It had been three days since my encounter with Jim and Anna. Ryan, of course, broke up with Anna, although she didn't seem to mind too much. She wasn't with Jim, but she had most definitely moved on. Jim and Ryan were something in the past, and now she was just being her normal whore-ish self again. Ryan and Jim had actually become friends, and spent a lot of time together, obviously looking past their first impression, and starting a new one.

Even though Ryan and I were close friends, I never really hung out with him and Jim at the same time. I always caught Ryan when he was alone, or with some of his other friends. That didn't bother me, as I never really thought much of people like Jim. Right now, I sat in my dorm, once again, studying with my roommate, Jessica. She was studying to be a medical officer as well, so it seemed like we studied together a lot.

"I am so bored," Jessica mumbled, shutting her book with a thud and staring up at the window in our dorm. "Look at how beautiful it is outside! And we're stuck in here studying… again."

"Do you want to fail our exam?" I replied, mesmerizing the words in the book.

"We've been studying all morning! Can't we just take a break and go down and have lunch or something?" she asked, her voice full of hope. She batted her eyelashes and put on a pout and whispered, "Pretty, pretty, please?"

"Well, I guess one break won't hurt…" I murmured, rolling my eyes at her puppy dog face.

"Yes!" she shouted, throwing her book carelessly on the desk and sprinting out the door. I quickly followed behind, suddenly realizes the hunger clawing at my stomach. I was so consumed in studying; I hadn't realized how hungry I really was.

We walked to a small restaurant that resided in the campus and sat down at a table outside. The restaurant had great food and was me and Jessica's favorite restaurant.

"Hey Audrey! Jessica!" we both turned to see Ryan and who else but Jim walking towards us. The both pulled up a chair at our table and asked for menus from one of the waiters.

"Sure, you guys can eat with us," Jessica said, somewhat annoyed that they came to our table without asking. I giggled at Jessica's remark but never took my eyes off the menu. This hadn't been the first time I had come across Jim since the fight, but we never really had a conversation. And just like any other girl at Starfleet Academy, I thought he was ridiculously cute and charming, and I got a little bit shy and speechless when I was around him.

"So what have you two been up to all day?" Jim asked, setting his menu down on the table and giving us all of his attention.

"We've studied. All day. Right Audrey?" Jessica asked, annoyed. She gave me a look as if it was my fault we had to study for our exam, but I just ignored it and continued to look at my menu.

"I think I'm going to get the garden burger…" I murmured, smirking at Jessica who rolled her eyes and flipped her hair, clearly irritated.

"Wait so you've been studying all day?" Ryan asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise that we would actually spend our entire morning reading.

"We have an exam coming up. We need to know as much as possible to pass. Our professor told us it'll be the hardest exam he's ever given us," I replied, not wanting to be blamed anymore for studying the entire morning for something that wasn't my fault.

"Ouch, well good luck," Ryan said, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back against the chair.

"Thanks," Jessica and I replied simultaneously.

From that moment, there was an awkward silence that seemed to last for an eternity. I kept wishing that the waiter would come to take our order, to break the silence, but the restaurant was very crowded, so mostly all of the waiters and waitresses were busy. I hated awkward silences like this, so I wanted very desperately to break it, but I didn't know what to say.

"So," I said simply, twirling my hair while Jessica snickered slightly.

"Gotta love awkward silences," she said, glancing at Ryan. I knew that she liked him. Ever since he and Anna broke up, Jessica had always been there, trying to cheer him up in any way possible. He showed affection towards her, but he made it pretty obvious that he needed time before he would actually start dating again. Jessica got the hint, but she still tried whenever possible, making sure he never forgot she was there, waiting.

"What have you guys been up to?" I asked, looking at Jim for the second time since we began lunch. I could feel myself turning red because he was looking at me too. When he caught my eye, he smiled from ear to ear and winked again.

I felt like I could pass out, at that very moment. How could one little wink make me feel like this? Especially from a guy like him. This wasn't me, and I didn't know why I felt this way when I was around him. Sure he was good looking, but he was a man-whore, someone that I did not want to get involved with. I forced myself to turn away from his beautiful blue eyes, and instead looked at Ryan, who was smiling at Jessica.

