The First Dinner, Part 1

Posted on Fri Apr 19th, 2024 @ 3:32am by Lieutenant JG T'lenn & Lieutenant JG Jason Williams III

2,727 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: The Menagerie: side stories & mischief making
Location: Eclipse Bistro
Timeline: Day 5, 2000 hours

After he had finished with his meditation, Jason hurried back to his cabin and got cleaned up. He then selected and replicated a nice, well-tailored, blue suit with matching tie and black leather shoes. Once he was dressed, he made his way down to the replimat, to make a gift to give T'lenn.

As he looked through the catalog of gifts available at his current financial level, he stopped when he found it. After paying the required credits, he hit the replicate control, and the item materialized, wrapped in a silvery-blue bow.

Carrying the gift to T'lenn's quarters, he arrived right on time. Double checking himself and his gift, he carefully put it behind his back, while with the other hand, he reached up and rang the door chime.

The door opened and Jason could see T'lenn approaching from nearby. She was wearing a floor length dress with a fitted bodice, the simple skirt falling loose at her hips. The dress was short sleeved, and had a high collar in the back that dipped into a sweetheart neckline in the front. The fabric was marbled hues in shades of lavender and ivory. Half of her hair was pulled back and twisted into an updo, the rest of her hair curled into ringlets that framed her face and fell down her back.

She stood upright and poised as she greeted Jason. "Good evening. I apologize for not being well versed on Human dating ettiquette. Hopefully I am dressed appropriately."

It was Jason could do to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. It took his brain a few beats to realize that T'lenn had said something. Blinking and clearing his throat, hecfinally found his words. "Um..I...I mean....Wow! You look stunning!" As he eyes met hers, the rest of the world simply evaporated. He even forgot that he had a gift, for her, behind his back.

"My appearance is acceptable then," T'lenn comfirmed. "You look nice as well. Is something wrong with your arm," it was a statement, not a question as she observed Jason had been standing with his arm behind his back since his arrival.

"Oh!" He exclaimed as he remembered. Carefully rotating the gift back in front of him, he revealed that he had a small potted lily. "Your perfume from earlier reminded me of a lily." He stepped forward and gently offered it to her.

T'lenn accepted the offering graciously with both hands. "Thank you for presenting me with this. I shall research the flower's proper care so that it may flourish." T'lenn placed the lily on a small table next to her couch.

"Is the exchange of gifts customary. I apologize, as I have not prepared for this evening."

Shaking his head as he remained amazed by the vision before him, Jason replied. "No, the custom is, as I asked you out, I would provide the gift. Your presence is my gift."

"I believe that I am the one who suggested dinner," T'lenn stated in correction.

He grinned then turned and offered her his left elbow. "Shall we call it even then?"

T'lenn placed her arm through Jason's, as he had invited her to by way of his body language. Though she had been immersed in alien culture for several years now certain things, like the free way that so many races touch one another in public were still foreign to her.

"Is there a scorecard in human dating rituals?" T'lenn asked - ironically, though dryly delivered, as the two exited her quarters.

This made Jason chuckle. "I've heard that some might say there is, but it is really just a form of intimate humor between a couple."

"Your humor is something which most Vulcans do not understand," T'lenn responded. "As I am sure you are aware as you seem to have experience interacting with those from Vulcan culture," T'lenn added as they continued to the turbolift.

Jason nodded as he replied. "Yes, I know. However, humor doesn't really require emotion to understand or employ. N'vok used to have the sharpest wit of anyone I ever met." He grinned happily as he remembered his fallen friend. "He would come out with these one liners, that would have us all in stiches!"

"Indeed, he seems to have fit in well with your crew," T'lenn commented. They were in the turbolift now, on the way to their destination. T'lenn disengaged her arm from Jason's to face him once inside.

Jason turned and looked down into her dark, beautiful eyes and his face softened some. "Yes?" He asked softly.

The doors opened and T'lenn stepped out. She lowered her voice to match his. "What are you asking me?" She responded, someone perplexed by the most recent exchange.

His cheeks turning bright red , from embarrassment, Jason quickly composed himself, so as not to cause a scene. He moved back to T'lenn's right side and offered her his left arm again. "It's...uh...it's nothing." He stammered slightly. "I thought saw someone about to happen, but clearly I was wrong. Forgive me."

T'lenn tilted her head slightly in acquiescence as she took Jason's arm again. "We are close to our destination," she mentioned.

