I'm Still Interested!

Posted on Fri 5th Oct, 2018 @ 1:05am by Lieutenant Commander Andrew Eberstark

1,063 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Oblivion
Location: Orchids and Jazz, Deck 600
Timeline: MD 15, 2100

Andrew knew the scowl on his face wasn't well camouflaged but, as far as he was concerned, that just meant he wouldn't be stopped on his way to his destination. His pace was slightly quicker than normal as Andrew approached the entrance to Orchids and Jazz. As anticipated, based on general traffic flows over the past two days, the place was slower than normal due to opening week of the casino.

Stopping at the entrance, he greeted Reon Velasquez with a terse nod, "Mind if I grab a seat at the bar?"

"Help yourself," Reon invited. "Plenty of room. Haven't seen you lately, and I know someone who'll be happy to see you."

Andrew nodded, walking past the doorman, "Thank you, Reon." He heard but didn't respond to Reon's thinly veiled reference to Serena. He was hoping but not assuming to run into her. Walking over to the bar, he took a seat and waited to order.

An unfamiliar waiter walked down the bar toward Andrew. He was tall, and graceful, but somehow too beautiful. As it turned out, he was also too polite to be a typical bartender. "How may I serve you this evening, Sir?" Elijah Baley asked.

Slipping up behind Elijah, Serena said, "I'll take care of this one, Elijah."

He nodded, "Yes, Miss Serena," and moved back to the other end of the bar.

"Hello, Andrew. What are you drinking tonight?" she asked, trying to maintain a cool, but friendly attitude, when she really wanted to ask where he'd been lately. They'd seen quite a bit of each other for a while, and then ... nothing. She'd presumed too much, based on too little.

Seeing the woman come over to him made Andrew a bit calmer, but he could tell that something was on her mind. If he had to guess, it would be the inconsistency of of his availability and communication over the past few weeks, but he preferred not to speculate. Even though he was almost certain.

Smiling at her, Andrew tried to match her exterior calm demeanor, "Well, normally Ratzeputz but I think Miss Lantz only has the synthahol version. Do you recommend something that's the genuine article?"

"Actually, hang on a minute. I'll be right back." Serena moved to a small cooling unit at the end of the bar, near the kitchen. Opening it, she reached in to move some things around and then brought out a dark green bottle with a red label. Nodding, she shut the door and returned to Andrew. "Here you go. The last time her supplier was in, he had just one small box of these - six, I think. She got them for you. Frosted glass?"

He grinned and made a mental note to thank Jade the next time he saw her, "Yes, please."

As she went to retrieve the glass, Andrew thought for a moment and continued, "I don't suppose I can convince you to join me, could I?"

Serena set the glass on the bar, deftly pouring about half the Ratzeputz into it. "In this stuff? Not a chance. Ginger isn't my favorite flavor. I shouldn't really drink on duty anyway, but I'll have a lemon Coke with you, until someone comes along and I have to work again."

While making her drink it was quiet between them, and the music of the Maison sisters flowed over them. Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me, anyone else but me, anyone else but me. No, no, no, don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me, 'til I come marching home.

Serena came around and sat on the stool next to Andrew. She set her drink on the bar and smiled at him, asking, "How's work going? Catching all the bad guys lately?"

He shrugged, "You do know that's not my only responsibility on this Starbase right?"

Serena smiled and shrugged, "Yes, but it's also a time-consuming and interesting part."

Taking a fairly large drink, he nodded in approval of the taste, "Since you're still on duty, I feel like I should I make this quick and not take up too much of your time," sighing and taking a breath, he turned to look at her directly. "I wanted to apologize for my lack of availability. I'm not sure if you were able to figure this out, but I'm not exactly the best when it comes to social interactions. That, coupled with the string of events that happened on board, made it easier to be preoccupied. That's not an excuse, but it's the truth."

Pausing in his rambling, Andrew finished, "I'm not assuming you necessarily cared, but I felt that I owed you an explanation. As terrible as it was." Finishing his drink and showing whatever resolve he had left, Andrew added, "And as I realize what I just said, I apologize for dumping this on you all at once."

Surprised, Serena said, "It's fine. I did wonder a little at the absolute silence after we had a good time together, but sometimes things don't click for both parties and they move on." Re-thinking that, she hoped it didn't sound as if she had moved on. Because she hadn't. And was there anything to move on from? That was the thought that bothered her. Yet, Andrew was here, and he was explaining why she hadn't heard from him in a while. Was that good manners only, or something more?

Andrew's body instinctively recoiled at her reaction but he tried his best to understand her reaction, "I hope you believe me when I say that was not my intention," shrugging. "I came here to hopefully explain myself."

Taking a breath, realizing the risk he was about to take, he smiled and went to reach for her hand, "And to say I hope we can continue what we previously had together. As long as both parties are willing to that is."

Serena blinked. "So ... you're saying you were busy, but not disinterested?" she checked her understanding. "And if I'm still interested, you're still interested?"

Andrew face was blank as he processed the simple but apt description and slowly nodded, "I guess that would be a good way to summarize." Smiling as he shrugged, "Sorry for making it so convoluted."

Her smile brilliant, Serena said, "I'm still interested."

 

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