Disclaimer: Still don't own them, if I did I would hire DWP and Aikiweezie as writers. I bet things would have gone a lot smoother! ;)
A/N—Hi everyone! This one is a direct sequel to Rest and Relaxation Blues. While it's not strictly necessary to have read RandR Blues, I'm sure it will help with some of the inside jokes. Originally when I wrote R and R Blues, I had no intention of a sequel but you all are really persistent!!! Oh and Reeven? I promise a sequel to You think You Know Someone in the next two weeks or so.
Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! It's really a help…that said this is really a bit of fluff!
LOVE AND WAR
Breathe in, breathe out.
Rick continued the mantra in his head as he pushed his tired legs into a sprint for the last quarter mile of his daily run. He pushed every other thought from his mind as he saw his quarters come into view. Reaching the front step, he stopped to catch his breath and stretch. Finally, he walked into the house and stopped dead in his tracks.
Maybe it was because he was hardly ever in his own home, or maybe it was because today he knew he had a guest coming over, but he suddenly realized his house was a mess.
More like a level five disaster area.
He looked around and saw several days' worth of coffee and tea cups, the dirty dishes from several hurried meals and a virtual mountain of laundry. He also realized that he had neglected to open all the windows when the weather had finally turned nice again and as a result there was a stale odor to the air. When he looked at the clock and saw that it was a quarter to nine, he decided his shower could wait and he scurried to try to make his home somewhat presentable.
Lisa would be over in forty-five minutes.
Lisa wondered why on earth she was so nervous. It wasn't like she didn't see and speak to Rick almost every day, the little voice in her mind that seemed to pop-up when she was her most self conscious chose that moment to strike.
True, I see him everyday on duty but not casually in his home.
It had been two weeks since the cookout at the Admiral's house and they had just now been able to coordinate their days off so that they could each make good on their promises. So here she was at 8:30 in the morning with every article of clothing she owned tossed around her bedroom, trying to find something that didn't make her look like she was forty years old. She bit her lip and surveyed what remained in her closet. Finally, she decided on a pair of faded blue jeans that she hardly ever wore and a short sleeve crimson button-down shirt that was just a little tight.
They had decided to be totally spontaneous and not make any firm plans, and Lisa found that she was really looking forward to not having to adhere to a schedule for once. While she enjoyed the discipline of a military life, she did occasionally need to leave it behind. Maybe she could talk him into going into town for the afternoon. It might be nice to just walk around and window shop or have a long, lingering, lunch.
Face it, Lisa. You don't really care what the two of you do as long as Rick's there with you.
It was true that a perfect day, in her opinion, would be any day that she could spend alone with Rick Hunter. Glancing at the clock, she realized she had better get a move on or she would be late. She really didn't want to keep him waiting.
Maybe she'll be late!
Rick realized it would never happen even as the thought crossed his mind. Lisa Hayes was Miss Punctuality. And normally, it didn't bother him at all. In fact, he really liked that he could count on her doing exactly what she said she would, when she said she would. It was a refreshing change from Minmei's cavalier attitude about keeping appointments. Minmei rarely ever called or showed up when she said she would.
He felt his mind begin to wander and firmly returned to the task at hand. He had finally managed to gather up his dirty laundry from all the various places it had decided to hide since the last time he had done laundry and was now in the process of seeing how much he could fit into a single load. He also had the water in the kitchen sink running over a stack of dirty dishes and he had managed to locate the ancient vacuum cleaner in his hall closet and moved it to where it now waited in the kitchen.
All of a sudden, he heard the distinct sound of splashing coming from the kitchen just as his doorbell rang.
"Come on in! It's open!" Rick sprinted for the kitchen and the door when he found himself careening helplessly towards the counter as he slid on the water from the sink. He dropped the laundry basket on the floor in an effort to try to save his skull; he tripped over the vacuum cord and landed sprawled at Lisa's feet.
"What on earth? Are you ok?!?" Lisa took in the scene before her, from the water on the floor, to the vacuum that looked like it was from the dark ages, to the laundry basket that was overflowing and finally to Rick, where he lay unmoving before her.
