With the start of the new semester, Laura will devote almost all her time to curriculum development, acting as a substitute teacher when needed. Her kindergarten class did great on their standardized government exams that were completed prior to winter break, enough that it turned a few heads. Principle Lindstrom commends her for her performance in the classroom and on the early drafts of her proposed new curriculum.
When Dave returns to his office, he is greeted with two piles of phone messages. The first pile contains those from other historians and researchers, either expressing interest in his work or asking him to appear at their campus as a guest speaker. The second pile, the larger of the two, contains propositions, marriage proposals, and a variety of other flirtations. He reads a few of them, including a detailed one which makes him blush. That pile is quickly thrown in the recycle bin.
His cell phone dings with a text message notification.
"A driver will take us to the restaurant tonight - pick you up at 8?"
When they had coffee together the day before, Larissa was very attentive and talkative regarding his book. She had managed to read almost all of it on Saturday after they first met, and she came to the coffee house with a list of questions to discuss, fitting into the stereotype of a news anchor. She also flirted with him, not so much with words, but with actions. Occasionally she would lean over the table offering a view of her cleavage, her head would tilt to the side exposing her slender neck, or she'd brush a locket of hair behind her ear and let her fingers drag down her neck. She had ordered a cold drink with a straw and made it a point of puckering her lips around it whenever she took a sip, peering at him with her brilliant blue eyes. Her hands had a way of touching him, whether it was when she laughed, or playfully swatting him when he made a joke, or grasping his hand when he walked her to her car. It was there that she asked him to dinner, promising to take him to her favorite upscale restaurant on the other side of the city.
"8 is perfect. See you then!" he texts back.
Sandra attends two new classes in the morning, one a children's literature class, and the other a chemistry class which will fulfill her basic science requirement for her bachelor's degree. After lunch, she attends her intermediate drawing class, the one she is looking forward to the most. The teacher, Professor Capan, seems very nice. She's sort of a free spirit that tends to ramble too much, but Sandra appreciates the laid-back feel of the class compared to the more rigid traditional classes that fill her morning.
Afterwards, the girl that was seated next to her catches up to her as she walks down the hallway.
"Hi! I'm Willow," she says matching her stride.
"Oh, hi, I'm Sandra," she says slowing her pace to look at the girl. She's about her height, with long brown hair and freckles on her nose.
"Have you had Professor Capan before?"
"No, I had Wiles for beginning drawing last semester. Have you?"
"No, but she seems nice. Are you majoring in fine arts?"
"I'm pretty sure but I haven't declared yet. What about you?"
"I'm thinking about it, but I also like digital design. I have some time to decide, I'm just a freshman."
"This is my first year, too. Credit-wise I'm a sophomore, though. I took a lot of advanced classes in high school that counted toward college credit."
"You look really young."
"I graduated early – I'm 16."
"Do you wanna go to a party Friday night?"
"Oh, no, I'll pass. I don't drink or anything." Sandra was waiting for this turn in the conversation. Every time she tried to make a new friend last semester, the conversation would inevitably lead to discussion of parties and drinking.
"It's not that kind of party. I don't drink either. My dad was an alcoholic, so I don't touch the stuff. It took me a while, but I found a group of friends that gets together every Friday and plays cards and board games. We listen to music and dance, talk, just have a good time. No alcohol, no drugs."
"You don't worship the gods and pray all the time, do you?" The one time she met another person that didn't drink or do drugs last semester, they were heavily into religion.
"No, we aren't a religious group. We just have fun without substances. I thought since you're 16, you probably aren't into anything illegal anyway. But if you don't wanna go, that's fine."
"Actually, I'd like to go, but I need to clear it with my dad. Where's the party?"
"It's in one of the lounges in one of the dorms. We change location every once in a while, so some of us don't have to walk so far each week. And we only walk in groups at night on campus so that we're safe. We usually have pizza and soda, plus other snacks like popcorn and pretzels, so you can just eat at the party if you like that sort of junk food."
"Do you have another class? I was going to see my dad right now – he's a Dean here – and maybe you could come with me. He'd prefer to meet you before I agree to go to a party. He's kind of overprotective since I'm only 16." That's a fair assessment and not a lie. Sandra doesn't feel the need to share her troubled history with a total stranger so soon.
"I'm done for the day, so I'll go with you."
On the way there, the two girls chat about their classes and make recommendations about which professors are the best and which ones to avoid. Sandra discovers that Willow lives in a small, older freshman dorm in the middle of campus. The parties are supervised by the resident assistant, or RA as Willow calls them, at the dorms that host the activities. The attendance ranges from a dozen to around thirty or more, depending on if it's close to midterms or finals. There are more students at the beginning of the semester, then attendance drops off as they get busy or find other groups of students to spend their time with.
