Chapter 11 Sarek Versus Kirk
Inside the private galley, Autumn removed the dishes from the oven and cooler. Turning up the heat, she popped the monkey bread in. Sarek placed the food on the table while she lit some candles and set one end of the conference table. "Be sure to set five with one at the head of the table for Captain Kirk." Sarek tossed some kibble to Thor and Isis who sat in a corner nearby.
"Of course," she replied. "I'm wondering what you're going to do to keep him from getting ideas."
"Something logical," Sarek replied. "That's all I'm going to tell you."
Spock and Uhura arrived with two chilled bottles of blush Muscadine wine. "Thank you so much," Autumn replied. "I haven't had this in ages. How did you know?"
"From your accent, I guessed you were from Savannah and one of our crew is a wine connoisseur who always has a variety so I guessed." Uhura removed two self-chilling wine buckets from one of the cabinets and set one at the head of the table and the other next to the end place setting.
"You're as brilliant with linguistics as everyone says." Autumn headed for the galley. "If you'll excuse me, I'll get the bread out of the oven."
Once she arranged the bread in basket, she removed her apron and brought it to the table. At that moment, Kirk walked in with a dozen red roses. "I brought you …..these." He glanced over to the other folks in the room.
"Thank you so much," Autumn replied.
As Spock spoke to his father about some of the politics of New Vulcan, he noticed his father intently watching Kirk who stood very close to Autumn. Discretely, Sarek made a circle with his thumb and forefinger. Just as he did, Thor and Isis bared their fangs and growled. When Kirk moved away from her, Sarek undid his fingers and the dogs quieted.
"Good evening Captain," Uhura replied. "Let's get a vase for those flowers. They add such ambiance."
"Well, the food's already." Autumn poured wine for everyone.
Everyone joined Autumn at the table. Kirk took the seat at the head of the table with Uhura and Spock on his right. Autumn sat on his left with Sarek next to her. As the bread was passed around, everyone commented on how delicious the butter herbed bread was. Then Autumn served the main dish.
"This is a most flavorful dish: a Terran dish with plomeek." Spock took another bite. "Do you think cooking is more of chemistry or some other form of science?"
"Mr. Spock, cooking is more of an art than anything." Autumn then took a sip of the fruity wine with a hint of tart.
"The blending of ingredients in using set proportions to get an anticipated end result by definition is chemistry." Spock then took a bite of the tangy yet smooth soup.
"The recipe is the basics but to get the desired flavor you should feel your way through a recipe and know the personality of your kitchen," Autumn countered.
"What you are saying does not make sense. Please explain," stated Spock.
"If you ever try cooking following a known recipe and don't get the results you should, then you'll see it's an art." Autumn passed the bread around.
Remembering his broccoli casserole, Uhura giggled. "She has you there Spock."
"I stand corrected." Spock then took another serving of soup.
Kirk gave his full attention to Autumn. "Where did you learn to cook?"
"Well, my grandma taught me to cook, since neither of my parents could cook nor could my brothers and sisters. My one job in the household was to cook so I learned southern cooking first and then mastered international cuisine in my high school classes. Each year for vacation, we traveled for a month which also helped me learned regional flavors." Autumn finished her glass of her favorite wine that she missed so much.
Kirk leaned in closer and poured some more wine for her. "We do have something in common. I grew up on a farm in Iowa."
Sarek dabbed his mouth with his napkin. "Autumn, I believe you have some theories regarding Romulan cuisine."
"Yes I do. From the Romulan cookbooks I've studied, they are definitely omnivores. Even though they have the technology and create high quality meat substitutes, they always like meat with most every meal. That leads me to believe that eating meat has a positive cultural significance. Most of their recipes have seafood with the odd fowl type meat thrown in. From the amount of seafood variations, I think have more water mass than Earth even."
Uhura blinked. "You are correct on all accounts."
"Their fowl recipes seem to be more directed towards holidays. Cuisine tells a lot about a culture." Autumn took several sips of wine.
"The next time we encounter an alien culture, we'll be sure peruse a cookbook first," added Kirk with a chuckle.
"I have already found Autumn's perspicacity on such matters exceedingly revealing and accurate," added Sarek who topped off her wine glass. "During the Wolfgang competition, she impressed a Klingon even."
"Oh really," commented Kirk.
