| Details for Royal Flush |
| Summary: | The playboy Clayton ends up challenged to a Poker game, were he risks more then most would. |
| Date: | November 7th, 1938 |
| Location: | Black Friar's Bridge & The Dog and Bone Pub |
| Related: | Worth Fighting For |
| Characters |
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Nearly seven on a Thursday. Not Ranjit's usual day off but she is wanting company and so is making her way back to the Blackfiar's Pub, hoping she might run into Clayton so she can check on him and if not him maybe Simon who might be able to tell her where to find the airman. Bundled up in her woolen coat with a knit hat pulled over her black hair and hands wrapped up in mittens, she walks along the pavement (sidewalk).
Actually not in uniform today, Clayton is exiting the Blackfriar's Pub, a pair to blue jeans and a leather jacket. He seems lost in thought, his head down as he starts to walk down the pavement, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. While he is leaving, he doesn't seem to be as tipsy as he was the last time he made bumped into Ranjit.
At first she doesn't recognise him but then just as they pass one another Ranjit turns and calls out, "Mr Kable?" The healer looks him over again, taking in his civvies and looking oddly at the jeans. She has never seen those before.
Clayton turns and looks at Ranjit, his gaze moves across her slowly for a moment, before he approaches her, "Miss Jadu, I see you are looking as lovely as always." he says with a half smirk, his hand moving up and running through his hair slowly, "What brings you out tonight?" he asks curiously.
She reaches up with a mitten covered hand to push her hat back a bit. "I was wanting some company and sort of hoped I might see you, check on how you are." Her hand slips into the pocket of her coat as Ranjit looks up at Clayton. "It's not often a man stays over and then doesn't at least bring me flowers a few days later," she teases with a grin.
Clayton offers her a small chuckle, his gaze moving across her as his hand moves out of his jacket and he reaches over and his thumb goes to softly stroke her cheek, "You know what they say about RAF pilots, don't you?" he says with a smirk, "That we are bad news and to keep them away from your daughters." he says nodding a bit, "You don't seem like the flower type of gal anyway." he says offering her a wink.
Ranjit laughs at that. "What type of gal do I seem like then?" She steps aside as an old man makes his way into the pub. "Have you had time to think about what we discussed before, or were you too drunk to remember?"
Clayton smirks, "You like things that last, flowers wilt and die." he says with a small way of his hand, "You don't like things of fleeting beauty." he continues with a nod, his thumb still stroking her cheek, "I have, though I haven't quiet figured out if it because you want to have a go at me or not, or if you are just really that concerned about my well being." he says with a shrug retracting his hand.
She considers that and gives Clayton his due. "I like their perfume more than I like them," Ranjit says of flowers. Her hands stay in her pockets, making no move to push his hand away, a quiet sort of acquiescence to his touch. "I am concerned for your well being. You are young and vibrant and of the city. I like that about you, even if it means I suspect you are the kind to see the quaint ways of the countryside as being backward."
Clayton smirks, "Well I did grow up in Manchester." he says with a chuckle, "Though I don't mind people who like a simple life, I however prefer the risk." he explains, "If one lives a safe life, they get safe rewards, in my eyes most things worth getting are worth a risk." he says nodding slowly, "Like you for example." he says softly.
"I can tell by your accent," laughs Ranjit. Mancunians stick out as much as Brummies. "So you'll leave that French woman and her fiance be then?"
Clayton shrugs, "Don't know yet." he says with a smirk, looking over Ranjit slowly, "Might be worth the risk." he says with a shrug, "Part of me says that you are not really interest in me." he says with a smirk.
"I never said that. I just got the idea you weren't that interested in me," counters Ranjit with a raised brow. She turns her head and nips his palm then grins. "And I've been forewarned now about you airmen."
Clayton looks at her with a smirk, "And if I said I wanted to chase both your tails before I decided which risk is more fun?" he asks curious, "I mean you have already been warned after all." he says with a shrug, his hand moving to stroke her cheek again, "You really are a pretty thing you know that?" he asks staring into her eyes.
Her gaze flits away as the door to the pub opens again. Ranjit reaches up then to lower his hand as they are in public. "I'm not a shy retiring little thing, you know. If that's what you're after maybe you should go find her." A teasing smile plays about her mouth, "I like riding motorbikes and looking a tiles that depict cows."