"If you want to have a seat over there, I can see if he's busy and talk to him first. Then I'll bring you in and introduce you," Sandra says, pointing to a waiting area near her father's office.
After Willow takes a seat, Sandra knocks on her father's door and steps inside.
"Hey, daddy, are you busy?"
"Not too busy for you, sweetheart. How was your first day back?"
"Good. I think I'm going to like my classes. I sort of made a friend. Her name is Willow and she's here in the waiting area. She asked me to a party Friday night. It's an alcohol free and drug free party that they have in the dorms every week and they just play cards and board games, dance, talk, and eat pizza and stuff. I'd like to go if that's okay with you. The RA supervises the activities so I'm sure it's safe."
"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. All I ask is that you keep your phone on in case I need to contact you, or if you are uncomfortable with something, you call and let me know."
"I will. Do you wanna meet her?"
"Who?"
"Willow, my new friend. She's in my intermediate drawing class and she lives in the dorms. She's in the waiting area."
"Sure, bring her in."
Willow's eyes light up when she meets Dave, mentioning that her family watched his interview on the news last week. She gives him some more details about the parties, assuring him they are clean. They typically end at midnight so that the music doesn't disturb anyone in the dorm who's trying to sleep.
After Sandra asks if she can hang out in his office the rest of the afternoon since she doesn't have any homework yet, Willow offers to take her to her dorm room to meet some other people. She promises to be back by 4 pm, plenty of time before her father needs to leave campus.
Cheryl is thrilled to be back in school and see her friends again. She greets Persephone with a hug even though she just saw her the week before. They talk about if they did anything fun during winter break and Cheryl mentions her father's book and that he's now famous in the colonies. Persephone talks about her family's vacation to see relatives on Aerilon and helping to milk cows on a dairy farm. The idea of being a veterinarian instead of a human doctor intrigues her, but deflates Cheryl.
"What's wrong?" Persephone asks when she sees the disappointment on her best friend's face.
"I was hoping you could help me with something, but it's about human medicine. If you aren't interested, that's okay."
"No, I still am. I just might start reading veterinary books, too, that's all. What is it?"
"Can you keep a secret? I don't want anyone to know I have this," Cheryl whispers.
"Yes. What is it?"
"Let's go the library and I'll show you."
They find a place in the back of the room behind several stacks of books where they have often met before and read together or talked about things that bother them.
"Here," Cheryl says pulling a photograph from inside of a book that she was carrying. "This is my mom before she died. She had cancer. I found this underneath Sandra's bed and she doesn't know I have it. She won't show me pictures like this because she thinks it will upset me."
Persephone takes the photo and stares at the gaunt woman lying in a bed in what is now Cheryl's room. She's bald, frail, and her skin has a ghastly grey tone, but she's trying to smile for the camera.
"I'm so sorry. I feel really bad looking at this picture. Does it bother you?"
Cheryl nods her head as tears well in her eyes. After a deep breath to push her feelings deep down inside, she admits that it does. "Can you tell me why they can't find a medicine to cure cancer?"
"Oh, I don't…I don't think I can. My grandpa died of cancer, too. I think lots of people are cured but then lots of people still die from it. I don't know why."
"If you decide to become a doctor when you grow up, can you invent something to cure it? Because I don't want anyone else to die like this. I look at this picture every night when I go to bed, and she doesn't look anything like the other pictures I have of her. Cancer took everything she was and destroyed it. It's hard for me to think that this is her, but it is. And it hurts."
Dave cooks Sandra and Cheryl dinner when they arrive home, taking only a few bites himself to tide him over until his dinner date later in the evening. After they eat, he asks for Sandra's help to pick out his attire and make sure he looks presentable while Cheryl goes to her room to chat online with Persephone.
She chooses a bright blue shirt to go with his best black suit, and a colorful paisley tie that he hardly ever wears. While she helps put him together, smoothing his hair and checking to make sure he has a close shave, she decides it's time for a talk with her father about dating.
"Alright, young man, what time will you be home tonight?" she asks in a parental tone.
"I would think by 11, but 12 at the latest," he replies, messing with his collar.
"Hmpf. Which is it? I'll be waiting up for you," she informs him as she swats his hand away from his collar and sets about fixing it herself.
"You sound like my mother again."
"Well, someone has to watch out for you. You're learning to date again. The world is different now. You have to be careful."
"I suppose," he replies, wondering what exactly has changed in the dating world.
