Posted by Lieutenant Commander Zef Rollo (Counselor) in Quarters - Cmdr Zef Rollo

It had been a long day in the office. Yeoman Dave Brooks and Zef had gone through all the crew records making sure all essential information was present. It was tedious and time consuming. They’d moved his console into her inner office so she could answer questions without shouting when he came upon some unknown. She hadn’t taken a lunch break, although Dave did, preferring to keep at it and get it over with. By the time they finished the day, there were only 67 files left and Fin thought she would have those done the next day.

Returning to her quarters, she fixed herself a glass of chilled wine, stripped in the bedroom and took the drink into the shower with her. As the sonic pulses helped ease her muscles, the wine did the same for her mind. After several moments of quiet respite, Zef picked up a specially treated sponge and began to rub her skin all over until it glowed with good health. Using fingertips, she rubbed her scalp and fluffed her hair several times to make sure it was clean also.

When the glass was empty she exited the shower, refilled it and then began rubbing a special lotion into her skin. With almost no pigmentation, she had to be careful about certain wavelengths of light that could damage her. The protections were built into the lotion. It also smelled good and after a lifetime of doing it, she didn’t think of it as anything but normal.

As she slipped into a traditional komak, this one a dark teal with golden threads running through it, Zef was thinking of what she wanted for dinner. Walking through the bedroom to the living room on bare feet, she pulled her hair up and over so the white cloud settled over her left shoulder. Just as she was about to speak to the replicator, the door chime sounded. She sighed and turned her eyes upward, whispering “Please don’t be work. Please don’t be work…”

—Zef

Twenty minutes prior, Alex has stepped out of his own shower. One of the perks of being the Captain of one of the biggest vessels in Star Fleet: his shower was capable of sending hot water or sonic waves. Opting for the former,, he had scrubbed himself clean from the sheen of sweat that had covered him after his workout. The soap he used was a gift from his father who made it himself. It smelled of wood, leather, and a hint of the herbal overtones of whiskey without the alcohol. Dressing himself in a heather-colored shirt with three buttons that remained open at the top, blue jeans, and brown suede boots; he picked up a bottle of wine made from Andalusian grapes but grown on Vulcan and left his quarters and made his way to the Counselor’s quarters, taking care to not be seen by anyone.

As the door slid open, he smiled warmly and held up the bottle. “Commander. If I am not in error, I believe I promised you a taste of my family’s vineyard. Unless now isn’t a good time?”

Cochrane, CO

The smile that graced her face was genuine at seeing Alex there. The offering of wine and the casual mode of dress were promising hints of what might come later in the evening.

“Alex, how nice! No, you picked a great time. I was almost afraid to answer the door because I thought it might have something to do with work and believe me, I’ve had enough of that today.”

She stepped aside. “Come in, come in.” Suddenly, the night ahead held a lot of pleasant promise. “Let me get a couple of glasses.” When she turned away to head to the kitchenette, the bareness down the open side of the komak came into view. The only thing that interrupted the naked side of her was the golden belt that kept the garment closed. Used to wearing the garment in her quarters, Zef didn’t even think about the intimate exposure.

—Zef

Alex stepped into the room and eyes moved of their own accord across the Counselor’s form and took in the surprising amount of bare flesh that the komak left exposed. The corner of his mouth smiled involuntarily and he softly cleared his throat to interrupt any further musings.

“Long day, I take it? Had a few of those myself recently.” and he chuckled and tore his eyes away from white skin and traditional garb to look around the room. “I like your place. It feels very… relaxed.”

Cochrane

“After a day of helping people face their fears and problems, its my sanctuary. It feels like home.” She gestured to the tapestries hung on the walls and the plethora of candles and rich colors of pillows thrown about on the floor and furniture.” Grabbing two crystal wine glasses from the replicator, she turned back to Alex. “Are you hungry? I was about to fix some dinner. And by ‘fixing’, I mean ordering from the replicator. A very nice engineer programmed some of my native dishes into it for me.” Her smile was still in place.