Clayton smirks as she moves to lower his hand, his gaze flicks to the door, then back at her. "I like competition." he explains with a smirk, "I like a challenge." he continues offering her a small nod, "I think anything worth having is worth a bit of hassle." he says letting out a small chuckle, "If you want me, I don't see why you wouldn't mind showing me that you are the best risk." he says offering her a small wink.
"Competition and challenge." Ranjit thinks about this as she looks up at Clayton. "I'll play cards with you," she decides. "Poker. Single hand. I win you leave that woman and that odd bloke alone. How's that for a challenge?"
Clayton smirks, "I like you." he says nodding slowly, "If I win, I get to chase both of you." he says offering her a small wink. His hands moving out of his jacket pockets and resting on the back of his head slowly, "You are on, doll face." he says offering her a wink.
"You watch too many American films," teases Ranjit. She turns away from Clayton and says, "Come on. I know a pub where there are some cards."
Clayton smirks, "What can I say, I am a sucker for the cinema." he says with a small wave of his hands, before he follows Ranjit, that every confident smirk still lingering on his face.
The pub she walks him too is decidedly lower market compared to the one they met in. In this pub everyone has a thick East End accent. Filled with the working class, they drink heavily and smoke heavily. They seem to be used to the Indian woman for a few of them greet her. Ranjit tugs her mittens off and shoves them into her coat pockets, then come the hat and the coat itself. "Come on, there is always a deck behind the bar. You go find a table."
Clayton looks around with a smirk, he unzips his jacket revealing a plain white shirt, he offers Ranjit a nod as he fishes out his pack of Chesterfields and pinches one between his lips and lights it taking a drag, picking an empty table, he sits in wait of Ranjit, taking a long hard drag off his cigarette.
When she returns Ranjit sets a pint down in front of him. The other is for her. She drops down to sit across from Clayton and fishes a deck of cards from her coat pocket and tosses them onto the table. "I'll be nice and let you cut the deck," she offers before swallowing a mouthful of lager.
Clayton smirks, sitting his lit cigarette in the ashtray on the table. His hands move to take the deck, "So you like cards, eh?" he says as he pulls the deck out of the sleeve, shuffling the cards for a few moments, before putting it in the middle of the table, "Everyone knows the lady always gets the cut." he offers with a wink as he picks up his own drink and takes a quick swig of it, retrieving his cigarette and taking another drag.
"My ex-husband was a gambler," says Ranjit by way of explaining as she takes the deck and with a dextrous hand fans out the cards. She lifts one from the end and uses it to run the rest of them back and forth before dropping it to the table leaving them all face down. Just as quickly she slides the deck back together again and cuts it single handedly before setting it down between them and reclaiming her drink.
Clayton picks up the deck and starts to deal them out, taking another drag off his cigarette, "Bet he was one to buy you flowers." he says as he picks up his hand, his cigarette pinched between his lips as he takes a long hard drag off of it, exhaling the bluish grey smoke, his gaze moves over his cards, but his face doesn't change, "I started to play cards when I joined His Majesty's Finest." he says with a small shrug as he adjust a few cards in his hand.
"He only bought me flowers when he had been a bastard." Ranjit watches the cards carefully as he deals them, she was married to a gambler and knows the signs of cheating. "What do you play for in the barracks? Who has to shine the other's shoes?" She picks up her cards and looks them over without expression. There are a few curious glances from some of the others.
"Depends on who I am playing with, I may or may not have won that motorbike in a game with a few ground pounders." Clayton says as he looks at his hand, discarding a couple of them and drawing two more, adjusting his hand, he waits for Ranjit to do exchange her cards, "Though most of the time it is for money or things like duties, I tend to like to get rid of certain duties that take up my time." he explains, once Ranjit has done the same he puts his cards down, "Pair of Aces and a Pair of Sevens." he says with a smirk.
Ranjit knows how to play it and how to play cards too. She looks sweet and innocent with her foreignness and her small stature but when she lays out her cards to reveal her impressive hand. "Royal flush. I believe you will now forget about that woman altogether." She lifts her gaze from the cards on the table to Clayton's face. "Next time maybe we can play for the motorbike then."
Clayton's eyes moves across Ranjit's hand, taking a long hard drag off his cigarette,"Well I'll be damned." he says taking another sip of his lager, "Well I honor my bets, so I will leave those two alone." he says with a small wave of his hand, "Though you do realize that now I am going to shift all my attention to you." he says taking another hard drag off his cigarette, "You are dangerous and I like it." he says still smirking.
