Gamblers

Daryl

Carol fumbled a bit with her house key and Daryl took it from her and opened her door. Carol swept in, "Hello, empty house."

Daryl had been in the living room a few times, but never past the dining room-kitchen area. He shut the door behind them and suddenly he wanted her as much as he had wanted anything in his life.

Carol peered at him suddenly as if she just remembered that he had brought her home. "Did you have a good time at the party?"

"Not as good as you, but it was fun."

She grinned at him mischievously and she looked so much like the happy young mother in the photos that Daryl moved closer. "I did have a good time. Nothing wrong with having a good time."

He kissed her then. Long and slow as if nothing mattered in this world but the meeting of their lips. She didn't pull away and he kissed her again and then pulled himself back. "You need a glass of water and some aspirin. It'll help with tomorrow morning."

Carol looked a little dazed but she took the water and he found the aspirin in her bathroom which was actually a little messy. She leaned on him as she swallowed the pill with a drink of water.

She rubbed her face against his shirt, "You smell good now. No more cigarette smell. Can't stand that smell."

Daryl had given up smoking two years ago, but he knew suddenly that her abusive husband had been a smoker. Will Dixon had been a mechanic and always smelled of grease and Daryl hated that smell. Even now.

He put his arms around her. "You smell good too. Almost as good as you taste." This time he deepened the kiss and Carol responded by opening her mouth to his tongue. Then, she pushed him away. "I have to go to the bathroom now".

Shit, she's going to be sick. He opened the door to the bathroom and Carol went to the sink and brought out her toothbrush and toothpaste and began brushing her teeth. He managed to persuade her that she didn't need to floss. She peed and then washed her hands. This never happens in movies. People move seamlessly from the front door to the bedroom.

Then she kissed him and her mouth tasted minty from the toothpaste and he was certain that she was sober enough to decide if she wanted to have sex. They moved seamlessly back to the bedroom. He unzipped her dress and he helped her step out of it. Daryl threw the dress on a chair and managed to keep Carol from falling. He whimpered as he looked at not quite naked but close enough to make him want to cry Carol. Cry because he couldn't lie to himself anymore. Carol was drunk. Horny but drunk. He had a choice. Take what was being offered in front of him. Carol might wake up and hate him, but that wasn't anything new. Or he could stop this right now and hope that Carol would know that he stopped because he wasn't just another asshole who took advantage of a woman. Good guys finish last. Everybody knows that but I'm the guy who trusts my instincts. It would be a lot easier if she wasn't so damn beautiful and she wasn't unbuttoning my shirt.

Daryl wrestled her into a pink nightshirt that he found in the bathroom.

Carol giggled, "You've got this all wrong, Dixon. We're supposed to be taking off clothes." She kissed him again and Daryl tried counting backwards from a thousand.

"Don't you want me?" She sounded hurt and Daryl kissed her nose, "More than you know."

He pulled the bed clothes down and slid her into place. "Why don't we just lie her a while until you go to sleep." He turned the lights off.

He tortured himself by lying beside her. She kissed his ear and moved closer. "Think I'm going to go to sleep now." Carol closed her eyes and was dead to the world.

Daryl propped himself up and sighed. She seems so sweet when she is drunk or asleep. Tomorrow morning she is going to go full tilt bitch. Probably will never speak to me again. Better have some sort of plan. He smiled to himself. At least Carol won't be able to ignore me tomorrow morning.

Carol

Carol opened one eye and looked at the clock. Time to get up. She closed her eyes and wished for another hour of sleep. Then her awakening consciousness brought back memories of Michonne's party, downing shots with her friends, and Daryl. Kissing Daryl in the living room, the bathroom, and the bedroom. Daryl taking her dress off and them lying on the bed. She didn't remember anything after that, but that didn't mean that nothing happened after that.

She turned toward the other side of the bed very carefully. The bathroom light was on and she could see Daryl propped up on his elbow watching her.

Carol turned back over and waited three second and turned back again, Daryl was grinning, "Still here." He was wearing a white t-shirt.

Carol wanted to bolt for the bathroom, but she wasn't running from another man, "You son of a bitch."

Daryl smirked, "That wasn't what you were calling me last night. Then again you were occupied with sticking your tongue down my throat and taking my clothes off."

Hazy memories were crowding in her groggy mind. Daryl hadn't forced her to do anything. He had kissed her and she had kissed back. She remembered nuzzling his shirt and telling him how good he smelled. She had been willing. Put on your big girl panties. "I was drunk. You swine."

Daryl sat up in bed. Carol couldn't tell if he was wearing anything but the t-shirt. Not that she cared. He smiled at her, "You're a grown woman. You went to a party, got drunk, and you wanted a ride on the Dixon Love Train. When that train began to pull out of the station and I said, "All aboard" you jumped on."

