Part Seven
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"What are you giggling at?"
"I'm sorry! It's just – your pronunciation… it's a little off," Hoshi smiled.
"Well, okay, next time I'll be testin' you on parts of the warp engine and we'll see how exact you are," Trip grinned.
They smiled at each other.
Did he just say "next time"?
Trip glanced at his watch.
"Ah, damn, I've got an Engineering briefing in five minutes."
"Better get down there. I'm guessing the boss needs to be there for that."
"Last time I checked," Trip agreed. "Thanks for the company, Hoshi, I've enjoyed myself."
"Me too," she nodded.
"See ya,"
"Bye, Trip!"
He disappeared quickly.
Oh. My. God.
I have to find Liz!
Hoshi bolted out of the room.
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She bumped into Liz – literally – in the corridor outside the Mess Hall.
"Oww! Sorry, Liz!"
"I was just looking for you," Liz Cutler gripped Hoshi's arm. "I really need to talk to you."
"I was looking for you too," Hoshi grinned. "I have to talk to you."
"Let's go to your quarters," Liz suggested.
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"You first," Elizabeth said.
"Okay, but you might not believe me. You'll never guess who I had lunch with."
"Trip?" Cutler suggested.
"Oh. How did you know?" Hoshi asked puzzled. "Did somebody say something?"
"No," her friend smiled. "It's just obvious. Who else would you be so excited about having lunch with?"
"God, I'm so transparent," Hoshi shook her head.
"Nah – it's sweet," Liz said consolingly. "So what happened?"
"Oh, nothing, I guess. We just talked," Hoshi laughed a little. "He was trying to say all these words in Klingon and Denobulan and Vulcan. Really badly. It was just nice you know – after my major embarrassment last week."
"So after turning you down for a drink, you have a lunch date together. That's logical."
"It wasn't a date," Hoshi argued.
"Sounds like a date. Food, conversation, a table for two in the Mess Hall. What would you call it?"
"Lunch?"
"Huh."
"Anyway, it wasn't just the two of us – at least not at first. Malcolm Reed was with us."
Cutler's smile disappeared from her face. Uh oh. "Malcolm?"
"Ye-es. Why are you looking like that?"
Deep breath. "Well, you know I said I had to talk to you before?"
Hoshi nodded.
"It's kind of about Malcolm and… and Trip."
"Elizabeth?" Hoshi's voice was a warning.
"Look, don't get mad at me, I just let my mouth run away with me – "
"– What have you done?"
"Trip was helping me with the bioanalysis computer and we were talking. He asked me about you. I don't really know how, but somehow I seemed to let on that Malcolm likes you."
"You said what?" Hoshi asked angrily. "Why?"
"I was trying to get Trip to react. See if he really liked you! If he did then he was bound to get jealous… And it worked didn't it? Straight away he went and had this great lunch with you."
Hoshi slumped down onto her chair. "He probably only came over because I was sitting with Malcolm. To see if there was anything going on between us."
"Oh, Hoshi, don't be so silly. Why would he care, unless he cares? If you see what I mean."
"Why did you say it anyway? We don't even know if it's true if Malcolm likes me."
Elizabeth just looked at her.
"We don't," Hoshi insisted. "Just because you make jokes about it doesn't mean it's true! Malcolm's never done anything to make me think he likes me."
"Hoshi – you're just seeing what you want to see. Trip's done nothing until today, in fact, that even remotely suggests he likes you, but all you can see is him. Malcolm's been showing the signs for months, you're just too blind to see it."
"Am I?"
"Be realistic about this! Even if Trip feels the same way about you nothing can come of it, you've said so yourself. Not only would you be putting your position on the line – and his I might add – you'll be hurting another good friend in the process. Malcolm."
Hoshi stood up, incredulous with Liz. "I can't believe you're saying this to me, after everything you've said. You encouraged me! You did. You even questioned Trip to find out how he feels!"
"I'm sorry about that, Hoshi, but it was just a bit of fun. You're taking all of this way too seriously. Is there honestly a future for you and Trip on board Enterprise? It's fantastical!"
"Unlike you still trailing round after Phlox like a puppy, after he's told you he's not interested? Maybe you're just jealous?" Hoshi snapped.
Liz crossed her arms across her chest.
"Excuse me?"
Hoshi closed her eyes for a moment. This isn't going right. She kept her voice deliberately calm.
"Look, I need to be back on the bridge. I think we should leave this for now."
"I agree," Liz said, her own voice emotionless. Nice pair of Vulcans we'd make, she thought.
"We'll talk later, at least, I think we should. If that's okay?" Hoshi asked more softly.
"Sure," Cutler replied shortly. "I should go too."
And she did go, leaving Hoshi alone in her quarters. Hoshi slumped down by the window, feeling more depressed than she could have thought possible just a few minutes ago.
How did this happen? How did she go from walking on air to possibly losing her closest friend on board? Because of Trip, that's how. Because of Trip, and Malcolm and Phlox and her stupid crush.
I did it again, she thought to herself. Just when things start to look up, I go and put my foot in it again. I can't believe what Liz just said, but she was trying to look out for me. And who knows? Maybe she's right. Maybe it is stupid to think Trip and I have any type of future. To think that he might like me enough to take things further, when all he's done is chat and be friendly… But what if it isn't stupid? What if he really does like me?
Hoshi stared out her window at the stars flying by. She sighed deeply.
I really don't have a clue what's going on, do I?