"Nothing really. I'm going to go see what's holding the waiter up," he said, getting up.

"I'll go with you," Jessica said quickly, and followed him inside the restaurant to get some service. I almost protested, not sure what to say or do with just me and Jim, but they were inside before I could even say 'bye', so I just awkwardly scratched my neck and adverted my eyes to Jim's direction.

"So Audrey," he started, leaning back against the chair, putting his hands behind his neck and giving me another one of his gorgeous smiles. "Have you ever been with a captain before?" he asked, suggestively raising his eyebrows.

"No, and I'm not planning to anytime soon," I replied returning the smile but with an I'm-not-interest hint in the smile.

"Ouch, we just met, and already a rejection?" he asked, a hint of playfulness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't sleep with guys I just meet," I replied, cocking my head to the side and giving him a fake apologetic look.

"Well we can change that. Why don't you and I get together some time?" he asked, leaning up towards the table, a serious expression over powering his suggestive one.

My heart skipped a beat. Did he just seriously ask me on a date? I grabbed my hair and twirled it around in my fingers again; it was a nervous habit of mine. I wanted to come up with a witty comment, a comment of rejection, but also an inviting response that'll let him know I'm interested, but I wasn't going to let him win that easily. Before I could respond though, Jessica and Ryan came back and took their seats, followed by a waitress

"So sorry about the wait! What can I get for ya'll?" she asked, with a Southern accent.

We all ordered our meals and watched as the waitress walked away with our orders.

"So, what did you guys talk about while we were gone?" Jessica asked.

"Well, Audrey here just agreed to go on a date with me," Jim said, smirking at me.

I raised my eyes in surprise and was about to protest when Jessica interjected and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! I knew you two would get together!"

"But I—" I started, but was interrupted by Jessica again.

"Hey maybe we could double date or something…" she suggested, looking hopefully at Ryan. He shrugged and said, "Why not?"

I wanted to tell them I hadn't agreed to the date, but I knew it would just make Jessica unhappy. She had wanted to go on a date with Ryan for a long time, and I couldn't break the date. I look over in her direction and saw her smiling from ear to ear and clapping her hands happily. I rolled my eyes at Jim and glared from across the table. He laughed and pretended that he didn't notice, but I knew he did. I sighed and leaned back into my chair, happy to see that our meals came shortly after that, and then we could leave. We all ate in silence; it was one of those awkward silences again. I took small bites of my tofu burger and occasionally glanced up to see Jim staring at me, yet again. I just kept staring down at my food, and was thankful when the waiter came with our bill, and we all stood up to leave.

"So when are we going to have our date?" Jessica asked, before we all left the restaurant's premises.

"How about tomorrow night?" Jim suggested looking at me again with those gorgeous blue eyes.

"That sounds good. See you guys then," Ryan said before he and Jessica walked away. Jessica looked back at me once and gave me a huge smile, before turning around and continuing her conversation with Ryan.

"What the hell was that?" I turned my attention towards Jim.

"What?" he asked innocently starting to walk away from me.

"The little date you just set up without my approval!" I replied, following him angrily.

"Jessica looked happy," he stated, putting his hands in his pockets nonchalantly and walking slower so that we were side-by-side.

"Well that's because Jessica's wanted to go on a date with Ryan for a long time," I explained, trying to calm myself down and have a civilized conversation with him.

"So, what's the problem?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"The problem is that maybe Jessica wanted to go on a date with Ryan, but I don't ever want to go on a date with you," I talked to him as if he was a child, making sure I was speaking clearly so that he could understand. He laughed.

"Did you know that you're the first girl that has actually ever passed up an offer to go on a date with me?" he asked, clearly 'forgetting' the time when Uhura rejected him at the bar.

"Well that's because I'm probably the only girl you've asked on a date that actually has brains," I retorted, thinking about all of the mindless girls I'd seen him with.

"Yeah your probably right," he joked, smirking at me.

"I don't even get what they see in you," I murmured, rolling my eyes in disgust.