"I did it with my own recipe: Krakatoa chicken wings and Kimchi but don't worry, I won't be serving them here. I'm cooking much milder food. I got quite a bit of seafood at the intergalactic market and a few surprises."
"Navigating through that market is more difficult than plotting courses." Kirk topped off her wine glass.
"They have everything in the galaxy, well just about. Sarek helped me out so much." She gazed at him lovingly.
"One can practice one's diplomacy skills there quite readily with the different cultures from across the galaxy. However, I think they might be stretching the bounds of legality with their relative intergalactic immunity." Since every culture had various items they considered illegal, the Federation enforced only very limited laws.
"How so?" asked Spock.
"I think they might be starting an underground slave trade."
"That's awful," commented Autumn taking another sip.
"Well, it's only conjecture but even if it isn't I doubt if they can succeed," stated Sarek.
Autumn got up carefully. "I'll get dessert now."
Kirk scrambled up. "I'll help."
Uhura turned to Spock. "It looks like the captain is trying to put another notch on his bedpost."
"Indeed, it is a habit," Spock added. Earlier Nyota had commented that she thought that his father and Autumn were an item because of her female intuition but Spock doubted her. Since his father intently listened in the direction of the galley and apparently trained Autumn's dogs to help thwart unwanted attention, he didn't doubt his wife's intuition anymore.
"But I don't think she'll fall for his charms," Nyota commented. Moments later Kirk came out carrying so dessert dishes and spoons followed by Autumn with the red wine covered figs. Nyota loved the sweet but light dessert. "Are you enjoying running Kaleidoscope?"
"I love it. I proudly call New Vulcan home now."
Once they finished, they meandered over wine before the stewards cleared the dishes and started washing them. "If you'll excuse me," stated Autumn as she rose from the table to speak to one of the stewards. "My knives have to be hand washed and if you'll lay them on a dish cloth next to the sink to dry that would be great. Thank you so much." She slightly stumbled on her way back from the galley. "I think I had too much to drink. Maybe I should turn in."
"I'll escort you to the shuttle bay." Kirk hurried next to her.
Suddenly, Thor and Isis growled, baring their fangs. "I think they'll escort me." The dogs then flanked her.
"Captain, I think we should do a dress rehearsal tomorrow morning before Rishley arrives and as added practice before the Romulans arrive?" Nyota distracted Kirk as he backed away from the dogs just long enough for Sarek to leave and join Autumn.
Out of necessity and for fear she might stumble, Sarek put his arm around Autumn's waist as they walked to his room. "Once we get to our room, I'll drop you off and walk the dogs."
"You're such a doll and those ears are so sexy."
As soft flushed lips kissed his neck, alcohol warm hands caressed his ears. "Autumn wait until we're in our room."
Once they reached their room, she tested his resolve and restraint again. Kissing her, his buried Vulcan emotions broke through to her sending her into a frenzied passion. He felt her body flush but he wouldn't take advantage of her drunken state. "We need to stop." Sarek untangled himself from her and poured a glass of fortified juice. "You need to drink this to avoid a hangover." After pouting, she did. "I'll be back to take care of you after I walk the dogs."
Once he returned from a very long walk, he saw that she had freshened up and went to bed.
When Autumn woke-up the next morning in their luxurious king bed alone, her panties felt damp. I didn't tee-tee. Oh this is from my make-out session with Sarek. It happens every time. Looking around, she discovered Sarek and her dogs missing. He's so sweet. He took care of them while I slept in.
After showering and freshening up, her dogs bounded in. Sarek stood in the doorway. "How are you feeling?"
"Very well, thank you for taking care of me."
"That's my job….and my pleasure. Now I'll let you get ready."
Alone, Autumn contemplated the next step. Rumor had it that Vulcans only had sex once every seven years but she refused to believe it. She accepted Sarek's reserve in public but it simply wouldn't do for private. Despite her old fashioned beliefs, an engagement and a short marriage proved one thing: she loved sex and often. Certainly, she loved and trusted Sarek. The fact that he hadn't pressured her at all turned her on even more. One thing would remedy the celibacy issue which she just happened to purchase from the international marketplace: a little black teddy.
Standing at the edge of the living room, she watched Sarek reviewing something on an electronic pad. "Sarek, we need to talk."
