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Part 2 is 400 words exactly.

McKeller Flash Fiction:

The World's Worst Pickup Line

Part 2

The professors at Harvard called it "naturalistic observation", while Uncle George called it "people watching" and told her the best place for it was at a bar. "People are always more candid, little Jenny, when alcohol is involved."

Jennifer Keller agreed, which was why she was spending her first Friday night on Atlantis not studying procedures, nor familiarizing herself with new equipment, but having drinks with a couple of giggly nurses. Already, she regretted it. The last thing she needed was to be lumped in with the base bimbos. She'd decided to call it a night when curiosity got the better of her.

She leaned over to one of the chatterboxes and asked, "Who's that?"

The nurse smiled knowingly. "Cute, isn't he?"

Jennifer blushed. "Sure, but—"

"Don't bother. That's Colonel Sheppard, easy on the eyes, hard on the heart."

Jennifer started to protest that her interest was only clinical when the second nurse interjected, "Major Lorne is the dreamy one."

"Which one's Lorne?" Jennifer asked.

"He isn't here tonight." The nurse stuck out her bottom lip. "If he were, you'd know. The hallelujah chorus would be playing."

The first nurse clucked her tongue. "This one's had too much to drink. Let's get you home, dear."

"Do you need a hand?" Jennifer started to rise.

The nurse waved her off. "Stay. Have another round on me."

Jennifer did just that, settling back to watch ol' hard-on-the-heart Sheppard hit on everything that moved. Classic overcompensation, she decided. Nurses' warnings aside, she knew to stay away.

After a while, Sheppard's wingman abandoned the chase and skulked off to sip his beer alone. He looked miserable, and Jennifer felt for him. Several times she resolved to, then talked herself out of, going over to introduce herself. If only the nurses had stayed long enough to give her the lowdown. He was kind of cute.

When he looked up, she found herself staring into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Oh, wow. Make that very cute. She couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face. Just like she couldn't keep from laughing at Sheppard's lame pickup line a few minutes later.

The colonel's voice broke through her laughter. "Could I buy you a drink?"

She smiled coyly. "There's a condition."

"What's that?"

"Tell me about your friend."

TBC