"I am just a midwife," she says before swallowing another mouthful of lager. "What made you want to be in the RAF?" She says it as muggles do, not pronouncing the letters individually but more as raff. "Why're you stationed down here and not somewhere closer to home?"
Clayton smirks, "And who says that midwives can't be dangerous?" he says with a small nod taking another sip of his lager, "My brother died in the Great War." he explains with a small nod, expecting that to be satisfactory, "My Squadron is tasked with defending London's airspace, in case anyone get a wild hair and decides that they would like to play a game in our airspace." he explains, not really touching on why he isn't closer to home.
It is enough of an explanation for her. "A great many good men died in the Great War. I am sorry for your loss." Ranjit herself was only a baby when the war started but she knows well enough about it. "I have never been in an aeroplane. What is it like?"
Clayton runs his hand through his hair slowly, "A rush." he offers slowly with a nod, "When you are up there, you realize how small everything is." he closes his eyes for a moment, "And how small everyone's problems are, because one slip and everything crashes down around you." he explains opening his eyes, "If you want I am sure I can manage to take you up in one." he says taking a long hard drag off his cigarette, "That is of course after you have dinner with me." he says smirking.
"Free food and a flight in an aeroplane? How can a girl turn that down." Ranjit takes another sip of her lager. "Tuesdays are my days off, so you will need to sneak me onto an aeroplane on a Tuesday." She sets her glass aside and gathers up the cards. "Do you know that other soldier well?" The question is asked casually as if she weren't overly curious about the answer, which of course she is.
Clayton smirks, "Well that gives us four days at my place." he says this rather boldly with that smirk on his face, "If you like free food, I can cook you up something every night when I cook, I hope you like Italian." he says with a nod, his hand moves up and rubs his chin slowly, "What other soldier? I know quiet a few in his Majesty's service." he says with a small nod.
Ranjit laughs. "I think all that time up in the air, that lack of oxygen, has addled your brain a bit. I have work in the morning and all weekend. Monday too." She looks at her half empty pint glass and takes a sip this time rather than a full mouthful. "I like any food so long as it isn't burnt or broad beans. I can't stand broad beans."
Clayton chuckles taking a drag off his cigarette, "So do I, but I do tend to try and eat at home and sleep there." he says with a slow nod, "Well then I will be sure to cook you some some lovely Italian dishes." he says with a small wave of his hand, "You know, your ex was an idiot, you are absolutely gorgeous." he says offering her a wink, "I may not want to let you go, beautiful, exotic and dangerous." he says taking a drink from his lager and continuing, "Quiet the mix." he says tapping the butt of his cigarette and causing the ash to float down into the ashtray.
"You don't sleep at the barracks?" Ranjit seems a little surprised by this. "I could have just driven you home instead? I thought I was keeping you out of trouble by letting you sleep it off on my sofa. You snore by the way. Loudly." The walls in her cheap flat are thin too.
Clayton chuckles, "No I have my own flat." he says with a smirk shaking his head, "And I am pretty sure I don't snore." he says with a chuckle, "Maybe only when I have had too much to drink." he says rubbing his chin now thing, "Looks like all you did though was get yourself in trouble." he says offering her a small wink, "But I think you like trouble." he says taking the last drag off his cigarette and putting it out in the ash tray, before he leans on the table closer to Ranjit, "I think you like trouble, because…" he says his lips curling up a bit, though he doesn't finish his thought, he just stares into her eyes waiting for her response.
Ranjit snorts. A scoffing snort. "You do snore. Whatever woman told you that you didn't lied and the men probably don't notice the difference between you and the other snorers." She sips more of her lager and watches Clayton, her unusually coloured eyes intent on his features, daring him to finish his sentence.
Clayton continues to smirk his hand moving up to softly stroke her cheek with his thumb, "Because you like the thrill." he says offering her a small nod, "You like the thrill of finding trouble and I think you may have found it." he says with a nod, "Though if you think I am going to be easy to get rid of, you played poker with the wrong guy." he says with a nod.
When he touches her there is the sound of a wooden chair dragging along the floor nearby. Ranjit's head turns, moving away from Clayton's hand. "It's alright, George," she tells a tall grey-haired man. When he grunts she smiles, "I'm sure." George saunters over to the bar, his walk still a muscular swagger even if most of his muscle has turned to fat these days. Leaning back in her chair Ranjit picks up her glass and downs the rest of her lager. "Careful. Being too much trouble in certain places will get you battered." Sounding a little tired a little resigned Ranjit sets her glass down and looks at Clayton, "I am a somewhat bitter divorcee who has been around the block a few times. Are you sure you want what you think you do?"
