STF

Quarters: Captain

Posted Jan. 13, 2021, 3:19 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander Zef Rollo (Counselor) (D Grisham)

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Quarters: Captain

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Zef Rollo (Counselor) in Quarters: Captain

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Quarters: Captain
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
As Zef stepped from the shower, she marveled at how long the day had seemed. Knowing she was meeting with Alex that evening, the hours and minutes seemed to crawl by. Finally, her shift was over with and she’d been able to return to her quarters to get ready.

As she ran a brush through her hair, the Counselor gazed in to her closet. “Hmmm, how to look nice for Alex, but not too nice that I attract any attention on the way there…” Nothing really called out to her, and then she got an idea. Reaching in, Zef pulled out a turquoise t-shirt dress that reached the floor/ It was absolutely plain and wouldn’t draw any unwanted looks. She combined that with a pair of sandals and one of her favorite pieces of body jewelry that would be worn beneath the dress where no one else could see it.

She slipped it on and smiled in the mirror. The delicate, gold chains glinted off her body as she settled her hair into a topknot and added a pair of short, dangling earrings to match. A few minutes later, the Counselor slipped out of her quarters and made her way nonchalantly to Alex’s door. There had been no questioning eyes, just a few nods of acknowledgement from people she passed in the corridors. Of course, the fact that she was concentrating on the PaDD in her left hand helped with the deception that she was on an errand.

She was running over excuses to be outside of Cochrane’s quarters—just in case—when she rang the chime.

—Zef

bump

The slid open silently and the sound of soft music came from inside. The lights were not bright, but not overly subdued.

His quarters were much the same as her last visit, comfortable and spacious. The room was set up with the doorway in the middle of a large living space. A couch sat below the large window that made up the wall opposite the door, and a low but very sturdy-looking table sat in front if it flanked by large chairs on either side. To the right of the door was a desk set so that a person sitting there would have their back in the far right corner of the room which, in turn, was flanked by bookcases similar to the ones in the Captain’s Ready Room. To the left of the door was a small kitchen with a tall table and chairs sat on the door side of the kitchen island which held the sink. Past the sink was a cooking surface and a replicator and cabinets. The surface was barren the first time she had been there; now it held two small pots and a covered skillet from which a very aromatic and herbal scent drifted.

In the far left corner near the window sat the assortment of musical instruments on stands: bass guitar, upright bass, and a saxophone. In the far opposite corner was a small piano and a cello. The one empty rack had held a guitar previously, but that was now in the hands of the man seated on the couch, and was the source of the soft music.

As Zef stood in the doorway, Alex looked up and smiled; his fingers still plucking and strumming the strings as he said “Well hello, Counselor. Do come in. I’m sorry, I must have let time slip away from me. Didn’t expect you for another little bit.” His slight British accent lent a charm to his words, and he set the guitar aside and stood up to come towards her as the door slid closed.

She stepped into the room, her eyes focused on Alex. “Well, either you were involved in some heavy thinking or you weren’t as excited about tonight as I have been.” It wasn’t a slam. Being a Captain wasn’t easy and there were so many things to distract you from having a personal life. But if he needed to put off their evening, she would understand—she wouldn’t like it, but she wouldn’t object, either.

He was wearing a cool white shirt that had an open v in the front of the neck. That could have been closed by the string laced through both sides, but it stood open. Small embroidered patterns of blue accented the cuffs of the shirt, and soft gray trousers covered his legs. A brown leather belt accented the soft brown suede shoes he wore.

Cochrane

Crossing the floor, Zef slipped into his arms and tip toed for a kiss. As soon as their lips parted, she broached the subject. “Do you need to cancel tonight? Do you have a lot on your mind?”

—Zef

Alex smiled and shook his head as he pressed her to him. “No, no more than usual. And to be honest, I was simply distracted by the guitar. Dinner is already on, and it would be a waste to throw it in the recycler. So please… make yourself comfortable.” and he released her and stepped a half-step back. “I have a bottle of wine chilling… care for a glass?” he asked as he began to move towards the kitchen.

Alex

“I’d love one, thank you.” Zef walked to the far end of the couch, slipped off her sandals and curled up on the cushion facing in the direction of the kitchen. “Did anything happen today that you want to talk about? Or maybe you just need an ear?” She watched him move around and admired him silently. “By the way, whatever you’re cooking smells wonderful.” It was a real treat to have organic food and not replicator faire. It always tasted better—unless it was something like ‘gagh’. As adventurous as she might be, eating worms was not something that was going to happen.

—Zef

BUMP

Alex laughed softly and said “No, nothing to talk about. Just the standard. But appreciate the offer of an ear… especially yours.” and he chuckled wickedly as he retrieved the bottle and two glasses and made his way to the couch, sitting close-ish to Zef. He uncorked the bottle and poured three-quarters of each glass full of a bright gold liquid with a hint of pale green to it. “Portuguese grapes grown on Q’onoS. Many find it hard to believe that the Klingons are capable of producing something delicate… but I find it very much so.” and he handed her a glass. “It does have a bit of heat on the back-end. Just a warning, but nothing I think you can’t handle.” and he held his glass up to her in a silent toast.

