Posted by Chief Petty Officer Sam Nazarian (Host of Florence’s) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

Posted by Lieutenant Navale Huzzen (Engineer) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

Posted by Chief Petty Officer Sam Nazarian (Host of Florence’s) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

(snip)

He grinned, holding her gaze for a moment before he opened the thermos and poured them some punch. It was a vibrant red colour but smelled faintly of citrus and pineapple.

Reaching into the cooler, he pulled out another container. “So, last time I gave you coconut shrimp. A beach dinner almost requires seafood, so I thought I’d play off another old favourite.” He opened the container and used to fork to lift a modest-sized, disc-shaped breaded object. “It’s a crab cake. Fresh, local crab with lemon, a touch of dijon mustard, tarragon and a bit of green onion.”

“Mmm, well it smells delicious, I can’t wait to try it.” Navale gazed at him for a long moment. He didn’t order this. He cooked and packed it himself. That was, in her opinion, the sweetest thing ever.

He lifted his punch glass. “So, what should we toast to?”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale lifted her glass and swirled the punch just a little. “Hmmmm,” she gazed back at him, her eyes dancing over a flirtatious smile, “How about to shared adventures.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He grinned. “I like it,” he said, tipping his glass towards her. “To shared adventures.” Sam sipped the punch that was sweet, but not overly so, and was balanced by something citrus plus something on the drier side. It was like having a nice fruity wine but without the alcohol.

Navale tapped her glass gently to his and then took a sip. A little shiver raced over her tongue at the sweet and not quite sour flavors. She took a second slightly larger sip just to enjoy it. “That’s different. I like it.”

He watched her reaction for a moment and then smiled.

Setting his glass down, he cut into the crab cake and took a bite. The breading was still crunchy, though not as much as it would have been if they had only just been cooked. It was a pleasant bite and he was glad he had opted for this as the starter. “I have this really vivid memory of eating crab cakes on the coast when I was a teenager. My dad and I just hanging out. He’s not the most talkative man, but sometimes you can catch him in a moment of unguardedness and he just tells you things.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

While he spoke, Navale cut a piece of the crab cake and tried it. The flavor was amazing, the texture was a little weird. It wasn’t bad exactly, just weird.

“Oh? So did he spill all the secrets?” She asked with a grin.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He chuckled. “Well, no. Though I will say that when these moments with him happened after I became an adult, there was usually at least a little alcohol involved and he seemed more willing to talk about stuff. It helped put his relationship with my mother into better context since I didn’t see her all that much.” Sam shrugged. “I think it helps me as an adult now reframe how I might have seen the situation growing up.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“I can see that. Time and experience can help us understand details that seemed very one sided as a child.” She took a small sip of her punch. “Now here is the part where I decide if I’m going to be nosy or change the subject. Do I ask what that situation was because you brought it up and I want you to know I’m interested in what you are saying, or do I change the subject so you don’t think I’m rudely nosy for someone who barely knows you just yet?” She looked over at him and set a hand on his arm. “So I’ll go with leaving it up to you, and to not feel bad about whatever choice you make.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer