Chapter Five
Nell Evaan stepped in to the mess hall after Jess, surveying the sight that met her. Pilots crowded around tables, carousing, chatting and drinking, joking and toasting their recent success.
"Wait here, I'll be right back with drinks!" Jess said, before disappearing off in to the crowd, leaving Nell standing by the door, nervously shifting from foot to foot.
Back on Hosnian Prime, Nell hadn't been unsociable, but her sense of duty to her family, along with her desire to keep her head down and stay focused in work meant that she didn't have many opportunities to socialise outside of the occasional drink at the Cantina near the space port.
Nell felt the now familiar tug of pain in her chest as her thoughts went to her home world that was no more. She turned to leave, when a hand touched her shoulder. Startled, she spun around to see a man reaching out to her, his inky black hair slightly dishevelled, his orange flight suit unzipped to his waist revealing an off-white open-necked shirt underneath.
Nell tripped over her own feet in her shock, falling in to the man's arms. Nell blushed furiously, cursing her stupid feet and extricated herself from the man's grip, trying hard not to notice his firm chest and defined muscles.
"Kriff, I'm so sorry, I was...I was just leaving." The man chuckled and grabbed her hand to stop her.
"Hey, wait – don't go, we're just getting started. You're Nell Evaan, right? The new pilot? The General told me about you." The pilot's dark brown eyes raked searchingly over Nell's face as he ran a hand through his wavy hair.
"Um, yeah...just started. Nice to meet you Mr...?"
"Dameron. Poe Dameron."
Nell gasped, blushing even more "You're Poe Dameron? Oh kriff, I'm so sorry for falling on you...this is so embarrassing...I'm going to stop talking now." Nell wished the ground would open up and swallow her.
"Look, don't worry about it" Poe winked and bit his lip "Who am I to complain if a beautiful woman throws herself at me? Come on, let's get you a drink".
Nell flushed as he guided her through the crowd to the bar, his warm hand on the small of her back, sending a shiver up her spine.