“I would be pleased to share a traditional Bajeen meal with you.”

—Zef

Turning to look at her, he said “I’m always up for new cuisine. Thank you.” and he took the wine glasses from her hand, his fingers brushing against hers. Whether the contact was intended or not was unknown as he sat the glasses down and pulled a brass corkscrew from his pocket and flipped the small blade out from its place inside the handle. Using it to score the thick, dark blue wax seal that coated the upper half of the dark green bottle; Alex deftly turned the corkscrew and then levered the cork out with soft pop. He smelled the open bottle and smiled wistfully. “Food from your world… wine from both of mine. I think we are off to a good start to the evening, wouldn’t you say?” and he poured the two glasses partially full and handed one to her. Raising his glass towards her he said “To you, Counselor. Thank you for having me.”

Cochrane

She accepted the glass, grinned and winked. “Well, I haven’t had you yet, but the night is young.” Nothing wrong with a little flirting. “Make yourself at home on the furniture or pillows and I’ll be right back.” On her way to the replicator once again, Zef sipped the wine. “Mmmmm, excellent—nice choice.”

Alex grinned at the innuendo and said “Now now… I may be cheap, but I am far from easy.” and he sipped the wine and sighed slightly. “Always good to taste a bit of home.” and he turned and looked at the room before selecting a stack of low pillows on one end of the table near the couch.

While Alex looked around and chose a place to sit, she busied herself preparing a sampling of Bajeen food. There was a place of three different kinds of meat, a flatbread, something akin to herbed rice, a plate of odd looking vegetables and one of fresh fruit. Zef placed the dishes smorgasbord style on the low table in front of the couch. One more trip to the kitchenette and she returned with linen napkins and a finger bowl of water. Pulling up a couple of the large, colorful pillows to sit on, she was just about to lower herself when she remembered something else. “Ooops, just a second.” This time when she came back, she was carrying a pitcher of creamy, green liquid and her wine glass.

Setting those down, she finally settled onto the stacked pillows with her legs drawn up and crossed ankles. Bare legs were exposed as the komak pooled in her lap. “Okay, dinner is served. On my world, we eat with our hands unless its some kind of formal affair.”

—Zef

“Hands works for me.” he said with grin and a blatant and long look at the bare skin. “I have to say… to the uninitiated, that outfit certainly makes a statement.” and dropped a napkin into his lap as he crossed his legs and leaned closer to the table.

Cochrane

She looked down at her dress. “Its called a komak and its what I wear here in my quarters.” She had pulled her pillows over to the corner of the table next to the end where Alex sat. “The design is comfortable and it makes a lot of things easier. For instance, sitting with my legs folded like this.” Zef ran a hand over her bare thigh as she spoke. “Remember, I wasn’t expecting company—although I’m very happy you came.”

She began to fill her plate with meat, vegetables and the flat bread, using thumb and finger. When it was full enough, she popped the digits into her mouth to lick the juice away. Then she showed Alex how to use the bread to pick up the other food and lessen the mess it could make. “There’s something very satisfying about eating with your hands instead of utensils. I think it might be connected to a primal need.”

—Zef

Cochrane copied her movements and soon had a plate of food in front of him. He didn’t even spill any as he watched her hand move across her upper leg.

As they both began to eat, Alex replied “Primal need… perhaps you are right. But I know more than a few cultures that eat sans utensils. One planet doesn’t even allow a person to feed themselves. Someone else has to. In their opinion it shows trust.”

Cochrane

She thought it was an off hand remark, but wouldn’t it be interesting to test the waters? “Really? That’s interesting. I’ve never heard of such a thing before.” She took another sip of wine and then looked down at her plate. There were several nice chunks of meat there, all covered in a gravy like sauce. Reaching down, she grasped a succulent bite between finger and thumb and held it out to Alex, offering him the bite from her hand. “I trust you. Can you say the same?” The look in her light grey-blue eyes was direct and challenging. They were about to cross a line if he took it. Zef hoped he would.

