My Bed or Yours? Part 2

Posted on 25 Mar 2016 @ 10:18pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin & Ensign Aidan Crehan
Edited on on 25 Mar 2016 @ 10:48pm

3,670 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: New Risa
Timeline: MD 4

Aidan walked out behind Mila and closed the door. Clearing his throat, he said, “My response to your appearance earlier left a lot to be desired. That said, you look really good, Mila.” He put his arm out at an angle for Mila to take hold of. “Shall we?”

She smiled and took his arm. "It's okay, Aidan," she said. "It was actually very flattering to receive an honest compliment, even a reaction like that. I had begun to think that there were no men who weren't attached or so professional that they could not notice a female on the ship."

They began walking up the path back towards the resort’s main lobby. Aidan remembered seeing some nice restaurants on their way down. “Unfortunately professionalism can sometimes blind men to the obvious. They become so involved in whatever they are doing, that it takes all of their focus. I have seen it on many worlds.” He paused. “I have made it my goal to not get that involved in my work. It might mean that I remain a junior officer for quite a while after graduation. But that’s okay with me.”

He turned to Mila, “Shame on the man who does not take notice of the females on the ship.”

"I have served in Starfleet for eleven years and to date, no pun intended," Mila said. "I have only dated two men in that time. Still, I cannot fault many of them because they see my position as one which could be damaging to their careers if I were to put a negative thought into a Captain's ear about their behavior. Still, I would not do that to get what I want, so I remain alone for the most part."

Aidan nodded. “I would imagine that having the Captain’s ear does tend to have its drawbacks. But I never would have thought about it affecting your personal life. But you are not alone, you have Chow.” He smiled, partly because he was trying to lighten the mood with his ‘Chow’ comment and partly because he was trying to keep from telling her that she wasn’t alone right now. He was having a good time, what with the banter and getting to know her, and he didn’t want to ruin that.

She smiled up at him. "I do and he is a very good boy," she said. "But..there are times it is nice to have a handsome man such as yourself to spend time with, even if it is for a few days of rest and relaxation. I am glad that we met at the shuttle and that you were not waiting for someone else."

Aidan looked down at Mila. “Thank you. And may I say that you are worth spending time with as well. I am enjoying getting to know you, Mila Rasputin.” He wasn't sure how, or even if, they would be able to spend time together back on the ship. So he planned to enjoy these few days as much as possible.

"The pleasure is mine, Aidan Crehan," Mila said. "I am looking forward to getting to know you better as well. I think that this is the first time since I have been in the Gamma Quadrant that I have truly enjoyed myself and the company of someone when off duty."

Just down the sidewalk where they walked was a small cafe that had tantalizing smells blowing on the warm breeze from it. A few tables were on the sidewalk itself with people of various races enjoying the cuisine and talking with each other. The sign above the door was in several languages, including Standard and announced the place as The Kiss of Stars and the staff moved efficiently from table to table and stopped to talk to customers.

Aidan breathed in the odors. “Ohhhhh, those smell wonderful!” he exclaimed. “Let’s stop here…The Kiss of Stars. Well. Anyway, would you like to sit out on the sidewalk or shall we see if they have a table inside?”

"It does," Mila agreed as she caught the scents that wafted their way. "Let us go inside. I am certain that the ambiance will be just as pleasant as everything else seems to be."

Aidan nodded and led the duo inside. “There’s a spot,” he said. He was pointing to an open table at the left side of the café. It was in an area with a few more empty tables around it, so at least they wouldn’t need to raise their voices for normal conversation. “Does that look good for you?”

"Da," she said agreeable as she looked around the interior. It had a warm, cozy atmosphere which promoted both privacy and openness depending on the desires of the clientele. There were small booths which lined the walls with privacy curtains if desired, open tables in the center of the room, and an open kitchen area where customers could see their meals being prepared. In the background, soft music played almost inaudibly, but provided a welcome ambiance at the same time. The color scheme was muted earth tones which soothed and provided a added degree of privacy as well as a relaxed environment.

Mila smiled at his choice of a table. "You have a very good eye for places, Aidan," she said as she moved towards the indicated table.

