The Game

Author's Note: A continuation of our story as Liz and Ressler attend games night at Aram and Samar's place. There are some interesting turns…

I am not really a game person, so I needed to research these-hopefully I got them right.

There will be one more chapter before I incorporate some previous Random Keenler chapters into this story and then write more new chapters after that. I hope that makes sense.

Covid is really out of control (probably everywhere) but in my area and I write to relieve some of the anxiety I feel about it. I know a few of you have said it helps you as well. Just know that the writing calms me too. Hopefully, we all get some calmness through all this ff.

Let me know what you think.

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"This is Matt and Selma," Aram said as he pointed to a couple sitting on the sofa. "They have lived across the hall from me for…3 years?"

The couple nodded in unison. The woman was a redhead with pale freckled skin and the man looked Italian or Greek.

Samar handed Liz a glass of wine as they were introduced.

"That's Vera," Aram said as a woman in a chair smiled. "And that's Inez, they both work at this start-up tech company that I do some work for on the side."

"What are you starting up?" Ressler asked them as Samar handed him a beer.

"A fitness app that gets you to work out throughout the day for people who can't commit to a gym routine," Inez, the African American woman smiled at him. "Vera is the marketing and I'm the design. Aram helps with some of the background code."

Ressler nodded and looked toward Liz who took a large drink.

They made a bet on the way over in the uber. Ressler said there would be three people in the tech industry present. Liz said only two. So far, she was winning.

"And this is Craig and his sister Cecily and Monica," Aram said gesturing to a man and woman that looked like blonde twins and a woman who was Asian. "We're all friends from high school, except Cecily who is three years younger but she's Craig's sister and she was always around."

"What a great introduction," Cecily said. "'She's always around', really?"

"What Aram should have said is that he's lucky you, with your busy schedule, make time for his games night, right Aram?" Samar asked him.

"Yeah," Aram smiled at her. "What Samar said."

Everyone laughed.

"And everyone, this is Liz and Ressler," Aram said gesturing to them. "They work with me and Samar at the FBI and…"

"We've met Liz before," Matt said as Selma nodded. "You came to a few of these years ago, but it's been a while…"

"Yeah, I've been…away," Liz said, not wanting to get into the details of her husband being murdered, being in a coma, rehab, the cabin in the woods…

"Too intimidated by all the games," Ressler joked next to her.

She smiled at him; happy he came to her rescue with a silly excuse for her.

"I couldn't handle it," Liz joked. "It took me this long to come back."

"Ressler? That's an interesting name," Craig said.

"It's Don," Ressler smiled. "I'm just called that at work, Ressler is my last name."

"Oh, sorry about that," Aram apologized.

"No, it's fine, either is good," Ressler smiled at the group.

"I don't know what Liz had to do to get you back, it's been 5 years?" Aram asked him.

"Something like that," Ressler shifted.

"It was blackmail," Liz smiled at them as she touched Ressler's upper arm. "He's really here under duress but I hope he realizes it's for his own good."

The group laughed and Ressler took a swig of his beer.

"Kyle and Hank may come later," Aram said with a sideways nod of his head. "But you know, neither of them are…"

The group nodded. Apparently, Ressler thought, he wasn't the only one who wasn't a fan of games night.

"So, we're going to start with Disturbed Friends," Aram clapped his hands together.

"But we're not all friends," Craig said. "Liz and Don are at a disadvantage unlike the rest of us who know each other…"

"Oh, uh, good point," Aram said, realizing his mistake.

"Maybe we can play it at the end of the night once everyone knows Liz and Don better?" Samar suggested.

"Yeah, that throws off the pattern but…"

"Pattern?" Ressler asked Samar next to him.

"You'll see," she snickered.

"You forgot mystery word," Cecily reminded him.

"Crap, you're right!" Aram said as he brought a bucket to Liz and Ressler.

