“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.”

“Shut up,” Lexi let out a half-laugh. “You know that we don’t really need a Dartanyan to our Musketeer troupe. No one really wanted Dartayan because if they did their name would have been changed to the Four Musketeers. We don’t need someone else to show up. People are nothing but trouble. I mean look at how many Dartanyan’s Chris has brought around and yet none of them ever made the cut to get a cape and sword. Good thing though,” Lexi let out a weak laugh. “Those costumes I got a few years back are discontinued so Debbie, Dottie, Dixie, Danica, Denise, Darla, Delia,” Lexi rattled off a string of names that Chris had dated as a joke, “will just have to go as the buxom milkmaid instead of someone in our group. It wasn’t ever a problem for someone like that to keep showing up.” While the joke about Chris’ dating habits always was fun for Lexi and Ian, tonight it felt weird to mention it. It felt almost like guilt in Lexi’s tummy. Why she couldn’t say yet if she had a gun to her head, Lexi would state the reason she felt icky about teasing Chris on the subject tonight.

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.”

“No way. Don’t you dare go look for him? If he loved me he wouldn’t have taken off the first time we could have had something real. Nights with no curfew, PDA in public, heck admitting we plan to be stationed together,” Alexandra rattled off the restrictions they had dealt with throughout her and Noah’s relationship. “First chance he got, Noah showed how much I meant to him. I can’t blame him though for being honest. At least I will always have you two.” Putting her hands on Chris’ legs, she pushed herself upright and slide from the chair. Chris was right. They needed more drinks. Lots more drinks so that she could chalk up the stargazing simpering to copious amounts of alcohol muddying her view.

After three steps Lexi spun around to face Ian in the chair and Chris still on the lounger. “Okay, but if you do find him…don’t make it obvious you are going to talk about me. Just act…casual or don’t find him. I don’t care,” Lexi backpedalled, forward pedalled, and might have even through in a side peddle as she mulled over her desire to get back with Noah.

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,”

“No, you can’t go. We are having fun here,” Lexi started to plead. “It’s not like you are planning to move with her after graduation so what’s the point?”

”… 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.

“There goes poor Aramis,” Lexi let out a snort-laugh as she handed the drink to Chris. “Kylie is nice enough but I really don’t see the point. It’s like they are friends with benefits who never let each other out of the friend zone unless t was time for a touchdown.”

“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.

“So now that we are flying as a duet instead of a trio what should we do? I am kinda ready to leave to but we can’t make it a stampede to the door,” Lexi took Ian’s seat instead of her spot on the lounger.

“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

“I’d like that,” Lexi said reaching out to squeeze Chris’ hand. Their relationship was a mystery to the entire campus and at least one group of students clicked due to disbelieving that Lexi and Chris had never slept together. She had Chris had gone to dinner alone a million times over the past four years. His request wasn’t odd but the tone was. It was as if Chris had another personalty and that personality wanted to give Lexi a glimpse at what could have been. If she thought for a half-second this was going to be an official date, Lexi would have been less cryptic and more descriptive in her response to him. Only knowing what she knew about Chris meant her long-time friend was just explaining badly that he wanted to give her a night out. Over the years, Lexi had toyed with the idea of pursuing something on a more romantic level. What stopped her was the chance things could end badly and then shwe would not lose just a boneheaded boyfriend but her best friend. “Let me go change and we can grab some dinner,” she asked in a questioning tone. “We can go anywhere but Vito Provolones. That place is cursed with the ability to ruin any relationship that is not food-related. Noah and I broke up three times after eating there yet Vito’s cheesesteak has never made me cry.”

“What Francesca loves you, but I think I have something better in mind.

Standing up Lexi began to walk back to the residence to say her goodbyes to the cadet hosting the event. Turning around slowly, she walked back to Chris. Rising on her tiptoes, she put her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. “You are a good man Charlie Brown. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise,” she said inhaling deeply so that she could remember the scent of his cologne, deodorant, and laundry soap. Until this moment, Alexandra Garfield never thought about spending a day without seeing her best friend.