A jaw drop, raised eyebrows and three rapid blinks later, he finally spoke but regained his composed air. "From your clothing or rather lack thereof, logic dictates that you do not wish to speak." Sarek noted her hips swinging one point three seven inches more to each side as she walked.
Autumn undid the buttons of his shirt. "A black teddy means no logic either."
"Autumn, there are a few things you need to be aware of." Gentle fingers caressed every muscle of his chest and abdomen. "Vulcan emotions run deeper than human." Every nerve is his body tingled but fought to keep control. "That is why we remain controlled." Slightly shaking from only a tenuous control, he stared down only to see silky smooth shapely legs and painted red toe nails. "That includes….passion." Inadvertently, his hand touched her thigh letting him feel her desire first hand. "Because I am a touch telepath, you will directly feel what I feel.
"You have a fantastic body Handsome, lean and muscled like a cat."
"Ha'ge, you are not listening to me."
"No, I'm listening. I'm just ignoring you while I find your sweet spot. Once I do, all that logic will be long gone."
"That is not wise Ha'ge because Vulcans have superior strength and stamina to humans." His fingertips traced the tiny red frills throughout the black lace. "That is why during sex I.... will.... not.... lose... control."
"Oh yes you will." She started to undo his trousers. "I'm a very horny twenty year old who hasn't had sex in two years. Do you think I want you to restrain yourself?"
"As your future bond-mate, I will satisfy your needs in a controlled manner." While he slowed his heart and calmed himself, he stepped out of his trousers which dropped to the floor. "I am in control."
"Did I tell you I was a high school cheerleader?" She hopped on him and wrapped her legs around his hips.
"No," he replied. Focus. Define cheerleader. A uniformed performer who encourages the support of a sports team through loud chants and acrobatic displays.
When she caressed the points of his ears, he trembled slightly. "So this is the sweet spot."
"H…Ha….Ha'ge, please," Sarek pleaded. Logic dissipated as his tongue moved towards a stiff pink nipple.
Then she sucked on the tips of his ears, putting the entire tip in her mouth and massaging her tongue around it. "Oh Handsome, you're gonna show me what ya got."
Suddenly, he growled and rushed into the bedroom. And he did……exceptionally.
On the deck above, the carpenters and engineers constructed quarters for the Romulan contingent. One of the techs heard screaming and growling so he listened closely. "Bob, listen to this."
Bob listened closely. "That must be the captain."
"You saw him chasing that chef. I bet he's nailing her."
During their lunch break, rumors began spreading. Late that afternoon Tom called his buddy Bob over again. "They finally stopped."
Bob looked up at the time. "Maybe it was someone enjoying an afternoon of porn."
Several hours later, Autumn cuddled breathlessly against Sarek, realizing that everything he said was true and more. Resting her chin on his chest, she looked into dark eyes that studied her intently and lovingly. "That was absolutely amazing." Though he tried to regain his impassivity, she thought he looked smug. "Well Handsome, in a May/December romance, May is supposed to exhaust December not the other way around."
"You made me lose control."
"Same, a bunch of times," she whispered as she nestled against his neck.
"Ha'ge," he murmured as he touched her temple.
In that touch, Autumn felt the depths of his love. "I love you too."
After their shower, they dressed and readied to meet Rishley. Sarek ensured that he looked impeccably reserved in his ochre suit trimmed with rust colored accoutrements. "Soon I will speak to my son and reveal our relationship. Once the peace talks are over, we will go public."
Beside him Autumn donned a figure hugging but not too tight sundress with a splash of every color in the rainbow with a matching headband to pull her long hair from her face. "That's fine but everyone will know anyhow. Look at me," she pleaded. He looked at her puzzled. "I'm glowing like a damn light bulb." My voice is hoarse from screaming to the Almighty all afternoon and I thought I loved sex before. She dabbed some pink lipstick on and sprayed a little perfume before they left. I need to buy an entire wardrobe of negligees.
Walking along alone, she noted Sarek's stoic face with just tinge of victory in his eyes. My woo woo gloriously aches. I hope I'm walking normal. "Well Handsome, you ruined me for other men."
"Ha'ge, your statement is illogical; if another man wishes to touch you, he must fight me to the death. The rules on Vulcan courtship are concise and definitive."
Autumn giggled. "Only a Vulcan can pull off sarcasm with a completely straight face."