"Okay, you write your name on this piece of paper, and a ridiculous word or phrase on this piece of paper…"

He handed Ressler and Liz each paper and pen and they turned to nearby walls and tables and did as told. Then the entire group picked names and phrases that they had to work into the conversation with that person at some point in the night without getting caught.

"Okay, Cards Against Humanity?" Aram asked.

The group cheered and Ressler turned to Liz.

"It's dirty and horrible," Liz said. "You'll love it, and there's no acting or singing."

He nodded and they took seats in the open chairs, Ressler by Cecily and Monica and Liz near Inez and Craig.

Aram dealt out the cards.

"Who shit last?" Inez asked the group.

"Ten minutes ago," Craig laughed. "You may want to glade your washroom."

The group laughed and Ressler looked at Liz confused. She shrugged, not sure how that mattered. And then the game began with Aram explaining the rules and Ressler asking several questions to the point that they played a dummy round to illustrate it to him before they started.

They were on the last round before points were tallied.

"Okay, 50% of marriages end in…" Craig chuckled as he started to flip the cards.

"Women of color," Craig read.

The group laughed.

"Your mouth," Craig continued.

"Smokin a joint and watching Law & Order," Craig snickered.

"The miracle of childbirth," he laughed, and the group joined him,

"I don't know, after Ginny was born and I saw…everything…" Matt said as Selma smacked at his arm.

"Grandpa jerking off to Betty Boop," Craig said as the group snickered.

"Science," Craig said as he looked at the group. "Lame."

"Rubbing my clit with a handgun," Craig said as his eyebrows shot up.

"Covering myself with Parmesan and chilli flakes," he read.

"Diabetes," he read.

"Two dudes rubbing their balls together," Craig snickered.

"Uncles," Craig snickered.

"I think it's a statistic that is not explored," Inez laughed, defending her answer.

"And lastly…lying face down in wet cement," Craig read.

"Okay, I think the Law and Order one and the diabetes one are probably most accurate," Craig chuckled. "But for panache, I'm giving it to Grandpa jerking off to Betty Boop"

"Yes!" Ressler cheered.

"You were the jerking off grandpa?" Aram asked him.

"I hope not to be," Ressler smirked. "But that card was mine."

"Way to go Ressler," Aram high fived him.

"I'll add up the points if everyone wants to get a refill and take turns with the cereal box…"

"We haven't played that in forever!" Cecily smiled.

"Cereal box?" Ressler asked her as he watched most people get up to get another drink.

"You have to pick up the cereal box with only your mouth," Cecily explained. "You can't put a hand on the ground or anything else."

"Seems easy enough," Ressler said, wondering what the catch was.

"Then we cut an inch off and it gets shorter and shorter until one person wins," Cecily said. "So do you work in IT with Aram?"

"No, I'm a field agent," Ressler said.

"Carry a gun?" Cecily asked.

"I do," Ressler smiled at her as he saw Liz standing in the kitchen holding up a beer for him and pointing to it. He nodded and she gave him a thumbs up. He then saw all the guests start to pick up the cereal box with their teeth.

"Have you ever said, 'go ahead, make my day'" Cecily asked him.

He smirked and pointed at her. "That's your phrase."

"Shit," Cecily swore as Liz handed Ressler a beer and then quickly walked toward the cereal box and lifted it with ease with her teeth.

"I'm out! He figured out my phrase was 'go ahead, make my day'" Cecily said loudly. "Come on, let's get that box."

Everyone took their turn and made it through round one, most made it through round two, and then they started the next game while Aram cut the box down further.

"Name that Tune!" Aram announced excitedly. "The humming version."

"I'm out," Ressler said as he stood and walked out of the game play area.

"Ressler," Aram whined.

"No, I promised he didn't have to do any acting or singing," Liz smiled as she watched Ressler head toward the chips and dip.

They played the game and learned that many people did not know how songs were supposed to sound or had any sense of tune. When Matt got out, he joined Ressler at the table with food spread all over it.

"I got out on purpose," he said as he smiled at Ressler.

"Good call," Ressler clinked beers with him.

