that song as well. Lewis made endless amounts of fun of me." Alex looked at him, trying to gauge if he was kidding or not. Nope, not one bit.
"Well, maybe you should play it!"
"Maybe I will!" Mike and Carolyn came back to the table, breathless again.
"You guys need to get out there! Too much fun. Second shot, let's go!" Carolyn grabbed her glass, prompting the others to follow suit. "Bobby, your turn to toast."
Bobby held his glass up to everyone else's. "Okay," he glanced at Alex briefly, "it's got to be real." Alex slammed her shot back and then burst out laughing.
"I almost choked on my shot you know."
"I would've saved you." Bobby winked at her and turned back to Mike. "Pool?" Before Mike could respond two women approached their table. The tall blonde one spoke to Mike. "Dance with me?" Mike looked at Carolyn. "I shall return."
"Keep him sweetheart. He's more trouble than he's worth." Carolyn winked at the girl, who apparently had no sense of humor. The shorter brunette hit Bobby in the shoulder with her hip.
"Come on, big guy." Bobby was given no choice. The brunette grabbed his hand and dragged him out. Alex laughed, but there was no smile in her eyes. Carolyn nudged her.
"Want to surprise them and get the next round?" Alex nodded her assent and they both got up and went to the bar. Alex watched Bobby the whole time.
"Mike will probably end up going home with her. She has no sense of humor and long legs." She handed Alex her change. "Bobby, on the other hand –" Carolyn stopped, noting the look on Alex's face. She followed her friend's eyes. Bobby was clearly enjoying his dance. He was maintaining complete eye contact with his dance partner. And dancing really close. Too close. Alex and Carolyn walked back to their table. "Look." Carolyn pointed to two guys who were checking them both out. "Let's go." Carolyn got up and headed towards the two men. Alex, understanding Carolyn's plan without her even having to explain, followed her. Alex said a silent prayer to whatever forces convinced her to wear her heels this morning. She just felt sexier walking across the bar floor, a little shake in her hips. Carolyn looked over her shoulder and pointed at Alex. "Now, this is Alexandra. Alexandra, this is Leo," she pointed to the blonde guy with the beard, "and this is Andy." Andy was tall, skinny, and red headed. Carolyn made herself comfortable next to him. Alex sat beside Leo.
Leo looked at her approvingly. "Would you like to dance?" Alex smiled inwardly. This was going to be a piece of cake. She took Leo's hand and followed him out. Some one had put on some Bebel Gilberto, slinky samba music. Carolyn was right next to her with her guy, talking about the movie "Clue", of all things. Alex shook her head and concentrated on the man she was dancing the samba with. She tried not to think all the inane thoughts that she usually thought when nights like this happened, like why was there samba music playing in an old Irish bar? Leo was an excellent dancer. She told him so.
"I learned in Brazil. My ex-wife, she was from Recife." Leo's eyes got dark for a second and then cleared almost immediately. He has an ex and he's still mad at her. It gave Alex an out later. They danced until the song ended. Andy tapped Leo and nodded back to their table. "Uh, I have to get back there. Would you care to join us?" Alex looked for Carolyn and saw her making her way back to Mike and Bobby.
"No, thank you. I'm going to get back to my friends." Leo kissed her hand and led her to her table.
"It was a pleasure, Alexandra." He smiled at the rest of the group and sat back down with Andy. Alex picked up her shot glass, Carolyn and Mike doing the same. Bobby stared after Leo.
"Bobby, shots now!" Carolyn slammed her fist on the table in front of him. She snuck a side-glance at Alex and winked. Alex gave her a wink in return. Bobby picked up his glass.
Carolyn nudged Mike, who was trying to see what Bobby had been looking at.
"What? Oh my turn, sorry. Okay – to Alexandra!" He rolled the "r" in her name. Alex rolled her eyes and they all slammed their glasses down on the tray.
Two Hours Later…Three double shots – of tequila – later, all four of the detectives were drunk and ready to go. They started to get ready to leave best they could, in their condition. Carolyn stopped and looked at Bobby.
"You didn't dance with Alex! You son of a bitch!" She slurred her words and nearly poked Bobby's eye out pointing at him. Bobby scowled at her. His happy buzz had worn off when he saw Alex with that Leo. Now he was just quiet, yet angry drunk. Alex put her arm around Bobby.
"Come on Bobby." She pouted and whispered in his ear. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him out of his chair. He shook his head at her. "Carrie's right – you are a son of a bitch." She slurred her words and held her arms out for Carolyn and they stumbled their way to the ladies room. Mike looked at Bobby before following them to make sure they were okay.