Rick didn't know what was worse, the pain from his fall or the injury to his pride, when all of a sudden he heard a choking sound from above him. There stood his CO, red-faced and shaking with tears running down her face as she tried gallantly to hold in her laughter.
Rick groaned and pulled himself into a sitting position. "Yeah, I'm fine. Try not to be so concerned, will ya?"
After a moment, Lisa got control of herself and helped Rick up, then moved over to turn off the water that had been merrily cascading all over his floor the entire time.
"I'm sorry Rick, but you should have seen what I saw! What is going on in here anyway? I've seen less confusion during a battle than in here!" Lisa couldn't help but tease him a little but she didn't want him to get sore at her either.
Finally, Rick took a look around and saw the water all over the place, the vacuum on its side where he had knocked it over when he'd tripped over the cord and the laundry spilled from the basket, now serving to sop up the water on the tile floor. "I'm, uh…cleaning, can't you tell?" Rick began to chuckle as he finally got the joke and that was all Lisa needed to start her own laughing fit again.
"Stop," Lisa gasped with tears running down her face again, "please…I can't breathe!"
Rick felt his own sides ache as he tried to catch his breath and finally after a few more minutes he managed to regain control.
Twenty minutes later, they were seated at his tiny kitchen table, drinking some coffee as Rick relayed his morning adventures in household chores.
"And that's just about when you arrived." He could seem the gleam of amusement in her eyes and could tell by the way they sparkled that she was in a high humor.
For her part, Lisa listened to the tale without saying a word. She was afraid if she opened her mouth she would start laughing all over again and besides, if she read what he was saying correctly, all of this chaos had been brought on by the fact that he wanted to impress her. She felt butterflies take flight in her stomach and decided she didn't want to think too hard about that.
"Well, none of this is getting done with us just sitting around. I think two senior officers of the RDF should be able to straighten this place up in no time. I'll start with the dishes," Lisa declared firmly.
"Aww, Lisa, it's your day off, I don't want to make you deal with this stuff. Let's just go out somewhere and do something else."
"Sure, and leave this here until the next time you have the time to deal with it? Isn't that how it got like this to begin with? Come on, Rick, it won't be so bad. Besides, it's your day off too. Anyway, it isn't everyday I get to do something so, well, normal as cleaning."
After a moment's consideration, he realized that she was right. If left alone, he wouldn't deal with it until he had no clean dishes or clean clothes left at all. Never mind how long it would take him to get around to vacuuming the place. It wasn't like he was a slob, it was he was just usually so busy and when he did have time off, cleaning was his last priority. Luckily, it seemed like Lisa understood that and didn't hold it against him.
"Ok, you win, I'll grab the mop."
"Oh, you actually own one of those, do you?"
Lisa ducked as the apron Rick was getting for her was suddenly tossed directly at her head and decided not to push her luck.
Thirty minutes later, Rick could hear Lisa humming in the kitchen along to the radio as he struggled to get the screens in place and remove his storm windows. She had already done the dishes and wiped down all his appliances and now she was getting ready to dust his living room.
He watched her from outside his living room window as she finished putting the now clean and dry dishes away. For a moment, he felt his heart race as he realized how much he enjoyed seeing her in his home. It was really rather sweet of her to help him out like this and he felt his pulse rate quicken again as he watched her tap her feet and sway just a little to the music. He realized he had never seen her in quite this setting before. It was the first time she had ever actually appeared so relaxed and carefree. At least around him.
He wondered if he could get away with the thought he was having. After a moment's consideration, he decided to have a little fun with her to get back at her for teasing him earlier in the morning. Quickly, he set the last storm window in his shed and picked up his garden hose as he moved stealthily around the front of his house. He released the pressure switch on the hose and aimed for the window, calling out her name. Just as he hoped she would, she turned and looked for him out the window. He brought the hose up to spray full at the window figuring to scare her just a little.
That was when he realized he had miscalculated. Badly.
