Posted by Warrant Officer Jacen “Flex” Flexwood (Security Officer/Special Forces Division) in 18 Forward
<SNIP>

It was something of a feat to cross her legs, dressed the way she was and balancing on a stool, but the doctor managed it with grace. “I hope my last minute call didn’t interrupt any plans you might have had.”

The drink arrived and she emptied half of it before continuing. “It’s been a surprising day for me, and I don’t mean that in a good way. I wanted to blow off some steam and hoped you might help with that.”

—Talisse

His head cocked slightly to the right when she mentioned having a negatively surprising day. Normally he would’ve asked for details, but he got the impression that she wanted to be distracted and not listened to this evening. The deep green of Jacen’s shirt only served to pull the color from his eyes more brilliantly as he held her gaze with his own. His voice was low enough to not be overheard, but carried enough assertion that she would not only hear him… but feel the intent of his words. “My dear doctor, I’m a man of certain tastes… do you honestly think you’re up to that?” The hint of a grin spread from his lips but stopped short of his eyes as they simply radiated hunger.

Flex

If he thought he was going to get her back to his quarters for some ‘slap and tickle’ without a little foreplay in the lounge, he had another think coming. Aurra downed the rest of her first drink and set the empty glass on the bar. Catching the waiter’s eye, she tapped on the rim of the glass and winked, signaling she’d like a refill. Jacen’s presence pulled her gaze back to him. “So, do you think you control the corner market on certain tastes?”

Jacen cracked a smile. The doctor had a bit of an edge to her… he liked that, it made things more fun.

Reaching up, her hand cupped his cheek, then trailed down his beard to his chest where the shirt was open. “Do you want to give me a hint about what you like, or shall we just see what happens?”

—Talisse

bump

Feeling her soft hand on his skin sent a sensation that was purely electric through Flex and only increased his appetite for her. “We’ll see how it goes for now. Would you like to grab a bite to eat while we’re here?” He asked. Jacen wasn’t sure of the Reman doctor’s alcohol tolerance, but he didn’t want the night to end too early because she had an empty stomach.

Flex

A little food was probably a good idea for both of them. “Sure, a little something sounds good. Let’s get a table though as it’s a little noisy here at the bar.”

Aurra got off the stool carefully, steadying herself with a hand on Jacen’s arm. Walking in front of him, she led them to a table by the large viewport. Seeing the two chair placed on either side facing each other, she turned to him. “How about I sit there?” Pointing, she suggested a place immediately to his left that would require him to move a chair. It would allow them to rub elbows.

—Talisse

Jacen helped Aurra from her stool and walked behind her enjoying the view as they approached the table. Seeing the indicated seat, he moved the chair out with his left hand so that she would be able to sit. At the same time he slid his right hand across the small of her back to her right hip and used it to guide her past the front of his body and towards her seat. Once she was seated, he easily moved her and the chair back in towards the table before taking his seat opposite her. Before either of them could speak a waitress arrived, placing a basket of bread and menus on the table and telling them that they could place their order on a PADD that was built into the table before she moved away.

“Honestly this is the first time I’ve been in here since boarding the Atlantis.” He said casually while his eyes catalogued the doctor’s face.

Flex

That statement surprised her. “Really? You know it’s the place to meet people casually? So, should I take that to mean you’re not a social creature?” Having been in 18 Forward many times, she knew exactly what she wanted to eat. A few taps to the PaDD and her order was done. Now her attention was free to settle on her dinner partner.

“I’m not much for crowds.” He said casually. “Hard to judge the intentions of masses.” Jacen punched his order into the PaDD as well.

He looked really good and he smelled marvelous. Without thinking about it, Aurra found herself leaning toward him around the corner of the table they shared. Just give in… the voice in her head encouraged. Reaching out, she caught one of his hands and examined it. They were large with a few scars on the knuckles. “What happened here and here?” As she held his hand in hers, she traced the short, smooth lines with the index finger of her other hand.

—Talisse

Her touch sent another jolt of electricity through his veins as his eyes followed the line of her delicate fingers as she inspected his hands. “Just busted up my knuckles while boxing or training for it. May or may not be contributions from a barfight or two as well.” He said as his eyes worked their way up her arm towards her face, lingering momentarily on her neck.

