Posted by Lieutenant Alexandra Garfield (Xenobiologist) in First Date..Or Not
“It’s so weird,” Lexi said bringing the glass to her lips as she talked to Ian and Chris in a small corner of the patio. The graduation party was about the fifth the trio had attended and there was still about half a dozen more to go before they shipped out late next week for their assignments. By now the graduation parties were not the raucous events celebrating that they had survived their four years at the Academy. It was the in-between stage of the graduation party series where everyone was starting to realize they were Starfleet officers and would be shipped out to God knows where in the coming weeks. Maybe that was why she, Ian, and Chris had found a secluded corner on the patio. Their nights of long talks would be ending. Lexi wasn’t so sure how ready she was for that to happen. “If someone had told me what I would be doing now four years ago I would never have believed it,” she sighed as she took a deep drink from her glass. “I should be reclining back on Noah, not you,” Lexi stated the sentence firmly.

“We thank you… so kind of you… you are a delight too.” Ian said to her, softer than his usual barbs to her. He knew how hard the break up was, the two had been fairly close for the four years but the final run to the door and it all seemed to dissolve. “Hey… look we are here for you… well until someone better shows up.”

Wiggling a bit, she found her comfy spot in the chaise lounger against Chris. Her body rose and fell with the rhythm of his breathing as she looked at the starry night. “I think I need you to find my North Star,” she requested as her hand moved towards her neck. Her fingers found the pendant on the necklace Chris had given her years before and began to move it back and forth. “I am not sure I know my way anymore.”

Cadet Lexi Garfield

Chris’s eyes glanced over at Ian, he felt himself sweating a little. He had told Ian what that pendant he gave to Lexi had meant, two years ago he had realized just how much he loved Lexi, beyond just friendship. Since then the parade of women had become almost exhaustible, all to ignore what he felt for her. “Look… how about you go get us some drinks, I’ll fix this.” he said as he kissed the top of her head as he moved so she could slide off of him. “Noah loves you… it’s just a matter of time till he figures out how he was wrong.”

Sitting up as she left Chris twitched a little, his lips pursing as he squinted before bowing his head slightly as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“You know, you don’t have to find Noah… he messed up, for once you two have a calendar where neither is attached… and yet here you are trying to set her back up with the one guy who has blocked you for four years?” Ian said in a low tone as he pulled next to Chris as he took a sip of the rest of his scotch before letting it down on the table before them.

Breathing in Chris shook his head slightly as he looked up, tense smile across his face as he looked over at Ian. “Yeah, not that easy… I told you never want to ruin this… I can ruin this, she is unspoiled by every screw up sarcastic playboy antics I have ever done. How many relationships have I imploded on cause it felt a little too real? When, not if, but when I do that to her then I loose my best friend next to you, and quite frankly she smells better than you.”

“Oh grow up, this is your one chance… stop putting every made up road block in front of you two. Look in three months we all fly out to different locations, if there was ever a chance to seal the deal with her it is now, I rag on her because she is like a sister to me, but you protect her like she is a lover to you. You have from day one, so stop pretending she is anything else and ask her out. Least I can finally stop being a damn third wheel… I can’t keep meeting up when you two wanna hang out to try and be a buffer.” Ian said as he noticed Lexi coming back, standing up he smiled at her then looked back at Chris. He could see in his friends eyes the fear, he knew what he was about to do it before he said anything.

“Hey doll, I am gonna bounce, Kylie called… yeah I know I shouldn’t keep playing these games but I am gonna take off, you two can finish up the night without me.” he said as he leaned in kissing Lexi’s check before he moved out of view from Lexi as he stared Chris down as he mouthed the words ‘Ask her out’ before leaving the two alone.

“He… they are quite the pair Ian and Kylie, and thank you.” he said as he accepted the drink from her as he stood up, not wanting a chance to things to get comfortable he took a deep breath, lowering his head. He could feel every nervous jittering feeling coursing through him as he hands began to get cold and palmy.

“Hey… how about we go out, let me… let me show you what a real date should have been like. Forget Noah, just you and me… something you can remember today fondly on… better than being dumped the day of graduation…” Chris said to her, his words seemed to come out as if they were not even from him, sounding weird and foreign as he seemed to smile almost painless as he waited for the reaction, he was letting the chips down and he had to wait to see where they landed.

Cadet Christopher Robins