"So, you're the hot shot agent Aram talks about like you're a god," Matt smiled at him.

"I think that's likely someone else," Ressler chuckled.

"Diffusing bombs? Handling hostage situations?" Matt chuckled.

Ressler looked down embarrassed.

"And Liz, we met her after the whole Attorney General thing and she's…different now," Matt said as he looked toward the group.

"How so?" Ressler asked.

"She seems more comfortable in her skin," Matt smiled. "Does that make sense?"

"Sure," Ressler nodded again, not giving away any of Liz's secrets. "What do you do Matt?"

"Oh, I maintain web presence for a few senators," Matt smiled. "It's nice because I can work from home and take care of Ginny."

"The baby?" Ressler asked. Happy there were three people in IT and he'd won the bet.

"Yeah," Matt said as he pulled his phone from his back pocket and showed Ressler some pictures of what appeared to be a one-year-old.

"She's a beauty," Ressler smiled as the proud dad scrolled through pictures.

"You have any?" Matt asked.

"Me? No." Ressler said.

"Don't want them? It's more and more common for people not to want…" Matt said.

"I'd be fine with one, or two," Ressler smiled before he took a swig. "I just haven't found anyone to have them with yet. I still haven't found what I'm looking for."

Matt nodded.

"Well, the trying is the fun part," he smirked at Ressler.

"And you're a stay-at-home dad?" Ressler asked him.

"Yeah, Selma works for Senator Jenkins as his aid and make a hell of a lot more than I do," Matt smiled. "It made sense for me to be home with Ginny. She's starting daycare two days a week soon though and I'm transitioning to a part-time office job as well with Kiros Marketing."

"Leaving the Senators?" Ressler asked.

"No, that's what I'll be doing the other 3 days from home with Ginny," he smiled.

"That sounds really nice," Ressler smiled at him.

The singing game finished, and the cereal game continued, and Liz fared quite well, winning when Cecily was finally knocked out of the competition.

She jumped up and down and hugged Ressler excitedly.

"Look at you," Ressler said to her as she pulled back and wiggled a little with her win.

"I know, right?" Liz smiled at him.

He was happy to see her so happy; he was correct in trying to make her be more social. Even he was having fun, despite the game theme of the night. Ressler thought his enjoyment had something to do with letting lose for a night, but also seeing Liz relax and have some fun for once. All of Aram's friends were nicer and more interesting than Ressler had expected them to be, so that helped as well.

"You're having fun?" Liz asked him as she stood next to him, having released him from the hug.

"I am," he said with a smile.

"I like seeing that," Liz smiled at him. "Seriously Ressler, you need this in your life more too."

"I know, Liz," he nodded and smiled as he felt her snake her arm around his waist.

"Two more games," Aram said. "Grab some food and we'll play the ring of fire next."

"What's that?" Selma asked.

"A new game I thought we'd try," Aram said as he set up cards. "And everyone needs a drink for this one, a full drink."

Liz left Ressler's side and walked toward the wine to pour herself a full glass.

"You're very flexible," Vera said as she poured her own glass and Liz's.

"Thanks, I practice yoga when I can," Liz smiled. "But I've always been very flexible."

Vera chuckled. "I'm the opposite. I don't want to think about what I'll be like when I'm old."

"You'll be fine," Liz said with a smile. "It helps with your focus and concentration as well. It's really calming."

Vera nodded.

"Okay, I'm going to come clean, I've been trying to fit 'tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' into our conversation, and I totally can't, so I guess I'm out?"

Vera snickered and nodded.

"Fine, I'm good with that," Liz smiled back.

"I do have a question for you," Vera smiled at her. "How do you work with all the good-looking men around. Aram is easy on the eyes, and Don is definitely easy on the eyes, and Aram brought this guy Henry to games night one night, he works with him in IT, and he looked like a super model. Is it a requirement that all the men have to be drop dead gorgeous?"

Liz chuckled. "They're not all, but yeah, I'm surrounded by them."

"Surrounded by what?" Ressler asked as he came up beside her.

