“Welcome to the Bat team’s monthly game night!” Ryan and Sophie heard Mary sing song as they entered Ryan’s office. They all decided on Wayne Tower as the place they would chill at on a slow day but also be near to the Batcave if something popped off in the city like it always did.
The first thing they noticed when they walked in was Mary’s black pinstripe vest, black skirt and green tie look for the night.
“Was there a dress code I wasn’t aware of?” Ryan commented, pointing to her jeans and sweatshirt.
“Nope. I just like to dress in theme.” Mary explained and stepped aside to reveal the poker table set up in the middle of the room.
“Seriously? Poker?” Sophie asked, taking her hand out of Ryan’s and replacing it with the glass of whiskey that Luke handed to her. “Thanks.”
He nodded at her. “You’re welcome and yes. Poker. Ryan picked Mario Kart the last game night. And Mary picked the game the night before that. Now it’s my turn and I choose poker.” He explained as he went back to placing the deck of cards on the table. “If you don’t know how to play, I’ll give you the basics but pay attention because I don’t explain twice.”
“Oh, and I don’t get a say?” Sophie took a sip from the glass, immediately appreciating the taste. “Damn that’s good.”
“Only top shelf stocked for you baby.” Ryan chimed in, with a wink the warmed Sophie more than the liquor.
“Listen,” Luke cut back in. “Last to join the Bat team; last to pick for game night.”
Sophie pushed past him to find a seat the table.
“Hey. First: that makes no sense. Second: I tried to join sooner but Ryan wouldn’t hear me out.”
Ryan sat down in a chair and pulled her girlfriend down into the seat next to her. “Baby, we’ve already been down that road. Can we not go back down it before you get your feelings hurt?” Ryan said.
Sophie leaned back and crossed her arms. “My feelings?” Sensing an argument coming, Mary popped up in between them. Literally.
“Okay, okay. None of that during family time.” She said.
“Fine.” Both Ryan and Sophie groaned.
“Good.” Mary slowly walked around the table. “And don’t make me come back over there.” Ryan stuck her tongue out and Sophie rolled her eyes in response. “Now, is everything ready Luke?” Mary asked, sitting down.
“Yes. Just need a dealer.” he replied.
“I’ll do it.” Ryan volunteered, reaching for the cards and positioning herself in the center of the table.
“You know how to deal cards?” Luke sat down and looked at her with confusion.
“Yeah.” Ryan answered like it was the most obvious thing.
“We’ve been together for almost a year. How do I not know this?"
"The only card game we ever play is UNO."
"So, some hidden talent of yours?” Sophie asked.
“Something like that.” Ryan picked up one of the cards, flicked her wrist and the card disappeared from her hand.
“No way,” Mary gasped.
Another flick of the wrist and the card reappeared in Ryan’s other hand.
“You know card tricks?” Luke asked. "Of course you do."
“And some other magic too. But mostly card tricks. Needed something to do in-between house hopping. I wasn’t always getting into hoodrat shit, ya know.” Ryan joked.
Sophie leaned back in her chair. “Babe, I’ve seen you pull batarangs out of what seems like thin air before but they were just tucked in your sleeve. A simple card trick isn’t exactly impressive magic.”
Ryan rolled her sleeves up and Luke sighed.
Guess poker was in the rearview for the night.
“So you’re not impressed?” Ryan asked.
“Is it interesting? Sure. Am I impressed. No. Sorry babe.” Sophie answered.
“Interesting? Why are you so hard to please with my skills? Well, some of them.” Ryan smirked.
“Ew.” Luke muttered.
“Some me something else and then maybe I’ll change my mind.”
“Fine, Queen of skepticism, everyone pick a card, look at it and put it face down the table on front of you.” Ryan skillfully shuffled the deck of cards, fanned them and placed the cards in front of each person. They each selected one from their pile and followed her instructions.
“Okay. What next?” Mary asked, her excitement growing hard to contain.
Ryan dramatically looked up at the ceiling then back at the table. “I’m going to recite the magic words.”
