Posted by Ensign Jessica Lemann (Doctor) in Nash’s Quarters: A Dinner Date?

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Ethan Nash (Chief Tactical Officer) in Nash’s Quarters: A Dinner Date?
Later in the evening after Nash had been in sickbay, he made one last round of his quarters before Jessica was due to arrive. It was tidy, it almost always was, and he had increased the lighting to almost normal levels rather than the lower light he normally preferred to relax in.

Jessica intrigued him, especially as to why he was so taken with her. He had met other women, but his gruff and rough attitude had generally only interested them for one night, and to be honest that had suited Nash perfectly fine for the last few, short years.

Now, he found that with this one, his mind wandered to her often as he went about his day. She didn’t exactly want a date yet, it seemed, but they had only just met and, really they needed to figure each other out. If they could get past dinner long enough to have a conversation he thought to himself, and grinned wickedly. Conversation he had to admit wasn’t really on his mind, and he finished setting the places at the table, adjusted the wine in the wine cooler and then opened a beer for himself as he waited, setting the music to play something upbeat and fun as he walked to the window and looked out. She was due any time.

Lt Cmdr Nash, CTO

Standing in front of the small mirror in her bathroom, Jessica critically inspected herself from head to toe. Her eyes traveled from her slightly made up face, mostly to emphasize her piercing green eyes and soft pink lips, down to the slinky green dress she wore, the same intense color as her eyes. She studied the dress for a few moments, unsure if it was an appropriate choice for having dinner in his quarters. Part of her was sorely tempted to put on her pajamas and to see how he reacted to that. Sighing, she adjusted one of the slender straps that held it up, her fingers stopping to rest on the curve of her neck, one of the places that Ethan had so favored the last time she had been in his quarters. She felt a flush start at her scalp and make its way down her face and chest until it felt like every nerve was on fire. Taking all of her effort, she moved her hands down to smooth the fabric that hugged her small frame, ending just above her knees. Heeled black pumps completed her outfit and lent her a few more inches of much needed height. She smoothed her long blonde hair back and up into a high ponytail, allowing the waves to tumble down her back while remaining off her face. Two dangling gold earrings sparkled from the ears bared by her secured back hair and a gold necklace rested snugly around her neck, crossing right over the delicate spot at the base of her throat that he had sampled plenty. It would do.

Moving surprisingly steadily through her quarters given her footwear, she tucked a pair of Starfleet Academy gym shorts and a soft tank into a small bag. It made her feel just a touch better to be prepared in case Ethan had plans that didn’t involve a simple dinner. She thought she had been awfully clear that she wasn’t sure about that “real” date she supposedly owed him… but his charm and the slightly faster heartbeat it caused made her given in to dinner. It was just dinner. She could handle that. Her unofficial rule for the past several years had been one night only but here was this gorgeous senior officer sweeping her off her feet like the princess Ryley kept claiming she was. She shook her head at the ridiculousness of it all and tucked the bag under her arm. She was as ready as she ever could be and in fact several minutes late at this point.

Without needing much thought, her feet traveled the reverse of the path she had taken the next morning after their night together. Maybe dinner had been a mistake… maybe she should have just had him join her for a hike or a workout in the gym or the holodeck. The slight flutter of nerves made her feel unsteady; the one thing she could always count on was her confidence and here this man was turning her weak kneed.

STOP IT, JESS her internal monologue screamed at her as she found herself in front of the door to Ethan’s quarters. Reaching for one last thing she had stashed in her small bag, she fastened one of her gleaming ensign pips onto her dress where one narrow strap met the tight bodice. She couldn’t help adding in a playful reminder again of the antics of their previous time together. Thankfully, the memories of those moments brought a natural, beaming smile to her face as she tapped the door chime, her bag tucked under one arm as the other one went saucily to her hip as her green eyes took on a wide-eyed glimmer. Really, would have he expected anything else?

Ensign Lemann, Med

The chime rang and Nash turned slightly and looked at the door. He wasn’t surprised, really that she had come. He was surprised at the way his own chest beat faster and his breath quickened at the sound of the chime. He took a swing of his drink and began to walk the short distance to the door, not content to simply give it the command to enter, but to greet her at the door himself. It also let him gather his thoughts for a moment, as here he was, the Chief Tactical Officer of a Federation vessel built for combat with enough power at his command to devastate a planet in seconds, and he had butterflies at the arrival of a woman he wanted to get to know better, explore more.

He wasn’t in uniform, he never was when he was off duty. The Off Duty Nash was a very different person to the On Duty Nash. Instead he had casually messed his hair, slipped on a tidy white collared dress shirt, rolled up the sleeves and chosen dark trousers. Simple, and smart. His collared shirt was open enough to reveal a silvered chain around his neck. Normally the outfit would have been completed by his patched leather jacket, hip flask and cigar, but the jacket was set over the back of one of the dining chairs and the hip flask was on the liquor cabinet.

Reaching the door, he paused and grinned, then adjusted the unlit cigar stub in the corner of his mouth and casually leaned on the door frame with his shoulder. He reached for the control to open the door, and his memory filled with Jessica’s taste, her scent and the sound of her laugh and soft moans. The way her shoulders arched when he found the spot on her neck that had given so much reaction while his hands circled her waist. His grin softened and he felt the rush of heat through him when his fingers touched the controls, the doors sliding open.

His ice blues met her emerald greens, the same eyes that he was remembering looking into the night before from a much closer distance. “Hi you,” he said in greeting, before his eyes travelled down and took in her pose and her outfit for the ‘casual’ evening she had insisted on and he all of a sudden got the impression that he wasn’t the hunter anymore. Her slinky green dress accentuated the curves he had found the previous night and matched the emerald of her eyes and with her hair tied high like that, every curve of her delicate jaw and chin stood out with the length of her exposed neck and shoulders. The gold of her earrings and necklace drawing his attention to the contrast of the jewelry against her fair skin, and his eyes moved back to hers with clear and obvious appreciation. The single silver pip on her collar strategically placed to be noticed only made his eyes glint with humor again with her pose and the look of confidence she had standing in his doorway.

“I’m glad you could make it, Doctor Jessica,” he said, purposefully looking at and ignoring the pip, but grinning at the same time to show he saw it. Still, he didn’t use her last name even though he now knew exactly who she was after Sickbay. “Come in, let me get you a drink. You look amazing, we should go casual way more often.”

Lt Cmdr Nash, CTO