He would tell Jesse and Jesse would tell Michonne and Michonne would tell Andrea. Shit. "Did use you a condom?"

Daryl shook his head. "Executive type like you is surely on the pill. So I rode bareback. You didn't complain. You might say you proclaimed how good it felt. If you get knocked up, I'll marry you. If it's a girl we'll call her Michonne. Daryl Jr. if it's a boy."

Carol snarled, "Get the hell out of my bed. I'm going to work." She headed toward the bathroom to the sound of Daryl laughing his ass off behind her.

She turned around, "What's so damn funny?"

He stood up and he was wearing boxer shorts to her relief. "Carol, you still have on your bra and panties from last night. You have on a nightshirt. Be honest, do you feel like you had wild and crazy sex last night? I was just teasing you. I put your drunk ass to bed without sampling your charms. You have not been violated by me. I wish you could have seen your face when I told you that you jumped on the Dixon Love Train." He laughed again.

Carol stood a moment and processed this information. She had a slight hangover and clothes on. Her body didn't feel as if she had done anything last night but pass out. "So we didn't have sex last night?"

"We didn't have sex last night. I like to let it ride when I feel lucky and there is a lot at stake."

Daryl had played her like a drum. He was a swine, but he hadn't taken advantage of her last night. Time to act like a grownup, "I'm sorry I called you a son of a bitch."

Daryl looked sad. "You think you can just say you're sorry and the hurt goes away." He batted his eyes at her. "You need to show me how sorry you are."

I negotiate for a living. "What do I need to do to show you I am sorry?"

Daryl gave her a puppy dog look. "I think if you would go out to dinner with me I could get over how harshly you spoke to me."

"I'm not that sorry that I hurt your feelings." Go back to the minor leagues, Daryl. They don't call me Carol the Terrible for nothing.

"I'll have to work through my pain with my best buddy, Jesse Graham. Probably best to tell him the whole story so that he can help me deal with it." Daryl turned to go.

He would tell Jesse and Jesse would tell Michonne and Michonne would tell Andrea. Shit. Daryl just got called up to the major leagues. Good negotiators know when to compromise. "Why don't I cook dinner for you here?"

Daryl rocked back and forth shyly, "That would be wonderful, Miss Carol. Then we could go to Jada and Judith's soccer game on Saturday morning."

Carol caved in, "I'll cook dinner this evening and I'll go to the soccer game on Saturday. But that means that you aren't sharing this with anyone." Lost that round.

"I've got work to do. I'll see you this evening for dinner. I'm sure you have widows and orphans to throw out into the streets. Better get cracking, woman." Daryl grabbed his clothes and left.

Carol dragged herself to the shower. Damn man. I need to have my A game today." She made it to work on time and the meeting went well enough but she found herself distracted. Why was I hanging with him last night at the party? Why was I so ready to jump into bed with Daryl? Why did I agree to make dinner for Daryl?

Her immediate supervisor complemented her after the presentation. "Carol, you showed such leadership skills today. You allowed the other members of your team to have a real impact during the presentation. I am retiring before the end of the year. The new head of Mergers and Acquisitions will be chosen by then. You have my support but there are other contenders. Just show the powers that be that you are a real team player between now and the end of the year."

Carol went back to her office. The irony that her nonperformance at the presentation helped to sway support for her promotion wasn't lost on her. Her office window looked out at Atlanta. There were a few leaves clinging to the trees but November was winding down. Next week was Thanksgiving and she was going to spend it with Sophia and Carl. Andrea and Rick were bringing Judith. Michonne's family would be there. Is Daryl coming with them? He usually eats with Michonne's family.

Carol turned her computer on and began to gather information for the newest acquisition. A family owned business that manufactured clothing made entirely in the United States. The owner was receptive to the idea, but he wanted safeguards that that the business would continue to support American workers. Carol found her attention wavering again. I will have to stop at a supermarket. My cupboards would make Old Mother Hubbard's look like a prepper lived there. Daryl's an asshole but if this will keep him quiet about last night? I am going to fix a dinner fit for a king. Michonne and Andrea will never let this go if they find out.

She left work earlier than usual. That same weird restlessness had her watching the clock and not getting anything productive done. She stocked up at the store and got back to her condo just as Daryl drove in. Damn. My timing sucks.

Daryl carried most of the groceries in so there was that. He brought the bags in, asked what time dinner would be and left without being obnoxious. He's probably planning something for tonight. Probably things that I am so sex starved that I'll leap on him after dinner. He'll be sadly mistaken. A nice meal and then he's out the door. I can hang with Andrea and Michonne at the soccer game.

She changed into a pair of blue jeans and an old college sweatshirt. No need to wear anything super nice. Daryl got to see most of my real estate last night.

Carol did give the dinner her best effort. She liked to cook but found it difficult to get motivated to cook anything elaborate for herself. Daryl was a meat and potatoes kind of guy and that was what she made. And apple crisp because he always ate that at Thanksgiving. He didn't like pumpkin pie. I just remember that because I don't like pumpkin pie either.