“Thank you. I’m a bit of an observer. One could say it’s in my blood.” He chuckled as he went over to one side of the table and pulled the chair out. He looked up to Mila and smiled. “Da…I like that. You should speak more in your native tongue.”

She found herself smiling more than she had for a long time and credited his presence and easy mannerisms and friendly banter to it. Certainly his physical appearance helped, but she found herself attracted to him on a mental level as well. "Thank you," she said as she sat down in the chair he pulled out for her. "I would, but then you would have to rely on the Universal Translator and something is always missing no matter how much they improve it. Russian is a hard language, but once you learn it, it is actually a beautiful language."

Aidan walked around to his chair and sat down. “That, or you could just use simple phrases or words and translate them for me.” He grinned. “If I were to speak it, it wouldn’t sound as beautiful.” He picked up the menu and start browsing. “There are lots of things that sound good in here. I just wish I could match the menu with the smells.”

"So do I," Mila said. "I am certain that if we ask, the staff will happily tell us." She paused and thought for a moment. "The most basic phrase is Kak vashi dela? It means how are you. Russian is pronounced how it is spelled, unless you are reading Cyrillic alphabet, which is almost like a secret code if you do not know it."

Aidan tried to speak the phrase that Mila had said, but stumbled over it…horribly. “See, nowhere near as beautiful.” She was intelligent woman. He was beginning to understand how she had made it to a Captain’s Yeoman. But she was also fun to be around. And she was one of the first that hadn’t fussed at him for opening doors, letting her go through first, pulling out her chair, and so on. It was nice to spend time with someone who accepted those things from him. Plus, she was beautiful and he liked her accent, too.

He liked Mila’s idea of asking a staff member about the smells and choosing his dinner that way. “I think I’ll go with your suggestion of asking the staff about the smells coming from the kitchen. They all seem so happy to please anyway. Have you found anything?"

Mila smiled at his attempt. "You will get better if you keep at it," she assured him before she glanced at the menu, which was once again in several languages including Standard. "Perhaps we should ask for the house special," she said after a moment. "That way, we don't seem like tourists."

“Thank you for your confidence in my language abilities. And I see why you make a great Yeoman; you are right about not seeming like tourists.”

Aidan put his menu down and motioned for a member of the wait staff. He caught the attention of the closest one, who held up a hand indicating he would be a few moments. While he waited, Aidan looked at the table in front of him and noticed the cloth napkin folded under the utensils. It was purple. A smile slowly crept across his face as his mind wondered back to a little while ago in the room. He tried hard to stifle the chuckle that wanted to escape.

When the waiter came over, it wasn’t any better. He just seemed extra happy. “We will both have the house special,” he said, through a wide smile and happy tone.

"Of course," the waiter said. "Would you care for something to drink or an appetizer?"

Mila looked at the menu. "I'll have an icoberry juice and a Paradan nectar salad," she said, deciding to try something native from the Gamma Quadrant. She looked at Aidan and saw him looking at the napkin and a giggle slipped past her lips. "And he'll have something purple."

"Something purple?" The waiter asked, confused.

Aidan’s head shot right up and looked Mila. He could no longer contain it. He started laughing and looked at the waiter. “Yes, I’ll have something purple. Bring me something purple to drink. I don’t care what it is. I’ll also have a Blue-Leaf salad.”

“Very well then, an icoberrry juice and Paradan nectar for the lady and ‘something purple’ to drink and a Blue-Leaf salad for the sir,” said the waiter. He headed for the kitchen to put in their orders.

Aidan looked a Mila, “Something purple, huh? You wanted to see me lose it in public, didn’t you.”

She gave him an innocent look. "Well, you were looking at your napkin like it held the answers to questions you must have," she said. "So I thought you wanted something purple."

He picked up his napkin and held it against his shirt. “Slightly,” he said, before laying it back down. Then he grinned and shook his head. “I must admit, this is the most fun I have had in a long time. I am glad that you showed up to share that shuttle. I would have been so bored down here.”

"Nyet," Mila disagreed. "You are handsome man and I am certain your attention would have been sought very soon if no one was with you."

At that time, the waiter showed up. "One icoberry juice and Paradan nectar salad for the lady, and one Purple Panty Dropper¹ and blue-leaf salad for the gentleman," he said. "If you need anything else, let me know.

