An Exercise in Healing (Pt2)

Posted on Wed Oct 11th, 2023 @ 3:50am by Lieutenant J'airesh Mora-Heath & Master Chief Petty Officer Chuck Finley [Reece]

Mission: Season 6: Episode 3: Far From Home
Location: USS Elysium, J'airesh's quarters
1977 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

***ON***

The ACMO was cooking up a storm. She hadn't taken the trouble to cook a big, four course meal like this in forever..... She had the Hors D'Oeuvres part done and chilling. She had decided on a Bruschetta (Italian soft bread) with Roasted tomatoes, Ricotta cheese, Prosciutto ham and rosemary all piled artistically on top. She held back the roasted tomatoes to the last minute, timing them to come out of the oven hot but had already prepared the Bruschetta, the cheese and rosemary ready to just present and add the tomatoes at the last minute.

It was unusual for her to include a fish course, but it was small, much like a second starter. She had made 'Bacalaitos' - Terran Puerto Rican Fish Pancake Fritters and laid them in a pan with their skewers beside it, ready to cook at the moment they would be wanted. They wouldn't take long to cook as they were thin and needed to be crisp so a quick blast of heat was the trick rather than a long slow braising.

Making sure she had wine, red and white, some of each for each course, or preference in case Chuck was not so keen on one or the other. J'Air set out the cutlery on the table in her dining area and as she was pulling out all the stops, she added a pretty, lacy tablecloth first and mats as well. She replicated some napkins to match the contents of the tablecloth and lit a small, scented candle to place in the centre to soften the lighting. She told the computer to dim the main lights several degrees so it was soft but still comfortable, not too dim and dingy but not harsh and formal.

Making sure she had the ingredients for her Bajoran Hasperat Soufle settling out of range of the heat of the oven, she prepared her Bolian Switchfruit and Rigellian cherry dessert and added some Risan maple syrup to drip down from the top of the fruity piled centre and pool at the bottom giving a sweet mini 'volcanic island' impression. Satisfied with that she chilled that too and went off to shower and change out of her cooking clothes and into something nice.

It was at the point of getting her hair tidy and swept up and applying some soft, subtle make up, that J'Air finally had enough mind-free time to start to get nervous. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a date. Well, she could if she tried but she blocked that out firmly and concentrated on what it had been that had persuaded her to allow herself to be coaxed back into the "romance" arena.

Finally giving up on any level of satisfaction with her make up, J'Air submitted to the time limits and returned to the kitchen to start the oven on low for the baked tomatoes and began to nervously shuffle the Hasparat Soufle ingredients around a bit, taking off her apron, putting it back on again, shuffling the wine glasses around the mats and cutlery until she finally slapped her own hand away in frustration with herself for getting into such a state.

She then put on some soothing, soft music... clicked her tongue and changed it to something more cheerful and then back to some Terran Whale Music. When that didn't work either, she was just reprogramming it for something happier when the Door-chime sounded and she jumped nearly out of her skin, as if she hadn't been expecting anyone this side of the next millennium.

~What is WRONG with you??!!~ she chastised herself as she landed back on the floor, having peeled herself metaphorically from the underside of the ceiling.

~CALM DOWN! or you'll ruin it!~ She went towards the door, smoothing her nice dress down and suddenly realising she was still wearing her apron. Tearing it off and scrunching it up, she flung it to one side just in time, as she got level with the door and opened it, hoping to look smooth, suave and unrattled.

Chuck had spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out the right suit to wear. A tux would've been too formal and jeans too casual. So, he went middle of the road, with a navy blue sport coat, a black turtleneck, a pair of khaki slacks and black shoes. Once he was presentable, he made his way to J'Airesh's quarters.

If asked, he'd say that he was a little nervous for the evening ahead. Not that he would do anything wrong or of poor taste, just the butterflies he felt when near the beautiful and brilliant doctor. She was definitely way out of his league, and he was worried she would figure that out. He was a rough-natured, grizzled old warrior. She, on the other hand, was a lady true and complete.

Standing outside her door, he took a moment to ensure he didn't look like a slob. Then, convinced that there was nothing else he could do, he reached up and pressed the door chime. Afterwards, he stood there, holding the two gifts he had for her.

When the door opened, his jaw almost hit the deck. The vision that greeted him was beautiful beyond description. It took him a couple beats to clear his throat and find his voice. "Wow!" He exclaimed softly, as his eyes took in all that stood before him. "You look perfect!"

J'Air's cheeks coloured softly and she glanced at the ground modestly. "You look very smart and handsome yourself," she replied, very happy that he liked the way she looked and although she knew that 'perfect' was a huge exaggeration, she appreciated his kindness in saying it. She grinned at him, wishing she could get over that Cheshire Cat stage and be less teenage and insecure around him.