"Well for one thing; I'm the captain of the Enterprise. Another, my good looks, the fact that I'm charming; I'm very good in bed…" he trailed off, chuckling at his own joke and looking at me suggestively.

"Exactly! They like you for all the wrong reasons!" I exclaimed. "It doesn't matter what your job is, or how you look, what matters is who you are!"

"Bullshit," he said, raising his eyebrows again.

"What?" I questioned, wondering how he could say that when even he knew I was right.

"Bullshit," he said again, chuckling again.

"Bullshit?"

"Yeah, cause if who you are actually mattered, then I would be a lonely virgin that sat at home all day, watching old reruns of soap operas over and over again. Take it from someone who's had experience, your looks and your profession are all that matter," he said very sure that his answer was correct. "For example, someone like that," he said, nodding his head in the direction of a very skinny and very pale man sweeping the sidewalk with a janitor uniform on, "will never get a girl like her," this time he nodded to a girl wearing a skimpy uniform with long golden colored hair and a perfect body. The janitor looked young, but it was hard to tell under his long greasy hair.

"I beg to differ," I said, even though I knew he was right.

"How can you argue with that?" Jim said, surprised that I was still disagreeing with him.
"Because it isn't true! If she got to know the real him—"

"She wouldn't even give him the time of day!" he interrupted. "She would take one look, and run away."

"Sure," I replied sarcastically. "You keep thinking that."

"Well if you think that, then maybe you should go over there yourself and talk to him if you don't think looks or jobs matter," he said, challenging me.

"Oh I can't," I replied, smiling. "I'm going on a date with you tomorrow night, wouldn't that be cheating?" I asked like I didn't know.

"I don't see a ring on your finger. And besides, if I recall correctly, you didn't even want to go on this date with me," he said.

"Well I don't think it'd be fair to you, I mean, imagine if me and that janitor hit it off, and then what? Goodbye Jim," I said, raising my eyebrow now.

"Go ahead. It's not like you're my only option," he said, his voice light with a teasing tone, and looking in the direction of the blonde that he had pointed out earlier.

"Maybe I will," I replied, staring in the direction of the janitor, trying to hide my disgust. "But we all know it'll kill you inside when me and that hottie over there get together," I added.

"Hey, when you fail, I think you owe me something," he said, completely ignoring my comment.

"So now it's a bet?" I asked playfully, twirling my hair around my fingers again.

"Yeah, if and when you loose, you owe me a date," he told me, looking into my green eyes with his blue eyes.

"We're already going on a date tomorrow night," I reminded him, just in case he forgot.

"No, I mean a date where it's just the two of us," he explained.

I looked at him for any sign of him just playing a trick on me or something, but his eyes seemed sincere. I almost thought that maybe he actually wanted to date me, but then I thought about how he really was, and I remembered his true self.

"You've got a deal," I said, determined to win the bet. I shook his hand, and then looked over at the pale, hunchback, skinny man still sweeping the sidewalk. "If I survive one date with him, I'll go on one date with you."

"You have to kiss him too," he added, smiling at his new stake.

"What? That wasn't part of the bet!" I exclaimed.

"It is now. Can you handle it, or do you want to forfeit now?" he asked, his eyes daring me to prove him wrong.

"I can handle it."

"I'm sure you can," he replied, smirking.

Taking one more glance at the weird-looking janitor, I replied simply, "Watch me," and then turned on heel and left Jim there, staring after me with that same old smirk on his face.

Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to update! Oh and thanks to everyone who commented, put me on their favorite authors list, and added me to their story alert! It means so much! I'm so excited because tomorrow, I'm going to NYC to get Rob Thomas's autograph! And then on August 6th, I'm going to see David Cook in concert! I can't wait for either of them! Anyway, please review!

-Haley-

P.S. Oh! And remember to boycott KFC and McDonalds until they switch to CAK (controlled atmosphere killing). It's an easier and more efficient way to kill the chickens, and they don't have to be tortured while they're in the slaughterhouse! Tell them both to stop torturing animals!

McCruelty: I'm hatin' it!