Later, he would swear it had happened in slow motion. He had not realized that Lisa had opened the window to catch the afternoon breeze. He watched in surprised horror as the steady stream of water sailed in through the open window to completely drench Lisa. For a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other but Lisa was quicker to recover than Rick and she sprinted out the door with the bucket of now dirty water she had used to mop his floor in tow.
Rick saw her coming and realized only a second too late what her intentions were. "Lisa, I really didn't…" He didn't have a chance to finish the statement as the entire contents of the bucket reached its mark and drenched him completely with gritty water.
Lisa watched as the water dripped from his nose and hair. "Now we're even, flyboy!"
After a moment, Rick gave in and conceded defeat. "You don't fight fair!" he said as the two made their way back into the house to dry off.
"No, I fight to win," Lisa replied, accepting the towel he handed her. "I suppose I should head home and get changed."
He could hear the regret in her voice and realized he was having too good of a time to let it end now. He didn't want her to go.
"Wait! Why don't you take a shower here and I'll throw your things in the dryer. After all…the water from the hose was clean." He wrinkled his nose at her, indicating the grit and dirty water that had soaked him.
"Well, that would be fine but this shirt isn't supposed to go in the dryer."
Rick was puzzled. "What kind of shirt doesn't go in the clothes dryer?"
Lisa couldn't help but giggle. "The kind that has to be dry-cleaned, hotshot."
Rick felt like a heel. "Look, I'm really sorry. You've gotta let me pay for the dry cleaning then. But hey, until then I've probably got a t-shirt or something you can wear." At her skeptical look he continued, "I know it'll be a little big on you but hey, it's just us, right? Please? I'm really enjoying being with you today."
She felt her cheeks go pink and as those omnipresent butterflies took wing once again, she realized that he was being totally honest with her.
He could see she was wavering and so he pressed on, "Look, go ahead and take a hot shower, by the time you're done I'm sure your jeans will be dry and I'll have a shirt ready for you. Then, we can decide what to do with the rest of the afternoon, uh, after I get a shower, that is."
With her inner voice screaming at her, Lisa found herself agreeing to the plan and she couldn't help but smile as she saw the relief wash over him as he let out a breath. Ten minutes later, she was showering when she heard Rick's knock on the bathroom door.
"Uh, hey Lisa, your jeans are almost dry but I thought you might want to use my robe until they're done. When it's finished I'll leave your stuff in the bedroom. You can get changed in there. I'm just gonna set it down on the sink real quick, ok?"
"Sure, Rick. Thanks." Lisa saw the silhouette as Rick opened the door and quickly placed the robe on the sink and backed out. "I'll be done in just a minute!" she called at the retreating figure.
Rick stepped out of the bathroom and was glad he was alone for the moment. He needed to get his blushing under control. He had tried not to look, but hell he was only human, and a guy after all. He couldn't help but see her silhouette behind the shower curtain and he couldn't deny that the shadowed image of a slim, athletic, beautiful young woman had had an effect on him. She really could be very attractive when she wasn't screaming at him for something, which was, to his deepening regret, far too often.
Ten minutes later, Lisa stepped out of the shower and donned his robe. It was much too large for her but she found herself comfortably enveloped in his scent. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she thought about their day together so far. It had been so much fun just to be with him and doing normal things with no outside pressures. And best of all, Rick seemed to be enjoying it too. He hadn't wanted her to leave. But one thought was overriding all the others at the moment.
Wait until I tell Claudia I got naked at Rick's house.
Laughing, she passed Rick in the hall and shook her head at his confused look. She made her way to his bedroom to get dressed. Once inside his bedroom, she couldn't help herself - she had to take a look around. Neatly laid out on his rumpled bed were her things and the shirt he had promised her.
Loathe to give up his robe just yet, she found herself looking at the small collection of personal items he had on display. Hanging above his bed was the Fokker biplane that Roy had given him on that fateful day. She could see the cracks where the plane had broken when he had learned of his friend's death.
Over on a bedside table sat a gray and black "thinking cap." Startled, she realized that it had once belonged to Roy. She had wondered who had ended up with it and shook her head.
I should have figured it would be Rick.