Cadet Lexi Garfield

Chris took a deep breath as he took in her scent as he closed his eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. He was nervous, but she had said yes. It was up to him now, he needed to proof to himself he could be the man she wanted. He had hidden this feeling for so long, but in this second she agreed and that was all that mattered as he let her slide of as he held a goofy yet playful smile as he looked her over. “Go, I will send you a message for the place, there was a new location I heard about… I think it’s just the place for this evening.”

As he watched her leave Chris stood pondering for some time the evening and this very moment. He couldn’t help but feel his sappy smile staying firmly on his face as he turned around heading to his apartment. Knowing Lexi she would need exactly 45 mins to get ready, which if he timed it right was all he needed.

Garfield Quarters

Lexi stood in front of the mirror and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It had been forty-five minutes since she set foot in her quarters and was ready to leave again. The reason she was so quick in getting ready was that Lexi knew every detail about how she wanted to look. The dark red dress was a given as her outfit. Six months ago, after dragging Chris to the shopping complex, he helped her pick it out. Men typically did not enjoy shopping for the sake of shopping but that day had been so different. Instead of falling asleep in the men’s commercial bleacher seats, as her father referred to the two chairs outside any fitting room, Chris had actively helped find her a dress. Blue, red, green, and sequenced: Lexi tried on every dress in the store from cocktail to tea-length. This red dress was the only one that rendered Chris speechless. If seeing her in it made Chris at loss for words, Noah wouldn’t stand a chance.

Satisfied with her appearance, Lexi picked up her personal communicator and called Noah. Luckily or unfortunately depending on how you looked at the situation, Lexi did not get a live voice on the other end of the call but a request to leave a message. =/\=Hey Noah,=/\= Lexi tried to sound neutral in tone and prosody as she spoke but it was hard. After dating for four years, it was akward searching for the words to use with Noah. He was not her boyfriend any longer which meant cutting out the terms of endearment and remebering not to say I love you as a goodbye. For one thousand four hundred and sixty days she used these words on autopilot: Never thinking as they left her lips. Now Lexi had to make a conscious effort to use friend zone words; however, even those she thought and over thought on as she conversed with Noah. There was much more involved in breaking up with someone than just the pain of losing them. It was the breaking off of every routine that had dominated her life for what seemed like an eternity.

Clearing her throat, Lexi wrapped one arm around her waist as she held the communicator stiffly in the other. Subconsciously it was as if Lexi was giving herself a hug for encouragement or bracing her body for the worst. =/\= Ian, Kylie, Chris, and whoever Chris is bringing invited me to dinner. With all the graduation craziess we thought it would be a nice way to slow things down and say goodbye. I really don’t want to be the fifth wheel so I was hoping you could meet us there. No pressure I promise. It’s just,=/\= Lexi felt her throat tighten some as she left her message. Moving her hand from her waist, she began to crack her knuckles on her left hand using her thumb for leverage as she pressed down on each finger joint. It was a nervous habit she developed as a child. As an adult, it was a red flag that Alexandra Garfield was uncomfortable in a situation. Not wanting to ramble or leave five minutes of dead air she rapidly changed the topic. =/\= So I will send the coordinates for the restaurant. We don’t have to go as a couple because I know we aren’t. We are friends but friends can still hang out right. Not for like a purpose or anything but just because we like each other. Not like like but like hey you make me happy like.=/\= Feeling a hot rush of adrenaline course through her body Lexi rapidly delved into the maddening circle of inane ramblings. =/\=Even though I am not happy. I am miserable but this is the first step to getting back to what made us like each other in the first place. But…but not like to get back to where we were three days ago but,=/\= she stumbled over her words. Pluck a duck she mouthed right in the middle of the message. The longer she allowed this message to go on the more she sounded like a lovesick woman desperate to prove she was over someone that she clearly wasn’t. Taking a deep breath she audible let it out and started again. =/\= Can you forget all that,=/\= she said nervously scratching the area about her left eyebrow. =/\=Can you just come so that we can talk. Please.=/\= Not having anything else to add she clicked off the call and stood in the middle o her quarters feeling angry and frustrated.

