Sorry for the delay!!!!

N.B The poker night did take place and this is the following day. I think I mention that in the chapter but i thought i'd let you all know here aswell.

Spite and Eyes

"I was talking to Max last night"

Jack didn't respond, although his dark eyes continued to follow her as she worked behind the bar, choosing insead to drink from the pint she had put in front of him only moments before. Serving the last waiting customer she turned back to him, glaring when she discovered what part of her anatomy it was that had kept him so entranced. Raising his eyes to hers, he flashed a cheeky grin, knowing he'd been caught red handed. Deciding distraction was his best way of avoiding a slap, he leant forward on the bar.

"Oh yeah, what about?"

"You"

Her blunt honesty was something he'd always admired, and his lips fell into a smug smile at her answer. Ronnie however didn't react and instead leant back against the wall behind her, crossing her arms over her chest. Max's revelations about his little brother's private life at the poker game the previous night came as a surprise, considering she hadn't even inquired about them, and she was quite certain that his older brother was doing so out of spite.

"I'm flattered"

"You shouldn't be"

The smile faded from his lips and he raised his eyebrows, somewhat dissapointed that she had yet to respond to his obvious flirtations. Ronnie contemplated him for a moment, wondering whether it was worth bringing up the information Max had supplied her with. Sighing she stepped forward, noting that he didn't move at all, his eyes never leaving hers as she did so.

"Selena Thomas. Nice choice"

He kept her gaze for a moment or two, a small rueful scowl playing at his lips before shaking his head, disbelieiving of Max's spitefulness. He knew Max was well aware of his own history with Ronnie and the hate that had once lay between his ex wife and the woman stood before him. His older brother was no fool, and knew only too well the tension he could cause in his and Ronnie's already fragile friendship.

"I never took you for the kind of bloke that would fall for the local slapper"

"Who said anything about falling for her?"

That definately caught her attention, and the gaze they shared intensified, Ronnie trying to gauge the meaning behind his ambiguous words.

"You were married to her"

"And...."

"I would have thought that the whole purpose behind marriage is that you do actually hold some feeling for the other person Jack"

With that she turned on her heel, retreating to the other end of the bar to serve a waiting customer. He watched her movements, contemplating whether or not honesty would be the best approach in this conversation. Honesty would inevitably lead to implications, and he was uncertain as to where said implications would then lead. When she approached him again, he didn't give her a chance to speak, instead glancing alternatively between her and the random photos that adorned the wall space behind the bar.

"I did have feelings for her. They just weren't the ones I should have had"

She raised an eyebrow in response, and he could tell he had her undivided attention.

"I didn't love her in the way I was supposed to. The way that I loved.........."

This time he caught her eyes and maintained the contact, the fear and the hope that she would understand his meaning battling fiercely against one another within him.

"......someone else"

Ronnie would never admit it to herself never mind another person, but she could swear that it was hurt that had stung at her when Max had informed her of the identity of Jack's ex wife. She knew it was irrational to feel such a thing after all the years that had passed and yet as their gaze intensified, and she read into his words she could feel the fluttering of an emotion she couldn't quite define well within her.

Keeping their eyes locked together he reached forward, his hand moving of it's own accord towards hers, suddenly longing to feel her fingers entwined with his. At seeing his movement, her face softened and he was quite certain that she wouldn't object to his joining their hands. But just as his fingers brushed delicately against hers, a shrill ring broke the moment, causing both to jolt back slightly, hands now firmly back in their own territory. Sighing deeply, he gave her a small smile before pulling his phone from his jacket pocket and glancing at the screen.

"Talk of the devil"

Ronnie gave a light laugh, feeling the imediate awkwardness that had hit her at the interruption dissipate.

"Hello..."

Moving away to give him some privacy she retreated to the other end of the bar to serve a waiting drinker. After doing so, she leant back against the wall again, just as Roxy came through from the back.

"I see someone finally dragged themselves out of bed"

Sticking her tongue out in a childish manner, Roxy flashed a cheeky grin before joining her sister and leaning against the bar so as to face her.

"So what we doing tonight?"

Ronnie raised an eyebrow, knowing only too well what her sister would want to be doing.

"Working"

Grinning proudly, Roxy waved a finger in her elder sisters face.

"That is where you are wrong, because your amazingly resourceful sister has got us the night off!"

Knowing the questions that would come, Roxy interrupted, pressing her waving finger firmly against her sisters lips.

"If I tell you, I would have to kill you"

Now positively beaming she pulled her finger away, and Ronnie couldn't help but grin at the excitable bundle of sister stood before her.

"Now what should we do?"

Before either could make any suggestion however, they were cut off by a harsh tone that was verging on a shout. Both turned to find Jack rubbing his forehead in obvious frustration, the other hand clutching onto the phone that he very much looked like he wanted to throw at someone. Most probably the woman on the other end, Ronnie guessed.

"Selena, you can't do this..................you know where..........no it's-"

Roxy turned back to her sister, nodding her head in Jack's direction.

"What's got him so worked up?"

Ronnie continued to watch him for a few moments, her eyes tracing the furrowed brow and the tight clench of his jaw. Whatever his conversation was about it was pretty clear that he was none too happy with his ex wife, and from past experience Ronnie could tell that he was on the very verge of sanpping the phone shut and throwing it at the nearest object; inanimate or not.

"His ex-wife"

Roxy's eyes widened, before nodding. Before she could question any further, a sudden realisation dawned on her.

"Did he say Selena?"

Ronnie gave a curt nod in reponse and glanced back towards Jack before meeting her sisters eyes once again.

"Selena Thomas?"

"The one and only"

A look of pure disgust graced her younger sister's features and Ronnie couldnt help but giggle lightly.

"Stooped pretty low there didn't he!"

It was more a statement than a question and Ronnie only nodded, her response being cut of by a sharp tone.

"Selena, she's my daughter!"

Now that Max hadn't mentioned, and thus Ronnie's attention was captured completely and with a sharp turn of the head she was just in time to see him snap his phone shut and slam it onto the bar before him.

Roxy averted her eyes to her elder sister, trying to gauge her reaction to the information they had just gathered, and despite the blank facade that was plastered across her face, Roxy could quite clearly see the hurt that resided in her eyes. Before she could speak however, it had gone and Ronnie was already approaching him, a large brandy in hand.

"Sounds like you could do with something a little stronger"

Meeting her eyes he gave her a weak smile, taking the offered drink and drinking deeply from it. Crossing her arms, Ronnie glanced away a few times, before heaving a sigh.

"What's her name?"

He looked up sharply, knowing only too well who she was referring to. This wasn't a conversation he thought he would be having with her so soon.

"Penny"

She nodded in response and the next few minutes were spent in a heavy and uncomfortable silence, niether oblivious to the somewhat concerned glances Ronnie was receiving from her younger sister. Unable to cope with the tension anymore, Jack spoke, hoping that his honesty would be well received.

"They have the same eyes"

She knew instantly what he meant, and the tenderness in his voice softened her stance. Allowing her own stormy blue pair to meet his, she felt a tug somewhere within her chest. His eyes were a deep sapphire blue, and for a moment she allowed herself to imagine the same eyes on someone else.

Talk about bittersweet irony.