Mickey's POV
I sat at my desk with my pen bouncing in my hand. I was just trying to pass the time to find the right moment to go into Fuller's office to ask him a question about a case.
Tom was the last to arrive for work. When the door opened, I glanced up and noticed a large paper bag in his hands. I didn't really care so I went back to my paper.
"Guess what?" Tom asked loudly.
"What?" Doug immediately asked.
"What?" Ioki and Judy asked at the same time.
I looked at him, waiting for his announcement, but instead he chuckled. Then he said, "I couldn't help but notice that a few of you didn't say 'what' after I asked 'guess what'. You didn't even try. Now, I'm not gonna call you out, because that's embarrassing. But, you know..." his eyes rolled to mine and he kept the intense eye contact with me. "Some of us... could have acted a little more excited."
"Cold, Mick. At least pretend to be excited for the guy," Doug stated.
I dramatically gasped and defended myself by saying, "he has a brown paper bag, what am I supposed to be excited about?"
"It's not about the bag, it's about what is inside the bag." Tom ran his hand over the bag as if he was rubbing a genie lamp.
"Okay, okay, Hanson, what's in the bag?" Judy asked.
Tom excitedly opened the bag and lifted out a plate of cookies. He placed it on the counter of our little mini kitchen on the other side of the chapel with a beaming face.
"What's this for?" Doug asked as he made his way to the plate.
"I made 'em," Tom said proudly.
"Yeah, but what for?" Doug already had a mouthful of the chocolate chip cookie.
"Do I have to have a reason other than to show off my mad baking skills?" Tom asked.
Doug swallowed and said, "yes."
"Just enjoy the baked goods," Tom stated and swiped one for himself.
I chuckled at their antics and stood up to head over to Fuller's office. When I walked past the cookies, Tom asked, "hey, hey, hey, where are you going?"
I turned back to look at him with my fist raised up to the door. I said, "I gotta talk to Fuller."
"What about my cookies?"
"I'll have one right after, I promise."
He smiled softly. "Okay."
I quickly knocked on the door and I welcomed myself into Fuller's office while he was sitting at his desk and filling out paperwork. He looked up at me and said, "Gregg, come on in."
I closed the door behind me and walked up to his desk. I smiled pleasantly and said, "I heard that you are still deciding who to assign to Atlantic City."
A couple of kids from our jurisdiction had stolen some money and made their way to gamble it all in Atlantic City. Fuller had to decide who to send to retrieve that money back, and in order to do that they would have to play a bit of poker and be able to win.
"That's right," he said.
"I want to throw my name into the mix," I said.
He raised his eyebrows and asked, "you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Gregg, I'm looking for another person who can play poker, and is good at it."
"I can play poker," I said, a little offended.
"I've never seen you play," he said.
"I've been practicing," I reassured.
Fuller looked at me before he grinned and said, "all right. On one condition."
"Name it."
"You win the poker night tonight. I'll let you on with me if you win at poker tonight."
"Are you a shoe in?"
He chuckled, "I always win at poker night. But, for you, I'll be dealer."
"All right, deal." We shook on it.
That night after school, we all set our assignments aside to play poker at the chapel. It was a dark, but clear night. I arrived a couple minutes late, and they had not yet started the game.
"Gregg? What are you doing here?" Ioki asked.
"Sorry to barge in on your boys night, but I'm here to play poker," I said as I took off my leather jacket to reveal my white tank top and set it on my desk with my purse.
"More the merrier," Tom said as he looked up at me. and I sat next to him as Fuller began dealing.
"Don't go easy on me guys." I rubbed my palms down my acid wash jeans that I had cinched around my waist with a studded belt.
"Don't worry, we won't," Ioki laughed.
"You're gonna play poker?" Doug asked with his eyebrows raised.
"Yeah," I said.
He laughed, "you can't play poker."
"Yes, I can. Watch me."
"But it's guys' night," Doug pouted.
"I invited her, Penhall. Don't get your panties in a twist," Fuller said as he shuffled the cards in his hands.
"Besides, anytime someone tells me that I can't do something, it makes me want to do it even more," I said.
"I knew you'd say that. You're so Scorpio... are you a Scorpio?" Doug asked.
"I am not," I chuckled.
"Are you a Gemini?"
"Nope."
"Are you... aq—aquarium?"
"No."
"Are you Toro?"
"No."
"Pisces."
"No."
"Libra?"
"Nope."
"Cancer?"
"I really feel like you're running out of options here," I stated.
"Capricorn. Capricorn," he guessed confidently.
"No."
"Sagintarius."
"Sagittarius, yes."
"I knew it," Doug said with a little smirk of triumph.
"That was hard to listen to," Ioki sighed.
"Let's get this show on the road," Fuller said.
Fuller gave everyone two cards, which we hid from our other players. Tom's cookies were being passed amongst everyone, so I snacked on one while we waited. Tom is surprisingly a great baker.
"Give your ante," Fuller said.
We all put $5 into the middle of the table, indicating that we were buying into the round. We got to look at our cards, and were given the option whether or not we wanted to bet.
"I bet $5," Tom said, adding a chip into the pile.
"I'll raise you, $10," I said, smirking at him.
"Check," Ioki said, matching my bet.
"Check," Penhall said.
Blowfish, our janitor, said, "check."