“Real smooth their Garfield. I am sure he is going to come now,” she chastised herself. Realizing the time, Lexi gave up worrying about what would happen in the next fifteen minutes. Whether Noah was going to come or not was a moot point. Chris would be there and in the end that was all she ever needed to count on.

Cadet Alex Garfield

Arriving Northstar Cafe

Lexi stood outside the small resturant and paced a bit on the damp sidewalk. The beautiful evening had turned from warm and breezy to chilly and damp. The skys toyed with the idea of of rain however instead of producing droplets it created a thin mist of drizzle. It was the type of drizzle that made you wonder if it was raining because nothing impacted your skin yet an inkling of mosture seem to coat any where you touched. Thick gray clouds blotted the night sky obscuring any hint of the shiny diamond pin pricks she loved looking up at. Every aspect of the night foreshadowed events not boding well which is why she hadn’t entered the cafe. For the first time in years, Lexi felt alone. Moving her purse around to the fron of her body, she dug for her personal communicator. Maybe she would call to see if everyone was here or maybe she was just finding a moment to stall.

“Well… you look… nice.” was the sound of the all to familiar voice from behind her as she would begin to hear the steps of Noah as he came up from behind. He was dressed sharply in a dark suit with a purple shirt and black tie. As he looked over her shoulder at the name of the restaurant, it seemed to be an omen in front of them. Northstar: that was what she often said about them when they were together, but he knew she got that story from Chris. Even that pendant she was so fond of wearing was named the Northstar sapphire, and of course, Chris gave her that as well. Seeing the illuminated signs he felt his stomach turn in knots.

“You sure this is the place… for all of us?” he said looking around, this place seemed sparse and remote. He had never heard of any of them going to such a place. “You sure I should be here?” he said with a nervous feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

“Yes,” Lexi said shaking her head. “Why wouldn’t you be invited? You’re my bah,” she stopped speaking immediately. Again it was these subtle awkward moments that defined why one took a cooling-off period after you broke up with your significant other. Finding a common language when you had an intimate past was the hard part. “You look amazing,” she complimented Noah not knowing what else to say or do besides changing the topic. After a few awkward seconds she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then gestured to the door. “They are probably waiting for us. Should we go in?”

Noah said nothing to her near slip as he nodded through a terse smile. The fresh spring air was crisp and almost chilly as he put his hand out in front of him in a motioning gesture. “After you.” he said as the pair began to walk toward the entrance.

*** Thirty Minutes Prior - Northstar Cafe’ ***

Chris sat at the table for two, feeling the nerves growing even more as he knew any moment Lexi should arrive. The cafe’ wasn’t anywhere they had ever been before, but the sentimental connection alone was enough to want to make their first magical. He sat in his chair, black suit with deep red shirt, no tie with his top buttons undone. It was both formal with a hint of his style that always seemed to keep things just a bit causal and playful. The cafe’ wasn’t large but the story he told them made them go the extra mile, as the table had pansy’s all-around with candle’s burning and wine on ice between them.

Feeling his pulse-pounding he looked up from his chair and felt like he could see the top of her head as he smiled and stood up from his chair. As the sounds of Lexi came more into ear shoot the sight of her made his heart drop, as she wasn’t alone. “Noah…” Chris said as his stomach sank and felt as if he needed to throw up as he looked around. His only saving grace was no one knew him here at all. His embarrassment and rejection would be so much lesser right now as he scanned around wide eyed.

“Oh my god,” Lexi said looking around at the restaurant. It was far more beautiful than the exterior allowed you to believe. Outside the place was just a non-descript business. Inside the cafe was designed for intimacy and quiet gatherings. The replica candlelight chandeliers cast a low glow creating a cozy feeling as if you were sitting by a fire on a cold winter night. The walls were n honey-colored oak panels which carried weight but didn’t cross to a sensation of oppressiveness. Thick red drapes covered the windows instilling the feel of a warm quilt like one used when curled up reading a book. The air held the faint hint of flowers and wood giving it a slightly earthy tone reminiscent of lying in a summer field full of wildflowers. Each table was set with crisp white linens and diamond-like crystal glasses. It was as if the Northstar cafe tapped into the basic organic needs of its patrons giving them an escape from the hard metals and glass consoles of the world. The interior spoke of time less rushed and intrusive making the patrons want to sit, put down their communicators, and connect with the person across from them.

