7.
Scotty walked Julie down to her quarters late Saturday night after thier movie was over. Julie had to admit she enjoyed the movie immensely. And as usual she enjoyed her time with Scotty.
"I can see why that movie is considered as much a classic as the novel. Frances Ford Coppola makes Dracula seem so sexy," she said reflectively, watching him as he walked beside her.
Scotty smiled in response. "Until he bites yer neck and drains ye dry."
She laughed. "Yeah that kinda puts a damper on the romance, huh?"
"I have a bound copy of the novel if ye wanted to borrow it sometime," he offered glancing over at her.
"I would love that."
He didn't try to hold her hand or put an arm around her waist, and she wondered if she had exaggerated the whole idea of a date. As they reached her door, she decided to ask him about it.
"Scotty, was this a date?" She searched his face not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
"Well, I though it was," he said with a wry smile.
"Then if this is a date," Julie concluded, "I suppose this is the part where I give you a kiss."
Julie gripped Scotty lightly by the shoulders and leaned in to give him a kiss on his cheek. She couldn't be sure if he miscalculated her intentions or if he was just being sneaky, but he turned his head catching her lips with his in a light caress. She felt his hands rest on her hips and she froze. Pushing away from him, Julie held her hands up to her hot face and sighed unsteadily.
"Did I frighten ye?" he asked gently.
"No," she answered. "I've frightened myself."
"Well,… goodnight then." He reached out and squeezed her arm.
Julie smiled nervously and nodded. "Goodnight Scotty."
Later that night she tossed in her bed. She could not stop thinking about or analyzing the situation over and over. She realized that during her time with Alan she had never really experienced the whole dating scene. It was pretty much just a given that she and Alan would always be together. When the other people in their circle of friends paired off into couples, it only seemed right that she and Alan pair off as well. As their friends broke up and dated others, she and Alan fell into a comfortable partnership and stayed together. She thought at the time she could never want anyone else.
Since Alan's death she had always compared other men to him whether they were interested in her or not and always found them lacking. She used that as an excuse to make herself unavailable. But now, the first time she met someone she had no need or desire to compare to Alan, and she had no idea how to interact with the man. In a way she felt she had cheated herself and she also realized she was cheating Scotty too.
Suddenly she felt guilty about the way she had dismissed Scotty earlier. She worried that he thought she was playing some kind of game; that he would never ask her out again. She needed to set things straight.
Julie bolted out of bed and made it halfway to the door before noticing she didn't have her robe. It would not do to go running around a starship in her t-shirt and panties. She went back to grab the robe and jerked it on, tying the belt on her way out the door.
When she reached Scotty's quarters, she pushed the door chime. She didn't know what time it was but she knew he had to be there. Impatiently, she pushed the chime button again just as the door swished open. Scotty stood there still tugging on a shirt and looking bleary-eyed.
Julie flung her arms around him, nearly knocking him over. "What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
She paused for a long moment before replying, a wave of apprehension swept over her. She stepped back almost afraid to look at him; afraid she might see rejection in his eyes.
Her heart slammed in her chest and she swallowed hard before answering him.
"I'm sorry for blowing you off earlier." She began to pace anxiously before him.
Scotty rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and raked a hand through his hair.
"Ye came up here at three in the morning to apologize for that?" Julie couldn't help but notice the slight irritation in his voice.
"It was nagging me."
"I see." He slumped down on his sofa and stared at her blankly.
"It's just that…..umm….I just….well I….I thought…" she stammered. Finally stopping, raising her hands in surrender, she said, "I have no idea what I'm doing."
Scotty reached out, took her wrist in his hand and pulled her down on his lap. His sleepy gaze was warm and she could not resist the urge to curl against him like a sun-bathing cat.
"Now what?" she asked quietly.
He tipped her chin up with a finger so that her lips were a fraction of an inch from his. "Kiss me like ye mean it, lass."
So she did.
