Dinner Date (Part 3)

Posted on Thu Apr 7, 2016 @ 2:54am by Lieutenant Liam Reynolds & Civilian Thereen Tera

1,679 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Pangaea (Wrap up)
Location: Bajoran Gardens
Timeline: MD 11/2100

Liam paid for dinner, ensuring a tip for their waiter and turned to Tera. "Would you like to take a walk in these lovely gardens?"

“Sure,” Tera said with a smile, moving a bit closer to him as they walked out of the restaurant. “They are very beautiful.”

Liam smiled and gently put his arm round her waist, walking her out of the restaurant with a nod of thanks to the waiter. "I really enjoyed that. I think I could be a fan of this fusion cooking thing. So," he asked his thumb absently sliding on the soft material of her dress for a moment then resting on her hip. "Do all Bajoran's garden?" he asked.

“Many do,” Tera said. “We were a very pastoral and agricultural people before the Cardassians came, so we are still very close to the land. My father was a gardener and a farmer,” she said, leaning into Liam’s embrace. “Even in the cities everyone tries to get at least a little plot of land, even if only to grow some cooking herbs in the window. There will often be community gardens.”

"My grandfather on my Human side grows vegetables. He enters competitions each year to grow giant marrows. It gets quite competitive in a small Yorkshire village, I can tell you. Old men have been at war with each over as to who is the champion marrow grower for decades. I hope you don't think less of me as a man when I tell you this, but I ended up getting knocked out by one of those things once and now I hate being around them." He walked them over a small bridge, stopping to look at the colorful fish swimming underneath them. "Or eating marrow," Liam admitted, thinking back to when he first met his half-brother. "There's no marrows here, right?"

Tera laughed and squeezed his arm where she had hers threaded through. “I don’t even know what a marrow is.” She smiled up at him, the low lights in this section of the gardens glinting in her blue eyes. “My father was a gardener, during the Occupation,” she said sadly, looking out over the small pond under the bridge.

Liam caught the sadness. "You lost him?" he guessed. He knew how she felt. He had lost his own father in the last four years.

“During the war,” Tera said. “The Dominion…”

Liam nodded. He moved his hand from her waist and turned to face her direct on, moving his hand to her shoulder in support. "I'm sorry."

Tera smiled back at Liam. “Thank you,” she said. “Many people lost someone. I am not alone. But I do not wish to dampen the evening,” she told Liam, slipping her arm back into his.

Now she had snuggled in closer to him, the perfume she was wearing was quite intoxicating and giving him other ideas. Emotionally he could sense she was comfortable and enjoying being in his arms, if not also amused at his last confession. "So," he said a little absentmindedly, trying to bring his mind back to safer territory. "Do you garden? Have you a plot somewhere here on the station?" he asked.

“I grow a few cooking herbs and some flowers,” Tera said. “Tianys has quite a large hothouse setup above the club and lets me use a small plot. I just grow some things to decorate the store with, and my place.”

"That's nice of Tianys," he stated. He did like the Rowa’ni. Not in the way most men did, of course. She had helped him with the Ferengi problem and introduced them both. "So she's a good friend?" he asked.

Tera smiled. “Friend might be…stretching it,” she said with a slight chuckle. “Tianys isn’t exactly friends with anyone who isn’t Rowa’ni. But…she’s taken an interest in me, for whatever reason, and we’re friendly.”

"I only have a couple of friends here on the station, the XO and his wife," Liam told her. "I served with them on another ship in the past."

“It’s good to have people you know,” Tera said. “I haven’t met much of the Starfleet staff. Just the few that come into the shop. I hope they like the gift you chose.”

"Oh, they really did. Talking of gifts," Liam said as they rounded a corner, and there was a man selling flowers, he supposed the Bajoran equivalent of a Human rose. "I know it’s corny, but…come on. Might cheer you up again for ending up dredging up memories of you father. Sorry about that."

Tera smiled brightly. “It’s okay, Liam. Really. It’s been years, so the memories have subsided a bit. And my father and I were never really…close,” she had to admit.