Cochrane

She clinked her glass with his, smiling. Such a simple thing, sharing a drink—but it felt special because he’d asked her to join him. Holding the wine glass beneath her nose to see if she could smell the ingredient that produced the ‘heat’ he’d spoken of, Zef was surprised at how muted the scent of the grapes were. She took a tentative sip, holding it in her mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. Her expression was delighted at the exquisite flavor. “This was really made on Q’onos....ooo, there it is—the heat you mentioned.” It was a strange thing to experience while drinking wine, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

She took a larger drink and waited for the warmth as she exhaled. “I think I like it.”

—Zef

bump

Alex sat next to her and smiled. “I’m glad. The heat will go well with dinner. We are having lamb vindaloo, a dish from India on Earth, but with a Cochrane twist. My mother adds diced mangoes to her dish and the heat coupled with the sweet is amazing. I hope you like it.” and he leaned back and smiled at her. “I’m glad you are here. And if I am totally honest… I’m more glad than I expected to be. Which is no small feat considering how much I enjoyed our last evening together.”

Alex

’…I’m more glad than I expected to be…’ Language was a funny thing. That almost sounded like he thought he wouldn’t be happy about her coming over, but Zef realized that when Federation Standard wasn’t your native tongue, even slight nuances could mean major misunderstandings. Alex’s body language and easy manner let her know that he didn’t mean it negatively, so she let it go.

“Yes, that was one for the books—I believe the saying goes?” She smiled as the memory of that evening slid past the viewer in her mind. As always, she tempered her thoughts about what she and Alex were doing, with care. This was just supposed to be an easy going, physical and secret thing between them. She studied his profile and wondered if she could really keep it that way.

—Zef

Alex chuckled and said “That it was. Definately one of my more… memorable… evenings, for certain.” and he took a sip of the wine. “So tell me…” and he stretched one arm around her so that it lay on the back of the couch, “… what do you like to do in your off-time? Any hobbies or anything? Or have you been so consumed with work and fending off over-zealous relatives that you have no down-time?” and he laughed softly.

Alex

“I’ve had the same hobby for most of my life. I’ve just honed my skills over the years and gotten better at it. There’s even a place in the market near my home that sells some my work.”

She watched him try to figure out what she might be talking about and then chuckled. “I micro carve art. It can be anything; jewelry, statues—tiny ones, religious items, fantasy creatures—whatever. It doesn’t take much room to do it so I have adapted one corner of my bedroom for it, and it helps me relax by concentrating on an inanimate object instead of my day to day life where I deal with so many emotional feelings from others.”

Leaning a little closer, Zef put her fingers behind one of her ears to angle the earring to a better position where Alex could see it. “I carved these out of animal bone.” The half inch square contained a star and a flower, surrounded with gold.

—Zef

Alex leaned closer, his face a few scant inches from hers, and he reached up and brushed her fingers with his own as he looked at the piece. “They are absolutely beautiful, Zef…” and his gaze shifted from the earring to her eyes. “Stunning, even. I doubt I have seen many things more so.” and he looked from her eyes to her lips and back again. He grinned and then leaned back slowly and said “I have to check on dinner. If I continue down this particular path… we may never eat.” But his fingers remained on hers.

Alex

Tempted to lean in and kiss him, Zef fought the urge. His words about her earrings were particularly satisfying. “Thank you. The flower is a Baoran, native to my world. My mother used to wear one in her hair all the time, so these are a reminder of her.”

She was rethinking the kiss when he took the opportunity to lean back and comment about dinner. “Well, not eating right now wouldn’t be so bad—we do have all night this time.” She laughed, suddenly a bit giddy about the coming hours.

—Zef

Alwex smiled and said “Very astute observation, my dear doctor. So… if you will allow me, -” and he stood slowly, “- I will endeavor to appease your appetite in whatever fashion I can devise.” and he winked at her and then turned slowly and went to the kitchen.

The clicking of dishes and a cloud of steam accompanied an aroma filling the room. The smell was earthy and herbal, but the spice was evident even in the aroma. Underneath was a hint of sweetness.

A few moments later, Alex walked towards Zef carrying two plates. Setting them down on the carved wooden table; each was filled with saffron rice covered in a rich, brown sauce. In the sauce could be seen chunks of lamb and bits of onion, peppers, and various finely chopped vegetables.

“Would you mind filling the glasses? I’ll go get dessert.” and he went back to the kitchen and brought back two small bowls filled with a white, creamy, dish. “Yogurt with honey and chopped dates. I hope you this suits you for dinner.” and he sat down, his hip touching hers.

Alex

Zef set about topping off their glasses just as Alex had asked. By the time he was seated next to her, her mouth was watering at the aroma coming off the plates. “Well, if it tastes as wonderful as it smells, then I’d say it’s a definite hit.” They busied themselves eating, each bite revealing something new to the Counselor. There were several things she’d not tasted before, like lamb, saffron, mango and yogurt, so she concentrated on the flavors.

The more she ate, the more the heat built up in the back of her mouth. That resulted in drinking more wine than usual in an attempt to lessen the effect. Eventually, she set her fork down so she wouldn’t eat any more. “Whew! It’s delicious, but it’s hot!”

—Zef


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