Daryl knocked on the door at exactly seven o'clock which wasn't a big deal because he just had to walk across the hall. Carol opened the door and Daryl stood there with a bottle of wine and flowers. He was wearing blue jeans and an expensive blue sweater. In short, he looked gorgeous and she looked like the help.

He smirked at her, "Guess I don't have to worry about you slipping into something more comfortable." Bastard.

"Come on in. I do hope that you are hungry. Let me put those flowers in a vase. "My mother taught me good manners and I'll just be Grace McAllister tonight. Try not to notice that the silky sweater shows off the toned arms and muscled torso. Of course, Mom never crawled into bed with Daryl either.

Daryl closed the door behind him and for a moment they stared at each other. Shit, this was where it all went downhill last night.

Carol bolted to the kitchen to find a vase and Daryl trailed behind her with the wine. "Do you want me to open it? The guy at the store said that it went well with beef."
She handed him a wine opener. One glass and that's it.

They ate slowly as they talked. Daryl asked about her presentation which surprised her. He complimented every part of the meal which surprised her. She found herself laughing at Daryl's story about buying the wine and the snotty salesman who tried to make him feel stupid because he didn't know what he should buy.

"I grew up in a no alcohol zone so I couldn't help you," Carol admitted, "It pretty much all tastes the same to me."

Daryl swirled the wine in his glass, "I wish to hell that I grew up in no alcohol zone. My parents were boozers. You didn't miss a damn thing."

Carol remembered that Daryl had an older brother who had a drug problem, but had went to rehab and got straightened out, "How's Merle?"

The mention of Merle seemed to cheer Daryl up, "He's fine. He's still sober and he and his wife are working on an Indian reservation in Arizona. She's a physician's assistant and he's working with teenagers with alcohol and drug abuse issues. He's found his niche out there."

They were just finishing the main course when Carol asked, "What did you mean this morning when you said that you let it ride when you were feeling lucky and there was a lot at stake?"

Daryl put down his fork, "Got time for a story?"

Carol nodded and Daryl smiled at her. "Merle was a mess and I spent my time trailing along behind him trying to clean up the mess. I got a job with Jesse and eventually Jesse talked Merle into trying rehab. I wasn't used to having money so I saved every cent I could get. I liked to play poker then. High stakes poker. I made some money playing in some dives and then I got a shot at a big time game. Jesse told me that day that he was looking for a partner. He needed cash to buy some equipment and expand the business. I took every penny that I had and went to the game.

It was in the back of a country club. These guys were loaded but they knew poker. I won some and I lost some. I was up maybe two or three thousand. Not a lot. Then I went on a streak. Won hand after hand. I was up a hundred thousand dollars at least. I started losing again and I lost probably ten thousand."

Daryl took a drink of wine, "Then I got a good hand and so did everyone else and we wound up with a huge pot. The others dropped out but one other guy. I thought about quitting but this was my shot to be something but a hired hand. I went all in and so did he."

He took another drink of wine. "He laid his hand down. Three jacks and two eights. That is one of the best hands in poker. Almost can't beat it. I put my cards down, four queens and an ace. I won three hundred and thirty two thousand dollars. He took it like a man. Shook my hand and told me I was one lucky son of a bitch. I gave the money to Jesse the next day. I have never played poker again."

Carol had been entranced by the story, but that didn't explain why he had said that this morning. "What does that have to do with last night?"

"I'm a gambler. I wanted you last night and you were willing. Not being mean, just being honest. I gambled that if I didn't take you last night when you weren't thinking straight that someday you would come to me because wanted me. Not because you were drunk, or lonely, but because you wanted to be with me. So I let it ride because I don't want the little win. I want the jackpot and for me that is you. I just put my cards down on the table. You don't have to answer right now. Just give me a chance."

Carol took a large gulp of wine, "What do you mean you say you want a chance."

"I want you to spend time with you. I want to eat dinner with you and listen to your stories. I know that you had a bad marriage. I want you to trust me enough to talk to me about it." Daryl squirmed in his chair, "My father beat the shit out of me until Merle came back from the army and took me away. I have scars all over my back and legs from his belt. It's taken me a long time to get past that, but I want to try. So that's what I mean when I asked for you to give a chance."

Carol found her voice, "Yes, I'll let it ride too. Maybe I'm a gambler too."

They talked until very late that night and then they brushed their teeth, washed their faces, and slept in the same bed. They didn't do more than hold each other close because what they revealed to each other was too painful and raised too many ghosts for a night of romance. Daryl went to sleep before Carol and she listened to his steady breathing. It was a comforting sound and she thought maybe she might like to fall asleep listening to that for the rest of her life.

AN

I can never keep them apart too long. There is more to their journey so don't go away.