6A/N Rated T for language.
Get out
'People find love every day.' She wrapped the thought around herself like a blanket; let it protect and warm her. She was frustrated by the evening and she remembered why she hadn't done speed dating for years. Most of the time Alex was happy about her single status but then nights like tonight came along and she just…missed it all. The excitement. The newness. The knowing that someone loved you. This evening had been mostly dull and insipid, except for Jim. He'd been charming.
She'd caught Gene's glares from across the room and resolutely ignored them. She had felt a pang of guilt, a little one, at Gene's suffering through the evening. He was only there because he was supporting her idea after all, trusting her judgement. They'd kicked them all out a long time ago, the 'losers and the sluts' as Gene had called them rather ungraciously. Alex thought of them as the clients or the suspects. Now they were at a loss.
"Right," she stood up sharply and slapped her hands on the bar. "I'm going to call it a night. You never know," she smiled and raised her eyebrows mysteriously, "something may come to me in my sleep." She swallowed the last of her drink and made her way to the door. "Night Luigi," she called out over her shoulder. "Night Guv."
"Dunno why you're saying night Bols."
She started a little at his voice and proximity. He was stood right at her shoulder.
"I'm coming with you."
She halted abruptly, causing him to catch himself mere inches away.
"What?" she said breathless in shock, heart hammering, insides fluttering, hope flaring bright with a breath of 'finally'.
Gene huffed, "Yeah, well, you may need some assistance in ridding the place of certain unwanted parties."
The rush of want fell flat.
"Sorry, what?" her tone was irritated now. A mix of being thwarted in romantic intentions, disappointment and tiredness.
Gene stared at her stoically.
"Heard Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dee planning to take the twins up there for a little game of poker."
Now she was a mixture of livid and disgusted.
"Why didn't you stop them?" A little shrill at the end of that she acknowledged.
Gene's gaze narrowed. "If you hadn't been so bloody preoccupied flirting with the resident D&C bastard," she tried to protest the word flirting but he rolled right over her, "you might firstly have noticed that I had my hands full with one of the delightful clientele, trying to make sure I didn't accidentally catch something nasty." Alex flinched a little. "Secondly, you might have noticed yourself."
She was still angry but realised it had been misdirected. He was right.
"Sorry."
"Yes, well," he was always strangely at a loss when she backed down. "Thought you might want a hand."
She nodded, once, sharp, turned on her heel and stalked out the door. Chris and Ray were dead men.
It was worse than she thought.
"Oh for…!" She didn't even have the words strong enough to adequately curse.
"Shit!" Ray did. He was topless, but that was all. Chris on the other hand was much worse.
"I…oh…" he jumped to his feet startled, totally naked except for one sock.
Alex didn't flinch, her eyes flicked over him and the twins, still fully dressed, eyebrows raised in amusement.
"Christopher!" Gene bellowed from over her shoulder, "Put some bloody clothes on."
Chris scrambled to do as he was told, in his haste and embarrassment tripping over the chair leg and sprawling to the floor.
Alex shut her eyes and took a breath, choking a little. The anger came rushing back.
"You smoked in my flat!"
There was a haze of it hovering in the air and she stormed to the nearest window to throw it open, before turning around to glare.
"We should be leaving," the twins said in unison and stood up. Alex silently seethed.
"Yeah, me too," Ray slunk out the door after them, buttoning his shirt as he went. Chris was hopping about, one leg in his trousers, one out, thankfully with some underwear on.
"You coming with us Chris?" Ray called back in.
"Actually, think I might just head home." Chris tugged the trousers on and snatched up his shirt.
"Suit yourself," Ray called from the bottom of the stairs. Chris stumbled towards the door to find a hand slap the wall opposite his nose, blocking his escape.
"Oh no you don't," Alex hissed. "You are going to tidy this place up."
"But…it was Ray's idea."
Alex raised her eyebrows. "Well Ray's not here."
With a sigh Chris turned around and slunk back to the mess.
Alex watched him with her eyes narrowed, arms folded. Gene appeared at her side and held out a wineglass to her.
"Well you weren't exactly a big help there, were you Gene?"
He withdrew the glass.
"Don't leave your flat unlocked, you dozy mare."
She turned her piercing gaze from Chris to him and snatched the wine glass away. Chris passed with his hands full of glasses, pausing to entreat his boss.
"You know I would never have suggested this Guv."
Gene drew himself up and Alex waited for the scathing rant. She didn't wait long.
"Christopher, if you are suggesting that you should not be punished for this evening's fiasco then I have two things to say to you. Firstly, you should be punished merely for being a tosser; playing a ridiculous game which you knew nothing about. If that wasn't enough you have appeared stark bollock naked to your commanding officer and that is something that can never be unseen."
Chris hung his head dejectedly. "Yes Guv. Sorry. Won't happen again."
"No, it bloody well won't," Gene asserted, and Chris scampered off.
Alex was watching Gene with interest.
"A ridiculous game?"
His eyes moved to her. "Hmmm?"
"Strip poker," she circled one hand in the direction of the lounge, "you called it a ridiculous game." She tilted her head with a teasing grin. "Never played?"
He stared at her a long moment, unresponsive, before saying, "I'm not going to dignify that with an answer."
The edges of her lips turned upwards, slightly flirty. "Pity." She made to move past him and as she did so flashed a full smile, dropping her voice low. "I have. Probably a little rusty at it now though." She stepped into her lounge and took the cards from the oblivious Chris.
"Go home Chris."
"Ma'am?"
She gave him a reassuring smile. "Its late." She shuffled the cards from one hand to the other, looking Gene straight in the eye as she did. "Better take the Guv with you."
Gene scowled. "No one's taking me anywhere Bols, but if you're desperate to be on your own…" he jerked his head at the door. "Mush." Chris bolted through it and Gene cast a last lingering look at Alex. "No good playing that on your own." Her hands stilled on the cards. "We'll have to have a game sometime. You and me." His eyes swept over her thoroughly, leaving her giddy. "After all, Bols, the real skill isn't in winning the hand, but knowing when to lose it."
She had no quick retort. No smart answer. Her brain seemed to have forgotten how to form words. At her silence Gene continued in a more upbeat tone.
"Cat got your tongue Drakey? Still, better let you call it a night, eh? You never know, something may come to you in your sleep."
Then he was gone, the door snapping shut, and she remained stunned, her body tingling, her mind someplace else entirely.