Once everyone had their bet down, Fuller took out five cards and set it in the table. We all glanced at the cards, then back at our own. My cards were nine of hearts, and eight of clubs. What I saw on the table that I took an interest in was a seven of spades, a six of diamonds, and a five of hearts. This hand is called a straight, which is five cards in a sequence that is not in the same suit.
We all set the cards we had in our hands down, and all eyes went to my winning cards.
"Beginners luck, Mickey." Tom was sore. "Again."
"How have you never played poker with us before?" Blowfish asked as I pushed all the chips to my pile.
"She used to," Ioki started chuckling, "she had the worst poker face. You should have seen her."
"Jenko used to always clean me out, he knew me too well," I chuckled as I reminisced, "but I've been practicing for the past year."
"With who?" Doug asked.
"My neighbor across the hall. Benny," I said. Benny is a retired mailman who I sometimes play cards with on weekends.
"Practice is good, practice is good. 'Cause you gotta know when to hold 'em," Doug said while inspecting his cards.
"Know when to fold 'em," Tom added as he shuffled his cards in his hand.
"Know when to walk away," Ioki stated.
"And know when to run," Blow said.
The four guys all eyed each other before they broke out into an impromptu song together. Fuller and I already knew they were going to, and he practically rolled his eyes before they even started.
"You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done."
"Okay, okay, Kenny Rogers. Let's keep this rolling," I chuckled. I always think it's hilarious when they randomly start singing the weirdest songs together.
We got our cards reshuffled and I got a Queen and a seven. The bet was raised to $20. I was not really proud on my cards, so I decided to put on my poker face that I used to be teased about.
Once Fuller showed us the extra five cards, an immediate smile spread across my lips. "You sure you guys wanna bet?"
"I'm getting a little nervous," Blowfish said. He anxiously tapped the back of his cards with his finger nail and he put his cards on the table. "I fold." He quit.
"You know what..." Penhall said, "I fold too."
"Me three," Ioki said.
"You guys are all folding?" Tom asked. He turned to me and stared deep into my soul. He brought his beer bottle up to his lips without breaking eye contact. Once he set his bottle down he said, "fine. I fold too."
I chuckled and showed everyone my cards, showing that I had no pair. I did not have a single hand, but because everyone folded, I won.
"What?!" Tom was pissed, "I had two pairs! I should not have folded."
"Ha," I gloated and took the chips for myself.
"I'm onto you, Gregg," Tom said while squinting at me in a way that made my heart flutter.
Fuller dealt again, this time I got an ace and a ten of spades. Once he showed us the other five cards, I noticed a king, queen, and Jack of spades. A Royal flush. A Royal flush is the highest hand you can get with a standard deck, I quickly raised the bet to $50, and everyone got suspicious.
"I think she's bluffing," Tom eyed me and aggressively chewed on a potato chip.
"Am I?" I shrugged. "Didn't notice."
"I raise to $75," Tom said.
"I'll check," Doug said and matched Tom's bet.
"Check," Blowfish said.
"Check," Ioki said.
"I'll raise to $100." I smirked at Tom.
After everyone matched my bet, we put our cards down.
Blowfish cursed at his loss, and Doug was very proud of his three of a kind.
"Full house, sorry, Penhall," Ioki chuckled.
Tom set his cards down and pointed out his four of a kind, which is a better hand than a full house.
"Better luck next time, kid," Tom chuckled and reached out for the chips. "Hope you're willing to pay up, sweetheart. We ain't going easy on you."
I reached out for his wrist right before he could grab the chips. I clicked my tongue and showed them all my Royal flush. "Check this hand," I gloated.
Doug's jaw dropped. "Impossible."
"Improbable," Tom corrected.
"The chances of getting a Royal flush are one in almost 650,000," Ioki told us.
"Nice job, Gregg." Fuller nodded proudly.
I turned to Tom and mocked him, "hope you're willing to pay up, sweetheart."
"Hey, Gregg, we are cool, right?" Blowfish tried to get out of paying me.
"I've retired for the night, cough it up, boys," I said, followed by a snicker.
"Hey, Gregg," Penhall came up to me and asked, "can I make it an IOU? Dorothy will kill me if she knows I was gambling again."
"Sure thing," I said, "just wash my car tomorrow and give me five compliments a day for the next week and we are square."
"Um... you have pretty eyes, your intelligence is unmatched, you are the bestest friend, you smell like flowers... and you are one hell of a cop. And have I ever told you how much I love you?"
I grinned. "That'll do."
"You're the best." Doug came up to me and kissed my cheek before he ran out of the chapel to go home to his possessive girlfriend.
I have met Dorothy a few times. She and Doug like to invite us over for dinner occasionally. She is quite loud and very direct with her thoughts. That is admirable, but we aren't very compatible. She is not the easiest person to get along with. I don't really like her and Doug together, but I try to be supportive for their relationship.
Tom turned to me, "you're beautiful inside and out, you have lovely hair, you—"
"Tom, I'm flattered, but you're not getting out of this," I interrupted, "you are free to also give me five compliments a day, in fact I encourage it, but I still want your cash."
"Fine," Tom jokingly huffed and reached into his pocket and gave me a crumpled $100 bill and another $30.
"You gotta admit, a little gambling is fun when you're with me, right?" I chuckled.
I received my winnings from everyone else and we all started to gather our belongings. I asked Fuller, "so, when do I meet you at the airport?"
He chuckled, "Monday. Flight leaves at 8 in the morning."
"I'll be there."
I hope you all liked it! And if you have any ideas of cases that Jump Street can look into, let me know!! 🥳
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