She smiled softly as she ran her fingers over the helmet. Turning away from the sad reminder of the lost fighter pilot, she saw a collection of colognes on his dresser. She winced as she saw the scent he favored above the others. It was in a little silver bottle that had been engraved:
Merry Christmas, Rick. Think of me when you wear this!
Minmei
Sighing, she put the bottle back on the dresser and resolved to go get dressed and stop her snooping around. It was then that she spotted the poster he had of Minmei hanging across from his bed.
What on earth did you expect, Lisa? He's never lied to you about her. You knew how he felt about her going in. He's been nothing but honest with you! So shape up and enjoy today for what it is!
She decided for once that her inner voice was right and quickly tried to recapture her good mood. After all, he did say he was enjoying being with her and that he didn't want her to leave. Maybe it would just take some more time. One thing Lisa was good at was being patient. She had waited for years for Karl and if she could wait that long for him, then she could be patient for Rick. Claudia was right; she had to be more outgoing towards him. She had to show him there was more to her than the military lifer and martinet he sometimes saw. She had never backed away from a challenge, so why should now be any different?
Having made up her mind, she reached for the soft, cotton shirt Rick had left out for her and pulled it on over her still-damp hair. It was a gray shirt and was indeed long on her but not tremendously so and after a quick glance in the mirror, she decided she could live with her appearance. Especially since she now had the added benefit of wearing something that held his scent.
Smiling gently, Lisa walked over and decided to make his bed for him. She didn't want to make him self-conscious but she couldn't stand to leave it a mess. It was just a part of her personality.
A moment later, she was headed into the kitchen where she heard him on the phone.
"No, I can't make dinner tonight, Max. Thank Mirya for me but I've got plans." He laughed for a moment and then said, "No, Max tell Mirya it has nothing to do with her cooking but I'm hoping to be able to make dinner for Lisa tonight. Yes, Max, Captain Hayes. Hey! What do you mean what did I do to her? Can't two friends just have dinner together without it having to always be an apology?" He listened for another moment and then got a look on his face like he had tasted something unpleasant. "Whaddya mean, not us two?!" Rick shook his head and laughed again. He hung up the phone, smiling when he saw her waiting in the doorway.
"I hope I'm not keeping you from something, Rick," Lisa began but stopped when he waved off her concern.
"Nah, it's not a big deal. Besides, I was hoping to prove to you that I could actually cook. I wanted to make you dinner. It's the least I can do after the…" He waved vaguely in the direction of the window.
Lisa wanted to look stern, she wanted to appear intimidating, but the pleading look in his big, round, eyes combined with the fact that the water fight had really been a lot of fun conspired to make her mouth twitch and a smile soon followed.
"Oh, it's alright, Rick. I haven't even worn that shirt in about three years. Besides, I had fun."
Rick mimed wiping the sweat from his brow and said, "But you will let me cook dinner for you, right? I did promise at the cookout after all."
Lisa decided to leave him hanging for the moment as she pretended to consider his offer. As if there was any doubt that she would stay for dinner with him!
"Oh, I suppose. Besides, the girls will never believe it unless I can indeed verify that you know which end of the pan to use on the stove."
He narrowed his eyes at her and tried to decide if she was actually teasing him and when he saw wicked glint come to her eyes, he knew he'd been had.
"Hmph! See if I make you anything for dessert tonight!"
"No hardship there, Rick. I never eat dessert. A lady has to watch her figure after all," Lisa replied.
Rick took a moment to study the woman before him. She was taller than most women he knew, except Claudia, and she had a tiny waist but he could also tell that she was athletic and probably stronger than she looked. He liked how the jeans seemed to be worn in all the right places and he thought their general look and color flattered her. He noticed too that although she had his shirt tucked in, that it would probably come almost to her knees but despite its length, it was just a little bit tight across her chest. He couldn't believe he had never noticed how attractive she was.
"Lisa, what are you talking about? You don't need to skip dessert! In fact, you should probably have yours and mine!" He watched as her skin flushed with a pretty blush and chuckled when she opened her mouth but nothing came out.