"First Alexandra, and now Carrie." He smiled and went to wait for the drunken alter egos of Alex and Carolyn. Bobby sat in his chair, hunched over with his coat on. It was the deal between he and Alex that they'd always get a cab and stay at her apartment when this happened. She lived closer, it was the natural choice. He didn't even want to be near her now. He knew why she was dancing with that guy; he wasn't stupid. She was making him jealous. And Carolyn had been in on it. He shook his head, trying to clear his head. He didn't want to fight tonight. But the anger boiled up inside of him. It was because of the girl he'd danced with. Before he knew it Mike had each women on his arm. "Ready to go, big guy?" Bobby nodded his assent and followed Mike out of the bar. Carolyn and Alex were drunker than either he or Mike had ever seen them. Maybe tequila wasn't such a good idea after all.
Mike had managed to get a two cabs at the same time and handed Alex off to Bobby. "See you two Monday!" Carolyn waved crazily before disappearing into the back seat with Mike. Bobby sat down next Alex in the backseat of their cab and gave Alex's address. Alex snuggled up to him. God he smelled good. Like sweat and aftershave. She looked up at him. He was staring out the window. Within minutes they arrived at her apartment. Alex handed him her keys and he paid the cabbie. She followed Bobby to elevator and suddenly fell on her ass.
"Fuck. My heel broke, Bobby!" Bobby sighed and pulled her up. She took off the offending shoe and stared at it. "Bobby my shoe!" Bobby shook his head and picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, her ass in his face. The elevator stopped on her floor. Bobby maneuvered both he and Alex to her door and let them in with her key. Alex steadied herself against her kitchen table. "I can't believe that shoe broke! I just bought them, like last month!" For some reason, probably the tequila, Alex found this pronouncement to be hilarious. She collapsed into giggles in the middle of her kitchen floor. Bobby ignored her and walked to her linen closet to get an extra blanket for himself. When he came back he found her sitting on the kitchen table, glaring at him.
"What is your problem?" Alex looked at him, fire in her eyes.
"What do you mean, what is my problem? You're the one who was slinking all over that, that moron. And let me tell you, that beard was paltry! Paltry!" Bobby leaned against the kitchen table and got in her face. "You're just jealous that that girl asked me to dance with her and I didn't dance with you first. Why do I have to dance with you first? You don't own me! I'm not your boyfriend! So shove it!"
Alex could feel his breath blowing the hair back from her face as he yelled at her. Oh, this will never do. She hopped off the table and ran after him into the living room. She pushed him and he landed face first onto the couch with a heavy thud. "You bastard! You were just jealous that I was dancing with anybody but you ever! You get jealous if any other guy just thinks about looking in my direction. And you've got no right!" Alex inhaled deeply. Bobby got off the floor and picked her up, slung over his shoulder again. "Put me the fuck down Goren!" She pounded his back with her tiny fists, but to no avail. He threw her on her bed and started rummaging through her drawers for her pajamas.
"Take your clothes off and put these on."
"No! Maybe I want to sleep in my clothes. I'll even sleep in my bra. I'll get bra cancer!" Alex thought that over in her head. It made no sense. Stupid pre-teen myth that sleeping in your bra could give you cancer. She laughed anyway, so Bobby wouldn't catch on. Oh but he did.
"Bra cancer? That's so…" Bobby burst out laughing.
"Are you laughing at me! It's true!"
"Yeah, in your head."
Fucker. She started disrobing, and just to get back at him, she blocked the door.
"Alex, move." Shirt off.
"No, I don't think I'm going to." Non-broken shoe off. And for good measure, the broken one as well.
"Alex." He tried averting his eyes but the tequila left in his system told him not to. Pants were off now. Jesus, Mary and Joseph did she have nice legs. Even with the knee-highs on.
"Bobby," Alex said, mockingly. And now the t-shirt. She stood before him in nothing but her bra and panties. Why did her legs still feel so constricted? Oh, damn it, knee-highs were still on. She quickly peeled them off and threw them at Bobby.
"Was that your attempt at a strip tease?" Bobby looked at her annoyed, and a little amused. And yes, turned on. Alex saw it and sashayed her way over to him.
"You see something you like?" Wow, deja vu. She ran her hands down his chest. He groaned, but wouldn't give her the satisfaction of him touching her back. She knew what he was doing. She pushed him backwards and he landed on the bed. She got to work with the fly of his pants. He pulled her up and flipped her over, pinning her down. She was breathing heavy and writhing under his weight. He kissed her hard on the mouth, her groan muffled. He rolled off of her, breathing heavy. Alex laid on her back and looked over at him.
"Why did you stop?" Bobby turned to look at her. Her eyes were closing on their own. Eyes closed. That would feel good too. He barely managed to get the comforter over both of them before sleep completely took them over.
A/N – So…more? Let me know. Peace!