Motioning for the waiter to come over, Chris nodded for him to get by the table as he leaned in and whispered in his ear. As he did he handed over his credit chip before he patted the man on the back. His heart sunken and feeling of dejection Chris began to move out the back attempting to avoid all contact with Lexi in this moment as he just dodged the back door as he heard Lexi and Noah entered moments before.

Northstar Cafe present moment

“Welcome to the Northstar Cafe’” the waiter said as he greeted the couple as they entered, his smile seeming a bit forced. He didn’t know this Chris, but his approach to this seemed to be one of an utmost gentleman and respectful sort. It was a shame he had to have been crushed but this lovely woman. “You must be Lexi and…” Pierre paused, Chris said the name but in such a rush he drew a small blank before it came to him “Norm.” he finished with a wide smile.

“Hello. We are here for the Robins or maybe Bordeaux reservation,” Lexi said trying to hold back the excitement she felt bubbling up inside her. Chris had never gotten Noah’s name right in the four years he had known the man. It was like he had a mental block. Luckily Noah just chalked Chris not remembering his name to a lack of focus instead of anything malicious.

“Well right now I have a seat you two. We can adjust when the others come,” Pierre’s voice had a questioning tone to it as he led them to the table comfirming the course of the nights events. “The wine is ready and your orders are all set and will be coming shortly. My name is Pierre and if you need anything, just ask.”

“Thank you,” Lexi said scanning the room as she walked towards the table. Upon arriving there she looked at Pierre. “Um, we are gonna need a larger table. There are at least six in our party,” she replied sitting but looking around the room. None of the tables had more than four settings and the majority of them were only for two people. It was then she felt the rush of blood fill her cheeks. Everything clicked into place. She knew why the restaurant was empty and why it was so romantic.

“I have a confession to make,” Lexi moistened her lips not sure how to start. “I don’t think anyone else is coming. I know we agreed not to talk about us directly but I mentioned to Chris how much I missed you at Cadet Parker’s cocktail party. Chris told me he would get you to come here so that we could talk. I didn’t realize Chris was going to make it just you and I. I thought he and Ian would run buffer for us but,” Lexi scanned the room quickly again, “I think Chris thought if we were alone it might make things easier?, better? her mind added in random parts to her sentence in her mind. Being alone with him wasn’t easy and tonight it wasn’t for the better yet Lexi was going to make the best out of the situation for all the hard work Chris had don’t just to make her happy.

Cadet Lexi Garfeild

“That s why we are sitting alone at a restaurant surrounded buy my favorite spring flower, sipping my favorite wine and about to eat the largest steak ever grilled in beer butter sauce. I’m sorry if I miss lead you about tonight but I never thought it was just going to be us. Until right now I thought it was a group thing but,” Lexi scanned the room looking for Chris or Ian, “it can be just us if he doesn’t show up.”

“Oh come on how can you not see this. I have been fighting for your attention for four years,” Noah leaned back in his seat gesturing about as he spoke. There was no malice in his words only a hint of frustration and disbelief. “You may have called me your boyfriend but let’s be honest here, he garnered the most attention from you. We get two to three hours a day to be together if we are lucky. He got nearly eight or more hours a day, and before you say it,” Noah held up a hand to silence Lexi. He could tell by the way she was fidgeting in her seat and had her mouth open, she was ready to refute his claim, “yes I know so much of that time was spent in classes. The thing is Chris and I were both science majors. This isn’t like we had to struggle to find time across disciplines. Chris had your classes but he still got more lunches, more outings,” Noah let his voice trail off. Lexi might not see it but this was just as hard for him. “Alexandra, he got to date you far more than I ever did,” Noah said as he took a small breath as he lowered his head just a moment as he gathered his thoughts before continuing.