Flex

“Oh, so you are a boxer?” Her mossy, green eyes squinted at the outer corners. “What is a boxer?” She didn’t remember ever hearing that particular word before. She recognized the type of scarring. It usually happened from fist fights and she’d seen it several times in her line of work. “Do you mean, fighter?”

“It is a type of fighting where you can only use your hands.”

A server arrived just then and went about setting their food on the table. As she disengaged from Jacen’s hand, she wondered if getting involved with a fighter had any redeeming benefits at all. Maybe she should cut the evening short and just accept her losses. Aurra quietly took a deep breath and decided to stay and eat at least.

—Talisse

“I used to box regularly. It’s how I made money on the colony where I grew up and then it was a competitive outlet once I joined the Marines. I don’t fight much anymore, though I still use the training for exercise purposes. It’s good full body training and cardio that isn’t the typical running or resistance training.” Jacen used the provided utensils to cut a bite of his chicken. He placed the bite in his mouth and savored the flavor, the replicator didn’t hold a candle to a fresh cooked meal… but it was still a high quality meal.

“What are your hobbies or outlets?” Jacen asked.

Flex

“I like to swim, run and do Palmar. It’s a Re’marian physical training meant to test and tone every muscle in the body.” It was good to hear he didn’t box much now but Aurra still wasn’t sure about how the evening would end.

“And the results speak for themselves.” Jacen said before articulating what his eyes were already shouting, “You look stunning.”

She stabbed one of the strawberries on her fruit plate and ate it. “I can show you sometime if you’re interested. It would work for you too although whatever you’re doing now seems to be working.” A corner of her mouth lifted in an appreciative smile.

—Talisse

Blood rushed south as Flex watched Aurra’s lips wrap tantalizingly around the strawberry she was eating. Raising his glass in appreciation, Jacen said “Thank you.” Taking another bite of his meal he said, “Do you want to vent about what ruined your day earlier? Or are you trying to keep tonight a little less personal?” The question was meant to open the door if she wanted to talk, but to also give her the opportunity to keep things surface level for now.

Flex

A few seconds of silence passed while she decided on what to share. “Someone from my past showed up in medical today. I never thought I’d see him again after the Academy, but there he was…”

Was this person that important to her back then? Or was she simply that passionate of a person? He wondered what had gone down to still impact her this many years later.

Her eyes looked distant for a moment as she recalled a memory, then snapped back to the present as she reached for her martini. “Our relationship ended badly. I don’t trust him and I don’t want him on this ship.”

—Talisse

bump

He watched her mind drift away briefly and then return just as suddenly. “That’s fair.” He said in response. “As big as this ship is and with as many people, maybe it could at least be scheduled in a way to pretend…” Flex said his tone not carrying the same levity that his words were meant to convey. It seemed like this person was in her department and that meant they would probably have to see each other regularly… but maybe Jacen could play his cards right and become the outlet for her frustrations.

Flex

“With him in my department, I don’t see how we can avoid each other. Besides, even though I might not see him, I’d still be waiting for him to do something inappropriate that might land on one of the other staff or myself.” Aurra popped a grape into her mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. “I actually told him he had to report to the Captain and fill her in on why I don’t trust him before I’ll release him for duty.” She shrugged. “If she let’s him stay I’m not sure what I’ll do. I can’t watch him 24/7 all by myself.”

—Talisse

bump

“Well it’s not your job to babysit anyone…” Flex said casually before trying to redirect the conversation. She’d had a chance to vent, now he wanted her attention back. “So what do you do when you want to take your mind off of work? You got to see a few of my diversions last time we were together. I think it’s only fair that you share as well…”

Flex

”…not her job to babysit anyone…” well, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? If Bren Satis was allowed to stay on the Atlantis, she would have to come up with something very much like baby sitting.

Aurra hadn’t dated much in the last six months, but her ability to pick up on her date’s feelings was still sharp. Jacen was skillfully changing the topic of conversation from Satis to her. “I told you what I usually do to relax, but if you mean what would I do right now?” Her head swiveled as she took a look around the lounge. “Well, I guess I’d have another drink and get you to dance with me.”

—Talisse