"Please come in, won't you?" she invited and stood back slightly to make that possible.

"Yes Ma'am. Thank you for having me over." As he stepped inside, he offered the gifts. One, a wonderful arrangement of wildflowers, and the other an unopened bottle of 1985 Glenfiddich. "I had been holding onto this for a while, waiting for the right moment to open her up. I think meeting you, m'lady, perfectly qualifies."

"Wow, you're too kind, but I won't say no to either! Thank you so much!" J'Air accepted the bouquet and breathed in the scents with a contented sigh. "Wonderful, so beautiful!" she admired them and after he had come right in, she offered to take his sport coat and hang it up. "Please come on in.... she repeated as he seemed to hesitate in favour of not being too intrusive, well that was what she read this to be from him. Opening her arm out to encompass the view of the quarters as a whole, J'Air snatched up the discarded apron and tried to replace it in the kitchen subtly, failing miserably.

In the end she just shrugged and put it back on. "I have a few bits in the kitchen before supper is ready to serve - how hungry are you? Would you like to just sit and chat and have an aperitif first? If you like we can start on the first course straight away instead? It's entirely your choice.... you're the guest!" she grinned at him, then remembering that she had thought she wasn't supposed to still be doing this, she tried to soften the expression to a warm smile instead.

Chuck smiled softly as he glanced around J'airesh's quarters. It definitely felt like a space that he felt she would have. The soft decorations placed here and there felt quite comforting.

Turning his gaze back to his lovely host, he smiled again as he replied. "Whatever it takes to make this evening last as long as possible, m'lady." Looking over to her small kitchenette, he offered, "I'm pretty good around a kitchen myself. Perhaps we could finish getting dinner ready together?"

"That would be lovely, thank you!" she said, smiling happily. "I've almost finished the first course. The tomatoes are on a timer that will go off any minute and then it just needs assembling on the plates and we can start." she explained her plans. "Would you open a wine please? I was anticipating a white for this course, but it's entirely your choice. There's Red open and breathing and a Rose as well, if you're not so keen on the cold white?"

He shook his head as he grinned at her. "I would never dream of altering the plans that the chef had laid out. The white will be fine." He moved over to the small fridge and opened the door, pulling out the wine bottle in question, before closing the door again. Moving over to the table, he grabbed both the corkscrew, a manual one at that and, after a few beats, the cabin was filled with the sound of a cork popping free of its bottle.

After pouring two glasses, he recorked the bottle, placing it on the table. Walking back over to J'airesh, he was gently swirling the glasses, causing the slightly tart aroma of the wine to start competing with the smell of the food. "My Lady." He said as he offered J'airesh her glass.

J'Air grinned back at him and took the glass. "Why thank you, Sir!" she said and, playing into the theme, breathed in a long exploratory waft of the wine's aroma and, nodding approval, took a small sip which she swirled around her mouth before swallowing it. "Very nice" she approved and held up the glass to offer against his. "Cheers" she said softly. "To a promising friendship?" She didn't take the liberty of assuming it would be more than that, even though she was very, very keen that it should be.

Chuck smiled as his tinked his glass to J'airesh's as he replied. "Without being too bold, I'm hopeful what we will have will be far more than a simple friendship." He didn't say what he hoped for aloud, hoping the unspoken words were received loud and clear.

J'Air smiled back, and the smile spread to her eyes as her cheeks pinked a little, knowing full well what both their hopes were. They ate their first course and gradually they then progressed through the other courses too, drinking the wine allocated to each course, chatting and laughing as if they were old friends.

By the time they had arrived at the dessert, there was a lot of frivolity over the application of the Risan maple syrup which Chuck had offered to assist with. Assist being an unusual word for the effect of the stickiness that suddenly seemed to be less on the sweet and more on the rather tipsy chefs themselves.

J'Air's ribs were aching from laughing so much and she eventually surrendered the maple syrup pot after losing the pretended tussle the two had in order to gain control over it. Somehow having ended up laying back across the sofa where she had fallen after backing into the arm and being tripped by it, backwards, J'Air accepted her fate and was awaiting whatever Chuck was going to do with his trophy and its delicious contents.

Clearly there were going to need to be showers involved in the Clean-Up but J'Air wasn't unhappy about that, in fact, she couldn't wait!

As he stood over J'airesh, holding the bowl of delicious sweetness, Chuck gave her a suggestive grin. "Why don't you grab a coversheet for the bed. That way, after you undress and lay on it, we can really enjoy our dessert."

"Oh I like that idea..... well, both of them in fact!" she grinned mischievously and brooked no delay in putting all his ideas into practice plus a few suggestions of her own too!

TBC............ ;-P