The sounds and smells from a small group of restaurants clustered together on Deck 9 were already noticeable before they turned the corner to see the shift in scenery from the repetitive corridors of the ship, to an area that housed a a few restaurants and shops, each with decorative storefronts.

"I have researched a few topics of conversation that may be appropriate for this evening's meal. Perhaps we should be seated first?" T'lenn suggested, the restaurant now in sight.

Jason nodded silently. Then, after they reached the café, and they were shown to a private booth, he pulled the table out, to allow T'lenn easy entry to sit down.

T'lenn graciously accepted Jason's polite gesture, although it was unnecessary she didn't say so. "Thank you, Jason." While she watched him take his own seat she asked, "Have I said something to offend you? You are not typically this quiet."

Giving her a soft smile, he shook his head. "Oh, no! You haven't done anything wrong! I'm so sorry that I've made you feel that way." He took a breath and shook his head before continuing. "It's completely my fault. When you turned to face me in the turbolift, I thought I felt something was about to happen, and I got excited. Only, clearly, it was all just in my head."

"What did you think was..." T'lenn started to question, but then an expression of realization came over her face before she finished her sentence. She decided a different response would be more appropriate. "I see. Perhaps I should explain something abo---"

She was interrupted by a server arriving to take their drink orders. "Have you had an opportunity to look at the drink menu? I can get started with those and some appetizers if you know what you'd like."

Jason looked up at the Bolian waiter, and shook his head slightly. "Not yet, sorry. If we could have a few more minutes?"

"Of course sir, ma'am," the waiter said giving a deferential bow as he backed away from the table before turning to walk away.

T'lenn tilted her forhead foreward graciously toward the Bolian as he was taking his leave.

She turned back to Jason, her hands resting left over right on top of the table. "I was about to bring up the fact that among Vulcans physical contact with one another is extremely rare. And most forms of public displays of affection are considered distasteful." T'lenn recognized that the majority of races that she had served with in Starfleet came from cultures that were not as reserved as Vulcan culture, but it was what she was familiar with.

Jason nodded as he listened. "Then I apologize again. I never meant to do anything to cause you to feel discomfort."

T'lenn angled her head toward Jason in an effort to come across less unapproachable. "It was not my intention to express discomfort. There is no need to apologize. If we are to spend more time together, I was simply trying to prevent future miscommunication."

"I appreciate that, T'lenn," he replied honestly. "If you are willing, I would like to spend more time with you."

If one were paying very close attention they would have caught the faintest hint of a smile beginning to form on T'lenn's lips before she spoke. "Did my suggestion that we share a meal here together not convey to you that it is agreeable to me that we spend more time together?"

It was a gently asked question. T'lenn's eyebrows raised inquisitively as she waited for his answer, her expression still soft - not as severe as she typically carried herself.

He blushed slightly, then he chuckled softly. Reaching out under the table, he gently laid his hand upon her right knee. "I'm still excited that you do wish to spend time with me, T'lenn. I am honored by your continued presence."

"You have been persistent with sharing your emotional response toward me since our first encounter. I am still curious as to how ones emotions could be as powerful as you claim - and persistent, when yet we still know very little about one another," T'lenn reminded him gently.

Jason nodded his head in agreement. "I admit and agree, it has only been a short time that we have known one another. However, to use the Human adage, 'the heart wants what it wants'. When I first saw you, I admit that I found you very attractive. As we have been spending more time together, I am finding myself drawn to you more and more, wanting to learn all there is about you."

"Since our server will be returning shortly, perhaps we should begin with learning one another's beverage preferences," T'lenn suggested. "I usually select water or a light tea, but for special occasions I prefer white wine over ales and liquors."

Jason nodded as he listened. "I don't usually drink beer either. When I'm on flight rotation, I only drink fruit juices or water. To relax, I could go for a sparkling wine or a mojito."

"And this evening?" T'lenn asked picking up the menu. "Shall we order a sparkling white wine? It is our first date." T'lenn looked at him inquisitivly.

A happy grin started to spread across Jason's face, though he controlled it, as they were out in public. "That sounds like a great idea."

The waiter returned to their table, and Jason requested both two glasses of sparkling white eine, and a bottle of Altair water. "Excellent choice, Sir. And will we be having any appetizers tonight?"

"We're still trying to figure that out," Jason replied with an spogetic smile. The then paused and looked at T'lenn. "Unless you know what you'd like to do?"

