Thanks to ks, Robin.D, Angel 897, and nanarosedarkness for the reviews on the last chapter. I think you will all like this one as things are getting a little flirty. Enjoy.
They're sitting at one of the few tables left undamaged by the recent Sheriff's visit, Chibs is nursing a stiff glass of scotch and watching River finish her second plate of ribs. He really has no idea where the lass tucks all this food. The party is still in it's infancy, people drifting in from the lot as they arrive, the music relatively low to allow for greetings and casual conversation. He knows it will only be a few hours before the place is wild and the music is loud.
He hadn't been surprised by Juice's revelation in church an hour before. The more Chibs had gotten to know the lass the more he'd realized she didn't remind him of any Mexican he'd ever met before. Sure, she has dark coloring in the hair and eyes but her skin certainly isn't brown. He could tell in certain light that she may have a slight olive undertone that indicates she could tan up in the sun but, she is for the most part, pale. He'd even noticed a few freckles across her shoulders.
More than her appearance, nothing she's said indicates that she has a life outside the US or even a Cartel background beyond the prisoner comment. Chibs had chosen not to share that particular slip of the pen. Honestly, he's not sure if she was being flippant or candid and if she's being candid then someone is lying be it Clay or Luis. Chibs would rather not stir up the hornet's nest without more information. There's no telling what the blow back could be.
He's pulled from his thoughts by excited tapping on his arm and he looks up to see River nod towards the other side of the room where several brothers are setting the old poker table into place. He turns back to her and is caught off guard by the almost longing look in her eyes. She catches him watching and it's like a light is shut off as she instantly locks up. The lass could join the Queen's Guard with her stonewall skills. He takes a sip of his scotch and watches her pick at the rib bones littering her plate refusing to look back up at him.
He lets her stew just long enough for the boys to finish spreading green felt over the poker table and then waves his hand under her nose.
"Do yeh want to go watch the poker?" He can tell she's trying to be careful. Everything about her screams controlled excitement and when she finally nods it's with a shrug as though she doesn't care one way or the other. He struggles to hold in a smile and speaks again, "Would yeh like a drink first?"
The question sends her eyebrows skyward and she ducks her head, reaching into her leather jacket to pull out the notepad and pen from his house.
Mich ultra and a shot of tequila, shaken.
She pushes the pad towards him with a challenge in her eyes and he laughs on a nod.
"Aye darlin', let's get you a drink then." She follows him to the bar and when he leans against the old wooden surface he feels her do the same.
Phil makes his way towards them and Chibs is glad to see the prospect doesn't bat an eye at their supposed prisoner beside him. He is surprised though when the massive prospect waves at the lass and proceeds to move his hands in a now familiar style of motion, his fingers twisting.
"Learned a few signs, did yeh, aye?" The words come out sharper than intended and Chibs can tell he's shocked the prospect with his tone.
"Just looked a few things up after the other night. There's an app." The larger man is looking at River as he speaks and Chibs cuts his eyes in her direction to see her nodding along a smile on her face. "I was just introducing myself, but, uh what can I get you?"
Before he can answer River has waved her hand and she's signing. Chibs watches her sign her introduction back to Phil, her fingers moving in a series of complicated motions before she twists the first two fingers of her right hand around each other and turns her hand in an upright counterclockwise motion. It's not a sign she's taught him but Phil seems to understand and Chibs feels something tight coil up in his chest as the prospect replies with a new set of hand motions and a spoken "nice to meet you".
"Yeh two done?" Chibs feels bad for the way Phil's smile falters under his harshness but continues regardless, "I'll take a refill," he says shaking his glass, "and a Mich Ultra with a shot of tequila on the side, shaken." Phil nods and wanders off down the bar to get the drinks.
Chibs is not surprised when River slides the pad across the bar words already scrawled on the page.
You're being mean. He was nice, introduced himself.
He lets out a huff of air and meets her eyes. "What was this?" He mimics the earlier counterclockwise sign and she raises an eyebrow before pointing to her own chest. He shakes his head and she lunges up to stand on the brass foot rest under the bar so she can write with ease.
That's my name sign.
"Yeh never showed it to me the other day." Jesus, mother of christ, he hates himself as soon as the words leave his mouth. Her eyebrows shoot up and if he was a younger man he knows he'd be blushing. He sounds like jealous sod.
You never asked.
Well she's got him there for sure. "What else was he saying?" He tries to convince himself he's asking as part of his responsibility as her club appointed keeper. She looks like she wants to roll her eyes but instead she ducks her head to write again. He realizes he can see straight down her shirt at this angle. His eyes snap to the ceiling and he leaves them there until she taps the pen against his arm to read.
My name is Phil and nice to meet you. Then a gap in the page and, Are you okay?