Liz nearly spit out her wine.

"Men with egos," Liz supplied as Vera giggled next to her.

"Well, that can't possibly include me," Ressler said with a smirk.

"Of course not," Liz chuckled.

"Okay, everyone," Aram called them all toward the dining room table where cards were in a circle. He explained the game to them and smiled, happy with his new game.

"So, it's basically a complicated drinking game?" Ressler checked.

"Yes, it is," Samar nodded. "So, prepare to take cabs home all the people who don't live in the building."

The game was silly and fun and after everyone picked three cards, they had decided that there was enough drinking already for the night and went back to the living room to play the last game of the night. Ressler sat on the sofa and Liz sat next to him, his arm now around her back as she placed her hand on his thigh. He was used to it; Liz always got handsy when she had been drinking. He hadn't noticed her drinking a lot though, but sometimes that didn't matter. Just a little bit of alcohol meant Liz got flirty.

"I think the guy closest to my right will eventually a. grow a pervy stache, b. buy a blow up doll and use it, or c. text dick selfies," Samar chuckled as she looked to her right and saw Craig.

Everyone cast their hidden vote cards and Samar revealed her card c. text dick selfies.

Everyone laughed at Craig and turned over their cards. Only his sister got it right. She got a winning card handed to her for points.

"Oh Jesus Christ," Ressler said as he looked at his card. Liz leaned over as his face turned red and covered her laughter.

"The most awkward thing a woman can do during sex is a. require the Heimlich from choking on semen b. have explosive farts in the doggy style position or c. oh my god…"

He started to snicker uncontrollably, and Liz leaned over and read the rest of his card.

"Or c. call you their father's name while crying," Liz laughed as she read.

"I think it depends on who her father is," Ressler chuckled and the group around them laughed.

Ressler chose his answer and hid it while they all cast their votes.

"The answer is b. explosive farts in doggy style," Ressler laughed.

"Shit!" Several people swore, thinking he would pick the father one because he couldn't even read it.

"He's got a thing about farts," Liz smiled as she smacked his leg.

"You do!" Aram called out.

Ressler shook his head and laughed.

Aram, Samar and Liz were the only ones to get his answer right.

Liz pulled her card and then buried her head in Ressler's shoulder.

"Oh shit," she said as she started to cry from laughing.

He pulled the card from her hand and saw orgasm and handed it back to her.

"You're on your own for this one," he said as he shook his head and laughed.

"Okay," Liz said, wiping at her eyes.

"When I am about to orgasm, please…" Liz started to giggle uncontrollably.

Ressler huffed and took the card from her. "A. Tell me you love me b. finger my ass hole or c. punch me in the face."

The group burst out laughing and Liz wiped at her eyes as she secretly chose her answer.

The group put down their guesses.

"I think we're going to learn a lot more about Liz with this question," Samar winked at her.

Liz, embarrassed, turned her card for the audience and hid behind it.

"Oh man, I didn't guess that," Aram said, turning red as he looked at B.

Everyone guessed the wrong answers except Ressler and Monica.

"I just guessed," Monica admitted.

"He's got the advantage on that one," Craig said as he pointed at Ressler.

Ressler chuckled and shook his head. He and Liz had never slept together, but he knew that was her answer, almost instinctually.

"You know me so well," Liz said as she leaned in and kissed the side of his face.

Samar and Aram looked at them surprised.

Ressler turned red instantly and Liz seemed to burrow into his frame further.

"For a man not comfortable with farts…" Samar whispered to Aram.

Aram quietly chuckled. "Yeah, I think they've…"

Samar nodded.

The game continued with everyone getting embarrassed and laughing as the situations got more and more ridiculous.

At the end of the night, everyone was getting jackets on to leave, and Ressler was watching their uber on his phone.

"You need to come again and bring Don," Cecily smiled at Liz.

"I'll try," Liz smiled at her.

"Hey who worked in their phrases?" Aram asked the group before they all left.

"I did," Ressler raised a hand.

