Chapter Two
Hours later, I woke from a deep, dreamless sleep and rolled over on my side. Involuntarily, I jumped back, grabbing the blankets around my naked body.
Memories of the night before came back to me. The pure physical passion, the way the lightest touch from Dukat made me feel like I was burning up from the inside out. How, when he looked in my eyes or spoke my name, I felt like I was the only woman in the galaxy and he was the only man.
I relaxed my death grip on the blankets and watched Dukat sleep, wondering in passing how many other women had been in this position. I mentally shrugged it off, pretending for the moment that his past didn't matter, that the fact that he had been, and possibly still remained, the personification of evil for other Bajorans, including my own family, didn't matter to me.
He stirred and opened his eyes. When they found me lying next to him, he smiled.
"Good morning," he said, stroking my face with his fingers. I leaned over and kissed him. He returned the kiss, putting his hands on the back of my head and pushing me against him. He chuckled and pulled away.
"Ah, time, what an inconvenience," he whispered, kissing my cheek as he got to his feet and began getting dressed.
"You never did tell me what you're doing on the station," I said, sitting up and stretching.
Dukat smiled. "Well, now, we didn't do much talking last night, did we?" When I didn't reply, save for an appreciative chuckle, he sat on the bed next to me.
"Well, I can't say much about it right now. All I can say is that, unfortunately, my work requires me to leave tomorrow morning. I will be returning periodically, and while I am here and not attending to my usual duties, I will be at your service. Now, I am sorry, but I do have to go," he said, and with another brief but deep kiss, he swept from the room. I heard the doors slide closed in the other room and there was silence.
I got dressed and slunk out of Dukat's quarters, half hoping that I wouldn't be seen, half hoping I would be. When I got back to my own quarters, I found a message from my sister waiting. I ignored it, wanting to have my wits more about me. Kenara always seemed to see right through me.
I went in to take a shower, instead. Just before stepping inside the shower, I hesitated. For a moment, I thought that by showering, I would be erasing memories of my night with Dukat. I shook my head, more at myself than anything.
As I cleaned my hair, I thought about what to tell Kenara. I was certain that Kira had contacted her after the run-in with Dukat at the replimat. Since Kira had been in the Shakaar with my dear sister, I was also certain that Kenara shared Kira's vehement dislike of Dukat. Handling the situation would be difficult.
I got out of the shower and went to my bedroom and flopped down on the bed. I closed my eyes and watched the mental replay of the night before. I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
I woke up to an insistent chime coming from my door. Grumbling, I got up and shrugged on a dress.
"Come in," I said, unable to keep the grumpiness out of my voice.
The doors slid open to reveal the scowling face of Kira. She seemed to burst into my room and turned to face me, hands folded across her chest.
"So, are you going to tell me why you weren't here last night when I came by?" There couldn't have been any more accusation in her voice if she had tried.
I closed my eyes. If I had been dreading this conversation with my sister, I would have willingly been buried in mud for a few days rather than talk about this with Kira.
I sighed and sat down across from her. She remained standing, the fire in her eyes threatening to make me explode into flames.
"I-" I tried to not look at her while not appearing to feel guilty.
"You were with him, weren't you?" She asked, spitting out every syllable as though it tasted terrible.
"And so what if I was?" I asked, suddenly indignant. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the young child I used to be. I can make my own choices."
Kira tried to stare me down, but after a long, uncomfortable silence, she sighed.
"Well, we'll see what you have to say when I talk to Kenara," she said.
Anger bubbled inside of me. Yes, Kenara had made Kira swear to keep an eye on me while at the station, but did that really give either of them any right to interfere with my life?
"You talk to Kenara, then. Nothing either of you can say will change anything." I bristled, preparing for the fight coming.
"You can't be serious," Kira said, with an incredulous look. "Do you honestly think that he cares at all about you?"
"How can I possibly know that? I only spent one night with the man. I suppose you are an expert on him," I said, trying to cover the hole growing in my chest at her, quite possibly correct, words.
"Well, you shouldn't have spent any time with him. If you had any idea what kind of man he is-"
"You mean what kind of man he was, don't you? You and all your little resistance friends are so blinded by the way you lived back then that you can't see that the galaxy is changing," I said, with more vehemence than I had intended, but the words were something I had been wanting to say for a long time.
Kira stood there, speechless. It was the first time I had ever seen her without words. I felt a surge of pride. Apparently, I had either said something that was shockingly right, or unbelievably wrong. Either way, I hoped it would give her something to think about.
She glared at me one last time, turned on her heel and left.
I laid down on the couch and put my hands over my face. I felt drained, as I always did after confrontations.
I got up and grabbed my PADD and tried to work on my story, but couldn't concentrate on it.
More than anything, I wanted to run to Dukat, to ask him to deny these accusations, to take me in his arms and make me feel special again. Yet, I knew that everything that Kira had said to me was true, if jaded by prejudice and time.
I also realized that these things I knew intellectually would all be for naught when I would look into his eyes or hear his voice. Perhaps that was what made him more dangerous than anything else in the galaxy. Pure charisma, the type that both frightens and draws in women and brings out awe and jealousy in men.
I knew all these things, but couldn't think of anything to do to prevent the inevitable when we met again, face-to-face. I sat immobile for a moment, then got up. I tossed the PADD on the couch and walked out of my quarters.
I didn't pay attention to where I was going. I just wanted to be doing something, anything other than sitting alone in my quarters mulling over how suddenly complicated my life had become.
