She stopped before the entrance to Maintenance Bay # 6, and spent a
moment nervously rearranging her clothing.
"This is silly"; She thought and reached out to touch the COM unit to announce herself.
"Well, this is it" , Harper thought as the COM unit buzzed. "I hope I'm not making a fool of my self. Wait a minute; of course I'm making a fool of myself. I just hope? I hope? Oh, please divine, please just let her like me."
Harper reached out and keyed the door open.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Harper?" She said. "You're wearing a uniform? A High Guard uniform?"
"Well, uh...Yeah", said Harper defensively. "I'm the Chief Engineering Officer, which, even though I never took the High Guard Oath, entitles me to wear the uniform. Rommie checked it out for me in the High Guard protocols. Something about conscripted personnel."
"I wanted to wear something classy tonight. Something special. You don't think it makes me look silly, do you? I could change into something else. It would only take a few minutes.", Harper finished with a worried, slightly frantic tone in his voice.
"No, don't change." She said. "You don't look silly. In fact, it makes you look dashing, Like the handsome and courageous Captain in one of those old 'Tales of the High Guard' holodramas. I like it."
"You do?" said Harper in surprise. "Handsome and courageous, Huh? I don't think I'll ever take this off. And you, you look so unbelievable lovely tonight. I never saw you in a dress before. You look...Wonderful. Just...Wonderful.
"Thanks, Harper", She said. "I wanted to look 'special' too. But I think I will take it off tonight. I mean, it's nice, but I don't think it would be comfortable to sleep in, let alone take a bath in. Naked is much better for that kind of stuff, don't you think."
"Naked", repeated Harper with a stunned look on his face from the thought. "Naked. Yeah...Yeah. I guess that would be a lot more comfortable. Sure. Comfortable is good."
She smiled. "Harper, be nice. I love the decorations. They're my favorite colors. And the food! Andorian Capri-mushrooms, HARPER! They're unbelievable expensive. And a non-export item, totally illegal off of Andoria."
"Well, that's what comes of hanging around you all the time", said Harper. " I've learned how to 'find' things when I want them.
This gathered Harper another smile from her.
"Come on. Sit down and we'll eat", said Harper as he guided her to her chair. " I got your favorite; genuine Oraku vegetable sushi, created by Chef An-We itself, then immediately placed in stasis and shipped here."
"He looks so handsome tonight," she thought as she looked across the table at Harper. "Although I really don't like the uniform. He's wearing it just to impress me. That's so nice. And so unnecessary. He's wonderful. Of course, he's so much younger than I am, but it wouldn't be the first time I've 'robbed the cradle'. Seamus is the first person in a long time to make me feel young.
It's strange, he knows more about me than I've let anyone learn before. And it doesn't bother him or make him want to run away. Of course, there's a lot about me and my past that he knows nothing of. I wonder how he would react if he ever really saw the real me.
I guess I just like the way he makes me feel.
He's wonderful."
She hurriedly looked down at her meal as Harper looked over at her. She didn't want him to know that she had been staring at him.
Harper looked over the table at her.
"She looks so beautiful tonight. And she looks so good in that dress. I never saw her in a dress before. I don't think she likes wearing them. She put it on just for me. She's so wonderful. Of course, she's older than I am. Very much older. Not that it shows, of course. And the age difference doesn't bother me. But, even after all the time we've been together as shipmates and friend, I still know almost nothing about her. She never talks about herself or her past. It's a part of herself that's she's hidden well, only showing the rest of us what she wants us to see. Just once, I'd like to see the real her, to know the real woman behind the image that she allows the rest of us to see.
I guess I just like the way she makes me feel.
She's wonderful."
"This is silly"; She thought and reached out to touch the COM unit to announce herself.
"Well, this is it" , Harper thought as the COM unit buzzed. "I hope I'm not making a fool of my self. Wait a minute; of course I'm making a fool of myself. I just hope? I hope? Oh, please divine, please just let her like me."
Harper reached out and keyed the door open.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Harper?" She said. "You're wearing a uniform? A High Guard uniform?"
"Well, uh...Yeah", said Harper defensively. "I'm the Chief Engineering Officer, which, even though I never took the High Guard Oath, entitles me to wear the uniform. Rommie checked it out for me in the High Guard protocols. Something about conscripted personnel."
"I wanted to wear something classy tonight. Something special. You don't think it makes me look silly, do you? I could change into something else. It would only take a few minutes.", Harper finished with a worried, slightly frantic tone in his voice.
"No, don't change." She said. "You don't look silly. In fact, it makes you look dashing, Like the handsome and courageous Captain in one of those old 'Tales of the High Guard' holodramas. I like it."
"You do?" said Harper in surprise. "Handsome and courageous, Huh? I don't think I'll ever take this off. And you, you look so unbelievable lovely tonight. I never saw you in a dress before. You look...Wonderful. Just...Wonderful.
"Thanks, Harper", She said. "I wanted to look 'special' too. But I think I will take it off tonight. I mean, it's nice, but I don't think it would be comfortable to sleep in, let alone take a bath in. Naked is much better for that kind of stuff, don't you think."
"Naked", repeated Harper with a stunned look on his face from the thought. "Naked. Yeah...Yeah. I guess that would be a lot more comfortable. Sure. Comfortable is good."
She smiled. "Harper, be nice. I love the decorations. They're my favorite colors. And the food! Andorian Capri-mushrooms, HARPER! They're unbelievable expensive. And a non-export item, totally illegal off of Andoria."
"Well, that's what comes of hanging around you all the time", said Harper. " I've learned how to 'find' things when I want them.
This gathered Harper another smile from her.
"Come on. Sit down and we'll eat", said Harper as he guided her to her chair. " I got your favorite; genuine Oraku vegetable sushi, created by Chef An-We itself, then immediately placed in stasis and shipped here."
"He looks so handsome tonight," she thought as she looked across the table at Harper. "Although I really don't like the uniform. He's wearing it just to impress me. That's so nice. And so unnecessary. He's wonderful. Of course, he's so much younger than I am, but it wouldn't be the first time I've 'robbed the cradle'. Seamus is the first person in a long time to make me feel young.
It's strange, he knows more about me than I've let anyone learn before. And it doesn't bother him or make him want to run away. Of course, there's a lot about me and my past that he knows nothing of. I wonder how he would react if he ever really saw the real me.
I guess I just like the way he makes me feel.
He's wonderful."
She hurriedly looked down at her meal as Harper looked over at her. She didn't want him to know that she had been staring at him.
Harper looked over the table at her.
"She looks so beautiful tonight. And she looks so good in that dress. I never saw her in a dress before. I don't think she likes wearing them. She put it on just for me. She's so wonderful. Of course, she's older than I am. Very much older. Not that it shows, of course. And the age difference doesn't bother me. But, even after all the time we've been together as shipmates and friend, I still know almost nothing about her. She never talks about herself or her past. It's a part of herself that's she's hidden well, only showing the rest of us what she wants us to see. Just once, I'd like to see the real her, to know the real woman behind the image that she allows the rest of us to see.
I guess I just like the way she makes me feel.
She's wonderful."