She could help but burst into laughter at the drink which the waiter had brought Aidan and it was all she could do to stay in her seat. "Purple...Panty....Dropper!" she gasped while tears began to roll down her cheeks from laughing so hard.

“Purple what!” exclaimed Aidan. A few seconds after the initial shock of it all, he began laughing right along with Mila. “Hey…don’t fall…out of your….chair! I can’t…pick you up!” Without thinking, he grabbed his napkin and started wiping his tear stained face. Then it hit him. He looked at the napkin in his hand and started all over again. “A lighter shade of purple!” he exclaimed.

Aidan slumped back in his chair, trying hard to calm down. He was sure that the other patrons were staring and talking. But he did not care. He was having fun and enjoying his evening with Mila. He finally caught his breath and sat up. “Well, if this is any indication of the rest of the evening, I don’t know what I’ll do.” He breathed deeply and thought about her first comment. “Oh, uh, thank you for your compliment earlier. But I am glad that someone was already with me.”

It took her a minute to catch her breath and wipe the tear away before Mila looked up at him. "If I didn't know any better, I would suspect that you planned that drink before we even came here," she said. "I wonder if the waiter is telepathic?"

“Believe me, I could never plan something that well. But if he is telepathic…oh brother.” Aidan hoped that the waiter wasn’t telepathic. Aidan lifted his…drink…in a toast, “To a wonderful evening, a fun time of rest and relaxation, and the most beautiful woman in the room. In more ways than one.” He grinned and dipped his head.

She blushed as she raised her glass. "Thank you, and to the gentleman of the quadrant," she said. "You truly have a way of making one feel comfortable, Aidan." She smiled brightly and with a warmth that met her eyes. "Without you here, I probably would have gone shopping once and went back to the ship."

He smiled as they clinked their glasses. “Thank you, and I am glad that you feel comfortable.” He took a drink and saw that the waiter was on his way his way over. “Then I suppose I am well on my way to accomplishing my challenge I spoke of during our shuttle ride. That of getting Mila Rasputin accustomed to sounds other than silence.”

The waiter set the house specials down on the table and smiled at both Aidan and Mila. “Enjoy your meals. If there is anything you need, please let me know," he said.

"With you, I do not think that silence will be around much," she said before she looked at their plates. The meal seemed like strips of meat which had been turned into a roll and filled with red and blue vegetables with some kind of white sauce on them, a tuber of some sort which had a spicy aroma, and a small bowl of reddish sauce on the side.

Aidan smiled and sliced a piece off the end and dipped in the reddish sauce. It smelled wonderful as he brought it up to his mouth. As he chewed, he could taste the spice growing on his tongue. But it wasn’t a lot, just enough to flavor the entire dish. “This is delicious,” he said, after swallowing. “So what are you going to sing later? Or is it a surprise?”

Mila took a bite of the meat roll and smiled at the explosion of taste in her mouth. "Oh this is incredible!" she exclaimed after she had chewed and swallowed it. She paused to take a drink of her icoberry juice which stained her lips a shade of blue. "I am thinking Veter S Morya Dul. It means The Wind Was Blowing From the Sea."

Aidan set his drink down and cut another slice. “It sounds pretty. And rather apropos for the location, a resort on the beach and all. Have you decided whether you will sing it when we get back to the room and change or as we take our stroll along waterfront?” He placed the piece he had just cut in his mouth.

She cut a piece of the tuber and dipped it in the sauce. "Since I cannot take the accompanying music with me, I will sing it to you when we get back to the hotel," she said before she took a bite of the tuber. It was spicy and the red sauce enhanced the flavor of it, which she found appealing. "Then we may go for a stroll on the beach."

Mila waited until he had put the drink down, then smiled. "Has the drink removed any purple panties yet?"

Aidan nodded and had picked up his utensils after he put his drink down. But then he dropped the knife on the table. “What?” He looked up from his plate. “Um, well, not that I know of.” He paused and looked at her all innocently, “Hey, wait…yet?” Then he grinned, a coy look on his face. “Mila, Mila, Mila, what will we ever do with you?" he teased.

