la belle dame sans merci | carlisle cullen

18

Minerva and her heavy heart decided not to go straight home after dropping Alice Cullen off at her home. It was faster to go home than it was into town but she was restless and loathed the idea of facing her empty house. So, she did what she usually did when she was especially lonely. She went for a drink at The Lodge.

Thursday nights were never particularly busy, yielding the usual crowd who lifting their drinks at her in greeting. Waylon, Harry and Gus were all huddled over an array of playing cards, turning to do just as she predicted when she walked in. She greeted them with a wave, annoyed at the encumbrance on her leg as she limped along.

"What happened? You try to walk and chew bubblegum at the same time?" Waylon teased with a grin.

"Double Bubble is a serious danger." Minerva responded rolling her eyes before she turned to the waitress behind the counter, "rum and coke, please, Claudia."

"Seriously though, we heard about the accident." Harry said, turning in his chair, "Charlie said you're little car was flattened like a coke can."

"I didn't see it after but they said they had take the roof off to get me out." She said taking to murmur a thank you as her drink was placed on the bar, "Good excuse to get a new car."

"I saw that ol' Monte Carlo pull up. That you?" Gus inquired, looking out the window at the vehicle. "Blessings in disguise. That's sweet."

Minerva grinned, "Yessir."

"Take Charlie's spot, Min. Bastard's late." Harry offered, gesturing at the empty seat. Minerva obliged, limping her way over. The table had been full almost every time she came into the bar, sitting with them was a first. "We're playing bullshit."

"Bullshit?" She asked, seating herself between Gus and Harry.

"Get rid of all the cards in your hand. Here? I got three two's." Harry said plucking two cards out of his hand and placing them face down.

"And I call bullshit!" Waylon accused.

"That's because you cheat!" Harry fired back.

The patrons of The Lodge, particularly this group, were almost always in good spirits. Mainly due to one another's company. It was contagious. Waylon was the oldest of the group, the only bald one of the bunch though he acted the youngest. He owned the dock in town and his skin reflected hours spent out on the boat. Gus was the youngest, blonde curly hair with glasses at least an inch thick, he worked for the fire department. Last was Harry Clearwater, he was an elder on the Quileute council, working in wildlife preservation. His eyes were a deep brown, shrouded by smile lines.

Missing from the table was Charlie Swan, chief of Forks police. He was a man of few words but kind disposition, he always made a point to stop and chat with her at the bar. On days she felt like she was blending in with the scenery, she appreciated it.

"You get caught, you drink." Gus whispered to her. hisn thick glasses made his eyes look a lot bigger than they were, a magnified shade of green.

"How long have you guys been at this?" She whispered back.

"A while." Harry grinned taking a deep drink of his beer as he dealt her a hand of cars, "So whatcha got?" She examined the hand of card in front of her: two threes, a seven, four eights, two aces and a Jack.
Selecting the two aces, she laid them down on the table.

"Two aces."

The three examined her face, she let her lips flicker up in a little smile. "Bullshit." Gus and Waylon said together.

"She's telling the truth." Harry decided. She studied his face for a moment before flipping over the cards.

"Of course, you'd have the bullshit detector." Minerva grinned before taking an obligatory sip of her drink.