Lisa was taken aback and flattered by his statement. It wasn't phrased as a pick-up line and it also wasn't some over the top flowery compliment. That could only mean it was his honest opinion.
Was he actually saying in a round about way that he found her attractive?
She decided a change in subject was in order before she completely lost her composure. "Well, flyboy, if you're going to make us dinner, I think given the state of your refrigerator we need to do some provisioning!"
Rick came to attention and saluted her. "Aye, aye, Captain!
"Rick! There's been nothing wrong with the last three pineapples I've handed you!" Lisa had her hands on her hips and was glaring at Rick, reminding herself that Admiral Gloval frowned on murder and that murdering Skull Leader in particular would not help her get a promotion.
Aside from the fact that she was in love with him.
"The first two weren't ripe and the last one was too small," Rick replied as he picked out a pineapple that looked almost exactly like the other three to Lisa. "Now this one's perfect," he pronounced and tossed it into the cart.
"Why exactly do we need pineapple anyway?" Lisa watched as Rick moved them towards the candy aisle. She had never been particularly adept at the culinary arts, preferring her academic studies instead. As a result, when she was home she either ordered take-out or heated up a quick premade meal in her microwave. She was mystified when he began choosing between baking chocolate and melting chocolate, between bittersweet and semi-sweet varieties.
"Because, it's going to be part of dessert. Patience, Lisa. I promise you'll love it!" Having chosen the ingredients for dessert, he began to search for something unique for his main course. He wanted to impress her but not show off, so he was thinking something relatively simple would be best.
"Rick, what exactly are you looking for?" Lisa asked for the fourth time. Finally, he chose a nice cut of meat that would make a really tender roast beef. She wasn't trying to aggravate him, he decided. She was just being her. If she didn't understand something then she instantly began a quest for the knowledge she was missing. He kind of admired that about her, even though it did occasionally drive him to distraction.
"Trust me, getting the right cut of meat is essential. They all have different cooking times and textures. I'm looking for the one that will be just right for us. Oh, I forgot to ask if you like your potatoes mashed or baked?"
Lisa looked at him like he had suddenly started speaking Zentradei. "Um either, I guess. I've never really thought about it."
"Ok, baked it is." As Rick moved along picking out the supplies for dinner, Lisa began pointing out a few things that she noticed were lacking at his place.
"Oh hey, you're out of paper towels. And look they're on special this week." He watched as she tossed three rolls into the cart. A moment later, some furniture polish made its way into the basket. A few minutes after that, she was adding a new soap dish and toothbrush holder for his bathroom which she said "would match nicely and stop him leaving toothpaste marks on his sink".
Finally, they were standing in the check-out line and he noticed Lisa picking up a tabloid magazine which she was flipping through as they waited. He couldn't resist.
"So anything interesting in there about the lady that gave birth to triplets, with the heads of goats and hooves where their feet should be?" He had his head tilted and was reading off the cover of the magazine she had chosen.
For the third time that day, Lisa felt herself blush, "I'm not actually interested in it! It's just something to pass the time while we wait." As Rick burst out laughing, Lisa smacked the back of his head with the magazine.
"Oh yeah! You mean to tell me that if I check your locker on the ship, you won't have a single one of these rags hidden away?" He saw the guilty look in her eyes and pointed at her in victory. "You do, don't you!"
"Ok! I admit that I will occasionally read something less than reputable for its entertainment value. Does that surprise you?" She glowered at him as he stood unrepentant before her.
"Not at all, everybody has something like that, Lisa. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Here, I'll even get this one for you as a peace offering." He took the magazine she had recently used as a weapon and placed it with his stuff on the checkout belt.
A few moments later and they were making their way back to his quarters. Rick hadn't realized how much they had actually bought until he was struggling to hold all four bags as they walked home.
"You know, Rick, I am capable of carrying a grocery bag. It's one of the many talents they taught me at the academy." Lisa watched as he began to lose his balance and grinned when he just barely recovered.
"I got it, Lisa, besides you shouldn't have to carry the groceries. It's not polite."
"When have you ever worried about being polite with me, flyboy?" Lisa had stopped walking and was hailing a cab. "Come on, my treat."
