Survival of the richest, the city's ours until the fall
They're Monaco and Hamptons-bound but we don't feel like outsiders at all
River downed another shot of whiskey and sent a pointed look Carisi's way, "Seriously? We're only three shots in and you're already look like you're gonna bow out."
Carisi shook his head, "How can you drink this stuff?"
The dark skinned woman laughed, "My partner in Boston was originally from Texas. I learned real quick how to shoot cheap whiskey and line dance."
"Well, if you want to keep going pound for pound with this crap, you'll have to give him a call," her new partner said as he signaled a waitress and asked her to bring him a pitcher of whatever beer they had on tap.
"Her," she corrected, "You've officially been bested by two women."
"I'm a firm believer that women are equal to men so if you're trying to goad me into another shot by waving the 'girls can do it' flag in my face, you'll have to find a different bull." Sonny replied with a shrug.
"Darn." River snapped her fingers, "Worth a shot. Get it. Shot!"
"You're so funny, River Clark," an eye roll accompanied his statement.
"You love me," she shot back.
Sonny leaned back in his chair, "Apparently, I'm not the only one around SVU that feels that way."
His partner put a hand over her heart and gasped, mockingly, "You mean you know that Sergeant Dodds is secretly in love with me and we've been doing the butt naked waffle wiggle in his car every time Lieutenant Benson sends me out in the field with him."
Before he could respond, a waitress set down the pitcher of beer he had ordered as well as two glasses. He thanked her before he spoke to the woman sitting across from him, "I'm going to need to bleach my corneas now to deal with the mental image of you and Dodds."
"Would Fin and I have been a better choice," she countered as she batted her eyelashes.
"Now we're on to acid instead of bleach," he jested.
She laughed as she poured beer into the glass that was sitting in front of her, "What do you want to know?"
"How much of that story you told Nicolette was true?"
"Took you two months to muster up the courage to ask that, Fordham? You're gonna be a lawyer. You gotta get better at asking the tough questions," she replied.
"You're evading the question," he countered.
"Oh. Look at you!" River downed another shot, "We met years and years ago when I visited my sister over
Christmas break while she was at Harvard. She and Barba were really close friends. I fell for him almost instantaneously."
"Encroaching on your sister's territory," he observed, "I never would have taken you for the type."
River vehemently denied his accusation, "It wasn't like that. I asked and asked and hounded her about it. She had her sights set on a different classmate. That's how she and Rafi had gotten so close in the first place. He was friends with the guy and Andrea had become buddy buddy with Rafi to get to this guy."
"What happened there?"
"They dated all through law school. When they graduated, she wanted to move back here and he got an offer in California. They tried the long distance thing for awhile, but it eventually ended," she explained.
"You and Barba?" Carisi asked.
"At first, it was just really light and fun. He was concerned about our age gap. He's 5 years older than me." River ran her finger around her glass of beer, "At our age now, 5 years is hardly anything to think about, but back then, it was a lot. Though, I didn't think so."
Noting the sadness that marred her face, he spoke up, "Riv, you don't have to go into anymore detail. I just liked ragging you and finally seeing Barba get wound up about something. I didn't mean to bring up old wounds."
"Oh, Sonny, those wounds are opened every time he sets foot into the squad room. Although, I think we've finally settled into a rhythm where we're just pretending that we don't have history ," she assured him. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she said, "Andrea has always been really smart. Got a scholarship for a private high school and all that jazz. All the people she hung out with were Monaco and Hamptons bound. They were snobs. I expected much the same from Andrea's college buddies, and most of them were like that, but Rafi was different. He didn't make me feel like an outsider and, unlike my sister, he hadn't forgotten where he came from and how hard he worked to make it out while his peers just had it handed to them. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister, but she and I never got each other. Still don't. Hell, when Rafi and I got together, she gave me a lecture about not hurting or using him."
"Did she give him one too?" Sonny asked.
"Nope." A bitter laugh escaped River's lips, "And every single argument we had, she took his side. Eventually, I just stopped going to her for advice because she was convinced that I was always wrong. No matter what he did."
He shook his head, "How about we talk about something different?"
River downed another shot, "Gladly."
River swayed and leaned on Carisi for support as they walked down the sidewalk, "Sonny, you really didn't have to walk me back to my place. I'm one block away from the bar."
"Partners look out for one another, Riv." Carisi caught her as she tripped over her on feet, "No way was I gonna let you stumble home all alone."
She pointed at her brownstone as they got closer. When they were standing in front of it, she stumbled up to the second step to eliminate their height difference, "You know what, Sonny?"
He laughed, "No, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me."
"I wasn't sure about you when I first got here, but I like you. You can be a little annoying at times, but who isn't?"
"Gee, thanks Riv."
River swayed and put her hands on Carisi's shoulders to still her movements, "Don't go getting offended, Fordham. Because I like you, I'm about to give you some solid advice."
Sonny laughed, "I don't know if you're in the right frame of mind to be doling out life advice right now."
"Nonsense! I'm drunk, not stupid." River looked him straight in the eye, "You want to know why Rafi gives you so much shit when you speak your position on legal stuff even when you are right? It's because you preen and posture afterwards, like a puppy expecting to be given a treat for doing a trick. Ambulance chasers do that. Real lawyers do not. I had years and years of watching Andrea and Raphael do their thing. State your position and then be done. No pats on the back. No high fives. A great lawyer speaks their mind and how dare you question that they would ever be wrong about it. Start doing that and you'll earn his respect. Begrudgingly but you'll earn it."
"Do you need help getting inside?" Carisi asked, deciding not to comment on her advice.
"No, I'm good." She turned and walked up the remaining steps. She opened the door and then turned,
"Remember what I said Carisi."
"Good night, River