"You are going to be careful, right?" she presses.
"I'm always careful."
"No, daddy, I mean you're going to be careful," she repeats in a much more serious tone. "Larissa's in her 30s. She is perfectly capable of bearing children. You have protection, right?"
"Geez, Sandra, I really don't think we'll be sleeping together tonight! And it's not like I'd talk to you about this anyway."
"Daddy, I'm serious. She has a reputation. Do you have condoms?"
"I am NOT sleeping with her tonight."
"Alright. But if you go out again, you need to have condoms. I don't need another little sister. I'm perfectly happy with the one I have now, and my niece that will be born in a few months." She places him in front of a full-length mirror so that they can both admire her work. "Now, go have fun, but not too much fun."
"Okay, mom."
"I can't lose you, buddy. You're the best friend I ever had. Now get up and let's go kick some cylon ass," Rebound encourages Thorn near the end of Viper Squadron II.
"But my arm, Rebound. I can't feel it," Thorn gasps. It dangles from the socket while blood drips down to his fingertips. A slow-motion shot watches a drop splatter on the floor of the battlestar as he struggles to stand and the music swells dramatically.
"I'm telling you it's not that bad. We need you. I need you. The fate of the human race depends on you, Thorn. You are my brother. You are everyone's brother. You have the power to save us all."
"Then I'll fight. Take me to my viper! I'll save everyone or I'll die trying!"
As they jog down the hallway toward the flight deck, the whirring sound of cylons comes up behind them. When Rebound turns the corner, he is met with a round of bullets from a Centurion, which tilts its head back and lets out a maniacal mechanical laugh as Rebound falls to the floor.
"Noooooooo!" screams Thorn. "My brother!"
Finding strength he didn't know he possessed, he uses his mangled arm to pull a gun from the holster and shoot his way through a half dozen Centurions, killing them all and clearing the way to his viper.
Cheryl sits wide-eyed watching the heroic actions of Thorn as he climbs into his viper and launches into space, gunning down almost two dozen raiders in the first few minutes.
Sandra sighs as she watches Thorn, having lost interest in the movie after her heartthrob Rebound met his demise. Thorn's not bad, but she prefers taller men, and Rebound is a bit younger with large brown eyes. Those brown eyes make her melt every time he's in a scene.
The part of Thorn is played by an actor named Cassidy. Just Cassidy, and she's not even sure if it's his first name or last name. He's a former child star that grew into action hero roles when he took up weightlifting and became obnoxiously ripped. He's also the former boyfriend of Larissa Lydiatt.
It was a very public relationship with the two of them being photographed at all of the major hotspots on each colony, plus the more popular movie award ceremonies. Cassidy is ten years younger than Larissa, but they look good together, so good that some people accused them of being together just as a publicity stunt. Then a series of photos were leaked to the press, photos that showed Cassidy and Larissa in various states of undress in compromising positions at a spa on Virgon. If they were faking it, they were sure doing a tremendous job.
A month ago, some more photos were leaked, ones that showed Cassidy playing tonsil hockey with the female costar of the soon to be released Viper Squadron III movie. That's when Larissa became single again.
Sandra frowns as she watches Thorn systematically dispatch an entire squadron of raiders all by himself. How does Larissa go from Cassidy to my dad?
Dressing for a date at the fanciest restaurant in town is something Larissa is very familiar with. She chooses a little black dress with a deep V down her back to show as much of her flawless skin as possible but still be tasteful. Her hair is swept up with a few curly tendrils framing her face and she applies a smokey eyeshadow to create a bedroom eye look, along with a darker shade of lipstick for the late hour.
They dine at an intimate table for two in the restaurant, away from the eyes of the other patrons.
"I hope you don't mind," she mentions to Dave. "The paparazzi has a bad habit of finding me and taking pictures."
It's one of those restaurants that serves you a salad, then the main course, and an option for dessert, but each of the portions are small and plated as if they are an art form. Expensive wine is served with the meal and the waiters are well-versed in pairing the appropriate beverage with the main course.
Larissa knows exactly what to say to keep Dave's attention on her. She insists on calling him David, saying it suits him because his name means 'beloved'. She asks questions about his research, letting him ramble on to her about his work and staring deeply into his eyes to let him know she's hanging on every word. Several times she mentions how much she is enjoying the evening, lightly touching his arm each time.
She's very intelligent and articulate, and Dave can't help but be drawn in by her. Her knowledge of a wide range of topics fascinates him and he admires her for being able to stay on top of so many current events. While she's considerably younger than he is, her sense of humor and intellect are a good match with his. Add to that the physical attraction between them, and their chemistry is off the charts.
