Lunette awoke with Amelia curled around her and she smiled. She was so comfortable right now. And felt so very safe, and she eased out of her arms and out of the bed. She peeked out of the porthole window, before she smiled and slipped her robe over herself. She walked out through the room and into the charter room before she poked her head out to look at the deck. She found no one out and she smiled as she snuck out and walked out onto the deck. She peered around and looked out over the starboard side. She was wide awake now and she shivered at the cool galaxy air.
"You should be properly dressed if you are going to be out here." She jumped at the sound of Jim's voice. She faced him and saw his eyes widen. "What is it?" He remained quiet for a moment before he said. "Why are you awake?" He would not tell her, her hair was far longer than he imagined and that she looked breathtakingly beautiful. That the long braid that hung over her shoulder enticed him to unravel it and let it fly free in the wind. She smiled. "I couldn't sleep, Amelia tends to keep me awake and I decided to come out to the deck for some fresh air."
She did not know what she stirred in him. She was so very young, so very bright, and smarter beyond her years. She was mature and to him, perfect. "She kept you awake?" Lunette saw his questioning gaze and smiled at him. "I have heard many rumors, but am not her lover," she admitted to him. She looked out over the calm galaxy and said, "She was questioning me about my true reason as to why I would dare risk my life to see a man who was never a part of my life." She leaned over the trim side and Jim followed suit, letting his stern back take a rest to how proper he always stood. "Why do you wish to meet him?" he asked. She took in a deep breath and said, "I want to know why he left, I want to know what kind of woman my mother was when he loved her, if he loved her at all." Lunette said, "I wish I was able to look at the statistics of the entire situation, but this is so personal, so different from any other research I have ever done." Jim nodded. And he looked out into the skies with her.
They remained like that, for a few moments, before he said. Jim watched her as she stood beside him and he looked just past her and saw the hired cabin boy watching them. He was mopping the decks while it was quiet and Jim eyes him when the young man's eyes gazed at Lunette in admiration and as she stood there, Jim noticed she had come out in merely her undergarments. His eyes widened, but he kept himself cool and collected. "What are you doing cabin boy?" Jim groused and the boy jumped before whipping around and staring worriedly up at Jim. "There'll be plenty of girls to see soon enough, so keep your eyes off that one," Jim forewarned and the boy nodded, before he began scrubbing at the deck once more.
He walked over to Lunette and she said, "What if I would like a cabin boy?" she challenged playfully as she looked out. Jim choked on his words while she laughed. "Young men are rather lively and can keep up with a woman such as myself."
"Lunette," he began and she lowered her head before she looked at him through long lashes. "Were you not a cabin boy yourself at one time?" She was flirting with him, and he refused to answer and changed the subject. "You need to go back to bed," he ordered and she sighed. "Very well," she murmured before she paused to look at him and he saw her hand raise to touch his cheek. "Before I forget, thank you Lieutenant Hawkins," she said. And with her words she slipped back into Amelia's cabin. Jim shook his head and eased away from the deck and into his own cabin. The woman would be the death of him. She was so wickedly smart and beautiful. He sighed as he eased into his cabin and looked at the dial on his wall. Just now they had left academy waters. They were now in intergalactic waters and he could finally take off his stiff uniform. Tomorrow would be a day to be a free man.