"Do you like baked brie?" T'lenn asked Jason having glanced at the menu briefly.

"Actually, I've never had it." Jason smiled and nodded. Looking back up at the waiter, he relayed what T'lenn had mentioned.

Once the server had left, T'lenn returned to looking at the menu. Without moving her head she turned her eyes toward Jason and reminded him, "He will ask us what we want as our main course when he returns."

Nodding, Jason replied. "And does anything strike your fancy?" He asked as he looked over the menu himself.

"I believe I will try their blue leaf salad," T'lenn responded. "And you?"

Knowing that Vulcans don't eat meat, and they tend to find the practice off-putting, Jason decided to look at the fish section instead the meat section. "Perhaps the shrimp salad. The description sounds good."

"I did not wish to inconvenience our servers by not being prepared to order," T'lenn explained, just as a petite woman with short blonde hair approached carrying a tray that had their bottle of wine and two glasses of water.

"Let me just set this down, and give you your waters," the server said as placed the tray on the far corner of the table. After handing Jason and T'lenn their glasses of water, the server placed the two wine glasses on the table in front of her as she began to uncork the bottle.

Once their wine was poured, the server placed a glass in front of them and took their orders. In the meantime the Bolian waiter returned with the baked brie and asked them twice if they needed anything else before leaving the table.

"You have never had baked brie before?" T'lenn asked. The brie was covered by a flaky crust that had been drizzled with honey, and was plated with baguette slices along with grapes, figs, and pear and apple slices.

Jason shook his head, then inhaled the sweet aroma of the appetizer. "No, never. Though it does smell delicious!"

T'lenn handed Jason a small plate. "It can be eaten plain, or with any combination of the accouterments you see here." T'lenn used the serving knife to cut off a section of warm cheese and placed in on a baguette and use a fork to add a slice of pear, and put the prepared appetizer on Jason's plate before making one for herself.

"Were you successful with your meditation after I left the holodeck this afternoon?" She asked.

As he took the offered plate, Jason nodded as he listened. Using his fork, he took a few slices of pear, then waited for T'lenn to have her plate before trying the appetizer. After she asked her question, he nodded again. "Yes, actually. I was able to quiet my mind almost to where it is when I'm flying."

T'lenn had taken her food and cut a piece, as she lifted the fork to her mouth she looked toward Jason with only her eyes, "Perhaps you are better off with your mediations without me as a distraction," T'lenn suggested.

Jason took a bite, made an approving face, then finished the good that was in his mouth before replying. "No. While I do get excited around you, I also need your guidance. Your voice is soothing. I would rather we continue this journey together."

"I have already agreed to go on a date with you, should it end well, you clearly would no longer need to use meditation practice as an excuse to spend time together." T'lenn gave Jason a look that made him wonder if she was teasing him, but continued before he could answer. "Speaking of which, perhaps we should next discuss other interests that we might have in common."

Jason stopped eating and gave T'lenn a curious look, then replied. "I don't think of it as an excuse to spend time with you, T'lenn. I honestly enjoy your company and wish to spend as much time with you as I can." He picked up his wine and took a sip, before continuing. "As fort other interests, you already know that I like to paint and draw. I also enjoy reading, playing various types of card games, swimming, and climbing. What about you? What are some of your interests?"

"On Vulcan my primary studies were in alien archaeology and geoscience. Climbing and swimming were often necessary - and not disagreeable - components of field work," T'lenn offered.

"Well alright then!" He exclaimed quietly. "We should go climbing together, then we could relax on a gorgeous beach."

T'lenn regarded Jason's enthusiasm with quiet interest. "A logical suggestion," T'lenn agreed. "Do you have any favorite locations or shall we explore somewhere new?"

He thought about her question for a few beats, then replied. "While I do, I think it would be more logical for us to both try something new together, to help strengthen our connection. Later, we could share our favorite locations with one another."

"Have we planned our second date already?" T'lenn inquired. Whether it was Jason or the wine, she was beginning to relax a little. The softened tone she had taken with Jason earlier was breaking through her typical Vulcan-learned demeanor. T'lenn's eyes reflected the candlelight, the lavender eyeshadow highlighting the green flecks in her light brown eyes. Behind her the waiter was approaching with their food.

Jason was about to reply, but held off at the waiter approached.

> > > To Part Two > > >

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