"Me too," Monica smiled.

"Yep," Samar nodded.

"That's it?" Aram asked the group. "What were your phrases?"

"I had Liz and the phrase 'I like it like that'" Monica said.

"The guacamole!" Liz smiled at her and gave her a high five.

"I had you and the phrase 'milk it for all it's worth'" Samar said.

"Yeah, I don't think we need to say when you…" Aram cleared his throat.

Ressler, seeing Aram shifting uncomfortably at what was obviously, a sexual conversation between the pair of them, shared his.

"I had 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for' and Matt," Ressler said.

"The talk about babies!" Matt smiled at him.

"That's right," Ressler smiled.

"You were talking about babies?" Samar asked, intrigued as she looked toward Liz.

"About Ginny," Matt supplied.

The group nodded.

"This was fun, as always, Aram," Vera said as she clapped her hands together. "I'm in for the next one!"

"It's here," Ressler said to Liz when his phone dinged. Their uber had arrived.

She nodded and hugged Aram and Samar and walked out with Ressler.

She linked her arm through his and kissed the side of his face again as they were walking out the front doors to his building.

When they got in the car, he looked over at her and shook his head smiling.

"You're something," he said with a wink.

"I'm happy," Liz smiled at him. "Seriously happy. Thanks for making me come."

Ressler raised an eyebrow at the sexual statement and she broke into a fit of giggles.

"Are you drunk?" He asked her.

"No, I've only had a few drinks," Liz smiled. "Just high on happiness, and general silliness, I think."

He nodded. He'd had probably one beer too many tonight but was, by no means, drunk.

"You seemed to have fun," Ressler said to her.

"I did," Liz said. "And so did you."

"Surprisingly, I did," Ressler agreed.

"What? You thought it would be horrible?" Liz asked him.

He nodded slightly.

"Well, you were, obviously, wrong," Liz said as she snuggled into his side, like she had on the sofa. He wrapped an arm around her again, it seemed like the natural thing to do.

"We should do this again," Liz smiled at him.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Ressler cautioned her.

"Oh, and I won the bet," Liz said, looking up at him from her place against his chest. "Breakfast is on you tomorrow."

"You didn't," Ressler chuckled. "Matt is a webpage maintenance person for a bunch of Senators."

"Fuck," she hissed.

"Face it, Liz, you're buying me breakfast tomorrow, or actually today because it's just after 1," he said as he looked at his ever-present watch. "And I will be hungry."

Liz chuckled and leaned into him further. Ressler felt joy in that moment. Joy like he hadn't in a while with her gone all those months in a medical coma, with her leaving for the cabin, with her hardly talking to him…he was happy to have her back again. His whole body suddenly felt overcome with an inner warmth.

Liz felt his heartbeat underneath her cheek start to pump a little faster and she lifted her head up to look at him. And, without preamble or hesitation, he kissed her.

He'd never kissed her before, and, when Ressler looked back on that moment in his memory, he wouldn't ever be able to say what as different about that moment versus any other he'd shared with her over the years. He wouldn't be able to say why he kissed her. But he did, and it was amazing.

She seemed surprised for a moment and then leaned into the kiss as well. Her entire body twisted against him, his body turned toward hers, their arms went around each other, through their hair, up and down their jacket covered backs. His hand came to her jaw and his thumb slowly ran the length of her jaw up to her ears and then down her neck. Her hand found a high spot on his thigh and squeezed it in a rhythmic pattern that seemed to not have a pattern at all.

They kissed all the way to his apartment, the first stop closest to Aram's. When the uber driver called back to them, they, reluctantly, parted and Ressler asked her with his eyes if he was getting out alone. She leaned forward and pushed on him slightly, encouraging him to open the door and get out, as she reached behind her for her purse.

"Just this stop," Liz said. "Sorry."

Payment went through on Ressler's account automatically, and they exited the car, walking into his building with his arm around her shoulder and her body nestled against his.

To be continued…

Ring of Fire

Disturbed Friends