Lexi felt sick as Noah spoke. She couldn’t deny what Noah was saying. It was all true. Chris was the first one she ran to when picking classes or arranging for study sessions. Noah was always included in her plans but he was not the person that drove her plans. Lexi sat very still as she listened to Noah speak. The only movement was her fingers touching her lips as she leaned on the table with her elbow. The action was not sensual in nature. It was more reactionary as if her fingers could physically block any words that appeared from her mouth. The urge to contradict his accusations was overwhelming. The only reason Alexandra Garfield didn’t was that Noah deserved more respect than false platitudes about being wrong, so she let him continue.

“And you know what the worst thing? I have known he has loved you for years. Everyone knew it expect you two somehow.” Noah’s words were a sucker punch to both of them. He could see the way Lexi instantly diverted her eyes that somewhere deep inside she knew it to be true. Staring at his ex, Noah felt no anger or loathing. Unlike Lexi, Noah Stein did love Alexandra Garfeild and sometimes loving someone meant your heart got broken for their happiness. “I was even okay with that because despite what others may think he isn’t a bad guy. He gets this reputation that is mostly pomp and circumstance because of his charisma but, he isn’t a jerk and he never once tried anything. Trust me I would love to blame him for this all but he didn’t try anything.” Noah picked up a fork and fiddled with it as he spoke. He needed something to focus his attention on because every cell in his body wanted to stop talking and take Lexi in his arms. They might have broken up in more hostile words a few days ago, but this was the real break up. The break up that explained everything, not in hot slurs but carefully thought out reasons. “Chris made sure you had time with me. Heck, a few times he checked to see if you or I were doing something as a couple before breaking the news he needed you to help him find a plant in the woods for botany class or running interference with his family during a weekend visit. Robins never inserted himself on our time but you did. You took away the moments we might have had to spend them filling it with him. I mean… why do you think I broke up with you in the first place?” Noah asked her as he wondered if she even knew the real reason he broke up with her.

This comment caused Lexi to raise her head and look at Noah. Stein was right. He hadn’t said the words but he didn’t need to. Lexi knew why he had broken up with her and it was over Chris. If she was honest with herself, they should have broken up two years ago after the astronomy trip where they were stranded for two days in the mountains. If the shoe was on the other foot, Lexi would not have been a happy camper seeing Noah and Sierra stroll off the shuttle together. Noah however had just taken her in his arms and held her close not caring how she had gotten back to him, just that she had gotten back to him. “I,” she tried to speak but the words choked in her throat. Her eyes darted back and forth between his searching for something. All she found was the face of a man that until now she did not realize how deeply she had hurt. Ever the gentlemen, Noah did not throw it back at her or slap her with vicious barbs. Noah just wanted a few moments of her time to explain how hard this decision was for him to make and to put it out to the universe.

“Look I didn’t break up with you because I don’t love you or love being with you. I broke up with you ‘cause I knew you loved him more than me. You literally said in your acceptance speech at graduation that your biggest regret will be not being able to see Chris’s face every day. You added the rest of us after but he still was first in your mind. You fretted for weeks realizing the party was ending and all of us were getting separate deployments yet how much time was spent on how you would handle our separate deployments.” Noah let the words hang heavy in the air so that the weight of them could sink in. “That is why I stopped the talks about marriage and the future. If you were not going miss my face every day if the man you want to marry isn’t the one you are gonna miss every single day that spoke to me. I can’t live in his shadow. I am not going to be second best to the woman I want to spend my life with. So yeah, I broke up with you cause even if you can’t admit it… you love him. More than anyone else you love him and he feels the exact same way.”