Rick tried to protest but she was already getting in the cab. "Get in Rick, don't make me pull rank!" She was getting exasperated with him, there was such a thing as taking chivalry to the extreme and he was getting perilously close to that point.
He could hear the edge in her voice and decided they were getting to the point where the next thing he said or did would either calm her down or send them into one of their famous tiffs.
He passed her the bags as he got into the cab and was rewarded when he saw the grim set of her jaw relax.
"Thanks, Lisa. I don't usually get this much stuff. I guess I wasn't thinking." He rubbed the back of his neck shamefacedly.
"It's not a problem, Rick but you should know I don't mind getting my hands dirty and I don't mind helping." She was still exasperated with him, he could tell.
"Oh believe me, I know that. We all do. All the pilots have heard about some of the stuff the bridge crew gets involved in. Sometimes I think I have the easier job. I don't have to manage the Trio."
Lisa laughed at his obvious attempt to lighten the mood. "Yes, they certainly can be a handful. They mean well, though, and I know when it comes right down to it that each one of them can handle whatever might be thrown at them."
"It's good to have that kind of confidence in your team. I know I feel the same way when I fly out with Max and Mirya. Some things just don't need to spoken. And it's always different if I have an unusual set of wingmen. I find myself checking and double checking. It's a little nerve-wracking actually," Rick confessed.
While Lisa appreciated his confiding in her, part of her was kicking herself for the turn the conversation had taken. She was trying to think of how to get the conversation off of work-related matters when they arrived at his quarters.
As Rick got out of the cab, he tried to get Lisa to let him pay for the ride. He was holding his card out to the cabby when she spoke.
"Knock it off Rick! I said my treat. Consider it a thank you for dinner." Gently, she pushed his hand away and he felt a little jolt when she touched him. Surprised, he met her eyes and saw that she was flushing slightly again.
He cleared his throat and said, "Well, if you put it that way, I guess I can't refuse, can I?"
"Of course not, besides I still make more than you." She was teasing him again, deliberately calling to mind the night when he had tried to buy her a soda. She had ended up treating him, reminding him that due to her rank she made more than he did. It was something of a private joke between them and he felt himself loosen up.
"Yeah, about that, one of these days I'm going to outrank you! Then I'll be pulling rank all the time!"
Lisa had felt the tingle in her hand when she had touched him and was taken aback to see something she couldn't explain in his eyes when she had looked at him. Whatever it was, it caused the butterflies to fly once more and she had flushed slightly. She was glad he was teasing her again; she just wasn't ready to examine what she had thought she had seen in his eyes.
"The day you outrank me, Hunter, will be the day I resign," she smirked as he opened the door and allowed her to precede him back into his quarters.
"We'll see about that," he challenged. He began to move around the kitchen unpacking groceries and pulling out various pans.
An hour later, Lisa was amazed at the scents that filled the kitchen. Rick hadn't been kidding when he said he could cook. She had seen him do things that she would never have expected. He had seasoned the roast and had made gravy from scratch. He had the potatoes baking and he was currently heating chocolate in a double boiler.
"Are you sure there's nothing I can help you with, Rick? I may not be the best in the kitchen but I'm pretty sure I can follow directions," she said slyly.
Rick turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow sardonically. "Why Lisa, are you offering to follow my orders?"
"Not on your best day!" She scowled and glared at him while he whistled and completed some mystifying task at the stove.
"Sure, if you want to you can chop the pineapple. We want pieces to go on the end of the toothpicks. You know, bite size." Rick handed her the pineapple, a cutting board and a knife.
Lisa shot Rick a poisonous look as she took the pineapple, knife and board from him. "Yes, thank you, I know what bite size is!" She began chopping the fruit as she heard him snickering from the stove.
Finally, dinner was ready and Rick began to serve the two of them. He felt a stab of pleasure when he saw the appreciation in Lisa's eyes. Being a loner for most of the past ten years or so, he seldom got the chance to cook for an audience.
"Madame, dinner is served." Rick used his best fake accent as he passed a plate to his guest. "Go ahead, dig in!"
