Samantha picked a modest cafe on the presidium. A dozen small tables occupied a rectangular plaza overhanging the lake. The furnishings were all made of dark oak adding an air of class. Random plants decorated the perimeter while providing some privacy. The clientel was a mixed bag of people, lawyers, accountants, students, and gamers taking advantage of the free extranet.
They agreed to meet at noon. It was eleven now. Samantha cursed herself for arriving so early. Choosing a table in the back, she decided to wait. Before leaving the ship she couldn't decide what to wear. Dress casual or professional? How much make-up to put on? Heels or sneakers? How much cleavage to show if at all? In the end she chose a light pink dress that was knee length. It didn't cling to every curve of her body the way Allers' did. The top displayed a modest amount of cleavage without being slutty. For shoes a pair of one inch heels would do. Last, she applied eyeliner, lip gloss, and a few sprays of perfume that left a faint sweet scent.
The hour passed by slowly. Samantha tapped her nails on the table only to realize she forgot to paint them. Sighing, she said, "It's always something."
"Oh you're early," said Ashley arriving ten minutes before noon. She wore her normal blue Alliance uniform. "I would've dressed more casual if I'd known you were going to."
"It's no big deal. I should have said something," said Samantha making an uneasy smile. She wondered what Ashley would look like in a dress.
"I'm starving, mind if we order right away?" asked Ashley.
"That's fine with me, lunch is on me by the way. So order whatever you want," said Samantha.
"That's sweet of you," said Ashley picking up a menu from the table's side bar. The blush on Sam's face went unnoticed.
"I can't believe the presidium is still smoking from the Cerberus attack," said Samantha. Making small talk felt awkward. It was as if every sentence needed to be forced out.
"Yeah, what the hell?" said Ashley, "How long does it take to patch up some bullet holes? This is nothing compared to the Sovereign attack."
"I wish I had been there. Sometimes I feel like a stranger on the ship," said Samantha. On several occasions she had been left out of a conversation for not having the same history. Those topics usually included, Sovereign, Virmire, the Collector Base, or anything geth related.
"Honestly, I feel like a stranger too," said Ashley resting her chin on one hand.
"Why?"
"I knew Shepard, Garrus, Tali, and Liara since the beginning but... they've changed over last few years. Shepard used to be calm and collected all the time. Now it's like she talks without stopping to think about what she's saying. Garrus and Tali have opened up a great deal. Then there's Liara, she isn't the naive little asari we found in the ruins anymore," explained Ashley, her eyes turning sadly towards the table. "I don't know what happened to them on that suicide mission, but I wish I'd been with them. I wish I hadn't turned my back on my friends."
Again Samantha felt stuck in a conversation she didn't know much about. "I doubt they look at it that way. Shepard only has good things to say about you. I'm sure you've changed too over the years."
"Yeah," said Ashley making a half smile. "Now I drink on the job and get along with aliens. Outstanding."
"Why do you drink so much?" asked Samantha.
"I don't do it everyday," said Ashley sitting upright and holding her hands up in defense. "Sometimes the stress of this war gets to me. I feel helpless. There's only so much I can do with a rifle. The eggheads building the crucible are the ones who have a shot at winning the war."
An asari waitress stepped up to their table wearing a black polo and pants. Holding up an omni-tool she asked, "Ready to order?"
Samantha ordered a salad, feeling conscious of her 'date' across the table. Ashley didn't hold back ordering a half pound cheeseburger. While they waited Samantha asked about her family. She learned all about Ash's sisters, family service, and how she first met Shepard on Eden Prime.
"So tell me about you," said Ashley as she bit into her cheesebuger.
"Not much to tell really," said Samantha feeling her own story was boring by comparison.
"Don't give me that crap," said Ashley with her mouth full. "I told you my life story, let's hear yours."
"Here goes..." said Samantha taking a deep breath. "I was born on Horizion but I grew up in London, hence my perceived accent."
"It's cute," said Ashley off-hand.
"Thanks," said Samantha blushing deeply. Was that a flirty remark?
"Continue."
"Oh right," continued Samantha. "Eventually I went to Oxford University on an Alliance scholarship. During one summer break I went to visit my parents on Horizon when the Collectors attacked."
"Oh my God, I was there! I was the acting security chief for the colony. Do you remember seeing me at all?" asked Ashley.
"I'm afraid not, I just remember running around terrified of the little bugs stinging everyone," said Samantha.
"I guess you wouldn't then. Probably for the best, everyone there hated me. The survivors blamed me for the attack, saying I drew too much attention to the colony," explained Ashley.