I got some tea, this time a different, Earth variety called chamomile. It was interesting. Not exactly sweet, as I usually like my tea, but still very good. I had been told by a few of the Federation people that chamomile was supposed to help calm nerves and help bring sleep. As I sat in the replimat sipping the tea, I didn't feel any calmer, but did notice that I was more content to sit and watch the passing throng. I began to feel relaxed by the time I replicated my second cup. I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising steam deeply, enjoying the humidity and the effects as they became more apparent.
"Ah, Tema. I told you we would meet again, did I not," came a voice I did not recognize at first. My eyes flew open to the very familiar and, as always, gently smiling face of Garak.
I smiled and gestured to the chair across from me with the cup in my hand.
"So you did. How are you? Keeping busy, I hope," I asked, hoping to escape farther from my own problems.
"Oh, the simple life of a simple tailor. I was wondering how your dress went over last night." His light, clear blue eyes held mine fast, but with a gentleness that was the complete antithesis of Dukat.
"Oh, it went over very well," I said, smiling.
"I am pleased. Are you going to tell me who your date was with, or shall I have to live out the rest of my days wondering?" Garak sat back in his chair and gazed at me through a smile. I wanted to tell Garak everything, but I held myself back. As far as I was concerned, the smaller the group of people who knew about my being with Dukat, the better. For many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that if the relationship between us dissolved into a one-night-stand, the smaller the group of people who knew, the smaller the group I would have to explain things to.
All of my hopes of keeping Garak in the dark were shot down, however, when his eyes focused behind me. I felt that elated swooping in my stomach. After the evening and morning I had been through, I had become almost disturbingly used to conflicted feelings.
Garak's smile never so much as flickered as he was picked up bodily and tossed a little ways away from the table. He picked himself up, still smiling, and faced Dukat almost before I was out of the chair.
They faced off as a the small crowd at the replimat looked on. I hung back as I had no idea what to do. Within seconds, the shape-shifter head of security appeared.
"All right, break it up," he said gruffly.
"You keep your hands off of her, Garak," Dukat was glaring holes through Garak, using the same look as Kira had on me earlier.
Garak, for his part, was acting as though they were sitting across a dinner table discussing the weather. Other than the fact he had his hands at the ready, just in case Dukat decided to hit him.
"And why do you care so much?" Garak asked slyly, as he glanced pointedly at me. I wanted to run and hide, do anything to stop Garak from baiting Dukat. Still, I wanted to know what Dukat's response would be.
Dukat lunged, quick as lightening, but the shape-shifter was faster. He held Dukat fast, said something to him I was unable to hear, but that made Dukat halt, slowly turn and glare at the shape-shifter.
"Garak," said the sandpaper-voiced being without taking his eyes off of Dukat. "I highly suggest you head back to your shop. I'll check on you later."
Still smiling, Garak walked through the tables as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. I watched him leave, wondering how he had such control.
Turning my attention back to Dukat, I found him having a slightly calmer discussion with the shape-shifter. I walked over, trying to ignore the buzz of talk that had erupted around us.
"-I don't care what happened, I just don't want it happening on my Promenade!" The shape-shifter was saying in a low growl. It was amazing to me how he could put so much emotion into a voice like that, and yet have none on his mask-like face.
"Why don't you ask Garak-" Dukat started retorting, eyes flashing dangerously, then he saw me and brought himself back in control.
"Chief of Station Security Odo, this is Tema Adah. Adah, meet Odo. He was just wondering what happened, asking questions and the like. Anything you'd like to add?" He said the introductions in a much calmer, if forced, voice and asked me the very pointed question all without taking his eyes off of me.
"Wha- no, I mean, I don't really know what happened." As I spoke, I knew that Odo was watching me carefully.
"All right, if you do remember anything, let me know," he said, turning his attention to the group of people standing near us. He nodded curtly to Dukat and walked over to them.
Dukat turned to me, fury in his eyes. I shrank before him, suddenly feeling very small.
"Come with me." It was a command, not a request.
I followed him to his quarters. As we walked, I silently wondered why he would be so upset about my talking with Garak. He seemed utterly harmless. Then again, until this very interesting turn, I had found Dukat very attractive and intriguing, not at all frightening.
When we entered his quarters and he turned to face me, the fire in his eyes had died to burning embers.
"Sit down," he said, this time as a request. I sat on the couch, and he sat next to me. He took my hands in his and looked me steadily in the eyes. "I want to know if you were there on purpose to see him."
"No, of course not. I was just people-watching and he came over and started talking." I spoke quickly, hoping to diffuse the situation.
Dukat sat back and the remaining spark of anger in his eyes disappeared and was replaced by the passionate, forceful energy I remembered from the night before.
"Well, I imagine that will keep Odo busy for some time," he said, chuckling appreciatively.
"Why-" I started to ask, but Dukat interrupted me.
"Did I react like that? Ah," he said, gesturing like he was brushing the question out of the air. "It's a long story."
I continued to look at him, silently asking the question over and over. Finally, he sighed.
"Oh, all right. But," he held up a finger, "Only the short version. And you can't tell anyone." I nodded, eager for the story.
"Short version, Garak killed my father. Garak was in the Obsidian Order at the time. Not long ago, he was exiled from Cardassia and moved to this station. I imagine he would do anything if he thought it would get him back in favor. That alone makes him a singularly dangerous person. I don't want to see him around you simply because I don't want you to get influenced or hurt by him." As he spoke the last few words, he dropped his voice to that wholly enticing whisper and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand.
"I won't," I whispered before kissing him. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me with passion. I lost track of time and space, the only things that existed to me in that moment were Dukat, myself and the kiss that linked us.