“These are beautiful,” she said as she perused the flowers. She plucked out a pale blue flower, the color of her eyes, and smelled it. The scent was delightful. “Thank you, Liam.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek, catching the corner of his mouth with her full lips.

Liam grinned and pushed a strand of her hair over her ear, moving slightly closer. He let his lips brush hers in a proper kiss. "Thank you for coming to dinner with me," he told her.

“It was fun,” Tera smiled. “Been a while since I’ve gotten out. And with such a lovely man,” she said, slipping her hand into his. “Unfortunately, it’s not much farther to my place, and then we have to make a decision on whether the night will end or not…” She gazed into his eyes.

"I thought you established earlier it was ladies choice on that," Liam said with a smile.

He turned serious for a moment. He had to be honest with her. "I wouldn't be able to stay long. I have the summit starting in the morning. And that's quite a complex process that's likely to tie me up for a while. So I wouldn't actually know when I will be free to see you again. If that's what you want," he added slowly. He didn't want to be the guy who slept with someone and then disappeared. And he had enjoyed the night out with her. As terrifying as stepping back into the dating pool was, he found himself now wondering about seeing her again.

“Ladies choice, but you have to accept,” Tera pointed out. She noticed him grow serious, though, and listened.

“Yes, I would like to see you again, Liam,” she told him. “And of course, stay as long or short as you can. I understand. You have important work to do.” She gave a self-deprecating smile. “I’m just a humble little shopkeeper. I wouldn’t dream of getting in the way of all that. Perhaps we could start with a spot of tea?” she offered him.

"Well, I do like tea. I have Yorkshire roots, you know. Lead the way." He nodded, feeling his pulse race a little faster.

As they exited the gardens, he felt the need to reassure her. "And you’re more than just a humble shopkeeper. Don't put yourself down, Tera. You’re a creative and smart business woman. Which silly pathetic male shoppers like me would go forth and make idiots of themselves without someone like you to rescue them. And you run a shop. All by yourself. I wouldn't have a clue what to do there."

Tera smiled. “It is small and out of the way,” she said. “And very specialty. But thank you.” She slipped her hand in his. Taking the lift up a few levels in the Promenade, they exited and headed down one of the side corridors. The Lotus Lounge sat there unobtrusively as they passed and stopped in front of Tera’s shop.

Tera gave Liam a smile and turned to punch in her door code. The door unlocked and slid aside, the lights coming up dimly. “My place is above,” she told Liam, stepping inside and waiting for him to join her before securing the door again. “Through the back,” she indicated. The display cases were empty now, the wares locked up. Tera led Liam around the cases and into the back room and a short flight of stairs to the loft apartment above the shop. She opened it and ordered on the lights.

It wasn’t fancy, but small and cozy, a single room. The end near the door was a small kitchen and dining area, then a couch and some chairs settled around a holo-screen and some bookshelves. She didn’t have windows, so there was a large picture-vid of a Bajoran countryside. At the far end of the room was a large, comfortable-looking bed covered in simple but smooth Bajoran cotton sheets with a handmade Bajoran quilt.

“My humble abode,” Tera said with a smile, turning back to Liam.

"Its lovely," he smiled polietly leaning down and boldly stealing another kiss. "Just like you."

Tera paused, spotting something on the dining table. “Oh,” she said, noting the colorful purple orchid-like flower. Liam was closest to it, and the scent was intoxicating, reminiscent of the Rowa’ni. “Looks like Tianys left something for us…”

"What is it?" Liam asked. The scent was intoxicating and he was doing his best to cut through the aroused emotions from next door focus on Tera. He stepped closer to look at it further, getting a bit too close and getting some pollen on his nose, which enhanced the effect.

Tera smiled and came over, wiping his nose clean. “Careful,” she smiled, her body pressed lightly against him. “I promised you tea…” She stepped back, a longing look in her blue eyes. “If you like, I can make you something special…” Gently she pinched off one of the petals from the flower. “But only if you are staying…” she hinted.

"Oh I think I am staying," Liam said softly.


OFF:

Lieutenant Liam Reynolds
CDO, DS5

&

Civilian Thereen Tera
Npc Lieutenant Commander Caleb Ryan

 

RSS Feed