"If I had seen someone as beautiful as... well, I shouldn't say, um..." A cold chill ran up Samantha's spine as she stumbled over her words. Damn it, I said too much.
"Go on," said Ashley. Her face appeared amused.
Samantha bit her lip unable to look Ashley in the eye. "If I had seen someone as beautiful as you, I think I'd remember... that came out all wrong. I'm sorry."
"Don't be," said Ashley making a reassuring smile. "I think it's really sweet. So what do you find beautiful about me?"
She must be teasing me. Samantha didn't know where to begin. A moment passed before she answered, "Your hair, your eyes, lips," your body, "everything about you honestly. You probably think I'm weird, don't you?"
"No... but it's clear now that you're a lesbian," said Ashley. The shock on Samantha's face made her smirk.
"Did Shepard tell you?" asked Samantha. Her heart was pounding. This was a disaster. It wasn't supposed to come out like this. Maybe Shepard accidently let it slip during one of her episodes.
"The other day at the range I kinda got that vibe. Then this morning EDI approached me with one of her questions about life..."
"Oh God," said Samantha hiding her face in her hands.
Ashley's smirk turned to an evil grin. Watching Samantha writhe in embarrassment was entertaining. "She asked me, why do people of the same gender find attraction in one another?"
Still hiding behind her hands Samantha asked, "And what did you say?"
"I told her I didn't know why. EDI responded by asking why we were going on a date if I didn't know," said Ashley.
Samantha put down her hands. "I'm going to kill that nosey robot. I didn't want to tell you yet. I wanted you to get to know me first."
"I assume the shooting range was Shepard's idea and you're not actually that bad of a shot," said Ashley raising an eyebrow at Samantha.
"Yeah, terrible idea wasn't it? I did pass boot with an average rifleman score," said Samantha. Her fingers nervously traced the wood grain in the table.
"I'm honestly flattered you went through all the trouble," said Ashley as the waitress dropped off the bill. Before Samantha could lift a hand she grabbed the bill and paid it automatically with her omni-tool.
"I was going to pay!" said Samantha.
"Don't worry about it. You were trying to be nice and I spoiled the fun," said Ashley as she stood up from the table.
"You didn't spoil it. I still had a good time. Things just didn't go as I planned... This won't make things awkward between us will it?" Samantha walked with Ashley out into the Presidium.
"Not at all."
"I should get back to the ship then, there might be important messages stacking up," said Samantha, a look of defeat on her face.
A thought crossed Ashley's mind. She hesitated as Samantha walked away then said, "Wait a second, do you want to go for a walk with me?"
Samantha turned around, her eyes brightened. "Absolutely."
"C'mon, I'll take you by the embassy," said Ashley.
They made small talk on the way there. The peaceful aura of the presidium was ever present. The artificial lake lapped lazily at the white metallic siding. Birds from various planets flew from tree to tree. As they passed one landmark or another Ashley would break into a story about Shepard and the good 'ol days. She shared stories of scanning keepers, tracking a rogue AI, and how they stormed a strip club.
"... just when I was about to put the cuffs on Fist, Wrex blew his head off. I didn't like it but Shepard approved. Never thought I'd end up being friends with Wrex," explained Ashley as they rounded the krogan statue.
"Wow, not sure if I could have handled all of that," said Samantha. While they walked she kept eyeing Ashley's hand, wanting desperatly to hold it.
"My legs are getting tired, we should probably head home," said Ashley. She stopped and leaned against the railing.
"The Normandy has really grown on me. I tend to think of it as my home too," said Samantha. She joined her new friend by the railing.
"This one is bigger, and has a lot of bells and whistles, but I miss the old SR1. Someday I'd like to go visit the wreck site," said Ashley. Her eyes narrowed on the water below, searching to see if there were any fish.
"Can I ask you something?" Samantha looked up at the artificial sky biting her lip nervously.
"Of course."
"What do you think of me? I mean, do I still have a chance?"
Ashley bumped her shoulder into Samantha's saying, "Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"I'm curious about you. I've never done anything like this before so I don't want to get your hopes up," said Ashley. It was the most honest answer she could come up with.
"So you're saying there's a chance," said Samantha with a grin.
"A small chance," reminded Ashley.
"I'll take those odds. How about another lesson on the shooting range? You could teach me how to shoot a sniper rifle," suggested Samantha.
"Yeah, we can do that," said Ashley nearly laughing at Samantha's enthusiasm.