Accidental Meetings

Posted on Sat 8th Apr, 2017 @ 6:03pm by

1,179 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night
Location: Promenade, Decks 595 and 666

Being the assistant manager of Orchids & Jazz was a lot of work, and Serena Alia didn't often take a night off. She'd been long overdue when Jade told her to get out of the restaurant before she had Reon throw her out. She'd gone.

After a long soak in a small private room at Bubble Tubs, Serena decided on shopping. She'd only meant to go window shopping, but buying a new dress was something she also hadn't done in a long time.

Alia looked at herself in the full-length mirror of Galactic Finery. The fabric was red ... and it wasn't. It shimmered from red to something sheer and opalescent and back again as she moved. The underdress felt like silk on her skin, and was close-fitting, but there was another, looser layer on top of that which managed to both hide and reveal her charms. Against her darker skin tones, with the square cut neck just begging for sparkling gems, it was stunning, even more so because it didn't clash with her red-brown hair.

She'd never had a dress that was so contradictory ... demure and bold at the same time. She hadn't touched her profit-sharing dividends in over a year and made the snap decision to own this piece of splendor, and shoes that would match it. When the clerk suggested the clear Shinalian crystal necklace, Serena recklessly went for that, too.

After the bath and the dress, it was natural to stop at Hair Raisin and get the works. And after that, it seemed only right that she plan a night out on the Promenade. So, here she was, all dressed up and ready to go, feeling butterflies in her stomach. How much easier these things were if one had a friend or a date, or anyone at all to meet for dinner.

Le Virage d'Or was elegant. It would have been no matter where it was located. She much preferred the atmosphere and food of Orchids & Jazz, but since she was off duty, she wanted something different. She hadn't counted on the line out the door, however. Raising her head high, she walked past the line to the doorman.

"Can you tell me how long the wait is this evening?" she asked politely.

The man looked her over and decided she was suitable clientele for the restaurant. "I'm afraid it may be well over an hour. You have no reservation?"

"No, coming here was spur of the moment," Serena said ruefully. "I suppose I should have planned ahead, but one never knows when such an opportunity may turn up."

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry, but as you see, there are many people who must have shared your idea this evening." The man actually did sound sympathetic, but there was clearly nothing to be done.

"Thank you," Serena said, smiling at him. As she turned away, she bumped into a very tall man. She was 1.7 meters tall herself, but she had to look up to see this man's chin. He was human, or close enough that she couldn't tell if he weren't. Dressed in a black trousers, with a long black tunic over them, he wore his dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail fastened with a silver-colored clip, though Serena only noticed that later.

"Excuse me," she said and stepped back to move around him.

"No, no, it is entirely my fault," he said, letting go of her arms which he had grasped to help her keep her balance. "You must allow me to atone for my clumsiness. Have dinner with me."

Serena stared at his deep blue eyes dumbfounded. "No, thank you. It's quite alright."

"You would leave me to eat alone?" he asked gently.

"No ... that is, ...." Serena stopped in confusion, then began again. "I don't know you, and there's no need for you to make up for anything. It was entirely my fault for not looking. I all but ran you down. It's very kind of you, but there's really no need."

"There's every need," the man said, his eyes twinkling at her. "I'm a stranger in a strange land, and I meet a beautiful woman by chance. I need to have dinner with her. Please. Say yes. Save a lonely man from a miserable evening."

Flustered, Serena examined his eyes. The eyes are the window of the soul, as she often heard her mother say. If so, his eyes seemed kind and his soul gentle. "Alright," she agreed at last, "dinner. But I'm afraid we won't be able to have it here."

"Nonsense, my dear. There will be an excellent table prepared for us already." He turned to the doorman, who had just let two couples proceed from the line into the restaurant. "Étienne, my table is ready?"

The doorman nodded, knowing it hadn't actually been a question, though phrased as one. "Your usual table, Sir. Robert is ready to escort you." He pulled aside the rope which blocked entrance and Serena preceded the man into the restaurant.

She'd been inside before, when the restaurant was being equipped. Jade had helped the manager find some equipment he'd had no luck securing. Now, in the evening, with the low lighting, decorative touches, and filled with elegantly-dressed diners, it was completely different. She did her best not to appear too gauche as she followed Robert to a table, the man she'd met keeping a hand lightly at her waist.

After they were seated, and the man had ordered a vintage white wine which was often served by Jade, Serena cleared her throat. "My name is Serena Alia. I'm the assistant manager of another restaurant here in the Promenade, Orchids & Jazz."

"Oh, yes, Jade Lantz's place. I know it, and I know Jade. So you are her assistant manager?" An amused smile came and went on his face. "Yet you are here for dinner."

"Something different. It was a spur of the moment idea, and if I hadn't run into you, literally, I would have gone down to Pearl With a Chainsaw and had Chinese, no doubt," she smiled. "So who are you?"

"Oh, my apologies, Miss Alia! How very thoughtless of me!" he exclaimed softly. "My name is Alexander Campbell. I'm a minor administrative attache at the Elgaard Consulate here. They are working on becoming members of the Federation, and I have been assigned to assist in some small ways. Sort of an undersecretary to an undersecretary, as it were."

Somehow, Serena couldn't imagine him being a minor anything, or under anyone else. He had such a commanding presence, though there was an air of gentleness about him. As she studied him, she wondered if it were genuine, or a disguise for a very sharp mind. She rather suspected the latter, and if he were an undersecretary, it was because it suited his purposes for the moment. She smiled at him again and said, "Maybe you are, Mr. Campbell. And maybe you aren't."

She shifted her attention to the waiter who appeared at that moment. This held promise of being a very interesting evening.

 

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