Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Alpha Quadrant- Sonatas and Serendipity

(snip)

Quinn rolled their eyes. “Let me give you a warning. Just don’t. Leave her be, alright?”

“I-” Ed started.

“No, don’t. Trust me. She’s got enough to deal with without some random person at the bar hitting on her. You want to be nice? Leave her alone.”

“Fine, but I’m still leaving the tip,” Ed said firmly.

Quinn shrugged. “Your choice.”

“Just tell me one thing… is her name really Coast?”

Quinn just rolled their eyes and walked off to put in the order.

Ed smirked and cast his gaze down at the bar. He watched Coast filling what seemed to be a large order, working diligently. She seemed sure in her movements, sometimes not even needing to look at what she was reaching for, even if it was behind her. There was rhythm to her movements and it was rather fascinating to watch. But she never made a return down this side of the bar. Moving off to his table, he joined his fellow shipmates. They had their drinks and poppers and left, off to hop to another bar. But already he was entranced by the place, and regretted leaving. It had somewhat questionable musical entertainment and certainly lacked in the decor department, but it was true to advertising: service was great. And lingering in his mind was the strange and beautiful woman named Coast.

Moving along the street back the way he had passed earlier, Edward was heading to his temporary accommodations after his friends had long gone home. He liked the streets at night, even here on this moon in the middle of nowhere. There was a peacefulness present as the establishments were closing up and people were heading off home. He was passing by Tanks’s again, and though the lights were mostly off, he stopped dead in his tracks as the most unexpected music could be heard through a partially open window.

Moving towards one of the windows, he peered in, trying to find the source. And sure enough someone was at the piano playing. But unlike the clumsy songs from earlier, whomever it was was good. Really good. He caught sight of their head and the familiar waves of brown hair. The delicate line of her profile shifted into view as her body moved backwards, tossing her hair. Edward watched those long delicate fingers sweep about the keys at a pace that was memorizing. He didn’t know the song, but as he watched the woman who had been serving him earlier he was frozen, as if breathing might interrupt her. It was hard to explain but it was like the music had possessed her and it was flowing through her fingers and toes and sounding from the piano. In that moment he knew he had to know her, but more than that he’d never get the image of her so immersed in the music out of his head. Especially as she stumbled during some of the more speedy bits here and there and just carried on as if they hadn’t happened. She played for herself not caring about how an audience might perceive it- then again she didn’t know an outsider was watching either.

Ed slipped away before she finished, not wanting to interrupt what was clearly a cathartic experience for her, but the rest of the night and well into tomorrow, Coast was embedded in his mind, not just the beautiful features of her face, but her long nimble fingers and the force behind her music.

So it was that well after places were closing up again the next night, and after peeking into the place earlier to see if she was working, Edward found himself sitting on the steps of a place across the street, waiting for her to leave. A couple of the other workers, including Quinn left but Coast didn’t emerge until a little later, clearly closing up. Shifting a bag over her shoulder, she turned her back to the street and pulled the cover down over the door, securing it with a code at the base that locked it from intruders.

As she stood back up, a man approached quickly, moving to grab her bag. Coast moved like lightning, grabbing the man by the shoulders and kneeing him in the crotch with force. He groaned and fell forward and she struck up under his chin with her left elbow before punching him square in the face with her right fist.

He went down groaning. “Serves you right, jackass!” she shouted at him, venom dripping from her voice. She stepped back and watched him. Edward was long on his feet but surprised by the skill with which she fought back, he waited to see if she needed someone to intervene. Clearly she did not. Still, he approached, making sure to stay in her line of sight so she didn’t freak out on him. “Coast? Are you alright?”

She head snapped up and she gazed at him, startled. She took a step back as she studied him, for a moment terrified. But then her expression softened. “You’re the guy from last night. Ed, right?”

“Yeah. Edward. Edward Calloway. Some people call me Ed.” He took another couple steps closer. “Should I call the constabulary?”

Coast looked down at the man who was still dazed but starting to move again. She scooted away from him, moving towards Edward. “Get lost and leave people the hell alone or you’ll get worse next time. Got it, jerk?!”

The man muttered a ‘yeah’ as he pushed himself to his feet, shot a glare at Coast and Edward and moved off.

“Think the situation is well under control,” she said, rolling her shoulders back.

Edward looked her over and he could see that her entire body was trembling. “Yeah, looks that way,” he said, shrugging his jacket off and draping it over her shoulders. “And I’m sure you can look after yourself, but why don’t you do me a favour and let me walk you home. I’d feel better knowing you got there safely.”

Coast looked like she wanted to object, but after a moment she just sighed. “Fine,” she said softly, though she didn’t move. “You were waiting for me. Why?” Once again, she was wary.

He took her in and in the street light could see those foggy grey eyes were actually blue. Foggy blue sky. Eyes that feared and warred. Eyes that clearly didn’t show trust- he couldn’t blame her. He wasn’t trying to be creepy, but he could understand if that was how she viewed him right now.

“Mozart? or Beethoven? Some sort of classical Terran music. I’m hardly an expert, clearly not like you,” he said softly. “I was walking past here last night. Late. I heard the music and saw you playing. It was… beautiful. You were beautiful. I just had to get to know the person playing that music, Coast.”

She gazed long and hard and then just started walking at a slow pace, seemingly inviting him to walk with her. “Coast isn’t my real name.”

He fell in stride with her. “I kinda figured. Why Coast?”

She glanced at him as they walked. “A riff on my last name, Costa. People pronounced it wrong and I used the word coast to correct them. It just sort of stuck as a nickname.”

He chuckled. “Could be worse ones.”

Coast actually smiled. “Yeah, true that.”

“What’s your first name?”

A tiny smirk pulled at her mouth and he liked the way it created a little dimple in the corner. “Oh, you haven’t earned that yet.”

“Guess I’m just going to have to try then.” Ed said with surprising certainty. Coast didn’t reply.

A few silent blocks later, she stopped in front of a utilitarian low-rise building. “This is me. Thanks for the escort.”

“My pleasure,” he said softly, once again drinking in her features. “Have a drink with me. Your next night off.”

“I don’t drink,” she said flatly.

“Coffee then. Or tea. Some time when you’re free.”

An almost sad expression passed over her face before it was neatly tucked away. “I don’t think so. Goodnight, Edward Calloway.”

She left him standing there and her goodnight felt too much like a goodbye. It hurt. And yet he realized as he wandered away that she still had his jacket.

To be Continued…

~Ed & ‘Coast’