“That is where you are wrong,” Lexi forced a false smile on her face. “Maybe you are right on all the rest. Some of the rest,” she shrugged a bit uncomfortably. “Either way it’s a moot point now. What I can tell you is that Chris does not feel the same way about me. Chris is not a gentleman. He runs until he hits empty and then jettisons the load. Chris is wonderful and amazing but he never wanted me. It might sound really bad but if he had ever made a real effort, he might have gotten a real date out of me.” Guilt rushed Lexi’s system not over confessing she had toyed with a romantic gesture towards Chris but because she and Chris shared far more than candy back in the ice caves two years prior. “I don’t know why he did this but it was not to score with me one month before we shipped out. Even Chris isn’t that stupid to think I was going to immediately start with him after leaving you.

Cadet Lexi Garfield

“Any real effort?” Noah said with a near dumbfounded look as he began scanning the room around him.

Oh my god you did not just tell Noah that if Chris had asked you two years ago to date him you would have dumped him, Lexi felt her body burn with the red heat of embarrassment. It had to be the wine that was making her think less clearly. She was not a fan of wine until Chris found a bottle she adored. She called it kool-aid wine because it went down so easy like the popular kid’s beverage without the bitter aftertaste. This mean she easily got drunk on it which was why she was starting to say dumb things now. Maybe Chris shouldn’t have won the bet that he would make a wine drinker out of her yet.

The candle drippings, flowers, even the color of the table cloth all seemed tailor-made for the two of them. “Look around you Lex, my god… any real effort? I am gonna go on a wild guess, these flowers are some of your favorites? I don’t know them but I bet you he does. ” Noah said as he reached over and pulled out the pansy flowers and looked them over.

Lexi could have come up with a lie to explain why these flowers were sitting on the table to prove Noah was right. She could have told Noah that it was just a random flower they found one day in Field Botany class; however, the mere fact that she had prepared a story to explain her action was just another nail in the coffin so to speak. Instead of speaking, Lexi just sat there taking it all in. Noah was not being nasty and Lexi had no leg to stand on. Since she was no longer Noah’s girlfriend Lexi pushed down the urge to defend Chris.

“And this wine… I was always a Chardonnay guy but this… this is Bordeaux and if I had to guess, you and him loved it? Some dinner you had… cause we never had it once for any of our dates.” he said as he grabbed the bottle looking it over before letting his eyes fall back on her. “I know you hate my Chardonnay though, you always told me after we had it.”

“Because it a dry wine and I like my wine sweeter,” she replied even though she knew the statement was rhetorical.

Grabbing the table cloth he looked at her, wondering if the pieces were clicking “Let’s go over decorations, this aquamarine… your favorite color is blue, his green. Two of you always joked your wonder twins color was aquamarine.” he said as he dropped the cloth back down. “And while we are on the atmosphere, this place is the Northstar Cafe’… and that necklace I know damn well is called the Northstar Pendant, you said he found it for you on the ‘trip’ when you two got lost two years ago,” Noah said as he couldn’t help but look and see more and more pieces that seemed tailor made for Chris and Lexi.

In the background a song could be just faintly heard, and it didn’t seem to fit the atmosphere of a restaurant of this class as he let it keep playing in his head before he rolled his eyes at the revelation, “And this very song… I knew I knew it… ‘I never was good at history.’ lord he sang that to you all the time… ALL THE TIME ” he repeated with emphasis.

“So sweetie, don’t sit there and tell me he hasn’t made an effort, this is like the most romantic customized date… for you two. I mean how did he even invite you here? Did he even say Ian and Kylie were showing? Did he even say to bring me?” Noah felt like by this moment he drove all the points home but he had to ask cause it felt like his ex missed every sign despite the fact they were painted on the side of a skyscraper.

Ensign Noah Stein

“No, but,” Lexi took a deep breath and held it. It was not to steady her nerves but soley to buy a few precious seconds to form a response to his slew of questions. Unfortunately, it didn’t help. “I am bingo here,” Lexi admitted. It was true. Until this second she had never looked past a romantic dinner in a beautiful place. Every element was there save one: Christopher Robins. Noah was right in his assessment. The night was amazing but only ould have been perfect if someone else was occupying Noah’s chair.

Cadet Lexi Garfield