"It looks absolutely wonderful. I have to admit, I am surprised. When you said you could cook I didn't expect anything like this!" Lisa's eyes widened and then closed in pleasure when she took her first bite.
Rick laughed to himself as he watched Lisa's reaction.
"I'm glad you like it. I've gotta say I've really enjoyed today. Not just the chance to cook for you but just the whole day. I haven't had this much fun in a long time."
"You know, I can't remember the last time I was able to have a whole day with no schedules or commitments. And how do I spend it? Cleaning and grocery shopping!" Lisa shook her head, laughing at herself. "Boy, I'm surprised people aren't standing in line to spend time with me. A real party animal," she finished somewhat sadly.
Rick saw the sadness in her eyes and heard the hurt behind the self-deprecating humor. "What are you talking about? I'm enjoying being with you and what's more; I really like doing the mundane things like today. It reminds me that there's life beyond the military, beyond flying even. When I'm off I like to have quiet days, I get enough excitement at work!" He congratulated himself when he saw the sadness lift from her eyes. Rick couldn't help but notice that she had very expressive eyes. He wondered why he had never noticed them before.
"I know exactly what you mean, sometimes I think the perfect day would be sitting by the window reading a good book or just sitting in the sunshine listening to some music. Then some voice inside me says that I'm wasting time or that I should be doing something productive."
Rick thought for a moment and then decided to ask a question he'd always wondered about but never dared to ask her before. "Is that how come you're always pushing yourself? I mean, top of your class at the academy, first officer by twenty-four. It seems like you're always looking for some way to get better than everyone else." He grimaced at the way he sounded and hoped she wouldn't get too mad at him.
Way to go, Rick. Why don't you just tell her that those jeans make her ass look fat while you're at it? Boy, real charming today, aren't you?
Lisa's first reaction was to snap at him and call him a dope, but she forced herself to take a sip of the wine he had provided and think over his question. When she thought she had what he was really asking figured out, she took a breath and began, "My mother died when I was very young, Rick. That left just Father and I. My father had always been proud of the military tradition in my family but after Mother was gone it was like his work was the only thing that helped him. I wanted his attention and his approval so I began to push myself. I guess I thought that if I was better than everyone else, he would have to take notice of me. That's how it began, I guess. Eventually, though, I realized I really enjoyed my classes and when I joined the Academy, I discovered I had a natural ability towards command. So I worked hard and became the best. Now I guess it's just a habit. I don't feel like I've given it my best if I haven't given it everything I have."
Lisa was looking down at the table, toying with her spoon, when he reached over and took her hand to get her attention. Startled, she looked up into his eyes which were sympathetic but thankfully held no pity.
"I can understand that but I really hate to see you push yourself so much that you burn out. You need to make time for yourself. Go read that book in the sun! Even if you have to tie yourself to the chair!"
Lisa sputtered with laughter as Rick got the oddest look on his face.
"I didn't mean…" he stuttered.
"I know, hotshot, I know. But thank you. It's good advice."
"Naturally", he replied arrogantly, as Lisa groaned.
"Rick, is it supposed to look like that?"
Lisa had a dubious look on her face as she looked at his chocolate fondue fountain, which was gurgling in front of them on the kitchen table. It looked like warm liquid mud.
"Sure, try it Lisa, its warm and melty and perfect with the pineapple you so expertly chopped," he grinned as he held up two pieces of pineapple that were completely different sizes.
"Oh stow it, flyboy!" Lisa reached over and allowed the chocolate to run over a piece of chilled pineapple before popping it into her mouth. She had to admit it was good.
Rick began munching happily on the chocolate-covered pineapple.
Finally, the last of the pineapple was gone and Lisa was contemplating the pile of dishes in the sink. Rick followed her gaze and knew he wasn't going to be able to get out of dish duty tonight.
"You wash, I'll dry," Lisa offered.
Rick was in trouble. He was in danger of losing everything he had gained. If his next move wasn't perfect, it would be over. He felt the pressure of the battle descend on his shoulders. Quickly, he made a decision.