He just nods in reply. In reality he's not okay. He'd been growing used to the idea that he knows more about her than any of his brothers. He'd started to like the idea actually. She was his own personal puzzle to figure out and in the space of two hours he's had Juice and Phil show up with pieces straight off Google. It's annoying.
"Here you go." Phil sounds a little defeated when he finally deposits the drinks in front of them and Chibs feels terrible. He watches River sign thank you, her hand popping forward off her chin. The big prospect smiles and Chibs watches him plod off to help someone else.
He turns to River and pulls back when he realizes with the way she's standing propped up on the foot rest she's at his eye level and close. Her eyes flick around the bar and then back to his face and she gives him a quick wicked smile, one he's never seen before. It makes her eyes light up and his chest tightens again. She glances down in a meaningful way and he follows her gaze to see Phil has poured them matching shots.
"Shots then?" She nods eagerly at his words and drops off the bar so both her feet are planted back firmly on the ground. "Cheers lass" he reaches for the shot and matches her movements, clicking his little glass against hers before downing the chilled liquor. He watches her drink her own through half lidded eyes and she downs it like a pro before slamming the empty glass back onto the bar.
He waits for her to tuck the notepad back into her jacket and pick up the beer before leading her towards the poker table. The first hand is already in progress, they'd just missed the flop, and Chibs shoos a few croweaters away from the closest high top to they can see the game and still pass notes. He watches River watch the game. She's stone faced and her whole body looks relaxed as her eyes trace their way around the table taking in the players and the community cards.
Happy is dealing and all eyes are laser focused on him as he lays down the fifth turn. There are a few groans from the men playing and Chibs watches as Tig folds without waiting for the call. Chibs cuts his eyes back to River and she's sipping her beer casually, one leg folded over the other. To a casual observer she would look only half interested in the action at the table. Her eyes are sharp through and he can see them darting from player to player. He nudges her with an elbow and her eyes fly to his face.
"Yeh know how to play?" He knows the answer already but he can't help the little dig. She abandons her beer to pull the notepad back out of her inside pocket. He waits patiently watching the poker players call and raise.
Enough.
She shrugs as she passes him the note and he would bet money she knows more than enough. She pulls the pad back towards herself and writes again.
$10 the blond VP folds next.
He stares down at the words for a long moment before looking back up to see a clear challenge in her eyes.
"Yeh don't have any money darlin'." He can't help the leer that spreads over his face with the words and it almost feels like they're flirting. They can't be though. She nods and then writes.
If I lose I'll work off the debt. Bookie's choice.
He glances down at the pad and then back up to her face where she's got that wicked little smile back in place.
"Aye," he takes a long pull on his scotch considering the offer. Can't be much harm in it really. "Okay then lass. Jax folds next. Bookie's choice or a tenner for yeh." She holds out her hand and he laughs before shaking on the deal.
The bets are placed on the table and Happy turns out the river completing the community cards. Chibs raises an eyebrow as Jax chucks his cards down with a groan. He turns to River only to find her staring him down with her hand out palm up and a face on that clearly means pay me. He raises an eyebrow, that's usually his move.
"Double or nothing yeh can't call the next hand's winner by the turn." She seems to consider him for a moment and then nods picking her beer back up and turning to the table just in time to see Bobby rake in his winnings from the first pot.
The next hand starts fast and Bobby is dealing. He watches her and she's methodical. Her eyes swinging from player to player. He realizes she's not even bothering to watch the cards using every thread of her attention to scan the men playing. Smart. Chibs learned to play poker from his grandfather in a shithole Glasgow pub and the first lesson had been you play the men not the cards. He realizes River has learned this lesson too and learned it well.
When Bobby lays out the turn she waits until a few of the men have made their calls and then leans forward to scribble on the pad.
The dark curly haired one will take the pot but the president will follow him to the showdown.
Chibs reads the note and smiles to himself. He carefully scratches out descriptions to add the names Tig and Clay to the page for her benefit and passes it back with a nod.
"You're on." She smiles confidently and leans back to take a sip of her beer.
Sure, enough at the showdown only Clay and Tig are left. Chibs watches with interest as Clay lays down his straight with a smile but Tig laughs his way to the money on a heart flush. He turns back to River to find a little smile on her face and the notepad neatly sitting in between them.
Double it on the next hand?
He makes sure she can see him nod. This is going to get interesting.
More soon. Reviews are always welcome both happy and critical. I'm off work for the next week so there will be lots of writing happening and some extra posting!
A note on poker, in a game of Texas hold em the first two cards dealt to every player are the "hole" cards. Then five cards are laid on the table in order that all players can use for their hand. The first three cards are put down at once and called the "flop". The next card laid down is called the "turn" and the last card is called the "river". After each card is turned there is a round of betting where a player can check, bet, or fold. If you hold out past the river round of betting you reach the "showdown". Some of you may already know all this but I'm going to use these terms a lot moving forward so I thought I'd run through it just in case.