—Zef

Alex looked directly at her, a flare of light sparkling deep within his ice-blue eyes. Slowly and deliberately, he leaned forward and took the offered bite. His lips closed around her fingers and he deftly removed the bite with his tongue and drew back slowly, leaving no trace of sauce on her fingers.

He chewed slowly and then took a drink of wine, his eyes never leaving hers. “Does that answer your question? Or do you need further proof?” he asked with a grin and a slight tilt of his head.

Cochrane

The feeling of his lips and tongue on her fingers left Zef with her heart pounding and her mouth open with surprise. “Umm…uhhh....no.” Then she laughed softly. “You surprised me. I thought you’d find some reason not to do it.” That had been her record with him almost exclusively up to this point. There was the evening she’d crawled across the room to him and climbed onto his lap, stating she wanted him even it it was only for one night. Perhaps this was going to be that night.

Not wanting to rush things, she looked back at the food and picked up a two-inch piece of vegetable, popping half of it into her mouth. If he was going to make good on his promise from that fateful night, Zef wanted to enjoy the seduction.

—Zef

Alex’s eyes lingered on hers for a moment and then he smiled and said “Well that’s certainly unfortunate.” and he winked at her as he leaned back into the pile of pillows and held a piece of fruit in his fingers and ate a small bite. Taking a sip of wine, he looked around the room and, completely changing the subject, said “I like this. I may do the pillows thing in the family room if I get back to my mom and dad’s house. They’d love this… no doubt. She is always looking for ways to buck the social norms.” He then popped the rest of the fruit in his mouth and looked at Zef as he enjoyed the sweetness of the fruit and the lingering feel of her fingers on his lips.

Cochrane

After swallowing the bite, Zef licked her fingers slowly, and cocked her head to one side. “Now why is that unfortunate, Alex? Was there something in particular you wanted to prove to me?” There was a sparkle in her eyes that hadn’t been there when she’d first sat down to the table.

Zef changed her position on the pillows, sliding her body off onto the floor and propping herself from the waist up on an elbow. The komak didn’t restrict her movements, so she wound up with one bare hip and both legs available to his gaze.

—Zef

His gaze took in the available scenery as he looked at her over the rim of his wine glass. “That depends. Is there something you would like to know, Zef?” he asked as he stood up and made his way to the bottle of wine and brought it back to the table and refilled the glasses. Easing himself back down, he looked at her and said “Or is there something you think I should know?”

Cochrane

Yes and yes. She wanted to know him intimately and wanted him to know her the same way. But she’d already told him that another night not so long ago. After a drink of wine, Zef licked her lips and posed a question. “Why did you come here tonight, Alex? Was it just to share a bottle of wine—or were you hoping for something else? Because there can easily be more on the menu than a traditional Bajeen dinner.”

—Zef

Alex grinned and said “Really? You had something in mind for dessert, perhaps?” and his eyes roamed unabashedly across her exposed legs. He exhaled slowly and his eyes eventually found their way up to her own.

“Because if you don’t, I may have a suggestion… or two.”

Cochrane

She allowed her desire to show then—a fiery light in her eyes that grew a darker blue as the seconds ticked on, the particular way only one side of her mouth lifted in a private invitation and by allowing her fingertips to trace over the naked hip exposed to him. “Well, I’m certainly willing to entertain any suggestions you might have, but I do have a few ideas of my own.”

Sitting up, her hands began to work unhurriedly at the intricate knot that kept the komak in place and closed at her waist.

—Zef

Alex watched her fingers work the knot and as she did he slipped the boots off his feet. He sat up and smiled at her and then said “If you need some assistance, I happen to be very good at dealing with such matters.” He adjusted his position slightly so that he could he better see what was transporting.

Cochrane