Red, Red Wine, Part II

Posted on Sat 8th Feb, 2020 @ 2:09am by Lieutenant Commander Andrew Eberstark

1,055 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: Eberstark's Quarters
Timeline: MD 4, 1745

Previously, while Andrew wines and dines Serena ...

Placing the glasses at their respective locations, he shifted to the replicator to order a glass of water, "No need to worry about the chilies. I dialed the recipe back a bit, so it shouldn't be too spicy." After setting the water glass next to her wine glass, he playfully asked, "Can I get you anything else this evening, ma'am?"

"Ummm ... maybe later you can peel some grapes for me," she teased back. "For now, this looks fantastic, and smells like a street in Italy."

And now ... the rest of the dinner.

Serena waited until Andrew picked up his fork, and then she took her first bite. "Oh, this is so good!" she exclaimed. "You really are a surprising man."

Raising an eyebrow in suspicion, Andrew studied her face, "You don't have to pretend to like it." He quickly added, "Unless of course you do, in which case you can mainly thank my replicator ordering skills and, of course, my mother's recipe."

"I would never pretend with you, Andrew, about anything," Alia said seriously. Then she smiled, "especially not about food! It's delicious, and if you'd rather the credit go to your mother than you, that's fine with me."

She took another bite, savoring the sun dried smokey flavor of the sauce. "So you've programmed your replicator with your mother's recipes so that you can impress women?" Serena asked.

Andrew sat in silence for a moment, taken aback by the question and trying to formulate an appropriate response. He took a larger than normal sip of his wine and responded, "Well, I never thought about it that way, but hearing that out loud sounds odd. Let me reassure you that is not my intention. Although I'm sure she would be happy to know her recipe is being put to good use."

Looking across the table at Serena's face, Andrew nodded and realized the intent of the question, "But I get the feeling that question was just to make me fidget in my seat wasn't it?"

Now it was Serena's turn to sip the wine. It was an attempt to keep from laughing. "Maybe," she said, putting the glass down precisely in the same spot it had sat before. "Or maybe I just wanted to see what you'd say ... or give you a hard time. I am impressed, in fact, mother's recipe or not. You've put together a great meal, and that's on you, not your mother."

Picking up her fork again, she changed the subject. "Tell me what your favorite music is. I tend toward jazz, of course, with where I work. I hear a lot of it, from all eras, and it's very enjoyable. When I want to relax and be away from everything, though, I go for some of the music the Bajorans play that has religious significance for them. For me, it's calming. I call it temple garden music, and I did ask if they mind if it's played for things other than worship, and they don't. So ... what about you?"

"I enjoy jazz," Andrew responded, "There are so many forms of it that are unique but still draw from the basic rhythms. It allows for a lot of creativity." Taking another bite of his food, he continued, "I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not, but I do play the violin and have been known to dabble with the acoustic guitar. Typically, I lean towards to the classical genre, from Earth or otherwise, when it comes to the violin, but I do enjoy something with a harder beat every now and again." Taking another sip of wine, he asked, "Do you play any instrument?"

"No, that would be Stormeria, my sister. She's the one with all the artistic talent between us. I'm more of a practical sort." She paused to eat and decide whether to reveal who her sister was. With a mental shrug, she decided better now than later. Putting down her fork, she took a fortifying sip of wine, and then said, "You have undoubtedly heard of her, even if her music isn't your type. She plays a metallic zither in her band ... The Storm Clouds."

Andrew raised an eyebrow, "Yea, I'm familiar with their work. One of my friends from home and the Academy is a huge fan. He hasn't successfully dragged me to a live concert, but I've seen my fair share of recreations on the holosuite back on Earth." Remembering from their previous conversations that Serena mentioned that she and Stormeria were distant, Andrew decided not to press the issue and simply responded with, "She and her band are very talented. I did enjoy most of the music I've heard from them. Definitely have a unique sound."

Glancing at her glass, almost empty, Andrew grinned attempting to lighten the mood, "Would you like some more wine?" Shrugging, he grabbed the bottle before she responded, but only poured more for himself. "I don't think a little more would hurt, do you?"

"No, you go ahead. I don't mind, but I don't believe I need more. There's still part of a glass to see me through." She finished her last bite and sat back with a sigh of replete pleasure. "This was a nice change, Andrew. Thank you. Now, tell me," she smiled at him, "when do you plan to bring out the violin and serenade me? Or is it to be the guitar? I can go with either one."

Pouring a half glass for himself, Andrew nodded and laughed, "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed dinner, but I'm sorry to say you shouldn't expect a serenade this evening." Pausing, he looked at his glass, "Unless of course I have significantly more wine, that is. I've tried to keep up with it, but I've been inconsistent with my playing. I need to sharpen my skills before I actually perform for an audience," smiling as he looked at Serena, "especially you."

Seeing both of their plates empty, Andrew placed his napkin on the table and rose to clear them from the table. As he was doing so, he turned and asked, "Would you care for any dessert?"

"I think I know the perfect thing," Serena said, smiling at him wickedly. Before his hopes could rise too high, she added, "Dancing."

 

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