"I'll see you and raise you by fifteen," he tossed out confidently, making a show of fanning his cards.
Lisa narrowed her eyes at him and said, "You're bluffing. All in." Lisa confidently pushed all the rest of her riches into the pot between them.
Rick felt like he'd been sucker-punched.
How did she know he was bluffing?
"Dammit, I fold!" Rick tossed his cards to the side and pushed her winnings towards her.
"Wonderful! I've always wanted half a bag of stale of pretzel sticks, Rick. How did you know?" Lisa remarked with saccharine sweetness. She was gloating and loving it.
"Yeah, that's me. A gift for all occasions! So tell me, how did you know I was bluffing?" he asked curiously.
Lisa decided she had nothing to lose by telling him. It wasn't like he didn't have more than one "tell", after all. "When you bluff, you always lean back in your chair and play with your cards."
"Huh, that's good to know. I should bring you down to the flight deck some time. We have a semi-regular game set up. It would be interesting to see Vince lose to someone. He usually cleans me out! How did you learn to play so well, anyway?"
"When I was at the academy, and later when I roomed with Claudia, we would have a weekly game. It was something to do that wasn't against the rules. We never played for money though. Usually it was shift changes or personal items. You know the Trio, lipstick, nail polish. That type of thing."
"Let me guess, you always won." Rick grinned when that playful smile re-appeared on her face
"Not always, but a fair amount of the time. Claudia can usually whip me good, though."
"So you've been playing for how long?" Rick asked shrewdly.
He watched her smile turn wicked and found an answering grin on his own face. "Oh, let's see, about eleven years now? Give or take a few months."
"And you didn't feel this was knowledge you needed to pass along BEFORE we decided to play poker?"
Lisa shook her head and said sweetly, "Of course not. Why should I tell you that?"
"Sheesh! You really don't fight fair, do you?" Rick leaned back in his chair and regarded her with a sardonic smirk.
"All's fair in love and war, Rick."
It was getting late and Rick insisted on calling a cab for her because he didn't want her to have to walk home. As they waited for the car, she felt awkward for the first time that day. Her shirt had dried by now but she was still wearing his t-shirt and she found herself hoping he wouldn't remember it. She had really enjoyed her day with him and was hoping it would be the start of quite a few more.
"Oh, hey Lisa, don't worry about that shirt. In fact, it looks good on you and I don't usually wear it, so why don't you just keep it." Rick said, trying to break the sudden tension between them. This awkwardness didn't make any sense. They had just spent the day together without even a minor argument, so why should he be feeling like a clumsy adolescent on his first date all of a sudden?
"Thanks, Rick but I'll just wash it and get it back to you."
She heard him sigh and watched as he scrubbed his hand through his hair. "Ok, if that's what you want but it's really no big deal." He stopped as the cab pulled up and he walked down and opened the door for her. "Thanks again, Lisa. It was a great day. Are you on flight control tomorrow?"
Lisa smiled as she looked up at him, "Yes, I'll be there, I have first shift."
"Great," he said sincerely, "I have a two-day patrol starting tomorrow but at least I get to say hi to you in the morning."
"See you then Rick, and thanks again!"
Rick closed the cab door and watched until it turned at the end of his street, wondering why he suddenly felt so lonely. He decided a hot shower would be just the ticket and he grabbed up his robe from his bedroom. It was then that he noticed his bed was made and he realized Lisa must have made it for him. He was oddly touched by the gesture.
Later, as he got ready for bed, wrapped in the comfort of his old worn robe he caught a comforting scent.
Lisa!
The thought made him relax unconsciously and as he settled in to sleep that night, he hoped that he would see her again soon.
A few blocks down, Lisa snuggled into the pillows, breathing in the slightly spiced fragrance of Rick's shirt which she was wearing as a night shirt. She wanted to think about all that had happened over the day, but she soon found that surrounded by his scent she couldn't fight off sleep any longer. Just before she drifted into sleep, her thoughts turned again to Rick's comment about her not fighting fair.
All's fair in love and war, indeed.
She had to wonder which one he thought this was?