The Tour Continues, Part 2

Posted on Mon Apr 29th, 2024 @ 12:10am by Lieutenant Eirly Andersen & Lieutenant JG Malcolm Beckett M.D.

1,397 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission Interlude Starbase 76 & Serenity
Location: Deck 9 - Restaurants/Shops
Timeline: First Contact Day

"Aye, I suppose I am," Malcolm admitted. "We should head down to Deck 9, where I can make you pick a restaurant for Friday and show you the community gardens."

"Let's go then." She towards the exit and then waited for him to follow so she could fall into step with him. "Speaking of food, and aside from those soups, what is your favourite thing to eat?"

"Oh, probably breakfast, bacon, eggs, pancakes, if I had to choose. What about you?" Malcolm asked as they stepped onto the turbolift. "Deck 9."

"Oh that's a good question!" Eirly thought about it for a moment, "I'm a lover of all foods, but I do love a good old roast, especially if it's pork with crackling, apple sauce, roast veg and all the goodies."

The turbolift stopped on the requested deck and they saw all the different little cafes and restaurants once they stepped out. "Anywhere particular you want to go? If there's a bakery, I wouldn't mind trying it out to see if they compare to mine." She gave him a grin.

"The way you described that roast there, you could get a second career writing menus," Malcolm said lightly." As they stepped off the turbolift the right took them into the shops and restaurants.

"This area just makes a loop, so we might as well walk around it. I do think there's a little bakery back in there somewhere," Malcolm said pointing out the way.

"My writing is terrible, so I'll employ someone else to write for me," She was laughing more at herself than anything. "Maybe we could find a little restaurant for Friday night while we're here?" She started browsing through the windows as they passed.

"That was my evil plan. To see what place you were most excited about, and bring you back here," Malcolm confessed.

Eirly grinned and shot back a comment before poking her tongue out, "Maybe if I show enthusiasm for all of them, then you won't know what to do, will you?"

"You have an ornery streak in you, do ye now?" Malcolm teased. As they walked into the corridor to the right of the turbolift, the scenery began to change as the bland walls turned into shop and restaurant windows, and storefronts.

"I only reserve it for people I like, don't worry." Eirly teased back before going off to look at the closest shops to them. She was hopeful that her playfulness wouldn't scare him off, but he seems to have stuck around so far so...

Malcolm was enjoying the way that Eirly was making him feel tonight. She'd sent him enough signals that he was confident that the chance was his as long as he didn't do anything dumb to mess it up - either tonight or Friday.

"If you try your hand at acting tonight and fool me, then I think you'll only have yourself to blame if the food is terrible on Friday. I know the company this going to be fantastic," Malcolm quipped back.

"I think it's a doctor thing, to have a big ego, isn't it?" Kas was the exact same and Eirly knew both he and Malcolm would get along for sure, maybe even too well. She laughed at her comment and walked back over to face Malcolm and put her hands on his chest lightly, "But that's okay, I like it."

Malcolm looked down at her and found his hands wrapped around her waist. "Ego? I like to think of it as a healthy amount of confidence."

"Confidence is key. After all, that's how we've ended up here." The feeling of his hands around her waist was different to when they were dancing only an hour earlier, but was still welcomed. "But speaking of being here, what are we doing?"

"I thought you were going to find yourself a little restaurant you fancy for Friday. Maybe take some baked goods home?" Malcolm responded with a twinkle in his eye. He let go of her waist and took her hand and continued the walk. "Or were you thinking more existentially?"

"It was more existentially than anything, but I know for sure that I'm going to get all the goods to try out." Eirly replied with a smile.

"We better get moving then," Malcolm answered. It was after shift change, and a few more people started to trickle into the area. The first place they passed was a barbecue restaurant with a sports theme named Boomerangs.

Next up after that was ....

"Sugarplum Cafe: for when you need something to hit that sweet spot." Eirly said out loud as she read the little sign on the window and her eyes lit up. "Now this looks good." Then she looked back at Malcolm, "Not that I'm saying barbecue isn't good, I'm just a sucker for sweet things. And people, like you." She smiled sweetly at him.

The pair went in and after a good ten minutes, they ended up walking out with a large bag full of basically at least one of everything.

"So we're looking for the restaurant with the best dessert menu, I think I can manage that," Malcolm said laughing at the large bag of treats. "I still don't know how you're going to eat all of that before it spoils."

"I have an idea on what to do with it, if you're up for it?" She suggested with a cheeky grin.

"And what idea might that be?" Malcolm asked. He half turned his head to look at her while they walked, her grin matched more by the look in his eyes when he looked at her. Behind his eyes there was the physical attraction, but also amusement at how he'd been caught up in her energy, and a curiosity to know more about her.

"Come back to my quarters and we'll sit on the floor and eat it all while we get to know each other a bit better?" Was her response as she thought about how asking that could go. "I mean, only if you want to, of course."

Malcolm smiled softly as he watched Eirly quickly waiver. "I'd be happy to take you back to your place and maybe get started into that bag of treats there, but I don't know that we'll make much of a dent in it, even if we spend all night."

"Then we can always find a way to keep the rest from getting stale and then take them with us on shift tomorrow then." She smiled back, thinking about what they could do. Now she was just plain excited for it because she genuinely liked the thought of spending ever more time with him.

"You're keen on having plans for everything, and when you don't you have a talent for makin' one up as you go, I take it?" Malcolm asked playfully as they made their way through the loop of restaurants on their way to the turbolifts.

Eirly blushed hard at that statement, not realising that's what she was doing. Come to think of it, that's what she had always done: had a plan and then came up with one on the fly if needed, "Ah crap, that is what I'm doing, isn't it?" Kas had always given her stick about it too. "Maybe you can teach me how not to have plans and just let go?" She added with a bit of a hesitant laugh.

"Now why would I want to do that, when you're quite cute coming up with your quick-witted explanations and all that," Malcolm replied as they exited the food court of sorts and reentered the ordinary corridor.

She just smiled and blushed even harder in response, "You know you've already got me with that accent of yours, and now you want to add that I'm cute? Damn, you're good!" They headed back toward the turbolift and aimed for Deck 6, which is where her quarters were. "I hope you don't mind my quarters, by the way, there is definitely a bit of mess in there."

"A bit of a mess gives it character, doesn't it?" Malcolm asked. Inside the privacy of the turbolift Malcolm resisted the urge to kiss her right there. But he also didn't know what was taking him so long. The two had been spending time together for a few hours already.


To be continued...

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