“Which are?” Sophie asked.
“Ease on. Ease on. Ease on down the road.”
“Seriously?” Luke asked.
“Yes. The mom at one of my foster homes loved watching the Wiz. Don’t judge me.”
He put his hands up in surrender.
“Okay, in this order. Mary, check the bottom of your glass. Luke, check the bottom of your shoe. Soph, check your pocket.”
Mary slowly lifted her champagne glass that she had set up there before the others arrived and found a folded piece of paper underneath. She looked at it and gasped. Ryan grinned.
“Mary, please show Miss Moore the note and then your card.”
Mary showed Sophie the piece of paper and in Ryan’s handwriting were the words ‘Queen of clubs’. Then flipped over her card.
“The Queen of clubs.” Sophie stated calmly. "Cute."
“Luke?” Ryan said.
“Right.” He cautiously reached for the bottom of his shoe and his head popped up. “This doesn’t make any sense, Ryan.”
“Care to share with the class?”
Luke pulled the paper off the bottom of his shoe, unfolded it and placed it down on the table. He then flipped over the card in front of him. “Both the King of Spades.”
Ryan was full blown smiling now.
“Sophie. The class is waiting.”
Sophie flipped over her card. “Queen of hearts.”
“And now your pocket?”
“Ryan, there’s no way you slipped something in my pocket while I was watching you the whole time.”
“You sure bout that?”
Sophie wasn’t sure. She was actually the opposite of sure . If there was one thing Sophie did not understand; that was magic. Zatanna was a part of the new Justice League and was becoming one of her good friends and everything she did surpassed Sophie’s level of comprehension. But was Ryan really a magician? Or a sorceress? Or just good with sleight of hand?
“Sophie? My fans are waiting.”
“Don’t be so damn smug.” Sophie reached in her pocket and instantly felt a piece of paper that was definitely not there before. Her face must have showed her surprise because Ryan’s smug smile got even bigger.
“You were saying? Care to share with the rest of the Ryan Hive.”
“You are not Beyoncé.”
“Come on Soph, show us what it says.” Mary said.
Sophie unfolded the paper and sure enough, there were the words ‘Queen of hearts’ .
She shook her head and softly smiled. “I’ll give you that one, baby. That was impressive.”
“You think that was good? Check this out.” Ryan clapped her hands twice, cupped them in front of her face and quickly blew into them. In a flash of light, the pieces of paper dissolved into dust.
“No damn way.”
“Oh my God.”
“Oh. That’s…. Hot?”
Luke, Mary and Sophie all said at the same time.
Ryan leaned over, voice tickling Sophie’s ear as she whispered. “Wanna really see something hot?”
“You have my attention.”
Ryan slowly reached behind Sophie’s chair, tapped the back of it with her finger tips four times and then pulled out a pair of red fuzzy handcuffs out of seemingly nowhere.
“Okay. That’s really, really good.” Sophie commented in the low tone she knew made Ryan weak in the knees.
Mary leaned over to Luke. “Wanna get out of here?” she whispered. “I feel like things between them are about to get NSFW.”
“Ew. I’m never going to be used to them being all gross.” he whispered back, watching the way Ryan turned her seat to face Sophie.
“Try living with one half of Wildmoore. Let’s get out of here.”
Luke nodded in agreement.
“Okay, me and Luke are going to go do some stuff in the cave. We’ll be back in an hour to actually play poker so be done before then, kk. Byeee.”
She and Luke picked up their drinks and quickly walked over and got in the elevator.
“Why would she assume we’re about to do something in your office?” Sophie asked.
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Ryan pointed out. “I got one more trick for you. After this one, you’ll never doubt my skills again.”
“Fine. Show me what you got, Wilder.”
“It’s already done.”
“Huh.” Sophie went to use her hands but found them handcuffed to the chair behind her back. “Whoa.”
Ryan slowly climbed onto her girlfriend’s lap. “So?”
“Somehow you managed to make magic hot.”