CHAPTER 10 -PRELUDE TO A DATE

Jack's decision to ask out Elizabeth turned out to be much easier than actually asking her out. He was pretty sure that she was interested in him, although he noticed with chagrin that several other guys on the transporter seemed friendly with her. That was the problem. She was friendly with everyone. And as a passenger rather than a crew member, she had plenty of available time to wander the long hallways and meet people. Often stopping to ask them about their jobs.

The more Jack realized how social and well-liked Elizabeth was, the more anxious he was about hurrying up and asking her for a date. But to where? That was another problem. If they were back in Canada, he could take her horse-back riding, four-wheeling, a picnic in a park, the theater, a fancy restaurant. The possibilities on Earth were endless.

The opportunities for a romantic date were much more limited on a large metal container propelled by rockets and careening through deep space for four months.

Jack had spent two days trying to come up with an idea for a date and so far he had nothing definite.

"Sorry, Jacques, but we are spraying all zee plants with insecticide and growth additive zis week. The smell – eet ees pulverized organic compost and bone meal – ees horrible. Eet will stink up zee room for a few days," Lori explained with a shrug when Jack asked if he could use the Propagation/Horticulture Nursery for a picnic.

"Thanks anyway," Jack replied. He sighed as he walked out of the room and made his way upstairs.

He had already thought about a date of star-gazing in front of one of the ship's large observation windows, but the transporter's chief astronomer had informed him that they were currently traveling through one of the more barren parts of space. "Maybe next week", the woman had offered. "It will be better in about a million miles or so. Check back then."

As Jack walked down the halls of the ship, he considered other possibilities.

The Entomology room? She didn't seem to be a big fan of spiders.

The Fitness Center? Who wants to get sweaty on a date? I mean that kind of "work-out" sweaty.. . . . Of course, getting sweaty on a date from hot sex isn't objectionable. Jack shook his head to clear the inappropriate thought and returned to thinking of a place to take Elizabeth.

In our living quarters? Maybe just hanging out and talking? Nah, Seth and Carl will probably be around to interrupt us.

"Hey, Jack, hold this for me a second", a crew member with a pixie hair-cut asked as she handed Jack a roll of tape when he walked near her. "I'm hanging up posters for our first movie night. It's tonight."

"Movie night?" Jack took the tape and pulled off a small piece, handing it to the woman who used it to secure a sheet of paper to the wall.

Jack had spent twenty minutes staring at his computer screen and waiting for Seth and Carl to leave their quarters for the Fitness Center so he could privately talk to Elizabeth, who was reading a book on her berth.

"Jack, you coming with us?" Carl asked.

"I'll meet up with you guys. I just need to finish up something", Jack explained.

When the door slid closed behind his roommates, Jack shut his computer, and jumped down from his berth – which had changed back to the upper berth for the week.

He glanced at Elizabeth who was busy concentrating on the pages in front of her while absent-mindedly eating apple slices. She was lounging on her mattress, propped up against a pillow while wearing a pair of casual pants and a relaxed shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and she had stopped bothering to wear make-up weeks ago.

She looked wholesome and fresh. And totally oblivious to Jack.

"They're playing a movie tonight in the lift-off cabin. I was thinking maybe you'd like to go?" Jack remarked.

"A movie? Not a 4-D hologram?" Elizabeth looked up curiously from her book.

"Yeah. It's old-fashioned but might be fun. Apparently, they're even going to have popcorn. You want to go with me?"

"Not really. I'm reading a good book. Why don't you ask one of the guys?"

Elizabeth returned her attention to her book, leaving a surprised Jack standing there looking at her.

"I didn't really want to go with one of the guys," he explained after a brief pause.

"Hmm, okay. Well, have fun," she said without glancing up. Instead she turned a page in her book and took a bite of an apple slice.

Well, that didn't go as I expected, he thought with a frown.

Jack, disappointed with Elizabeth's unexpected response, headed towards the door and pushed the buzzer on the wall. When the door slid open, he took a step forward, and then paused. He couldn't remember the last time – if ever – that he had spent so much time thinking about - or being with -someone that he wasn't in a relationship with. Or even some women that he had been in relationships with. He couldn't stop thinking of Elizabeth.

Arguing with her. Teasing her. Laughing with her. Talking with her. Hours a day. Weeks of days. And always wondering what it would be like to kiss her.

He turned back around. Letting the door close behind him with a quiet swoosh.

"Elizabeth?"

She looked up and gave him a puzzled look. "Did you forget something?"

"I wanted you to go with me."

"To the Fitness Center? I already used the treadmill today", she replied dismissively.

"No. To the movies."

"I'm sure they'll be other people there", Elizabeth responded lightly and then put her head down again.

"I don't care if there are other people there."

"Hmm. Then you should be able to find a seat no problem", she mumbled without paying attention to him as she concentrated on the written words in front of her.

Jack looked at the top of her head and took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I would like to take you to the movies . . . or somewhere else . . . on a date. The two of us. Just the two of us. On a date. Would you be interested?"

The slice of apple dropped from Elizabeth's hand before it reached her mouth. She slowly lifted her head and stared at him wide-eyed.

"A date?"

"Yes", he replied with a smile.

"You and me?"

"Yeah."

"On a date?"

"Yes." Jack's smile faltered at Elizabeth's lack of enthusiasm and her puzzled look.

"If you don't want to, just say so", he remarked as she continued to look at him in some kind of flabbergasted state.

"To the movies?"

"Yes."

"Or somewhere else?"

"Yeah. But I couldn't really find anywhere else to take you. It's kind of limited here", he explained apologetically.

"On a date?" Her eyebrows crinkled in confusion.

"I'm not sure why this is so hard for you to understand", he said with a shake of his head. "I would like to take you on a date. Where we go to the movies, sit next to each other, hold hands, and maybe you even let me give you a good-night kiss."

A gob-stopped Elizabeth sat there motionless. "A kiss?"

"Well, maybe. Yeah."

Elizabeth stared at him.

"You and me on a date with a kiss at the end?" she asked in disbelief.

"Did you not get enough oxygen today? I want you to go out with me!"

"I'll be ready in five minutes!" Elizabeth hurriedly replied as she scrambled from the berth.