Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Lie to Me at all unfortunately

Chapter Seven

Gillian laughed. "I suppose inflicting another of my girly movies on you would just be too cruel, especially since you did help me make an exceptionally good snowman today, and have been keeping me company with relatively little moaning – well, for you anyway."

"Precisely. So… no more girly movies?"

"Well, the night is young, Cal. We can't rule it out. It's barely five, and from the look of that snow God knows when you're going to be able to leave here."

Cal sighed in mock annoyance. "I know, it's terrible. Stuck here, with you… when I think of all the work I could be doing…"

"Terrible," Gillian agreed with a teasing smile as she drew the heavy curtains shut. "So I'll try and be nice to you. Girly movies are put on hold for the time being…" She crossed the room and started rummaging in a drawer. "I think you'll find this is more up your street?" With a flourish she produced a pack of cards, and Cal laughed.

"Not a bad idea, Foster. Care to make it interesting?"

"Hmm… in what way?"

"I bet you three gingerbread men that I beat you at whatever we play."

"Excuse me?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "Those are my gingerbread men. You can't gamble with them."

"Fine – what do you want, then? Name it."

A mischievous smile spread across Gillian's face. "Okay… if I win, you have to go sledging out in the street tomorrow."

"Sledging?"

"Yep. I still have my old sledge in the shed, in case it's ever snowy for when Stephen and the kids visit."

Cal knew full well that Gillian's brother hardly ever visited with his children, and suspected the sledge was just as much for her as it was for them. Still, he said nothing, only smiled at her.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Fine."

"No arguments?"

"No arguments."

"Cal… you did hear what I said, right? Sledging. In the middle of the street. In the middle of the day. In front of people."

"I heard you, love, and while you're right in thinking that would be a hideous ordeal for me, I don't think you were listening. I only have to do that if I lose, so…" He shrugged, a smug grin on his face.

"If you win," Gillian said, her bright blue eyes still focussed on his intently, "what do you want?"

Cal considered this. "Final decision on any movie watched or activity undertaken whilst we are snowed in."

Gillian nodded. "Deal."

Cal grinned and sat down on the sofa as Gillian pulled the coffee table closer to them and began shuffling the cards, sitting herself down on the sofa as she did so.

"Get ready to find us a decent movie to watch, Foster," he said, crossing his legs as he made himself more comfortable.

"Lovely weather for sledging," Gillian replied, her eyes trained on the cards in her hands but a smile tugging at her lips. "Haven't you underestimated me once already today?"

Cal's mind flicked back to the snowball fight. "Mm," he grudgingly admitted. "You throw a good snowball, I'll give you that. But this is cards, love. You can't best me at this game."

"We'll see." Gillian smiled sweetly at him as she began dealing the cards.

###

"Snap!" Gillian's hand flew to the pile before Cal even realised she'd laid a queen on top of his own.

"Damn," he swore, looking at the three cards left in his hands, compared to the large wad Gillian held in hers.

"What's the matter, Cal?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "Don't like to lose?"

"I haven't lost yet, have I?" He placed another card down, watching with hawk like eyes as Gillian played hers. He played his penultimate card – a two – and watched as she laid a seven on it. Last chance. He flipped the card over and before he could even see what it was shouted "Snap!" as he clamped his hands down on the small pile of cards.

Gillian raised one eyebrow at him. "Last time I checked, Cal, the seven of hearts and the king of spades are in no way the same."

"Oh." He lifted his hand and looked down at the cards. "Er…"

"Well, well, who'd have thought it? Cal Lightman beaten at cards by a girl." She giggled as he shot her a look of annoyance.

"It's a stupid kid's game," he grumbled. "How many grown ups still play Snap?"

"Well, I do," she said, tucking one leg underneath her on the couch.

"Well, you're not normal," he told her, and she laughed.

"Abnormal I may be… but I'm the one who'll be deciding on our movie schedule for the rest of the evening, and you are the one who will be demonstrating to the whole of my street tomorrow the proper way to ride a sledge."

Cal opened his mouth then closed it again. She had him there.

"Refill?" Gillian asked, gesturing to his mug. "Or shall we move onto the wine?"

"Wine, definitely wine. And if I'm going to go bloody sledging tomorrow, I'd better be drinking all night – there's no way I'm doing that if I'm anything remotely resembling sober."

Gillian laughed and stood up, heading towards the kitchen. Cal shook his head in bemusement. Full of surprises, that woman. Always full of bloody surprises.