Of particular interest to her are the guest lectures Dave mentions that he has been asked to give throughout the colonies. "Maybe we can cover a few of those on the news to help get the word out. I'll have a talk with my producer about that," she offers.
Their meal ends, and they fill the next 20 minutes with conversation and mild flirting. His arm settles across the back of her chair, and she instinctively leans in closer to him with each passing minute. As far as first dates go, this one has exceeded his expectations. If they weren't in such a public place, he would kiss her, his mind wondering about the feel of her lips on his.
She senses their natural chemistry as well. "David, I've enjoyed the time we've spent together. I hope I'm not being too forward, but what are you plans for the rest of the evening?"
"I guess I don't have any," he replies, curious about where she's going with this train of thought.
"You're welcome to come to my place tonight," she says, peering at him through half open lids while her hand brushes his leg under the table.
He replays Sandra's words in his mind. The world is different now. You have to be careful.
"I would like to do that, but my daughters are home alone, and I need to get back."
"Am I moving too fast?" she asks, staring deep into his eyes, concerned that he may be put off by her proposition.
"No. It's just that I haven't dated in a long time. But I am interested," he replies lightly stroking her cheek with his index finger.
"Good," she smiles, relieved that he appears to be as interested in her as she is in him. "How about this weekend? Any plans for Friday or Saturday?"
"I can't commit to Friday, but Saturday evening is open for me."
"We can have an early dinner at my place, something more casual if you'd like."
"It's a date," he replies, taking her hand in his and rubbing his thumb along the back.
"David, how soon do you need to be home tonight?"
"About an hour," he replies glancing at his watch.
"Maybe we could take the long way back to your place. Let's get out of here."
After they retrieve her wrap from the coat check, he places it over her shoulders while they wait for the limo to arrive. Once they are inside, she gives orders to the driver to drop them off at the Roslin house in an hour, then slides the privacy screen into place.
Dave pulls her face to his, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. Her eyes sparkle with approval as she returns the gesture, this time taking it a step further and lightly licking his lips. Before long, they are making out, and the intensity increases enough that she suggests he remove his jacket, then she loosens his tie for him. It's an excuse to place her hands on the buttons of his shirt, undoing the top few so she can slip her hand inside and feel those muscles she has been thinking about since they first had coffee together.
The pads of her fingers swirl around the outside of his tank top and he deepens their kiss, tangling his tongue with hers. He had worried about how it would feel to kiss someone other than his wife, but those worries melt away, replaced with desire for the woman in his arms.
He kisses along her jawline and down her neck, finding an incredibly sensitive spot near her collarbone that causes a warmth to overtake her core. Her fingers make quick work of the rest of his buttons while she pulls his shirt from his pants, sneaking one hand up beneath his tank top.
"Hmm, Larissa," he mumbles as she places kisses on his chest while she tugs at his belt with her other hand. "I don't have any protection."
"You don't need any," she purrs as she unzips his pants, placing her hand inside his boxers to stroke his length, watching the intense reaction on his face. She slowly kisses a meandering trail down his chest and abdomen allowing him ample time to consider her actions and stop her if he's uncomfortable. When she settles between his legs, her eyes search his face seeking permission to continue, and when his fingers stroke her cheek, her lips replace her hand on his shaft, causing him to draw in a sharp breath before he relaxes into the sensation of being in her mouth.
Sandra sits in the dark on the sofa with one eye on the clock while the other is out the front window, expecting her father home any minute since it's close to midnight. At a few minutes past the hour, the limo pulls into the driveway, but no one gets out of the vehicle. She can't see into the back because of the dark tinted windows, and her imagination runs wild with the possibility that they are making out. Finally, her father emerges from the vehicle but before the limo pulls away, the window rolls down and Larissa happily calls his name, then hands him his suit jacket. The limo then drives off as he walks to the door, unlocks it, and steps inside.
Sandra suddenly flicks the foyer light on. "You're late, young man. Would you care to explain?" she teases.
Startled, her father turns to her, and her jaw goes slack. "Whoa," she says, looking him over from head to toe. His hair is disheveled, lipstick covers his mouth and neck, it's obvious he buttoned his shirt in the dark because the buttons don't line up correctly, and the hem is sticking out through his fly, which is only half zipped up. "Woooowwwwwwww," she says staring at him in disbelief.
"You should get to bed," he says pointing toward her room, making it very clear they will NOT be having a discussion about why he looks the way he does.
"Yes. I'm going to bed now. Good night, daddy," she whispers as she tip-toes away.