Clayton offers George a small nod, the smirk still on his face. "Wouldn't be the first time I've got a few punches thrown at me." he says offering her a wink. He listens to her and leans back in his chair, "I live a life where the next day could be my last." he says with a shall shrug, "Like I said one small mistake and you come crashing down into that tiny world with all those tiny problems." he says slowly with a nod, "So I try to enjoy the things I want." he says looking up at the ceiling for a moment, before looking back down at Ranjit, leaning in on the table and speaking softly, trying to keep the next words between just them, "And right now I want a dangerous, exotic and beautiful, bitter divorcee." he says his eyes locked on hers.
"Let's see how you cook first," states Ranjit. "Then I'll consider anything else." She nods towards his largely untouched drink, "Are you going to have that or did I waste good money?" Money that, by the looks of her flat, she doesn't have to waste. "Where does someone named Clayton Kable learn to cook Italian food?"
Clayton says something in Italian, his accent flawless, as he waves his hand slightly, "My mother is Italian." he explains, before his gaze moving towards his drink, "Well last time I drank I ended up at your flat." he says with a soft chuckle, "Trying to drag me there again?" he asks curiously, picking up the drink and taking a hard swig taking out a good chunk of it. "Oh and I am an amazing cook." he says offering her a wink.
Ranjit doesn't speak Italian, but she gets that he was likely trying to impress her by speaking it. "What would your little old Italian mother thing of you now? Sat in a pub in the East End drinking with a dark-skinned girl and plotting how to get into her pants?"
Clayton takes another drink of the lager, his gaze on Ranjit, "There is a reason I don't live in a Manchester." he says with a small shrug, "Also I like dark-skinned gals." he says with a small wave of his hand, "British gals are so plain." he says rolling his eyes, "As for my devious plot to get into your pants, it seems that it is not going very well." he says with a smirk and a small chuckle.
"Mothers," says Ranjit with a nod. "I know how that can be." Her lips quirk into a grin, "I'm British. I was born here. Can't you tell by my creamy complexion and pale flaxen hair?" Her grin becomes full blown laughter. "I never said I was easy, fly boy. You just made that assumption." Well, to be fair, sometimes she is easy but this isn't one of those times to seems. Poor Clayton.
Clayton chuckles at her joke, before taking the last swig of his drink, "Never said you were easy, just dangerous." he says with a nod, "Like I said, I like a challenge and you certainly are one." he says slowly, his hand moving through his hair slowly, "Though if I recall correctly you came looking for me." he says the smirk growing on his face, "So I obviously had some lasting impression on you." he says with a wink.
Ranjit toys idly with the card on the top of the deck and smiles, "Maybe I was hoping I could see that soldier you'd been speaking with at the bar. Maybe it wasn't you at all." Turning her head back towards Clayton she says earnestly, "You did leave an impression and I am glad you were not in trouble for staying out all night. If I knew then what I knew now…who knows. I might have just dropped you off at your flat and stolen your motorbike then gone up to Scotland."
Clayton rubs his chin, "Well normally when a gal says she was looking for some company and hoping they would bump into me." he says nodding a bit, "Leads me to believe that is me they are looking for and not another soldier." he says chuckling again, "First, I think you would have just came up." he says offering an innocent shrug, "Second while you might have stolen the motorbike, I am pretty sure there are some women who need a midwife and though you are dangerous…" he says softly with a nod, "I don't take you as the type, to just ditch them." he says before expanding, "You are the sentinel type." he says with a nod.
"You think I would have come up do you?" Ranjit chuckles. "Well you'll never know because it never happened." She sets the card back down on the deck. "I could leave if I wanted to. There isn't a lot keeping me here these days." The woman slowly gets to her feet. "I should be getting home. Call round on Tuesday, around seven if you think I'm worth the effort of wading through all this danger and mystery. If not I'll have soup from a tin."
Clayton smirks standing up, "I will see you Tuesday at seven." he says with a nod, "Hope you know what you are getting yourself into." he says as he moves to his feet, "I already think you are worth wadding through a lot." he says with a shrug as he zips up his jacket. His hand moving through his hair slowly, "Make sure you wear something warm." he says offering her a wink.