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Recap: Sam, Oliver, Tommy, and Andy are engaged in a poker game. Tommy is oblivious to the fact that Andy is playing with the sole purpose of winning Oliver's silence regarding the existence of her boyfriend. During the game, she further tests Oliver's limits when she drinks her father's alcohol and bribes him afterwards with poker chips. Sam and Andy share a heated stare, and Oliver is forced to snap them back to reality.
Oliver looks back and forth. "Reveal," he says.
Sam hesitates, then flips his cards over. "Not much," he admits with a shrug, putting the cards down so they're face up.
Andy laughs, then slowly flips her own cards. She barely beat Sam.
"You went in on that?" Oliver says, blown away.
"I told you he was bluffing," Andy says with a shrug.
"Yeah, and so were you," Sam replies, smirking. He actually really doesn't mind losing to her at the moment.
"But at least my bluff paid off," she says, grinning.
He shakes his head. "This time."
"Oh don't worry Officer Swarek, it will work next time too," she replies, still smiling.
Sam laughs, turning to Tommy. "Did you teach her?"
"Not quite like that," says Tommy, still shaking his head at his daughter's bold move.
She folds for several hands in a row. "Lose your boldness?" Oliver teases.
Andy smiles. "No, I just thought I should give Officer Swarek a chance to get back in the game before I steal the rest of his money."
Sam looks at her, eyes wide. "Not happening."
"If you say so," Andy drawls, pressing her lips together to hold back another smile.
It's silent for several minutes – she takes the time to study Sam a little more, but Oliver interrupts her.
"You back on the basketball team this year or do you have to wait for tryouts?"
"Uh huh," she says, watching as her dad folds. Then realizing she hasn't really answered his question, she adds, "Basketball's already started. We have playoffs next week. But yeah, I got to skip tryouts this year, same with soccer… I'm thinking about playing hockey this year too, but we'll see."
"And you're still planning on working the rest of the school year?" asks Oliver, frowning.
"Uh huh."
"You can manage all that?"
Andy finally looks up at him. "Yeah," she says, as if she can't understand why she wouldn't be able to.
"You know you're going to land some pretty nice scholarships anyway, so do you just enjoy torturing yourself by adding on the extra?"
Andy laughs, but says nothing. She can handle it.
"Still planning on following in your old man's footsteps?" Oliver says when the silence persists for several minutes.
"Old man?" says Tommy, faking offence.
Oliver grins and waits for Andy's response.
Meanwhile, Sam looks up at her, trying not to look too curious. It isn't unusual for a cop's child to follow in his or her footsteps, but he's never heard Tommy or Oliver mention that Andy's even considered becoming a cop, not that he's heard a whole lot about her in the first place. This could definitely make things interesting.
"Yeah, maybe," she says, shrugging.
There isn't much else said until both Oliver and her father are out of poker chips. She'd played a few hands to ensure Sam wouldn't have too many chips, but in the process she'd also wiped out the others. She smiles as her dad pushes his chair back in defeat, leaving her to battle it out with the new guy.
The hands go back and forth for the most part, until Andy wins three consecutive hands, pulling her ahead slightly.
"Watch out Sammy, she's been sizing you up all night," Oliver says.
Andy laughs. "You know, for cops, you really aren't very good at reading people," she says. "Maybe you should brush up on those skills and then come back and try to play some real poker."
"A little cocky?" Sam says.
"Confident," she corrects, smiling.
She hears her father get up, no doubt for another drink.
"Did you offend the old man?" asks Oliver.
Andy shakes her head. "Trust me, it would take a lot worse for me to offend him."
"And what about me?" Oliver says.
"Well, you were beat by a high school student, so I don't really think there's much you can say," she retorts, biting back a grin.
Sam laughs.
"Hey, you might be next brother," Oliver warns Sam.
He shrugs.
Andy changes topics, all the while studying Sam's face. "How's Izzy… and your wife?"
"Good, good," Oliver replies. "Izzy's been throwing some temper tantrums, but otherwise she's pretty good. Zoe's having a bit of a hard time with it, but she's doing well."
Andy smiles. "Good."
She directs her next question at Sam. "What about you? You've got a girlfriend. Do you have kids?"
Sam shakes his head and Oliver chuckles.
"Sammy here isn't one for kids and marriage… or relationships in general. In fact, I'm surprised his current girlfriend has lasted three weeks already."
"Thanks Ollie," says Sam, smacking the back of his friend's head.
Andy smirks. "See, that's another reason why I haven't been worried about him opening his mouth," she says, glancing around to make sure her father won't overhear.
Sam frowns. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Andy hastily replies. "Don't worry about it."
"No, I want to hear. So…" prods Sam.
"I just mean you're not like him," she says, nodding towards Oliver. "He's so… by the rules. A family man. You step out of bounds when he's around and you have to justify it or persuade him to keep his mouth shut. You… I don't think you play by the rules, and I suspect the only commitments you make are to your job and your friends…" She turns to look at Oliver as she says, "And I think you're wrong. Just because he may not have considered kids and marriage before doesn't mean he isn't one for it. He just doesn't know how to commit to women because I don't think he really understands them, and he doesn't know how to read them." She sees Sam open his mouth to protest, so she cuts in again, "Don't try to deny it. After two hours, you're starting to get slightly irritated because you still can't read me and figure out when I'm bluffing."
Oliver slaps his friend on the back. "Better give in now buddy, she's just going to take your money from you anyway."
Sam shakes his head. This girl is driving him crazy, but not in an angry way. It's an odd feeling. He runs his tongue along the inside of his teeth before touching it to his cheek. The longer he sits at the table with her, the more confident he is about his initial assessment of her: she really is toxic… addicting. He can't help but want to know more about her, and whenever she smiles or laughs it's a struggle not to do the same. In all fairness, Oliver had warned him that she'd wrap him around her finger – he hadn't believed it at the time, but he suspected she was starting to do just that. Since when had he become such a pushover?
Knowing she's either spot on or close enough with what she'd said, she smiles, then pushes all of her chips into the centre.
Oliver's jaw drops as he turns to look at his friend.
"Your turn Officer Swarek," says Andy, grinning.
Sam looks to Oliver, who merely shrugs. "Can't help you brother," Oliver says. "I haven't won a single hand against her all night."
Andy holds his gaze, feeling his brown eyes piercing her own. She holds it for a moment before lowering her eyes, drumming her fingers against the table.
"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this," Sam says, pushing all of his chips into the pile.
"You should have listened to your gut," Andy replies, flipping her cards to reveal the highest possible hand. Sam groans.
Chuckling, Oliver gathers the money in the middle of the table and hands it to Andy, who smiles at him as she accepts it. Seconds later she's rising from the table.
"Hey, where are you going?" Oliver asks. "We always play two games."
Andy smiles. "You always play two games. I know enough to quit when I'm ahead. Besides, I wouldn't feel right taking your money for a second time tonight, so I'll let the three of you fight over it while I finish my homework."
Oliver and Sam laugh, watching as she pours another glass of whiskey for her father, then hides the bottle in one of the kitchen cupboards. Oliver nods to her and gives her a small smile.
When Tommy finally reappears in the room, he kisses his daughter on the forehead in congratulations as she heads into the living room, oblivious to the fact that Sam is still watching her.
Thanks for reading!
So, there's definitely something going on between Sam and Andy, BUT Sam has a girlfriend… AND is Andy really even aware that he's attracted to her? Maybe not as aware as she should be… Up next: What happens when Oliver and Sam run into Andy with her scumbag boyfriend while responding to a noise complaint?