"We shall have to figure that out," she said while she idly folded and unfolded her cloth napkin into a seemingly random pattern while she talked to him. "Off hand, I would say simply enjoy the company as I am doing." She looked down and her eyes went round in surprise. "Oh my...it seems the drink did work," she exclaimed and pointed at the napkin which was now in the generic shape of a pair of panties on the table.

“Uh, I’m sorry, what was that?” Aidan looked at the table. He could feel the warmth rising to his cheeks. “Oh, well, um, huh, would you look at that.” Once again, Mila made him speechless, which was usually hard to do. “I guess the drink, uh, did work after all, huh.” He paused again and took a long drink to hopefully gather his words before it hit him what his drink was. He spit and sputtered a little before swallowing the rest. He grabbed his own cloth napkin to wipe the dribble. Three seconds after he started, he dropped it. Then he looked across the table, “Well Mila, congratulations are in order for you. I don’t believe this has ever happened to me in such a manner as this. You and your purple, well, purple.”

Mila started to laugh uncontrollably and a few people began to wonder if she were mentally ill before she got herself under control after seeing his reaction. "Oh, Aidan," she gasped while wiping the tears away with her napkin which was just a napkin again. "The look on your face...it is worth the meal, the bed and the song that I shall sing for you. You are adorable!"

Aidan picked his napkin back up and fanned his face a bit. “Thank you, Mila. Well, I’m glad you are enjoying the company. I must say that I am also enjoying my company, as well. Spending time with you is enjoyable. I like your humor and our banter.” He cut another piece of meat and dipped into the red sauce. Before taking the bite, he said, “Adorable…have you looked in the mirror?” Speaking of playful banter….

She blushed again. "Thank you," she said demurely. "I find myself enjoying yours as well, Aidan. It has been some time since I last found myself laughing this much."

He finished his bite and followed it with the last swallow of his purple drink. “Well, I liked it. I wonder if we could get it replicated or made on the ship?”

Mila finished her tuber and took a sip of her juice before she looked up at him. "That a good idea. Why don't you ask once we finish our meal?"

“I think I will,” said Aidan. “Speaking of the meal, thank you very much, Mila. It was kind of you.”

"It was the least I could do," she said. "I quite enjoyed it and the scintillating conversation."

He sat back and smiled. “I wonder if maybe the conversation wasn’t better than the meal? At any rate, is there anything else you would like? I realize that this is your treat, but I can’t let you go away unsatisfied.”

"I am more than satisfied," Mila assured him. "And the evening is still young for more conversation and satisfaction."

“Good,” replied Aidan. “Then let’s get to it, shall we?” He motioned for the waiter. “I am looking forward to both. Especially once we get back to hotel. ‘The Wind was Blowing from the Sea,’ I believe it was. Oh, you are going to sing it in Russian, aren’t you? Please?”

"Da," she said. "I will sing it in Russian for you. It ruins the flavor to be sung in another language."

The waiter came over. "Was everything satisfactory?

Aidan looked up at the man. “Oh yes, very much so,” he replied. “It was all delicious. I was wondering if we could the recipe to take back with us?”

"Excellent," the waiter said. "I believe the chef would be delighted to give a satisfied customer the recipe, especially since it will be shared with others to enjoy." He held out the PADD and Mila pressed her thumb to it and included a tip.

"It was lovely and thank you so much," she said.

"I will return with it," the waiter said before he headed back to the kitchen.

“I am glad then, that you will be singing it in Russian,” said Aidan. “I like the way your native language sounds and cannot wait to hear it flow in song.”

Mila smiled. "Only one other on the ship has heard it besides Chow," she said. "But it will be my pleasure to sing it to you in my native language," she told him.

The waiter returned with a isolinear chip. "From S'dith with his pleasure," he said as he handed it to Aidan.

“Thank you,” said Aidan, as he reached for the isolinear chip. He watched as the waiter walked off. Aidan stood, put the chip in his shirt pocket, and walked over to Mila’s chair. “Shall we?” he said, waiting to assist.

"Let's," she said as she came to her feet so he could pull the chair out. "A true gentleman."

TBC

1 -

Purple Panty Dropper Recipe
1/3 oz Bailey's® Irish cream
1/3 oz creme de noyaux
1/3 oz Blue Curacao liqueur
1/3 oz Rumple Minze® peppermint liqueur

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